Jules Sanchez worked in management for 18 years before deciding it was time to start her own business, Jules Online Business Management, in August 2015. “I wanted to expand my creativity. I wanted freedom,” she thought while asking herself how she could achieve this while serving others. “I decided to use all of my skills to help other business owners. It seems like people are wanting more virtual work – the traditional schedule is more tolling.”
Jules’ military background inspired her to create a business that provides the structure of team support and an environment of
working together toward a common goal. After she returned from a tour in Iraq her “transition back into business was a little rough” which contributed to her desire not to drive or work for people who “didn’t really have the kind of mission, standard, structure like in the military,” she reflects. As a veteran, her new mission is to serve business owners in achieving their own missions.
Jules Online Business works with small business owners who need help managing their operations. Her business serves entrepreneurs at varying stages, providing assistance to those who are just starting out, helping owners who have “their system down” expand their existing business and she also steps in when “they need someone to come in to be a focal [point] between the management and the team.”
Since starting out in Tacoma Jules’ business has expanded across the nation mainly through referrals – one of the perks of an online business. As a single mom, the added perk of being able to set her own schedule and work from home has also made her life easier – a luxury she did not experience while commuting to her previous job. Now there’s not another “car on the road, so there’s less driving, less gas usage; I’m thinking about the environment,” adds Jules.
Jules believes running her own small business and assisting with the management of other small businesses “keeps work local.”
“Even though I work with people outside of Tacoma, it’s U.S. based and locally based,” she reflects. “When I outsource, it creates jobs locally for people. Because it’s virtual, it makes it easier for people to work from home if they don’t like the traditional business model, [or] for people who can’t do a regular schedule.”
Jules acknowledges that being an entrepreneur has changed her “incredibly.” She says that creating and running her business has “been a journey, it really has. You gotta develop yourself to be the best that you can be. You gotta be the value that you bring.” In addition to receiving business training from Steve Watts-Oelrich a Business Consultant at Business Impact NW’s Veteran Business Outreach Center, she is committed to lifelong learning by being an avid reader and continuing to take classes that sharpen her skills. “They’re a great resource,” Jules says of Business Impact NW. “I’m excited to dive in more [and] maybe to put on some workshops.”
In the future she also hopes to “provide a service around podcasting… As I grow, I want to provide a business that creates a culture for people to better themselves. I’m building a business that provides better benefits and a culture that’s supportive,” she concludes. “I love the creativity, I love serving the client and making a difference with how they serve, and I love being there for the team.”
Interested in working with Jules or finding out more about her work? Visit her website and blog at julesvomc.com. Follow Jules Online Business on Facebook at @BizManagement and on Twitter at @J_BizManagement.
Business Impact NW’s Veteran Business Outreach Center is committed to providing training and financing opportunities to entrepreneurs from the U.S. Military community. For more information, please visit: businessimpactnw.org/services/vboc