Business Success Takes Perseverance

By Lynnette Horn

If there were only one word to describe Katherine Anderson, owner and president of Andy's Seasoning, Inc., it would be perseverance. It has gotten her through rough times in her career when a lesser person would have thrown in the towel. And, Ms. Anderson works just as hard through the good times to bring to her company continued success.

She attributes her work ethic to her parents. From the time she was a young girl in Osceola, Arkansas they encouraged her to work hard to achieve her dreams. "They taught me that no one owes you anything," she said. "But, if you work hard and persevere anything is possible."

She took her parents' lessons to heart and moved to St. Louis for schooling and better job opportunities. It is here where she met her husband, Rueben, and before long the two of them set their sights on owning their own company. Mr. Anderson was the instigator. "He loved to cook and messed around in the kitchen whenever I was cooking, always adding to the pots," Ms. Anderson explained. Friends and family, who got to sample these culinary collaborations, encouraged them to start a business and their dream was born.

Most don't get past the dream stage, Ms. Anderson conceded, but they worked hard, did their homework, and beat the odds. In 1996, when her husband died, she was faced with a new set of challenges. But, she never doubted that everything would turn out all right, even during the darkest moments.

"Perseverance is the key," she reiterated. "If you don't give up at every little problem, you'll usually come out okay." Too many people give up at the first sign of trouble. They easily get discouraged if it doesn't go smoothly.

Self-doubts do crop up occasionally, she admitted. Whenever that happens she turns to her strong faith in God. She believes between trusting God to lead her and her determination to succeed she can't go wrong.

Her advice for any woman with a dream to start her own business is to:

Learn all you can about the type of business you want to enter. Be willing to make sacrifices.  It takes a long time to establish a business and usually there are no profits the first several years. Persevere--don't get easily discouraged if the business hits a few bumps in the road. Once you get the business going surround yourself with the right people.  There are a lot of people looking for jobs out there, but not everyone is willing to do the work.  Find dedicated people and then treat them the way you would want to be treated. And last, never forget the customer is the most important part of the business. Treat them well and with respect.

Published first in  Progressive Woman Magazine, 2002