Where does it begin

For all of those who are starting a business, own a business, or dream about a business, it all starts in the same place.  So where does it all begin?  For me on my second business adventure, it began with a dream of someday owning a store of my own.  I have worked retail most of my life so it is something I am familiar with but I wasn't sure what type of retail business to start, that I could afford.  Really you have two options in business, buy a prestablished business or start something from the ground up.  Most established business are very expensive since you are buying the inventory, the name, and customers.  Starting from the ground up requires a large start up fund and the time to allow it to take off and a lot of inspiration.

Opportunity is all around us.  I have waited patiently for my chance.  After school, I wanted to open my own Hair salon that was attached to a Garage.  This would make any working mothers dream, getting your hair done(or all the kids cuts) and get your car fixed at the same time. I had my cosmetologist license and had taken a course to become state certified to inspect cars (after spending a lifetime in the garage with my dad as a kid) for the additional knowledge and to fix minor repairs.  As I was working my family grew and my desire to climb the ladder of success took away from my family.  I made the choice that career can wait and concentrated on my family and what jobs I could do to support them and have time to enjoy them.  Thus my dream got put on hold and new dreams began.  Now there is a chain of salons that are attached to garages to do just what I had hoped to, this is why opportunity is all around us you have to be ready when it comes along.

Since family is extremely important to me and I have often had to chose between my job and them to provide the things they needed.  I got an opportunity 3 years ago to be a stay at home mom.  Like many of the women I went to school with, we all saw the sacrifice that working had on our kids and made the same choice.  My grandmother worked but never had a career since her family was her career and anytime a job interfered she moved on.  My mother had large career goals and wanted a family too and did a great job of balancing both but I think it took its toll on her as a person.  I have seen both options and want both but not to compromise myself.  I think a lot of women today are starting their own business to have the flexibility to have a family.  As a business owner I put in 40 plus hours a week but I get to chose when they are how they fit into my week.  

I have never given up on the dream of owning my own business, I have researched and almost started a shoe store but after all my planning the start up cost were more than I could achieve at that point in time.  I am always checking the papers, homes books, and craigslist to see what opportunities are available and listening to people around me of what there needs are.  That is where I found my current business.  I know timing must be right because so many things have just fallen into place.  I am now the proud owner of Suzy's Treasure Chest New and Used Thrift Store.  Check us out on Facebook. 

 

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost: that is where they should be.  Now put foundations under them" -Henry David Thoreau