Owning a Business Means 24/7 Concerns

Just because a person has a passion and talent for something doesn't
mean he will have the same moxie to run his own business, according to
Michael Gerber's book "The E-Myth," which claims each business needs a
technician, a manager and an entrepreneur, and one man rarely is all
three. So, for instance, a small business owner might have to learn
business growth and management skills to go along with the technical
skills she honed her whole life.

"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.
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