Building a small business takes more than ideas

By Kirsten Stokes

It’s easy to dream about starting your own business but the reality of actually doing it is a wake-up call, local entrepreneurs say.

While many have worked in their industries already or dabbled in the business as a side gig, committing to go all in as a main source of revenue is more challenging than it might look.

“I’ve worked my butt off my whole life in restaurants and still took me that long to get my own,” said Chris Moon, who operates the local Italian restaurant Wise Guys with his family.

After previously catering out of a church kitchen, the restaurant recently secured a permanent location on the square in Savannah. Moon said finding an initial place to base his business was hard as few commercial kitchens exist to help get new restaurant ideas off the ground.

And finding such a space ended up being just the tip of the iceberg. The financial burden of getting the business going was so overwhelming that ironically the budding restaurateur struggled to feed himself.

“We went with eating hot dogs and, you know, stuff we had at church that we weren’t using that was left over for the day,” Moon said of meals for his family in the early days of the business.

His struggle is not unique in the St. Joseph area. Most other small businesspeople have their own stories of the sacrifices and adjustments needed to keep their dreams alive.

“Instead of being outside doing goofy things, you know, you’re working on your stuff, you’re working on your numbers, you’re working on your marketing, you’re working with your customers,” said Juan Sanchez, owner of Right Vision Construction. “Now that I’m on this side, and I’m not just a consumer, it changes your perspective.”

Getting the word out

One of the biggest challenges small business owners face is competition. Sanchez said his construction company strives to provide efficient and innovative work but it can be hard to keep up when consumers might opt for a larger and more established business.

“Sure, you can go to another market, and you know, explore a bigger city, but then you’re going to also run into more competition,” he said.

Joel Barnes, owner of home goods store Bee and Thistle, 1137 Frederick Ave., said the support of local residents is an essential ingredient for a small business’ success.

“Just as you go out to your chains, maybe two and three times a week, if you can think to come down and support us, at least once a week and see us and see the new product that we have in for spring or summer or for the holidays, that’s how we keep the doors open,” he said.

Annette Weeks, owner of Aspire Business Consulting, said building a loyal customer base as a small business with limited resources is something entrepreneurs need to have a plan for if they are going to thrive.

“You know, there’s been a campaign to support locals, and I think most people get that … not everyone,” she said.

One of those who does get the importance of supporting small businesses is local shopper Susan McFee.

“I love shopping locally, especially in St. Joe, because of the customer service,” she said. “Also because the things that you get here are things you’re not going to find anywhere else.”

Customers like McFee are a way many small businesses can advertise without expense. Jenny Geheb, owner of St. Joseph boutique Narrative, said shoppers can help make or break a business as it’s getting off the ground.

“We really have loyal customers here that like spread the word to their friends, their coworkers,” she said.

And often, spreading the word means reaching beyond the traditional walls of a business. Geheb, who opened her business at 2702A Ashland Ave. in late 2022, is finding that to be competitive she has to look elsewhere to draw in customers.

“I would love to just be a retail brick and mortar, but to reach a wider audience, I think I am going to need to expand and have an online store and try to reach people outside of the community,” she said.

Kristi Bailey, director of marketing and communications with the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, said things like an online presence is something that entrepreneurs don’t always consider right away but she stresses its key role in growing a business.

“The internet is so important, that’s where people research products and find out about you,” Bailey said. “So having a shop on your website is very important, we always encourage retailers to make sure they have one.”

Navigating the struggles of owning a business can be difficult to do alone. That’s why Weeks encourages entrepreneurs to seek out resources like her business, the chamber or groups like Cup of Joe that can offer support.

“There are other resources as well in the community and our purpose is to cultivate and support entrepreneurs,” she said. “We are built on entrepreneurship. We have some major wonderful employers here that started here, so it’s wonderful to have those major employers, but also the main street and small businesses because they’re the ones that give us our identity.”