job description

I am manager, president and CEO of my store. I'm a business entrepreneur. We buy and sell medical clothing and supplies.

I do everything. If the bathroom needs to be cleaned I clean it. When we need scrubs I order those. I do all the advertising, budgeting, basically everything.

Checking people in, checking people out. I'm responsible for stock levels for everything. If we need to order new stuff, I order it. Every day is different. Sometimes there are not enough hours in a day because I've got so much going on, and some days it's quiet. Every day it's a different challenge, a different experience.

Probably stocking my merchandise. I don't have a computer system, so I literally go through once a week and count by hand what I have in the store. Down the road I'd like to have a computer system where I can scan the barcodes and count the inventory electronically.

15 to 20 years down the road, I would love to open my own manufacturing plant here in Clinton, mainly because I'd like to give back to my hometown, where I'm raising my son. I would love to open a plant where we make the scrubs, so the tag would have our own brand name. Two years ago if you would have told me I was going to open my own business, I would have laughed in your face.

Scrubs. It's really casual.

Last fall I went to a career center, and I outfitted all 80-plus of their CNA (certified nursing aids) students. I fitted them with two pants and two tops each, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs—the whole nine yards. I basically shut the store down for the day and loaded it all up in my van.

It's fun! I try to have fun, and I think that's the reason people come back. I try hard to remember people's names, and I try to remember what they like. If I don't have what they're looking for, I try to track it down for them. And I'm not pushy; I don't cram anything down anyone's throat.

Yes, especially the brands. Right now we have a brand that's not doing well. So I could phase that out and bring in something new.

There are local optometrists, veterinarians, Humane Society employees and dental workers who buy our scrubs. We have senior citizens who buy our scrubs just because they're comfortable. It's funny to see the people come in and why they're buying them. I get lots of different people.

education & career path

I had been toying with the idea of starting my own business, and I took a seminar through through the community college called Boot Camp for the Entrepreneur. It was the best Saturday I've ever spent in my life. Then, I got together every month and talked out my plan with the director of the Small Business Development Center in Davenport, Iowa. To be part of the SBDC, you have to meet certain criteria. So I had to have a business plan, and I had to get online and research everything I could about the medical-supplies market.

I had worked at a clinic and I was not able to find scrubs in town or on the Internet. In one catalogue, you'd wear one size, and in a different catalogue a different size, and then you have deal with shipping and all of that. My mom once ordered a lab coat, and it took about eight months because they sent it to the wrong address.

my day

I get here at eight in the morning. I'm here until six at night, and I don't get breaks. The first thing I do is log on to my computer and check my e-mails. A lot of them are from the Chamber of Commerce. I'm active on their committees. Eight to nine o'clock is my catch-up hour to get ready for the day. I spend the rest of the day helping customers and ordering merchandise we may need.

I work six days a week, about 60 hours a week. It's just me right now, so I'm working Monday through Saturday. I would like to have the budget and stability to employ somebody so I could have one day to myself. Right now the only day I have off is Sunday, and I use that for bills and errands. But because it's my own business, I can shut down if my son is sick or I have to go out of town. And I get to be my own boss. I don't have to answer to anyone.

salary & lifestyle

For right now I'm working for nothing. Hopefully we're doing well enough next year so I can start taking a salary. You can't take any money off the bat. But if you can get through those first two years, it's not too bad. I have so much overhead, more than most other businesses, because my inventory costs so much. It'll all even out in the end. It's scary as hell. Being in the retail business and paying the bills—that has been an eye-opener. The advertising, rent, utilities, state taxes for your sales tax, stuff like that—it's been a learning experience.

I don't right now, but this past November there was a uniform retailers' conference in New Orleans. I found out too late, or I would have gone. There are several brands I don't carry that were at that show, and it would be nice to see them and possibly bring them to the store.

Absolutely. The number-one thing I'm selling in this store is customer service. If I don't make people happy, I'm not doing my job. If you have a question, I want you to know I'm here.

Absolutely. It makes a difference. I can't tell you how many times I've worn an outfit and somebody's bought it because I'm wearing it. If it's a new shirt or style, I try to wear it a couple times so people can see it. Your biggest salesperson is the person wearing the outfit. You're a walking advertisement. I've been stopped in public by people asking about my scrubs. I give them my card, and they come down and shop.

I spend a lot of time with my son. His school bus drops him off in front of the store at 3:30. My social life has gotten better because I've joined the Chamber of Commerce, and I'm on the Downtown Partnership Board, the Women in Business Board, and the Downtown Events Committee. I've met a lot of people I wouldn't have met otherwise. I don't go to the movies so much anymore but meeting new people has definitely been one of the best parts of opening this store. I meet people from all walks of life, from the guy who washes my window to a doctor who bought scrubs for his whole office.

pros, cons & trends

Every day I learn something new. And we're succeeding, even though we're a new business. My accountant said if we keep going the way we're going, we'll be just fine. Nine out of 10 businesses close the first year, and we're here a year and a week now.

Helping all the different people I deal with on a regular basis is a lot of fun, and I feel a sense of accomplishment. That's one of the largest benefits. The people I've met have been amazing. The time commitment is the most frustrating thing.

According to research I've done on the four nearest counties, where my clientele live, in the next 20 years, business is going to triple. Baby boomers are getting older and their health-care needs are going to increase. It's not an industry that is going to sputter out any time soon.

Everywhere. Anywhere there are medical professionals, you can find stores that sell scrubs.

advice

Being in retail management eight or nine years, I learned customer service and merchandising. I've gotten good at setting things up and putting outfits and colors together. I even learned silly stuff like taking wax paper to the metal rounders to make hangers slide better. At Christmas we offered gift boxes for free—it's good customer service. It was 30 dollars out of my pocket but it made people happy, and they'll come back.

When I made my first initial order of scrubs, I got the bigger sizes because I wear those sizes and I forgot about the small and extra-small girls. So when they came in, I didn't have anything for them. I wish I would've known. But I learned. We got it taken care of now.

You definitely have to be a people person. You have to be flexible, approachable, and personable. You have to be able to bend. If you like computers and cubicles, this kind of work is not for you.

I think it would be me. My customers like coming in. They know I'm not cramming stuff down their throats. They can come in and browse if they want to; they can come in and shop if they want to. There have been times that people stop by and just drop off a cookie for me. They like my personality. I get along with most people, and I make it a pleasant shopping experience.

The director of the Small Business Development Center told me to never give up. There were days that I wondered why I was doing this, and she always told me to not give up. And if you can't get the answer one way, find a way to get it another way. There are so many days you want to throw your hands in the air and you just have to get through it. I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get a loan, and here I am a year later and I've made every payment. Don't give up. And don't let people who are short-sighted stop you. Don't let anyone else determine your worth.

The Small Business Development Center or similar boards. Most towns have them. Take a class or a seminar, or even sit down and talk with one of their officers.

Work retail. It will teach you everything you need to know about customer service and how to work with the public.

Not particularly. Any education in business helps. I went ahead and formed an LLC, a limited liability company, so if someone tries to sue me they can't take my house.