“If people aren’t coming in, you have to think about what you don’t have that might bring them in. You have to be willing to try,” she said.
It has add added up to a lot of hard work for modest gain, and as the general economy continues to be a drag on business, there appears to be no positive news in sight.
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Business started fine, as she delighted in putting together fresh bouquets of locally-grown flowers and delivering them to moms, grandparents and lucky spouses.
Upchurch, who is a blogger for Odenton Patch,
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“The phones just stopped ringing,” she said of the fall of 2008, shortly after the collapse of the banking sector that triggered an economic freefall. “We went from somewhat busy to nothing.”
Taking a Chance
James King still has faith in the restaurant business. He’s opening three Greene Turtle franchises over the next few years, including one at the Village South at Waugh Chapel shopping center.
Unemployment insurance now costs him $188 per year, per employee, up from $47 in 2007.
Recently, King worked with Upchurch, Garman and others to form Gambrills Crossroads, to help build a sense of partnership among businesses and to encourage local residents to shop locally. The group also organized the second annual Gambrills Fall Festival on Sept. 10, bringing hundreds of local residents to Kaufmann’s for a community event.
James King,
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Lewis, meanwhile, said he is now ultra-careful in how he manages his inventory,
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Wendy Kinsey said she hopes the new partnership will benefit both stores. She, too, has seen business remain essentially flat over the last four years.
But he’s putting in 16-hour days, six days a week,
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“There was a really good time when business thrived and it was a lot of money to be made, but it’s not like that anymore,
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Five years ago, she never would have dreamed of posing such a question. She left her stable job as a corporate recruiter for a major transportation company and bought the Little House of Flowers, determined to make it as a small-business owner.
Tough Choices
“The customers can’t afford to feed themselves, so they can’t afford to feed animals,” she said.
“You don’t need to go out to eat every night,
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“I don’t have a projection,” said Dan Lewis, owner of Odenton Ace Hardware in Odenton. “I’ve given up on that. This is kind of the norm. We’re going to stay flat or see very small percentages of increase from now on.”
Recently, however, Garman decided to make a change. She broke off from her former partner and teamed up formally with Chuck and Wendy Kinsey, the owners of Country Feed.
Already facing stiff competition from big-box home improvement stores, Lewis has heavily emphasized customer service and convenience. This year, he’s seen a modest increase in business, and he’s content with it.
But she has yet to make a cent in personal income, and that wasn't part of the plan.
Unlike many fellow business owners, Upchurch carries no debt on the shop.
Then the Great Recession hit, and business withered like an unwatered daisy. It has yet to rebound.
He said that while the restaurant business has benefitted a bit from busy families who have less time to cook, most people are eating out less due to the economy. He now no longer counts on business during the early part of the week and instead focuses on getting as much revenue as possible from Thursday to Saturday.
King,
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At the Little House of Flowers, Upchurch negotiated a helpful break on her rent and has re-tooled her business to focus on the basics: weddings and funerals. It’s a strategy that has kept the business afloat—people still get married and people still die, after all—but even local funeral parlors report less money being spent on services.
The cost of commodities such as milk, eggs and butter—essentials for any restaurant—have risen by 30 percent. His rent has gone up, along with gas prices.
There have been days when Julie Upchurch has stood in the middle of her Gambrills flower shop and asked, “Why am I doing this?”
In October, the store will officially re-open as the Gambrills General Store. There will be new product offerings and the store will be redesigned with community space for book readings, lectures and clubs. There will also be a small area with items for sale to benefit Cheryl’s Rescue Ranch,
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“I love this,” Garman said. “I love being in this community and getting to know your customers. That’s what feeds me.”
“It’s been a lot more work and a lot less rewarding,” King said. “And that’s a recipe for disaster.”
A former state delegate, he remains an advocate for small-business owners,
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