Faline Jones
City Founder & Planner of Cat’s Meow Village
What inspired you to start your business?
In the early 80’s I was on the unemployment line so many times. I decided to start selling the crafts I was dabbling in to make an income. When I started making wooden houses, I asked a local store owner how she buys her products, and that’s how my business started through sales reps.
What challenges have you faced as a woman entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
I haven’t really faced challenges that I felt were female focused. I’ve faced challenges of starting and growing a small business just as anyone would.
What are the biggest obstacles you see for young female entrepreneurs?
I think a big obstacle for any entrepreneur is not knowing their personal strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, they don’t know how to build a team around them that plays to their strengths and weaknesses.
What do you love about being a business owner?
The best part of owning my own business is I can create a work atmosphere/style that fits me and my employees who are attracted to the same style. I like breaking traditional business rules.
What’s the hardest part about being a business owner?
The hardest thing is when employees or customers see a situation only from their point of view and don’t even consider that there is a person behind the company who values fairness for both parties.
How do you define success?
Success defined on a small level is when you see the light as you learn new things, or new marketing efforts pay off. Success on a higher level is when life feels balanced the way you want it to be (and that can be ever evolving).
What’s the best way to start your day?
I like that I can roll over and sleep some more when my alarm rings. I’m not tied to a time clock for showing up at work. Somedays, though, I am up and to work before the alarm. I huge glass of water is the first thing I grab to start my day…and then the coffee.
What do you like about your workspace?
I have a workshop space that is a small, open style atmosphere. I like that I don’t have a corner office. And, I also like that my car or an Airbnb anywhere in the U.S. can also be my workspace.
Fill in the blank:
When I face a challenge, I… go off by myself to think it through and see all possibilities.
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself… that I’ve done a pretty good job at pushing the envelope and risking things…but maybe I could have pushed just a little more?
The one thing I couldn’t live without is… my car that takes me places I’ve never been and at the same time can be a mid-day office space and sanctuary.
By this time next year, I… will have made even more small business friends, and hopefully have visited a few of them in person.
The best thing that happened to me last week was… the time I got to spend with my daughter, talking through business and life issues. I feel privileged to be able to help the next generation create their own version of a successful life.
To get my creative juices flowing, I… need to shut down all other areas of my job, from bookkeeping to social media. Then looking through folders and files of inspiration I’ve collected over the years helps the juices flow.
Cats meow village
Cat’s Meow Village is a small company birthed in Wooster, Ohio producing little wooden replicas of buildings, landmarks, and scenes to help remember the good times in life. They front features a printed design on 3/4" thick wood with colorful details, and written facts or a story on the back. The company has so many neighborhoods to explore from National Parks, schools, churches, and museums to PURRfetly delightful landmarks. Each design created has their black cat, Casper sitting or laying down which makes it an authentic Cat’s Meow.
