"My three points are a passion, an economic engine and the goal to be the best at what you're doing," said Dan Shreve, who owns and operates The Media Center @ 222 in Charleston, W.V., with Joe Stevens. "I think anybody going into business needs to do a real, honest self evaluation, because you've got to know yourself better than you ever imagined ... because you've got to understand where your weaknesses are and then face those facts.
"If [you're] not a great bookkeeper, not great at details, then you've got to find somebody who is," he said.
Stevens said his public relations and media experience meshed very well with Shreve's satellite truck and business experience, but the two had to do a lot of homework before starting their business.
"We brought 'A' and 'B' together and created 'C,'" Stevens said. "Partners really need to rely on each other's experience."
A common concern among business owners is the fact that they physically may leave work, but they never really leave work behind.
"The days are all the same when you run your own business," Shreve said. "You kind of lose the rhythm that a lot of the work force has, because it's constant. You have to be willing to think about business at 10 o'clock before you go to bed or first thing when you wake up -- always thinking of problems you want to try to solve."
Stevens added, "It gives a new meaning to 24/7."
Richard and Terri King opened Uniquely Yours, a home store with candles, collectibles and furniture in Moundsville, W.V., in 2001, after realizing that many residents were traveling out of the area for products they could sell in their own town.
"We did something different," Terri said. "We stay open a little bit later, and at the time nothing was coming in this area, and a lot of people thought it wasn't a good idea.
"The thing that surprised us the most is how much time is required, because you don't go home and forget about it."
Terri said they started out renting a small building then quickly expanded, which is a scary thing to do, but entrepreneurs have to love what they're doing, because they usually won't make a lot of money.
Doing a little research to be sure a new business will fill a local hole is important.
Leslie Sameness opened an embroidery business, Expressions by Leslie, in Martinsburg, W.V., after looking for personalized gifts for her two young daughters.
"I had been interested in craft shows, and this was just an extension of what I had been doing," Simensen said. "I still go to a lot of craft shows, I'm just trying to expand it into more useful things."
Simensen said she was surprised by how easily embroidery can be done with new technology, so she ended up investing a lot more time and money than she anticipated.
"I've been very successful in being able to set my own hours and my own location, and people have been very responsive to my hours," she said. "They're excited about having an alternative to stores that are only open nine to five and require a minimum order of 25, and the parents are thrilled to have an alternative to traditional gifts."
Another Martinsburg business, Serenity Day Spa, has been a lesson in entrepreneurial ventures to its owner, Carolyn Miller.
"We started out as a women's fitness center then we started adding and doing body treatments," Miller said. "I was manager for two years and then the owner moved to South Carolina and insisted I buy it, so it was a little helpful to be a manager first, but it's totally different.
"I learned things real quick, but it was just a little bit of a shock."
Miller said she's had to take extra care with her workers, since she doesn't have the licensing to do any spa treatments, if someone calls in sick, she can't get another employee from Manpower or take care of the customers herself, so the appointments all need cancelled.
"I definitely wish I had those (spa) skills," she said. "If you own a restaurant and somebody calls in sick, anybody can go wait tables."
Miller said there are many fringe benefits with owning a business, such as the ability to take time off as needed, and she gets to watch customers relax. "I love it when I'm in the spa and someone comes out and says 'ahhh,' and you can tell the stress has been relieved," she said. "I would advise anyone thinking of opening their own business, though, to look at the whole picture, not just the fun parts."
Source: The State Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. Powered by Yellowbrix.
