Dream Big But Start Small
Unless you’ve got a lot of start-up cash, it’s wise to develop your new small business in easy-to-afford steps. Setting up a brand new retail store, for example, may cost you $100,000 before you make one sale. “By operating only in the summer I’m taking a sustainable approach to building my company,” comments entrepreneur Arlene Perlas.
Perlas is in the jewellery business, making and selling beautiful beaded pieces using semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals, Czeh glass and sterling silver. For the past three summers she’s rented an “art cart” at the Historic Distillery District in the east side of downtown Toronto. She’s selling her fashionable wares this year on weekends from June 18 to August 7.
Perlas discovered her business passion when she couldn’t find affordable earrings to match a party necklace. “I was so frustrated, I just made my own earrings,” she recalls. “I found out that I love making jewellery.”
Her main clientele are women between the ages of 15 and 54 who want to customize the size, colour and materials of their jewellery to suit their tastes. “People who buy my pieces can tell that I genuinely love and believe in my product,” says Perlas. “Enthusiasm for what you do is contagious, so let it show.”
By starting out small, Perlas is giving her business time to grow. She’s learning what customers like and dislike, building a name for her company and keeping costs in check. “Renting a cart at the Distillery gives me a taste of retail life without the crushing overhead costs of a storefront,” she says. “And, I’m able to serve both Toronto residents and tourists.”
Her full-time retail plans include offering classes to teach her clients how to make their own jewellery.
For now, she’s content to let her business grow over time. “You’ve got to take baby steps toward your dream,” she advises. “Entrepreneurs put too much pressure on themselves at the beginning. Start off small, stay in control, and know you’ll eventually get to where you want to be.”
