Happy Hedgehog LLC

Nerding out and invading Stacy’s and Julie’s space to learn more about online advertising—running ads for Lola's to see how it all works and what’s effective. 🤓

Anna-having her admin time at Lola's! 🤓

Staying Grounded in Your Business Journey

Starting and growing a business can feel a lot like skiing down a challenging slope. It’s exhilarating, full of potential, and sometimes overwhelming. The term “getting out over your skis” is a perfect metaphor for when entrepreneurs take on too much too quickly without a solid foundation. At our business incubator, we believe that maintaining control and balance is essential to navigating the entrepreneurial journey. Here’s how you can avoid overextending yourself and stay on the path to success.

Build a Strong Foundation

Master the Basics

Before you dive into the deep end, it’s crucial to master the basics of running a business. This includes understanding your market, refining your product or service, and knowing your financials. A strong foundation ensures that you are prepared for the challenges ahead and can adapt to changes in the market.

Develop Key Skills

Entrepreneurs need a diverse skill set to succeed. Focus on developing skills that are fundamental to your business’s success, such as effective communication, leadership, financial literacy, and strategic planning. These skills will help you make informed decisions and manage your business more effectively.

Prioritize and Focus

Identify Your Top Priorities

As an entrepreneur, you’re often faced with a multitude of challenges and opportunities. It’s essential to prioritize the problems you need to address. Identify the most critical issues that impact your business and tackle them first. This approach ensures that you’re focusing your energy and resources on what truly matters.

Stay Focused

Distractions are everywhere, especially in the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship. Stay focused on your core goals and resist the temptation to pursue every opportunity that comes your way. Remember, it’s better to do a few things well than to spread yourself too thin and compromise on quality.

Be Aware and Research

Stay Informed

Before jumping into new ventures or making significant changes, take the time to research and gather information. Understand the risks and rewards associated with your decisions. Being well-informed allows you to make strategic choices that align with your long-term vision.

Know Your Limits

It’s important to recognize when you’re stepping outside your comfort zone or expertise. While pushing boundaries is essential for growth, be mindful of your limitations. Seek advice from mentors, industry experts, or your incubator network to gain insights and perspectives that can guide your decisions.

Reset and Reassess

Acknowledge When You’re Over Your Skis

If you find yourself overwhelmed and feeling out of control, take a step back. Acknowledge that you might be “over your skis” and use this as an opportunity to reset and reassess your approach. It’s okay to pause and reevaluate your strategy to ensure you’re on the right track.

Adapt and Adjust

Business landscapes are constantly changing, and flexibility is crucial. Be willing to adapt your plans and adjust your strategies as needed. Embrace change as a chance to improve and refine your business model, keeping you agile and responsive to new opportunities.

Conclusion

At our business incubator, we’re committed to supporting entrepreneurs in their journey. By building strong fundamentals, prioritizing effectively, staying informed, and knowing when to reassess, you can avoid getting out over your skis and achieve lasting success. Remember, the entrepreneurial journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Stay grounded, focused, and determined, and you’ll navigate the slopes with confidence.

🎉 Join Us for a Bingo Fundraiser! 🎉

Looking for a fun and engaging way to raise funds for a local cause? Look no further! We, along with Marlon Eilts - COUNTRY Financial, are excited to help you organize an unforgettable bingo fundraiser. Whether you’re raising money for a school, a nonprofit, or a community project, we’ve got you covered.

✅ Why Bingo?
Bingo is not only entertaining but also a fantastic way to bring people together. It’s easy to organize, and everyone loves the thrill of shouting “Bingo!” when they win. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to engage with the community and support a meaningful cause.

🤝 How We Can Help:

• Provide resources and guidance for setting up your event
• Offer tips on how to maximize fundraising efforts
• Help promote your event through our network
• Support with prizes and giveaways

Let’s make your fundraiser a success and support the community together!

💡 Get in Touch:
Interested in organizing a bingo fundraiser? Contact us today, and let’s start planning!

The BreakRoom turned into a Frozen wonderland today! ☃️🥶❄️👸

Get your yard/window signs to support Pontiac Township High School Athletics from Stacy at our office—sold by PTHS Sports Boosters!
🏀🏈⚾️🏐🎾⛳️

It’s going to be bright and sunny today! 🌞

Customer service is key—the Worthingtons were sweet enough to set a side my favorite ground cherries at Pontiac Farmers Market—they saved the last two batches just for Stacy and I. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been waiting 2 years very impatiently for these! 🍒🍅🏮🍍🥥

Shout out to Delilah’s Lemonade stand at the Pontiac Farmers Market—the lemonade was delicious. 🍋
It’s great to see parents teaching their kiddos the value of hard work and being an entrepreneur—never too young or too old to get started! Love it 💙💛

Gotta get it, right?!

Business incubators popping up everywhere! Here’s a very impressive one in Peoria!

Downtown Peoria’s new business innovation hub to open soon Executive Director Doug Cruitt said lease prices range from $175 to $1,400 per month.

Anna stressing during her voice-over recordings for the upcoming Lola's commercials! 😥🎙️🇵🇭

Without Power? Come cool off, work, or relax
The doors will be unlocked today for those who need reprieve.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
719-822-1376

Playing with the new toy….Running our new mini-Starlink. Pretty slick. Elon is changing the world. Wow 🤯 📡🌎

We hosted the Camp Confidence group from the Boys & Girls Club of Livingston County to discuss what Happy Hedgehog LLC is all about and share some tips on how to have a successful business. 💯

Here’s a great idea for a fund raiser that we are willing to sponsor up to $500 to pay for supplies. Thank you to Marlon Eilts - COUNTRY Financial’s Pontiac office for the partnership in funding these community enrichment projects.

Here is a sample business plan for the event:

🎨✨Community Painting Class Fundraiser✨🎨

We are excited to invite you to a special community event to support [Group/Organization Name]'s fundraising efforts. Join us for a fun and creative painting class, led by a local artist, and help make a difference in our community!

🗓️ **Date & Time:** [Insert Date & Time]
📍 **Location:** [Insert Venue]

**Event Highlights:**

- **All Art Supplies Provided:** Thanks to the generous sponsorship from [Business Name], all materials needed for the class (canvases, paints, brushes, etc.) will be provided.
- **Professional Instruction:** Learn step-by-step from a talented artist who will guide you in creating a beautiful piece of art.
- **Take Home Your Art:** At the end of the class, you’ll have a unique piece of art that you created to take home and proudly display.
- **Wine and Light Snacks:** Enjoy a glass of wine and light snacks while you paint and socialize.

**Ticket Price:** $20-$30 per person

This event is perfect for a fun time out with friends, a unique date night, or simply a chance to relax and get creative. No prior painting experience is necessary – just bring your enthusiasm and be ready to have a great time!

**Limited Spots Available!** Don’t miss out on this opportunity to create, connect, and contribute to a worthy cause.

🎟️ **Get Your Tickets Now:** [Insert Ticket Purchase Link]

All proceeds from this event will go towards [Group/Organization Name] to support their mission and initiatives.

Let’s come together as a community to support a great cause and have a fantastic time doing it. We can’t wait to see you there for an evening of art, wine, and wonderful memories!

Fun first weekend with the Pontiac Phantoms! 💪🏽⚾️❤️🖤🩷

Wow! Washington Elementary, Pontiac School District 429 has really hit a home run with this program…what a fun way to teach the kids about finance and what it takes to run a business. Come out and support the kiddos and enjoy some delicious lemonade! 🍋🥤

Mark your calendars! On Thursday, May 30 a bunch of hard working, 5th grade entrepreneurs will be hosting a lemonade stand at Washington School. Through Math and Social Studies projects, they’ve been learning about things like entrepreneurship, profit margins, supply & demand, consumers & producers, investors, and the list goes on! These students are ready to apply what they learned with Washington School’s Galaxy lemonade, lemonade that is out of this world 🚀.

Not only are these kids learning about business, they’re also learning about caring for others as ALL of the proceeds from the lemonade stand will benefit St. Jude, the students’ chosen charity. Please come out and support these kids and St. Jude.

You can help us spread the news by liking, commenting, sharing, or tagging someone else! Thanks for helping us with the marketing of our stand!

Thanks also goes to Marlon Eilts - COUNTRY Financial, Happy Hedgehog, and Edinger's Filling Station, LLC for investing in the Galaxy Lemonade Stand.

See you Thursday, May 30🍋! More info will come on times next week!

🎧 Exciting News, Hedgehog Community! 🦔

In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with none other than Julie McCabe, our esteemed Marketing Director at Happy Hedgehog LLC. Julie has been a pivotal part of our journey for a decade, blossoming in both skill and talent, and has played a significant role in shaping our marketing strategies. 🌟

But as they say, growth involves change. It's a bittersweet moment as we share that Julie is spreading her wings towards new horizons. She's stepping into an exhilarating new role as Content Director at our renowned business incubator. 🚀

Join us in this heartfelt conversation as we delve into Julie's incredible journey with us, the insights she's gathered along the way, and what she envisions for the future. It's a story of growth, challenges, and vision.

Don't miss this enriching dialogue. Tune in, be inspired by Julie’s passion and creativity!

🎤 Listen now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SA5zI3hXcHI?si=3UgpS2BmIyFzpxHs

Let's show Julie our full support! Drop your wishes, thoughts, and what you loved about the conversation in the comments below. 💬✨

Episode 4: Marketing

The HEDGEHOG concept…apparently it was a thing before we made it a thing. 😂 🦔

happyhedgehog.org - Blog

2 years later we get the Blog going again.

happyhedgehog.org - Blog

Thank you Kent Casson for stopping by to see what we have going on. Can’t say enough on how much you do for the local community and keeping us all in the loop! 📡📻🎙️

Business incubator fosters innovation Those wanting to try out broadcast media don’t have to travel far. Marlon Eilts has set up a podcast studio inside of his Happy Hedgehog LLC building at 741 West Washington Street. “I want to give people that would like to get into either broadcasting or some kind of media an outlet and podcasti...

🍋🌞 Summer Lemonade or Iced Tea Stand Sponsorship Offer! 🌞🍋 Partnership with Marlon Eilts - COUNTRY Financial

Get ready to turn your summer into a refreshing and profitable experience! We're excited to present our exclusive Lemonade Stand Sponsorship Program, where we cover all the expenses so you can focus on selling and keeping all the profits. Here are the details of our exciting offer:

1. Full Sponsorship: We'll cover all the necessary expenses to set up your lemonade stand, including the cost of ingredients, supplies, signage. You can start your business worry-free, knowing that we have your back!

2. Marketing Support: We'll help you promote your lemonade stand through various marketing channels. Our team of experts will assist you in creating eye-catching signage and digital materials to attract customers to your stand. We'll also give you tips and strategies to maximize your sales and customer satisfaction.

3. Business Mentorship: As part of our sponsorship program, you'll have access to experienced mentors who will guide you on various aspects of running a successful lemonade stand. From setting up your stand layout to managing inventory and handling customer service, our mentors will be there to support you every step of the way.

4. Community Engagement: We encourage you to give back to the community by donating a portion of your profits to a local charity or cause of your choice. Not only will you be building a successful business, but you'll also be making a positive impact on those in need.

Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to have your very own lemonade stand with zero financial burden. Start your entrepreneurial journey this summer and experience the joy of being your own boss while keeping all the profits!

To apply for our Lemonade Stand Sponsorship Program, please contact us directly. Remember, the sun is shining, lemons are ripe, and the opportunity awaits! 🍋🌞

Contact Marlon Eilts for more details via:
📧[email protected]
📞815.842.1376

The Break Room will be closed for a few days due to our router being struck by lightning. Sorry for the inconvenience, we hope to have it back up and running soon.