New Beginnings
How was it opening a business from your parents basement?
Let me start by saying how grateful it is to have such a supportive family and parents that allowed it all to happen. While I am so thankful, I won't lie and say there were no ups and downs. There were many times I wanted to shut it all down because of how many complications there were. The store was not in a separate extension of the house or a garage. It was right in my parents' basement. Imagine for a second, running any kind of business right under your parents noses. I love my family, but it was hard. Firstly, hiring employees with such random hours was a challenge. Many employees did not want to commit to the unofficial hours and did not take the job seriously being in someone's house. I had one employee who just sat on the couch all day.
Also, having so much merchandise in my house was a lot to be on top of. Every time I got a new shipment, it was like a game to figure out where we would put it all.
Additionally, having customers late in the afternoon when my siblings came home from school was another factor. I don't know about your family, but mine is not on the quiet side.These were just some of the challenges I faced while working out of my parents' home.
Even though running a business from the basement had some difficult components, there were a lot of good things happening simultaneously. My motto really is to never look back and keep moving forward, and that is exactly what I chose to do. I did not let small blocks hold me back, I worked hard and saw the good. Yes, it was annoying working with family all over, but who do you think helped the most? My mother and sister were constantly helping customers, taking appointments and checking people out. While it was definitely hard sometimes, my family was always there and available to help me when I needed it.