Winning Ideas from Winning Women
with Diane Heath

Her father was a business owner and her mother told her if you don’t succeed, then try again. These two factors came together to form Diane Heath’s entrepreneurial spirit. Diane’s company, Custom Made, Inc. (CMI) is now celebrating its fifteenth year in business, and Diane credits her success to doing the best job possible while always improving on processes and techniques.

Diane found the time and opportunity to start her business when the company she worked for changed owners and she was told that the new owners didn’t think highly of women. As a result, two of Diane’s first three employees were also women from the same company. Because Diane had worked in all aspects of her former company, she saw a niche for small quantity printing and fabricating. Like many women starting their own businesses, Diane capitalized on her knowledge of and experience in the industry to form Custom Made, Inc.

A hands-on manager, Diane loves managing the day-to-day operations. Even though she is very involved in the production process, she still maintains a focus on the big picture. As with most things in life, there is always some room for improvement. This is why Diane often looks for opportunities to help her business improve, such as CMI’s membership in the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association, which provides up to date information and training for employees. Another example of her ability to identify opportunities resulted from a phone call from a job applicant for her art department. Within one week, Diane had offered her new employee a fifty percent partnership in a new business venture. In November, they will be opening Banners Signs Etc, a retail sign company in Burlington.

Even though Diane has experienced significant business success, she recognizes that the challenges of business ownership are not for everyone. One aspect of owning a small business is that you must wear many hats and, in doing so, are forced to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Over the past few years, Diane has learned the value of having someone outside the company to coach her in her areas of weakness. Even though she loves the operations side of her business, she admits that she lacked the skills and knowledge for the sales side. She is now in her second year of training with Training and Development Solutions, Inc. of Greensboro.

“The biggest mistake I made was not getting this training earlier. I realize now that understanding the sales side makes it easier to manage.”

Diane’s advice to new women entrepreneurs and those considering entrepreneurship is not to be afraid to seek advice from women with experience. She belongs to two organizations that provide regular networking opportunities that allow women to do just that. One is The Carolina’s Forum, which hosts monthly luncheons around the state to provide networking between certified women owned businesses and with corporations seeking to do business with them. She also belongs to the Women’s Resource Center and attends a monthly luncheon called Working Women Wednesdays. She speaks highly of this local group and says that the many new friends she has made there have helped her to grow professionally and personally.

Through hard work and the desire to constantly improve, Diane Heath has earned the respect of many business owners in her market. She always remembers the advice of her personal coach, Troyann Williams, “Seek first to understand.” And Diane urges other women to do just that.