Entrepreneurs Have to Balance Legwork With Homework

Welcome to the Small-Business Soap series, in which we follow a start-up in real time. Getting a small business off the ground can have as many twists and turns as a daytime drama. But unlike television plots, these stories can inspire and educate entrepreneurs -- be sure to tune in every Wednesday to find out how.

Kim Ima's Treats Truck has had her working 17-hour days since it kicked off earlier this summer.

"The one thing I would change about my business would be to set aside a couple hours a day for my office," says Ima.

For a start-up, she says, it's common for the owner to wear the "worker bee" hat too much and neglect the hat that started the business in the first place: the entrepreneur.

Ima often finds herself baking from early morning and selling through the day.

It's hard prying herself away from the truck because "to see me actually working in the truck has its appeal [to customers]," says Ima, who enjoys the personal interaction, but realizes the importance of focusing on her company's operations.

Finding the Balance

Too often Ima feels like she is just playing catch-up while finishing tasks the day before they need to get done.

Before launching the truck, "I used to have a lot of time to make plans [for the business] and network," she says. Now she spends most of her time in the truck while her publicist takes care of pitching to the media.

Even with her publicist, Ima realizes she has to begin wearing her entrepreneur hat more to accomplish her goals for the next few months, like expanding business hours after Labor Day, planning holiday specials, pitching to television shows and moving into a bigger space.

All these require careful advance planning, which demands the attention of the owner.

Like any start-up, Ima wants to get to the point where her business runs without her constant presence.

"I don't want to be carrying [The Treats Truck] on my back," she says.

She just hired someone who will be able to drive the truck, but will have to wait two months for the new employee to complete her food-vendor license training.

Ima is also working on freeing up her mornings by rescheduling her bakers' shifts to allow for the next day's prep work to be completed the evening before.