Start Up Princess.com started in part because of my friend and member, Liz Rosenbaum. Last summer we met at swim lessons and I interviewed her for 2 weeks about how she managed life as mom/business owner and eventually within a week or so our daily emails became this site/vision for Start Up Princess. She was the first person to comment on the blog and about a month later I convinced her to start her own and she’s been a great blogger ever since! We awarded Liz and her mother, Marielen Christensen our very first “Glass Slipper Award” last summer for their contributions as founders of the scrapbooking industry as we know it today 25 years ago!
I have known for a year that Liz and her husband Matt wanted to sell their business and move on to other dreams. In January she told me in confidence that they would be selling and she asked me if I had any leads for her to sell her business and while I didn’t really know of anyone, I told her I would hope and pray she’d find the right buyer. We have kept in touch about the sale of the business and I tried to give her a few pep talks about being patient to find the right buyer so it was very exciting to me when I got her email a couple of months ago that it was finalized…and she was so happy with the new owners! Scrapbooks.com has already transferred over to the new owners (whom also own scrapbook.com) and there is a new look over there as well. Liz will remain on the design team and collaborate with them on design projects and she’s thrilled to also keep up her scrapbooks.com blog too.
I wanted to ask Liz questions and details and share with you all, she was happy to contribute:
How long did you own your business (or when did you purchase it) from your parents?
Keeping Memories Alive was founded by my parents, Anthony and Marielen Christensen 26 years ago. My husband and I became co-owners of the company in 1999. In 2004, we purchased a larger amount of the business and at that time took over the daily operations of the company.
What was the most enjoyable for you?
I loved being part of a company that encouraged such a worthwhile activity. I also enjoyed the times I could be creative and help in the process of manufacturing products, making idea pages for our customers and authoring idea books.
What was the most challenging?
Realizing that some people in business are not trustworthy and being taken advantage of by those you had put your trust in.
Why did you and your family decide to sell the business? What was that like to admit that it was time to move on?
There were several reasons why we decided to sell the business, but the main reason was simply that we were ready for change. After managing the company together for so long, my husband felt ready to move onto other dreams and I was ready for a little less stress in my life.
When we first started to wonder if it was time for us to move on, it was such a crazy thought! This business had been in our family for so long and since my mother was the one who founded the modern day scrapbook industry, the thought of selling the business to someone outside the family seemed so strange. However, we couldn’t change the strong feelings we had of following new dreams and deep down, we knew we were doing the right thing. My parents were supportive of our decision and from that point on, our goal was to find a buyer that would be the best fit for our company.
How did you find a buyer?
We contacted various people in the industry who we thought may have an interest in purchasing our company. Several were quite interested, but for one reason or another, it never worked out. Then, when we were beginning to get frustrated, my husband remembered a company who had approached us a few years earlier to ask if we would be interested in merging or selling out to them. We weren’t interested at the time they originally contacted us, but figured we might as well get in contact with them again to see if there was still an interest in acquiring our company. They were still interested and the rest is history!
How long did it take from deciding to sell to transfer the business over to the new owners?
From the time we decided to sell the company to the time we actually sold was about two years. However, we were not very aggressive in finding a buyer during the first year.
How did you negotiate your role with the new company?
Basically, they just asked me if I would be interested in continuing on with the company in creative capacities, by writing e-books and staying on the design team and in their words, “being the face of the companyâ€. Those are all things that I love doing and things I can do right from home so there was no negotiating needed. I jumped at the chance!
What changes will the new company make?
They are going to be offering many new and exciting services to our customers. People will be able to have their own blog on the site and will be able to purchase digital scrapbook products online.
What do you get to continue doing with them?
I will actually get to do the things that I love! I am already working on an e-book and will be able to participate as an active design team member among other things.
What will you take with you to your next business opportunity?
The knowledge that I can do whatever it is I want to do in life. All I have to do is believe I can do whatever it is I want to do, work hard at it, visualize myself doing it, not allow fear to creep into my mind and just go for it. Everything is possible! You just have to believe!
Thanks Liz!! CONGRATS!! 
Congrats! Good luck in your next adventure. Be sure to let us know what that is!
Liz is staying on with Scrapbooks.com as guest blogger/designer