I was not ready to give up on my dreams and ventured into several business possibilities. I was determined not to be defeated. I had the support of my family and friends. I bought many books on starting a business, attended seminars and workshops, and persuaded others to help me. I decided to open a small art gallery and gift shop and found an ideal location for it. I was excited to get started. How could I go wrong! I had a business plan, business license, and the funds to operate. Three years later, the business folded! I had failed! I was working a full time job, was a single parent and also in the Army Reserve.
There are a lot of talented people who are never recognized for their work. I located artists and artisans in the community and offered my shop as a venue for them to display their artistry. I was committed to making this business work, even though I was not an artist. I found a small stand alone cottage style house that was converted to a commercial building. It was painted baby blue and the white trim made it stand out from the other nearby commercial buildings. It was a diamond in the ruff. I negotiated the monthly rent by agreeing to paint and repair the inside. The paved parking lot and location on a major street with bustling traffic were an additional plus.
My brother Lil Bro agreed to be my “artist in residence.” After returning to Memphis from D.C., he worked as a portrait artist to pay the bills but his heart was in abstract. He had a gallery showing when he was living in Washington D.C. years earlier. He was one of five black artists chosen to exhibit abstract modern art at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library during black history month. According to an article in The Washington Post (The Power and the Spirit, Paul Richards, February 19, 1983), the exhibit, “Five Installations” was coordinated by noted black artist, Sam Gilliam. At the time, Lil Bro was a student at University of D.C. and the youngest artist. His work was exhibited alongside art professors and artists in residence. His piece was titled “Plight of a Once Mobile Society in Rush Hour Traffic” and consisted of cut tires. He patiently tried to explain art to me. I had no idea how to interpret art but I was very proud of him. He was trying to recreate a disorder of life into an order through his artwork.
By the time I decided to open my business, my brother Tippy had obtained a degree in interior design. He obtained this degree while working a full time job to support his family. They were living in Los Angeles. Because of his experience in interior design, he helped develop the Tom Bradley terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. He helped me design the interior of the art gallery and gift shop. I had a business license, the perfect location, a charming stand alone cottage house that was decorated beautifully, funds to operate, artisans, and a passion for what I was doing. I took an entrepreneurship IQ test and based on the score, I had the necessary temperament and skills. What could go wrong?
I met a lady in my Reserve unit who made beautiful floral arrangements and pottery. She committed to displaying her work in the gallery. I also met a lady who made beautiful dolls and convinced her to display her craft. Some local artists were happy to display their pieces. I traveled to various trade shows to obtain unique items to display and sell. My friend BB and I went to a trade show in Dallas. Since she never learned to drive, I drove there and back. We talked during the entire trip. We were both excited. Having a business caused a sense of excitement in me that I didn’t know existed. Many people passed by the inviting blue cottage house and stopped to visit the shop. The sales were initially steady. I had a network of artists and artisans but I didn’t have a shopkeeper. I had never worked in a shop before and didn’t have hands on experience. Hands on experience at another shop before opening mine, would have taught me things that I wouldn’t learn by attending seminars or reading books. I was working full time, had two underage children, and was serving in the Army Reserve. I didn’t have the time to devote to a start- up business. Reluctantly, I had to close my business after three years. My brother Rom told me that I had a hobby, instead of a business. He was right! I was crushed but this expensive hobby provided me with the tools I needed to explore other possibilities.
Many years later, I ventured into another business possibility. In the first business, I had no experience or knowledge but I wanted to be a business owner. I loved this idea. My girls were college graduates, married and self-sufficient. I was remarried with a supportive husband. I attended business seminars, invested in more business books, and obtained guidance from the small business administration. The plus was that I had a passion for the new business venture. I would implement a business doing what I loved. Through research, I learned there are two types of entrepreneurs. The first type is one who is in love with the idea of starting a specific business and the second type is someone who is in love with the opportunity to be their own boss. The second type looked for opportunities. Once again, I found out that doing what I loved didn’t mean a successful business.
I was still serving in the Army Reserve. Based on my experience with case management and administration, I was called to active duty to assist on a special project. My good friend Kathy was previous active duty and knew a successful businessman who did contract work for the military. He was a multimillionaire with a thriving company in Texas. Finally, it’s my time, I thought. Many years had passed from the first business venture to now. I never lost interest in owning my own business, had studied more, attended seminars and conferences and saved some funds to operate. Excitement was in the air again and I was ready. I discussed the idea with my husband and he was extremely supportive. I knew I had to continue to work a full time job while I built this business.
I did my homework and I was prepared. I structured my business as a sole owner of an S corporation because I did not want to put our personal assets at risk. I challenged myself and created the S corporation myself. I wrote a business plan to help me figure out what I was getting into and what it would take me to succeed. I attended free business seminars at the local small business development center. When it was time, Kathy and I flew to Texas to meet with this gentleman and see his business. He agreed to serve as my mentor. By this time, I was no longer in the Reserve but was still working full time. I thought I had more time to build my business. His team helped me recreate my business plan, design a professional website and catchy logo. I had already developed the difficult legal structure, recruited friends to help, and made sure there were no conflicts of interest with my job. How could I lose? The first business was an art gallery and gift shop and I was not an artist. I put a lot of thought and time in this business idea, plus, it was in my area of expertise and I had a mentor. My mentor and I worked together for months. Since I had no experience with contracts, he agreed to help. Together, we wrote and submitted a request for proposal (RFP) for a military contract. I thought, since I am no longer in the military, I can still do business with the military and help the soldiers. When the contract was awarded to another company, I was disappointed. According to the contracting manager, the RFP was impressive but my start-up company had no experience. I think I was more disappointed because I felt I let down the people who believed in me. It sounded like a profitable business opportunity but was not the option God wanted me to take. It was what I wanted to take!
I am deeply grateful and appreciate all the free help and advice my mentor gave me. To his credit, he was all in! He explained to me that there are no guarantees and there would be obstacles. I would not trade this valuable experience and lesson for anything. He explained that he only made $25,000 his first year in business. Because he had to grow his business, he did not work another job. He was passionate about his business, saw the opportunities, and invested a lot of time and effort. Eventually, his team grew, he was awarded contracts and his business generated millions of dollars in income. I learned so much from him and his team about operating a business but decided not to tie up his time. I had the passion but was not in a position to quit my full time job to devote to growing my business. He was truly a blessing to me. After holding on for nearly three years, my second business venture folded. Two business failures did not prevent me from learning more about business. I decided to take business acumen courses at work to learn more about corporations. I was surprised about how much I already knew. I was able to successfully implement health programs at work due to my previous experiences.
I grew up living in shacks and in the housing project. Both places were unstable. People need safe and stable housing. I bought my first home years ago as a single parent and thought owning homes would fill my entrepreneurship spirit. I was willing to give it a try. I saw a home in need of renovation, discussed it with my husband, called the real estate agent, and went to see it on my lunch break. It was located in the inner city but I saw the potential. On the spot, I made the decision to buy this charming red shotgun plank house with white trim and an inviting front porch. After successfully negotiating the price, we were the proud owner of rental property. After renovations, we rented this charming home at an affordable price. During the housing crisis we stepped out on faith and bought a two story primary home that was in foreclosure. This was our third house. After moving from my first home, my husband and I decided to rent it out also. We chose tenants who were in need of stable housing at a price they could afford. Both tenants remain in their homes over twelve years later. We were able to provide stable and affordable housing for others. I feel this is the option God wanted me to take. Providing a service for those in need was the hidden opportunity.
I learned that to create a successful business, it is important to find one that fulfills a market need. This involves research, knowing what you are going to provide to the public, analyzing your skills, considering options and narrowing your choices. Many businesses succeed without going through these steps but it was crucial for me. I learned there are many businesses that fail and many more that succeed. People start businesses because they have a dream to fulfill a destiny. We are not always successful but it is the vision of creating something special, of making the world better that drives most of us.
I used some business techniques I learned to manage my personal affairs. Prior to retiring from my job, I developed a three year plan. I accounted for income not only to get me to retirement but to get me through retirement. I have the spirit of entrepreunership in my blood and I have not given up on the possibility of starting a business in retirement! For now, I get joy in helping my seven year old granddaughter learn how to manage money. For years, I put my spare change in her piggy bank. One year of spare change yielded her over one hundred and twenty five dollars. Now that she is older, she earns money by helping me with chores. She gets to spend a portion of her money when we go out shopping. She learned to look at the prices and compare the cost to how much money she has to spend. She never spends the entire amount! Imagine my surprise when my daughter told me that my granddaughter’s school was giving away books and she picked out a book entitled “Earning Money My Own Way”. What a girl!
Years after closing my second business, I received an email inviting me to attend the statewide Women’s Leadership Summit in my home state. I no longer had a business and was now retired. I was puzzled why I received an email invitation to attend if I was interested. The coordinator explained that she learned that I was a woman business owner. I explained to her that my business folded years earlier but she still encouraged me to attend. The information over the internet still had my business listed as woman owned. I was fortunate to attend an awesome conference that was packed with women leaders across the state. We had the opportunity to listen to presentations by women leaders, network in small groups and share ideas. I shared my experience growing up in absolute poverty and my journey to absolute joy.
I grew from my humble roots and chased a dream. Safety Net Programs, just laws and affirmative action helped me along the way. I went from the cotton field to the corporate boardroom. I went from the cotton field to an officer in the military. I went from the cotton field to owning property. Most important, God gave me a vision to share my personal experience to help empower others. I went from the cotton field to sharing with others my pathways to success.
Failure is a necessary part of success! I learned there are many good people who are willing to help you succeed. It is up to you to make it happen. Even though my businesses did not succeed, I succeeded. I enjoyed the learning opportunities. I didn’t get everything I asked for but I got a whole lot of things I didn’t ask for.