Words From The Wise

Some would say that the entrepreneurial spirit is in my blood since my grandmother started and ran her own business for 38 years before finally retiring. Keep in mind that when she started her business, women didn't typically work let alone start and run their own business.

I talked to her the other day and one of the things we chatted about was what it really is like to run one's own business. She agreed that starting up a business is the hardest thing you'll ever do but if you love what you're doing you really wake up every day and are happy to go to work even when times are tough. She said that she learned so much during her time as a business owner - many times learning from mistakes she had made (sometimes costly mistakes) - that the business was always interesting and challenging to her. She also mentioned that the reputation she built in her town (she ran a retail store) carried far beyond the walls of her store and to this day people continue to mention that they remember buying from her and vendors still respect her for the fact that she always paid them on time even if it meant she wasn't able to pay herself.

Since my last post was about hiring help I do have to mention that my grandmother - with no actual managerial experience before she started the company - was able to create a family-like atmosphere where the women who worked for her were excited and motivated to come to work and do their best. That's no easy task.

Keep in mind that my grandmother didn't make millions from her retail operation. This isn't a $0 - $12M story. She was an ordinary woman who started a business at a time when those options weren't open to women (I think she once told me that my grandfather basically had to co-sign everything b/c the banks really didn't trust women's money-management skills) and made a decent living doing something she loved. She was happy, she was challenged, and she made a difference in the community which she lived and worked. That's pretty impressive!

Course I am biased since she is my grandmother.