April Beverly
After years of working in marketing communication under other people’s schedule, Apryl Beverly, decided to launch BAAB Writing and Marketing Services, a company that provides writing services such as business plans and proposals.
Beverly said one of the main reasons she decided to strike out on her own was because she wanted more flexibility.
“I grew tired of asking for permission to take days off to be the mom and wife I wanted to be. So like LeBron James said when he ditched Cleveland for Miami, I took my talents online and went global,” said Beverly, a resident of Oakwood Village, Ohio.
Although her friends and family were shocked she decided to leave a “good-paying” job, it turned out to be a successful move. Now she has a six-figure income and employs an assistant and three part-time writers.
Beverly admits that making the break from working for someone else to being self employed took some planning.
“I launched my business while working full time as a marketing communications manager for a technology company. During that time, I found clients and worked on projects when I ‘clocked out’ from my day job,” she said. “I saved every penny I made from my late night/early morning projects and within one year, had saved up six months of income.”
Beverly said one of the biggest challenges of running your own business is time management and balancing family responsibilities. She ended up dedicating so much time to her fledgling business that it affected her marriage.
“I nearly lost my husband because of it,” Beverly said. “I’m passionate about my work, so writing all day and night doesn’t feel like work to me. But I still need to be present in my relationship with my husband ,and I was allowing that to take a backseat to my business. I set boundaries – work-free zones in the evenings and on the weekends – that I stick to like my life depends on it. My husband and I are still very much together and back to enjoying each other.”
Beverly has learned several important lessons in her five years in business. She advises other Black entrepreneurs to build a stellar reputation.
“Service is everything. When you set expectations, you have a responsibility to execute on that promise. I’ve never missed a deadline during my 15-plus-year career,” she said. “That’s because I’m a woman of my word and when you establish yourself as such, you’ll never have a shortage of clients.”
Beverly has already developed a great reputation with her clients, whose praise is often the best form of advertising.
“I rate Apryl’s business writing services a 10! I would absolutely refer her to others and am planning to work with her for proposal writing and to update our existing sales presentations,” said Terry Clark, owner of ClarkTel Communications.
Apart from relying on word-of-mouth advertising, Beverly also does a lot of self promotion.
“I do a lot of promoting by writing articles, social media, paid advertisements, networking at local events and simply by delivering high-quality service that makes my clients want to refer me,” she said.
Beverly says she’s also laying a foundation for the future.
“I’m all about building a legacy – a business that withstands trends, torrential downpours and heavy winds. Being a fly-by-night success does not excite me,” she said. “I’m building a business that my son can step into, his kids can take over and can build wealth for my family from here on out.”
As she continues to build her brand and reputation, Beverly hasn’t forgotten the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses.
“Supporting Black businesses is indicative of supporting yourself. You see, you can’t holler ‘Support me because I’m a Black business owner,’ if you’re constantly taking your money outside the community,” she said. “When you invest in Black businesses you’re telling your community that you truly believe we are smart enough and good enough to shine.”
