By Trisa Morrison | Business Owner
About 13 years ago, I went to Key West for the first time. While we were there, I went into a photography gallery that really impressed me. It was very casual and informal; not formal and stuffy. I remember how much I really enjoyed looking at the photographs displayed. I remember thinking, THIS is what I want someday…. a casual gallery, where I can display my photographs, art prints, and custom frame other people’s art and photography. Someday… I would open my own gallery.
Two years ago, I got caught in a layoff and decided…this could be the kick in the pants to get me started on my someday dream! I took a framing class in Texas and bought some equipment and started custom framing in the spare room bedroom of my house.
There were two problems with that…..
#1- It NEVER stayed in the spare room.
#2- I had no visibility.
I was ready to take my business to the next level but didn’t know where to go from there. In the fall of 2012, I took the Operation JumpStart class that Black River Technical College and the Arkansas Women’s Business Center was offering. It was a very intense 6 week (2 nights a week) evening class. The class was very informative and helpful. The homework was thorough and forced you to stretch outside your comfort zone. It showed us exactly what we needed to do to open our own business or take an existing business to the next level. We had guest speakers which included bankers, accountants, attorneys, and marketing experts… all of which gave us information we needed.
I was going through all the homework, exercises and research, and my husband suggested that I rent a place with visibility and operate by appointment. The Purple Turtle has been open for nearly a year. We are open by appointment, and for Stroll the Square and festivals. I’m also usually open a couple nights a week and Saturday mornings.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I had through the JumpStart program. I believe that had I not had this experience along with the “exercises” to learn and work through; I don’t think I’d be open today. If you read the newspaper or watch television at all, opening a new business right now is a very scary thing. You can’t help but wonder if you are a making a good decision. Through taking the course, you are not guaranteed to succeed, but you ARE putting yourself in the position to make an educated decision.
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