Once, years ago, I started a small business. Because it was something I was doing from home, all I needed to do to get started,if I remember correctly,was to register a name with the county, and begin to advertise. I had some business cards made and set to work. Since it was a sewing,crafts and quilt repair operation, I called my endeavor "In Stitches".
I did ok, brought in enough money to add to our income and have some 'no guilt' spending cash. I did a few jobs for antique shops, repairing quilts that had lost some stitching or come apart in places. There was one job I enjoyed...the putting together of many handmade squares made by friends of someone who was going to be honored by a certain organization. I made and sold some cloth soft-sculpture baby dolls,some rag dolls, and some other items. I have to admit that boredom got the best of me, and I didn't many years at it. It's one thing to do your crafts for fun and quite another to 'have to' make them.
The opening of a business requires that you choose something specific to the need in the community. I recently passed a vacant building with a sign that indicated that it had been a tanning salon. I suspect that this business didn't do much action...or not enough,anyway, to keep it going. My thoughts, as I passed this empty storefront were:
1) WHY would anyone open a tanning salon in a rural farm community, away from any other types of businesses?
2) WHY would anyone even think that a tanning salon would do well in a predominantly African American community?!
3) WHAT would possess anyone to open a tanning salon,anyway, in sunny SC? If you want a sun tan in these parts, wouldn't it be available by going outside for fifteen minutes a day?
Sometimes you just have to scratch your head with wonder...and giggle at the sensibility of things...or the lack thereof.
