HOW TO START YOUR OWN TEA ROOM AND VICTORIAN GIFT GALLERY – FROM A - Z

This report is dedicated to women who would like to own their own business but don’t know where to begin.  It is offered to women who often have little business experience, but would love to free themselves from the glass ceiling of  corporate America.  I hope to assist those who have a dream to free themselves from a male dominated world where women make about 75 percent of the wages men make doing the same or more responsible jobs. 

Some women do not have the background and/or experience needed to start their own business. Others have in depth business experience, which makes them better equipped to launch their own business.  If running and operating a Victorian gift shop and English tea room sounds exciting to you, then please allow me to guide you.

This report is dedicated specifically to those who are considering starting their own tea room or gift gallery or both.  What I have to say may discourage you or it could excite you; whatever its affects on you, my intent is to help you decide whether to proceed into your own business. I will inform you of the good and the bad of operating a tea room and gift gallery. 

I wish you the best as you ponder owning your own business.   Don’t let others destroy your dreams or discourage you, but don’t jump into your own business blindly without an experienced person to guide you as a mentor.  This single step could save you thousands of dollars, the embarrassment of business failure and maybe help you become a more successful business owner.

Today, more than ever, Americans are in a quandary over their future because of the uncertainty of the economy.  The threats of terrorism and war in Iraq, coupled with corporate scandals and bankruptcies have left many working Americans unsure of their future and bewildered about where their career is headed.  Corporate executives have a general lack of concern for employees and only care about profits that keep their salaries and bonuses up and their shareholders happy.  Never has there been a better time to start  your own business.

My story is a first hand account of what I have experienced during my work history and the obstacles I faced trying to build a business in Marysville, Ohio.  This report on My autobiography--”How I started a Victorian gift gallery and English tea room from scratch” will detail the trials and tribulations of being an entrepreneur. Even with my years of corporate experience as an executive and my personal business experience, I still was shocked at the obstacles I faced as my business evolved over the past eight years.  Yes, I made costly mistakes and I have learned a lot of tough lessons during my pilgrimage, yet what I learned from these lessons can be very beneficial to others planning a new venture. 

Always remember, no business is easy to operate!  If you are considering setting up your own tea room and/or a gift gallery, understand that you also will make costly mistakes unless you have a mentor who can consult with you as you step into this new arena of owning your own business.  Just think how many times Thomas Edison failed at making a light bulb, or Benjamin Franklin’s attempts to discover electricity or the failures of Eli Whitney as he attempted to invent the cotton gin.  Yes, you know for certain that you will make costly mistakes and face numerous business “surprises” when you start your own business. 

If running your own business was easy, everyone would be doing it and there would be no profit in doing so.  Unless you are a “tough cookie,” are determined and have tenacity, don’t even think about starting your own business without a mentor or consultant.  Launching a new business will have financial surprises 100 percent of the time.  You will not avoid them even if you have years of experience in the exact business you are considering.

Many women have come to me to pick my brain on how to run a tea room.  Two ladies came to me for advice and were unwilling to pay me a consulting fee, saying they could do it alone.  They were open only one year and went out of business. On the other hand, I charged an hourly rate to consult with a woman from New York and she is still thriving.  Sadly, others have thought, “It would be fun to run a tea room.”  They start out naively with good intentions and a dream, never realizing the requirements, financial and otherwise, long hours and hard work involved.  To succeed your business must be like a marriage with the same passion, commitment and dedication.

We have had corporate executives of restaurant chains visit our tea room to gain insight of our operation.  Our unique approach has gained media attention and popularity.  Many have tried to get ideas for their own business, but what most of these folks don’t realize is there is more to it than what you see during a single visit.  Most of the knowledge is in my head.  I have a unique gift of intuition, coordination and design  ability. 

My business skills and over 30 years experience as an executive in varied businesses and the corporate world gives me a broad range of knowledge from which to draw. Importantly, I failed at one business before I started my Victorian gift store, which taught me the biggest lesso