A Small Business Dream...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
November 24, 2008 8:41am CST
Most ppl at one time or another has dreamed of opening their own business. I’ve always wanted to open either a cross-stitch shop or a fabric store. I do a lot of crafts with both and we live in a small town where there isn’t much to choose from. I’d also like to make them really low cost so that more ppl can afford to shop in them.
I used to dream of opening an old fashioned general store with old fashioned prices and let ppl come in and shop like they used to but then I thought it would go out of business the minute someone with a few hundred dollars came in...but it would be fun to shop in one, wouldn't it?
I know some ppl that used to run a second-hand store and they did pretty good at it, I also know someone that had her own beauty shop. I’ve seen chocolate shops, pie shops, bbq joints, bookstores, movie stores, thrift shops, you name it.
What kind of store would you open if money was no object? What would you specialize in?
[b]~~IN SEARCH OF PEACE WITHIN~~
**AGAINST THE STORMS, I WILL STAND STRONG** [/b]
10 people like this
40 responses
@Wyldrose (1216)
• United States
24 Nov 08
I love all of your ideas. I'm not a crafty person but love to look at and buy crafts. 
And I would love to go into an old fashioned general store. How cool would that be???
I do have my own business. It wasn't easy getting started because we had to do this all on our own.. but we did it. We have a tax and accounting business. We've been here for three years and business increases every year. I am so thankful for that. And now we are getting ready to open a used book store in January. We have a huge office for our tax business and with an empty room in the back just sitting there we decided to utilize it and try a used book store.That way there is no more overhead or extra expenses. People in this town are excited about it so hopefully it will go over. That remains to be seen. I wish you all the luck if you are wanting to open a store. It sounds like a fabric store or craft shop would be great in a small town. I live in a small town also and have had nothing but good luck so far. Good luck to you!!! 
And I would love to go into an old fashioned general store. How cool would that be???
I do have my own business. It wasn't easy getting started because we had to do this all on our own.. but we did it. We have a tax and accounting business. We've been here for three years and business increases every year. I am so thankful for that. And now we are getting ready to open a used book store in January. We have a huge office for our tax business and with an empty room in the back just sitting there we decided to utilize it and try a used book store.That way there is no more overhead or extra expenses. People in this town are excited about it so hopefully it will go over. That remains to be seen. I wish you all the luck if you are wanting to open a store. It sounds like a fabric store or craft shop would be great in a small town. I live in a small town also and have had nothing but good luck so far. Good luck to you!!! 3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45665)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
24 Nov 08
The bookstore would carry you over the non-tax season, too.
My aunt had a tax/accounting business for many years, too, and would display my uncle's paintings in the storefront window... People did buy them, too.
1 person likes this
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
24 Nov 08
That sounds like a good idea, open up a little old-fashioned store, I know around my area it would go good, because we have alot of Amish people around here, and you know they would shop there, because they sew all their own clothes, and do alot of quilting and stuff like that. I myself would like to open a little old fashioned diner or cafe, and serve old fashioned home cooked food, like Grandma used to make. I'd do all her old recipes, I think that would be fun.
2 people like this
@leenie50 (3992)
• United States
24 Nov 08
Hi twoey,
I love your idea. I used to love going into little five and dime stores. That's a little bit like you are talking about. They always had neat new beach bags, a section on fabrics and a cabinet with patterns. It always had a small makeup counter and things teen girls would walk 10 blocks for. That was our late Saturday afternoon shopping trip. The best part of all would be a small soda fountain. Milkshakes, cherry and vanilla cokes. That is one of my fondest teen memories.
If you live in the right setting, and you have the start up mone, why not? I'm sure you could find the kind of help you need. For that matter you have a whole network of people here that could answer just about any question you might have. Think about it
leenie2 people like this
@Iliaaz (357)
• Malaysia
24 Nov 08
Hi friend,
I have a dream to open a shop,bakery shop.But there are some constrains in terms of knowledge,experience and financial.Besides,I think I cannot handle it by myself alone.Therefore, I need to find partner(s) to get involve in my business.
As I know,food and baverage businesses are the most popular business.Maybe from a small business I can come out with some sort of franchaise system like McD and KFC.
Who knows,right?Good Topic actually.
3 people like this
@theembittered (1025)
• United States
24 Nov 08
Well i got one dream of a business and the others are projects, my dream is... a hotel in some place far away from the noise city, away and from where you can freely go to a river, to a mountain and to do things outdoors, ride a horse and things like that. Also have some project like create my own web page maybe for the next year but time will tell me :D But my dream i assure you that i will do it ;) :D Have a nice day and see you ;)
2 people like this
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
22 Mar 09
I love making my own clothing and so does my mother. If we had the oppertunity it would be a lot of fun to have a small label and sell our own clothing true a real store, not just occaisonally online when someone is looking for a certain type of clothing. I like cybergothic and lolita clothes and my mom likes a lot of different things. There would be some pretty awesome things in there.
Most of all I would like to sell beautiful corsets in all kinds of designs.
If we ever make it, I'll come to your fabricstore for sure Twoey86!
@Tamarama34 (240)
• Canada
22 Mar 09
I have been dreaming of opening my own storefront since I was thirteen years old
and I am thirty five years old now.
I have started businesses at home before (numerous times) and have failed
(numerous times) but I stuck with my dream and kept going on.
I love to do crafts such as making dolls, macrame jewellery, etc and started to
sell these things at home.
I started to sell dammit dolls and they are going like hotcakes. I can't keep up
with demand.
I am now doing my own business (still from home yet) but am going on Rogers TV
show "Daytime" on March 25th at 11 AM to showcase my dolls and jewellery.
Things will definitely take off from there and I am very nervous and very excited.
I hope to have my storefront in another year.
I'll be specializing in my eighteen inch cloth dolls, nine inch dammit dolls and
my macrame pieces.
1 person likes this
@elitess (5070)
• Ipswich, England
24 Nov 08
Hi there twoey. I have also dreamed of opening several small business, but i am still young so those are just dreams for now. I would love to have a restaurant on the sea shore with a view to the sea, and have beautiful music and nice prices and happy people and as the owner i would also love to serve my customers from time to time, and make them feel welcomed there. If we are talking about stores than my dream in this area would be a Disney fan store with all products from the prestigious company as i am a huge fan myself that would like to share this hobby with others.
2 people like this
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
24 Nov 08
A book store. Probably one that specializes in Christian books. I'm the church librarian and I absolutely love working with books. Of course I love to read too. This has been a dream of my husband and myself. I know however that I do not possess any business running skills. I am more the artistic type and the business end of the matter would fall apart. My husband would probably have to handle that aspect. Our town does not have any bookstores anymore (a used one closed, an outlet closed, and a Christian one closed). There would be a definite need here.
2 people like this
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
22 Mar 09
An internet or gaming cafe that serves decent food could be a hole in the market! If people have a chance to have a good meal and a drink they will hang around longer and it will become more of a social event. It would surely be a place I would like to visit.
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
29 Nov 08
What a great idea to dream about. I think I'd have a hard time making up my mind as to what kind of shop to open. Probably a used book shop, with a side-line business of repairing books - oh, and pair that with a coffee/tea shop with bakery. Imagine a good cup of coffee with a home made apple cider donut and a good book.....
1 person likes this
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
22 Mar 09
The best thing to do if you want to have your own business is to have some kind of service business. If you have a product business there is inventory to maintain, and a lot more to manage. In retail you can expect losses from shoplifters and leftover inventory, though it depends on what it is you are selling. The best business is going to be something that can have some flexibility to change with the demands and need of customers over time.
1 person likes this
@littlefranciscan (18327)
• United States
29 Nov 08
I would open up a good ole fashiong penny candy store. I would love to be able to offer candies for one penny each like I use to see when I was a little child..One is lucky to be able to buy candy with a nickel now.
1 person likes this
@LittleMel (8742)
• Canada
29 Nov 08
as for now I have no idea yet. I have a small business for almost 3 years now. I like it. But I notice that it isn't reliable and there are quite a few businesses that have gone under while they have been around for over 5 - 14 years. I am thinking that if given the opportunity I would just close my current one and start something that is more in demand. But for now I am just trying to hold on and pay off my business loan until I know for sure and by then it will be the right time to let go.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
28 Nov 08
I would like to open an employment agency for homeless people if money were no object. When a homeless person came to my agency and if they truly wanted a job and weren't a substance abuser, they would be housed and fed and clothed while we helped them look for and start working at a job. Volunteers would act as job trainers for those who had no skills, training them on computers or teaching them manufacturing jobs or sales skills. Volunteer doctors and dentists would come by once a month-more if needed-and within a year those homeless people would be productive citizens with their pride intact once more.
1 person likes this
