At the start of another year, goals and intentions are being set. Research shows that writing plans down significantly increases the likelihood of accomplishing tasks. These five small businesses make products based on this philosophy and give folks the tools to achieve their dreams both big and small.
Laurel Denise
Once an inspirational jewelry line, Laurel Denise now makes daily planners. Oscillating between the two since 2005, the brand made the permanent shift in 2022.
Owner Laurel Smith has loved a system and a plan since she was young. The first planner she made helped her juggle a corporate job, plan her wedding, and launch this business. It was difficult for her to let go of her jewelry company, as it was successful on many levels, but customers begged for these planners that display the monthly, weekly, and daily schedule at the same time. This feature is what sets this product line apart.
The four layouts offered by Laurel Denise are the horizontal weekly planner, vertical weekly planner, portrait planner, and project planner. Each setup caters to popular organizational preferences, and a comparison page as well as video tours help customers choose the right planner type for their needs.
Be Rooted
A former buyer for retail giants like Target and Amazon, Jasmin Foster founded the stationery and lifestyle brand Be Rooted, largely to give women of color more representation in products like journals and planners.
Foster was obsessed with stationery as a kid and considered herself a collector, but she always felt just a little disconnected from the category. “There was never any imagery that looked like me,” she said. So she used her experience from working with many brands over the course of her career, taking bits and pieces from other successful businesses to build her own. Just one year after launching, and in a full circle moment, Be Rooted became the first and only Black woman–owned stationery brand carried by Target. It was also dubbed one of the most influential companies of 2022 by TIME.
Be Rooted designs dated and undated planners, notebooks, greeting card sets, wellness journals, and other desk supplies. The artwork is vibrant, inclusive, and contains uplifting phrases.
Career Coach Mandy’s “Should I Quit?” journal addresses the gray area between being unhappy in a job and what to do about it.
The Dailee
In college, Sophia Hengst struggled to find a planner that was comprehensive enough, so she made her own. Friends would ask if they could get copies of her pages and fans of her blog encouraged her to make physical books. So after she graduated, Hengst designed the “College Planner” specifically for students, and it sold out within a month. The following year, she released a standard daily planner, and it sold out within hours.
As the name suggests, The Dailee makes daily planners, some of which cater to specific lifestyles or careers. The Dailee has tailored planners for moms, teachers, bloggers, content creators, and brides-to-be (with the help of specialists). For those who prefer digital over print, these are also available electronically.
Self-proclaimed as Type A, Hengst has made sure these planners are extensive. If someone wants a little less structure, they can opt for the new minimalist planner, which includes all of the same organizational pages found in the standard daily planner but without the daily sheets. This allows for looser planning and a slimmer book.
Lamare
Unsure of her career path, Katerina Malaschenko found herself reading a lot of self-help books about productivity, time management, and goal-setting. Despite earning her degree in biochemistry, Malaschenko was still searching for her purpose. Little did she know that researching organizational tactics would ultimately lead her to becoming an entrepreneur.
In 2017, Malaschenko launched Lamare, a productivity and self-care brand. The small business designs journals for budgeting, habit tracking, and expressing gratitude. It also makes products like blank cookbooks to record favorite recipes and travel memory books. Some of the most popular products are the vision board book, complete with supplies to craft a personal manifestation reference point for the year; the self-care planner; and daily affirmation cards.
Career Coach Mandy
Mandy Tang or Career Coach Mandy is a career coach of seven years, a holistic healer, and the creator of professional assessment workbooks that guide people through the process of quitting and finding a new job.
Career Coach Mandy’s “Should I Quit?” journal addresses the gray area between being unhappy in a job and what to do about it. This guided workbook contains exercises and prompts to help those at a crossroads determine why they’re dissatisfied with their current workplace, what to avoid when choosing future roles, and steps to take to make the jump to a new job less daunting. Career Coach Mandy also offers a “10-Week Plan” workbook to help people land a new job. It includes short assignments for updating a resume, preparing for networking interactions, and managing self-care through an often discouraging process.
Tang admits that these were designed on Canva and have a homemade feel to them. She compiles and packages everything from home with the help of family and friends.
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