(no subject)

[mallorys_camera]

This is basically a writing diary where I write all kinds of stuff that will be immensely boring to anyone who stumbles across it.

So you should go back to Facebook.

Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly. ---- Harry Lime

Comments

[wring.livejournal.com]

hiya, you mentioned on badrobot68's lj that you own a store/business. Can I ask you a few questions for my business 300 class? let me know, thanks!

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

Sure! Just post them here -- it gets delivered to my email.

[wring.livejournal.com]

TIA! Pretend it's a friday five so it would be funner:

1) What types of skills and knowledge you wished you would have had prior to starting your small business?

2) Why did you start your own business?

3) In this day and age of Walmarts, Targets and internet stores, what is so special about your small business that maintains the interest of
customers?

4) What are your goals for your business 10 to 20 years from now? Do you see yourself starting an empire?

5) How has the advent of the internet and other new technology helped your business since you opened?

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

1) Hmmmmmm... Not sure. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

2) I started my business from necessity. The company I was working for restructured my division; I was laid off from my lucrative executive job (marketing, business development.) I looked for another job in the same area for close to a year before finally it dawned on me: I was over fifty and there wasn't anybody who was going to hire a fifty year old woman to do business development. At the best of time, biz dev is seen as a male specialty.

Since no one was going to give me work, I had to make work of my own.

I live in Monterey whose only industry is tourism. So it was clear that I was going to have to do something related to tourism.

Now, I have always liked to cook and I have always liked spices. So I decided to open up a chile store. The store is called Slow Burn, the website is here: www.slowburning.com

3. Totally a niche market. The majority of people could care less about spicy foods but for approximately 10% of the population, it's a passion. We carry about 2,000 chile products from all over the world. Walmart and Target's value proposition is serving the needs of the majority; ours is serving the needs of that 10%.

4. The business could certainly be scaled up. I think it would be very successful and as a matter of fact I am doing consulting now with two other people who are opening similar businesses, one in Toronto and one in Atlanta. I have cash flow problems -- the business is very seasonal -- but those are mostly due to the business's location in a tourist spot.

5. Our website is a way for us to continue the relationship we begin with our customers when they walk into our store. I would say about 25% of our sales are Internet sales.

Hope this helps!

[wring.livejournal.com]

Thanks! This helps a lot :D I will make sure to visit your store next time I'm in Monterey (I'm Sacramento-based). Mallory, is it? Is it OK to contact you in the future in case I need to interview you about your business?

[mallorys-camera.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure. My name is Patrizia though. My LJ is named for a mountain climber.