https://uada.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=b864fd75-545c-4906-ad41-ad12010ba837 1 00:00:02,530 --> 00:00:07,360 Come join us, explore the impact of small business here in rural Arkansas. 2 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:13,000 What challenges would you face? Who can help you meet those challenges? How do you get in touch with others like you? 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:19,640 This is Create Bridges, Arkansas, and we invite you to come cross these bridges with us. 4 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,420 We're back with another episode of the Create Bridges podcast series. 5 00:00:23,420 --> 00:00:29,930 Arkansas Small Business, Big Rural Impact. I'm program coordinator for the Cossatot Region, Murielle Wiley. 6 00:00:29,930 --> 00:00:36,740 And we thank you for joining us for this episode. Today, we're talking with Amelia Moore of Amelias piccalilli in Nashville. 7 00:00:36,740 --> 00:00:41,540 This is a store that serves the Howard County community as a florist and gift outlet for weddings, 8 00:00:41,540 --> 00:00:47,360 birthdays, anniversaries, banquets, funerals, graduations, baby showers, name an event. 9 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:55,460 And they can cover it. In addition to the flower shop, the same building also houses a clothing boutique, a bakery, a new coffee shop. 10 00:00:55,460 --> 00:01:00,950 And we even do tuxedo rentals in order to keep serving the community for special occasions. 11 00:01:00,950 --> 00:01:06,350 Amelia has invested in a historic building located on Main Street in Nashville. 12 00:01:06,350 --> 00:01:12,560 The business continues to add new services and features so they can stay relevant and valuable to their customers. 13 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:17,480 Thank you so much for being our guest today, Miss Amelia. We appreciate you being with us. 14 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:24,890 And we want to talk about how your store offers so much to the community and that the business has been in Nashville for more than 30 years. 15 00:01:24,890 --> 00:01:31,460 Let's talk about how you got started and why this company has been so successful for so long. 16 00:01:31,460 --> 00:01:39,320 OK. Just a real brief on how I got started. I had worked part time at the local florist here, that same florist. 17 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:45,170 When my children were little and I just needed to have a little bit of extra money and be available for them as the mom. 18 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:50,210 After that, I went to work as our foundation director at the hospital and did some grant writing and things. 19 00:01:50,210 --> 00:01:57,590 But that also was in that same industry because you do a lot of fund raising, which is decorating and floral and all of that. 20 00:01:57,590 --> 00:02:05,630 I am not cut out for corporate environment. I learned real quickly I'm too independent and headstrong and apparently a little bit mouthy. 21 00:02:05,630 --> 00:02:11,450 Sometimes it's that I thought I'd got to be where I'm my own boss. 22 00:02:11,450 --> 00:02:19,100 I don't do well with monotony. And so the lady, the owner of the piccalilli flowers, was wanting to retire. 23 00:02:19,100 --> 00:02:26,480 We were friends. We go to church together. And I just really one day said, honey, I'm going to call Cheri and buy in the business. 24 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,290 And, you know, I think he could see the look in my eye and said, just don't get in her way. 25 00:02:30,290 --> 00:02:36,500 And so I bought it and we've gone from there. So you basically just told your husband, oh, by the way, we're going to buy the flower shop. 26 00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:41,000 I did tell him. And he's a really good man. 27 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:47,390 That's all I can say. And so as to the why. And you ask, like, why it's been successful for so long. 28 00:02:47,390 --> 00:02:51,980 Well, I think part of that is the talent that was involved in that first 30 years. 29 00:02:51,980 --> 00:02:58,160 Sherri is an incredibly talented florist. There is nothing that you mentioned that she says, I can't do that. 30 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:02,270 She instantly says, sure, I've got it. And she really was. 31 00:03:02,270 --> 00:03:09,260 There's been florist come and go, but she was one that was around for so long that people trusted the brand. 32 00:03:09,260 --> 00:03:17,120 So when I bought the business, I knew immediately that I needed to keep that piccalilli name just because it people trusted it already. 33 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,610 I was it was well established. So I think that's one of the reasons why it's done so well. 34 00:03:22,610 --> 00:03:27,200 Now, let's talk about your building. Your building is big and beautiful. 35 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:32,300 And from what I understand, we talked about this before. It's over 100 years old, 110. 36 00:03:32,300 --> 00:03:36,860 I don't know, we think how old it was on why is was Jesus Chateau Piccalilli or is it. 37 00:03:36,860 --> 00:03:45,620 I mean, what are we calling it. No, but I think it's great that you've done so much to keep it and maintain it and restore it. 38 00:03:45,620 --> 00:03:53,420 Let's discuss that a little bit. What was the restoration process like and why did you choose to renovate such an old building? 39 00:03:53,420 --> 00:03:56,990 History is important to me. My family has been in Howard County. 40 00:03:56,990 --> 00:04:02,900 Well, the land that I live on has been in the family since the eighteen hundreds passed from different owners, of course. 41 00:04:02,900 --> 00:04:09,170 But as one family member maybe would lose it or pass away or whatever, another family member would purchase that. 42 00:04:09,170 --> 00:04:14,600 So that history is ingrained in me. When we moved here, I told my husband he's from Miami, Florida. 43 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:19,190 You realize if we build a home here, we're here forever because that land will never leave. 44 00:04:19,190 --> 00:04:23,060 It's mine. So I kind of feel the same way about Main Street in Nashville. 45 00:04:23,060 --> 00:04:29,960 And as I look around, you see The little main streets across America are just slowly dying away. 46 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:36,860 And that that just kills me because there's so many stories that can be told from from your little towns. 47 00:04:36,860 --> 00:04:39,320 They are. They are the backbone of our country. 48 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:45,930 So there was absolutely no hesitation for me on whether or not I wanted to be on our main street. 49 00:04:45,930 --> 00:04:55,070 The current business. Well, when I bought it, the business was at that point on and on a little side street across from the funeral home, 50 00:04:55,070 --> 00:05:00,650 which is a prime location for a florist. But I. 51 00:05:00,650 --> 00:05:05,360 I just needed to be on a where I could be on that main street. See those cars. 52 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,380 People see me. Also, I needed the space to own the bakery part. 53 00:05:09,380 --> 00:05:14,570 There were some different changes in laws. We already had fudge in the store. 54 00:05:14,570 --> 00:05:19,240 I knew I was going to need to build a kitchen. I mean, there was just a lot of factors into that. 55 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:24,580 I prayed a lot and honestly, as one day I sat on my couch, 56 00:05:24,580 --> 00:05:31,120 I had all these papers on my lap and it was whether or not to add a kitchen on to the current building and what do I do? 57 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,380 And I got a phone call from a gentleman who owned the current the building I'm in now. 58 00:05:35,380 --> 00:05:39,370 And he said, I've got a building for you. I was like, oh, absolutely not. I don't need anything else. 59 00:05:39,370 --> 00:05:43,000 I've just bought everything. And he said, I think you want to look at it. 60 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:48,310 Well, when we got in, there was falling apart. It was a train wreck, but it had the bones. 61 00:05:48,310 --> 00:05:55,810 It had the plumbing that I needed. It had the space that I needed. And I thought, this is an answer to prayer. 62 00:05:55,810 --> 00:06:03,970 I can just tell you, I had lots of people in town, sweet, kind, loving people who said this is the biggest mistake you'll ever make. 63 00:06:03,970 --> 00:06:09,400 Moving from the location. That was such a great location. They didn't mean it in a mean way. 64 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:18,520 They really were trying to be helpful. But I guess my one lesson to all small business owners right now is go with your gut. 65 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,240 Just you just have to sometimes jump in. And so I did. 66 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,050 I knew. I just knew in my gut I knew this is where we need to be. 67 00:06:26,050 --> 00:06:32,350 And I have. I feel like I have a legacy now because I'm in that Main Street history. 68 00:06:32,350 --> 00:06:36,970 People can look back and say, oh, yeah. There used to be this here in a restaurant here. 69 00:06:36,970 --> 00:06:42,300 And now they can say and there was a florist here. And so I love that. 70 00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:46,680 What did it take, though, to be able? You said it was falling apart. 71 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:52,780 It was. What did you have to do to even get it to where it was not only inhabitable, but as beautiful as it is now? 72 00:06:52,780 --> 00:06:58,800 And we had three months. We bought it in May. We needed to be in like the. 73 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,340 We bought the business in May 1st of June. 74 00:07:02,340 --> 00:07:07,260 We had the building we needed to be in at the end of August 1st of August. 75 00:07:07,260 --> 00:07:11,070 And so it's one of those things sometimes when you have a whole lot to do, 76 00:07:11,070 --> 00:07:15,090 you forget to think about all the problems and you just go to work every day. 77 00:07:15,090 --> 00:07:21,960 We would get up at 7:00. I would go to work. My husband's a tax accountant, and so tax season had ended. 78 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:27,240 Not that he doesn't have a lot of work, but it's more flexible. He is good at everything. 79 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:34,140 I married a great man. That's the second thing today. Marry a good partner because they are in your business with you whether they want to be or not. 80 00:07:34,140 --> 00:07:38,130 And so we just came to we just went to work every day. 81 00:07:38,130 --> 00:07:42,840 Every day we would say, what can we get done today? And we would we would do it. 82 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:49,080 One of the benefits of a small town is you don't have quite the red tape that you probably have in larger cities. 83 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:55,860 Not that we weren't up to code and things, but we had people who were willing to work with us who would help and or who would come and say, 84 00:07:55,860 --> 00:07:59,340 hey, I can paint this for you today or I can rip this flooring up today. 85 00:07:59,340 --> 00:08:06,570 And with any old building, you have to really be cautious of asbestos and lead paint and all those things. 86 00:08:06,570 --> 00:08:10,260 Did I know any of that when I went into it? No, because I'm just, you know. 87 00:08:10,260 --> 00:08:14,130 Oh, it's so pretty. And so that would be me. Yeah, I love it. 88 00:08:14,130 --> 00:08:18,780 And so we had a little freak out moment there for a minute. 89 00:08:18,780 --> 00:08:27,450 The building was luckily so very old that it was before built, before asbestos was used. 90 00:08:27,450 --> 00:08:36,420 So we were very lucky in that had to have some things tested, you know, things that that could have really been a bad thing. 91 00:08:36,420 --> 00:08:43,530 We worked out it worked in our favor all the way. So one of the things I do say is make sure you test your building before you ever sign a paper. 92 00:08:43,530 --> 00:08:48,090 Ask about those things like asbestos and lead paint. But don't be afraid of old buildings. 93 00:08:48,090 --> 00:08:56,220 They have character and they have history. And just dive in, every day people would stop and say, hey, what are you doing today? 94 00:08:56,220 --> 00:09:00,540 What's this going to be? How I'm so excited that you're doing something on Main Street. I mean, 95 00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:07,620 people wanted to support the business before we ever even moved simply because they felt like we were doing something to keep our city alive. 96 00:09:07,620 --> 00:09:15,870 And so I just think that's amazing. It is. And I know that there's a lot of grants out there for historic preservation, historic preservation minds. 97 00:09:15,870 --> 00:09:20,250 But I don't know if you guys utilize any of that funding or did you just go all in? 98 00:09:20,250 --> 00:09:25,260 Well, on budget, yeah, I'm really bad about just jumping on in and not thinking things through. 99 00:09:25,260 --> 00:09:29,460 I was a grant writer, though, in the past, so I didn't I didn't know about grant funding. 100 00:09:29,460 --> 00:09:36,870 The problem for me was I did not want any restrictions. We had such a short time limit and that we needed to be in there. 101 00:09:36,870 --> 00:09:41,820 We had we we rent the center space in that just to help with our building payment. 102 00:09:41,820 --> 00:09:48,480 We rent that out. And they were needing to be in the building by August. And so I was I felt like I'm putting out other people. 103 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:53,130 I'm you know, I'm really on this deadline. I've got to do it not just for me, but for others. 104 00:09:53,130 --> 00:09:57,720 And so I know how long grants take. That was going to be an issue. 105 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:06,780 And I just like I said, I'm just so independent and I want this light to be here, whether it's the right light or the right time or the right. 106 00:10:06,780 --> 00:10:13,560 I just I just want what I want. So I didn't even explore that, probably to the extent that I should. 107 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:20,160 If you're not trying to do something in record time and on your own and you know by yourself, then that's it. 108 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:26,430 That would be a major thing to look into because it's so helpful, you know, and and you can find people to help you do the grant writing. 109 00:10:26,430 --> 00:10:31,050 That's not hard. It's just having that time to do it. 110 00:10:31,050 --> 00:10:37,950 Absolutely. So within this big, beautiful, historic building you have, there are several different businesses, all in one. 111 00:10:37,950 --> 00:10:42,460 Let's chat a little bit about the connections between each of these different businesses. 112 00:10:42,460 --> 00:10:46,830 Right. You've got the floorist shop. You have the bakery. Nowadays, simply out of the coffee. 113 00:10:46,830 --> 00:10:49,740 Plus you have your boutique in there, too. 114 00:10:49,740 --> 00:10:55,750 So how do your customers utilize all these different services and how to each of these businesses connect and help each other? 115 00:10:55,750 --> 00:11:02,310 OK. I for the record, my employees have said I'm not allowed to add anything else. 116 00:11:02,310 --> 00:11:07,310 They are done . every day. I'm coming in and go and let's learn a new thing. 117 00:11:07,310 --> 00:11:18,660 They are just died. But also they are. They are. But when you are in a small town, you're competing not only with other businesses in your town, 118 00:11:18,660 --> 00:11:22,520 but with all of the bigger cities that they can drive to. 119 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:27,990 And Texarkana is only an hour away, you know, hot springs, an hour and a half. 120 00:11:27,990 --> 00:11:33,060 And people will say, if I'm going to get this, I'll just go ahead and drive to a big city and get that. 121 00:11:33,060 --> 00:11:38,820 Plus eat out and do it, make a day of it. And so I have those things as competition as well. 122 00:11:38,820 --> 00:11:42,010 So it is important as a small business owner to keep. 123 00:11:42,010 --> 00:11:49,120 And to stay on your toes and say it doesn't matter if it's my favorite, I mean, I really am happy if I'm just putting flowers in a face. 124 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:56,140 Right. But but what do the people want? What's going to make it was going to make people want to come in here again. 125 00:11:56,140 --> 00:12:02,200 And so the boutique was really out of convenience for me because I did need to rent that space out. 126 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:11,040 But in my thinking was it's just something else to get people to come in the store because you don't need flowers every day. 127 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:16,650 But a woman will come in a store to look at a shirt or look at jewelry and then say, oh, maybe, 128 00:12:16,650 --> 00:12:21,090 maybe I while I'm here, I need to send flowers to get to my grandmother's in the nursing home tomorrow. 129 00:12:21,090 --> 00:12:27,390 That's a great idea. Or maybe I needed to add some fudge and send it to my friend who's been in the hospital or, you know, 130 00:12:27,390 --> 00:12:32,340 any little thing that gets them in your store is is something that you need to consider, 131 00:12:32,340 --> 00:12:40,050 even if it's maybe not what you thought was in your box of goods that you wanted to offer. 132 00:12:40,050 --> 00:12:44,490 Go ahead and open that box up and just just explore. What do they need? 133 00:12:44,490 --> 00:12:48,750 Tuxedo rental, I can tell you right now is my least favorite thing. 134 00:12:48,750 --> 00:12:51,900 But it's needed. There's prom every year. There's weddings. 135 00:12:51,900 --> 00:12:56,700 If they're gonna get their flowers from me and their wedding cake for me, then I might as well get their tuxedos for me, too. 136 00:12:56,700 --> 00:13:04,320 So sometimes you just suck it up and say, I need to offer the service because the people need it, not because it's my favorite. 137 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:12,300 As far as them working together, it really is a good, good mix because I have people who come in and get coffee. 138 00:13:12,300 --> 00:13:15,780 That's our newest. And that is harder than I thought it was going to be. 139 00:13:15,780 --> 00:13:20,250 But they come in and they get coffee and they they sit around and they enjoy it. 140 00:13:20,250 --> 00:13:26,280 And I really wanted that just that community atmosphere where they felt like they 141 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,240 could come in and hang out if they wanted in while they're their shop a little bit. 142 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:36,720 And, you know, just I just wanted it to be a place. People come in and say, oh, I feel like family when I'm here. 143 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,650 And so we just keep adding, well, we did keep adding. I'm done adding. 144 00:13:40,650 --> 00:13:44,850 Right. You heard me say that twice. I'm done. You know what it is? 145 00:13:44,850 --> 00:13:50,610 It's the cupcakes. I know that it's not just you know, I assume if I ever came into your store, 146 00:13:50,610 --> 00:13:58,370 I had assumed that it was orders for events that you can buy a cake for a wedding or get, you know, a dessert for a baby shower. 147 00:13:58,370 --> 00:14:04,060 And you can just go buy an individual cupcake while you're shopping with your friend and grab a cup of coffee. 148 00:14:04,060 --> 00:14:09,120 It added an extra appeal for us. You know, as far as like, oh, we could just go there and eat cupcakes. 149 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,800 Right. And I'll tell you how that Gary, real quickly, to just show you how things have to grow. 150 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:15,240 When I bought the florist, 151 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:21,520 the first thing I said is I want to do a little tiny cake that can be delivered with flowers as a birthday present, a little mini cake. 152 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:27,840 It was gonna be one tiny little counter before I knew it. We've got full on cupcakes and everything mixed. 153 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:33,120 There wasn't a bakery in Nashville. So look around that community and see what what is it lacking? 154 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:37,140 What do we need? How can we do it? How can we incorporate it to what we already have? 155 00:14:37,140 --> 00:14:42,030 And that's what we did. I found a great baker who is also a great friend, and she was wonderful. 156 00:14:42,030 --> 00:14:46,140 And she handles those cupcakes. And I don't have to worry about them. I just eat them. 157 00:14:46,140 --> 00:14:49,880 That's exactly what I like. I've never made these myself. 158 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,790 Yeah. Taste her analysis. Yeah. 159 00:14:53,790 --> 00:14:59,640 We'll make it scientific. Oh, it's not all not all those letters is gold and it's not always good times. 160 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:05,400 I know over the last year we have had this global health crisis that is the COVID 19 pandemic. 161 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:12,410 Let's talk about how that has impacted your business. Oh, that's such a weird thing. 162 00:15:12,410 --> 00:15:20,760 Florist, I think if you kind of do the research for as a holder and copied increased in business, not what people ever are expecting to hear. 163 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:27,000 Everybody thinks of a florist is an extravagance. It's an extra it's not an essential. 164 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:32,520 What we discovered, though, is that we deliver. We've been delivering from the beginning of florist. 165 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:38,040 I mean, that is what you do. And so nursing home patients were not allowed to leave. 166 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,530 People couldn't go visit their grandparents. 167 00:15:40,530 --> 00:15:46,020 Well, the best way to say I love you in an easy way is to call your florist and say, please send my mom something. 168 00:15:46,020 --> 00:15:50,250 I haven't seen her in three weeks. And so we would and we could sit it on their porch. 169 00:15:50,250 --> 00:15:55,770 We could call them. We could knock on their door and say, hey, Miss Ethel, I left you some flowers on the porch and leave. 170 00:15:55,770 --> 00:15:59,910 And I have yet to deliver flowers to somebody that wasn't excited to see them. 171 00:15:59,910 --> 00:16:03,960 And so they're happy. It just was a bright moment of happiness. 172 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:08,370 So across the nation, florist really grew. 173 00:16:08,370 --> 00:16:16,020 The thing the bad thing from COVID is that all of our products have gone up in price because we can't get bases. 174 00:16:16,020 --> 00:16:22,290 We can't get peonies right now. That's a weird one we can't get because so much production was shut down. 175 00:16:22,290 --> 00:16:25,740 So many growers could not produce so many things. 176 00:16:25,740 --> 00:16:30,630 So we're limited on supplies. Now, anytime you have those limitations, your price goes up. 177 00:16:30,630 --> 00:16:34,350 So I think we have seen a big increase in price. 178 00:16:34,350 --> 00:16:44,430 So I expect this year to be harder on me after COVID dealing with the aftermath of covid than it was during the covid crisis itself. 179 00:16:44,430 --> 00:16:47,400 You're right. That does surprise me because I would have just assumed. 180 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:52,140 Well, I'm sure less people are having weddings, less people are having a baby shower. So, of course, you're doing less business. 181 00:16:52,140 --> 00:16:56,520 But you're right, it was the opposite because late there, apart from their family. 182 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,080 What better way to say I love You That's right. Last question I wanted to ask you. 183 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:08,170 You have mentioned before that you've been on Main Street in Nashville and seeing lots of other stores come and go in your time there. 184 00:17:08,170 --> 00:17:14,230 Yes. Piccalilli is not only remains, it continues to grow to the point that your employees wont let you grow. 185 00:17:14,230 --> 00:17:19,800 That's right. And you're adding new features all the time, like online ordering the coffee shop, things of that nature. 186 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:28,680 So with your longevity. What advice do you have for other business owners who are trying to make it in a small town and want to last? 187 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:37,380 This is not a in any way a plug for my husband's business, but hire an accountant, hire an office manager, hire somebody. 188 00:17:37,380 --> 00:17:45,310 When you own your own business, you are so busy. When I say all consuming, I don't even know if that's a big enough term. 189 00:17:45,310 --> 00:17:49,590 You are all consumed with the business. You're making your customers happy. 190 00:17:49,590 --> 00:17:53,340 You're in charge of employees. You are everything you are. 191 00:17:53,340 --> 00:17:59,430 You are everything. I just can't even stress that enough. So you're in charge of making sure your building is clean. 192 00:17:59,430 --> 00:18:03,180 Did your workers show up on time? Did you decide to do this? Who did it? 193 00:18:03,180 --> 00:18:08,640 And before you know it, you've overspent on inventory. You haven't paid your bill the way that you should. 194 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,410 It's not because you're bad or because you're even bad at managing money. 195 00:18:12,410 --> 00:18:14,010 It's because you don't have time. 196 00:18:14,010 --> 00:18:21,300 And so my husband, being an accountant, of course, could not keep his little fingers out of my business, thank goodness. 197 00:18:21,300 --> 00:18:24,210 Because I would have sunk a long time ago and promise you I would have, 198 00:18:24,210 --> 00:18:30,890 because I go to market and I get real caught up in what's going to sell and what do my customers need and what do we want. 199 00:18:30,890 --> 00:18:36,570 And before I know it, I have spent Baku's of money and as a family, yeah, 200 00:18:36,570 --> 00:18:42,030 it's really awesome and hard and so fantastic to go in to see all that stuff. 201 00:18:42,030 --> 00:18:47,670 And I want all of it. And before I know it, I've bought 14 cat pictures. Why do I know. 202 00:18:47,670 --> 00:18:52,940 Right. I to be right back. They also have me no more animals. I can't buy anything else with an animal on it. 203 00:18:52,940 --> 00:18:57,960 It's because they're fun. But what happens then is you get home and then they start. 204 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,510 You get your inventory before you know it. Your credit card bills. 205 00:19:00,510 --> 00:19:05,370 Twenty thousand dollars and is a small business, you know, of the cash flow to cover that. 206 00:19:05,370 --> 00:19:13,890 Maybe if I were in a big city, I could do that, but not here. And so it's really about managing how many hours your employees are working. 207 00:19:13,890 --> 00:19:19,950 He's on top of that calling me and saying, you know, you don't. There's really no need to be paying overtime. 208 00:19:19,950 --> 00:19:22,380 There's really no need to be paying these extra things. 209 00:19:22,380 --> 00:19:29,400 Almost all the businesses I've seen that have failed, it's been money management because money management is not fun. 210 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:36,800 And most of us are. Most of us who owner and business, regardless of the business, are, I would say where idea people. 211 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:43,320 And we're. We come up with all these really great, great ideas and great plans. 212 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,400 But but working the plan is harder. It's different. 213 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,200 And it's not that we're not good at it. 214 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:55,650 It's just that, like I said, it takes time away from the whole thing that we were trying to do to begin with. 215 00:19:55,650 --> 00:20:00,090 And so before we know it, it's already gone that it's too late. 216 00:20:00,090 --> 00:20:02,320 I guess that's what I'm trying to say to fix it. 217 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:07,780 And so, so many go out because maybe they're buying products that are too expensive when there is a cheaper, 218 00:20:07,780 --> 00:20:14,130 you know, alternative or whatever it may be. I would say money management is the hardest. 219 00:20:14,130 --> 00:20:19,200 It's the hardest for me. It's the hardest for him. He spends a lot of time trying to manage my money. 220 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:23,130 I'm right brained all the way. I mean, there is no order at all. 221 00:20:23,130 --> 00:20:29,280 And so bless his heart, he's trying to chase after me. But I think that's the weight is of a lot of us. 222 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:33,090 It sounds like teamwork is the success of your small business. 223 00:20:33,090 --> 00:20:38,880 But it is. It sounds like you are the creativity. And he's a little bit of the organization. 224 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:45,270 He's all of the organization. You've got to have both to make it work. 225 00:20:45,270 --> 00:20:53,490 That's true with who you hire in all aspects of my baker is my partner in every sense of the word because in a small town I 226 00:20:53,490 --> 00:20:59,310 read that little meem the other day that said and I don't want to use the name because I don't want to give them a bad rap. 227 00:20:59,310 --> 00:21:00,900 But we'll just say a food chain. 228 00:21:00,900 --> 00:21:05,760 You'll go to a fast food restaurant and they'll mess up your order a thousand times and you'll still go back tomorrow. 229 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:09,270 But if a small best business messes up your order, you'll never go back again. 230 00:21:09,270 --> 00:21:14,690 And you'll you'll Bash them and you'll talk bad about them on Facebook and you'll tell their momma in town, 231 00:21:14,690 --> 00:21:18,720 in the grocery store your daughter don't know what she's doing. I mean, things like that. 232 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:23,820 But for for this, you know, you have to be on top of your game. 233 00:21:23,820 --> 00:21:27,120 So hire people that love your business as much as you do. 234 00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:27,480 Yes. 235 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:35,880 We've actually talked to a restaurant owner who was kidding or not, but he said that he's got to have his brisket prepared the same way every day. 236 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:40,830 Otherwise, it spreads all over town. But yes, he does bad at the restaurant and going to go over there. 237 00:21:40,830 --> 00:21:47,680 He's not wise. All Dad. Stop eating at his restaurant. He's looking across the street, his dad that the competitor place. 238 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,430 But all because that small town. Yes, that great vine will run. 239 00:21:51,430 --> 00:21:58,240 But it can also run. Well, it does. You have a great product. And then everyone runs and tells the whole town how great it was. 240 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:04,750 It could be a positive thing. That's exactly that's exactly the truth. I don't ever want people to be scared of owning in a small town. 241 00:22:04,750 --> 00:22:10,600 It is the best, it's the most rewarding thing you'll ever do because your customers know you. 242 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,110 They come in. You know them. You know what their grandmother likes. 243 00:22:14,110 --> 00:22:20,110 You can get them the perfect gift. They can't find help like that in a large city. So don't be scared of it. 244 00:22:20,110 --> 00:22:24,560 Just be aware of what you need. And find people who you can work with. 245 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,750 If you're gonna be there all hours of the night together to so you know, you need to like each other. 246 00:22:28,750 --> 00:22:31,690 And it's hard. That's another hard thing. 247 00:22:31,690 --> 00:22:36,400 Well, is there anything else she would like, other small business owners or entrepreneurs with a dream to know? 248 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:40,780 Before we wrap up today? They'll be afraid to take a risk. 249 00:22:40,780 --> 00:22:47,500 The hardest part of owning a small business is jumping in. You don't always have the best insurance and you don't always have the biggest paycheck. 250 00:22:47,500 --> 00:22:51,460 But there's other rewards and you just have to take that risk and go with your gut. 251 00:22:51,460 --> 00:22:58,500 Like I said earlier, just do it. You know, Nike knew what they were talking about when they coined that phrase. 252 00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:01,810 They did. I love it. Well, we appreciate your time so much. 253 00:23:01,810 --> 00:23:08,530 Thank you. And a shout out to your husband, even though he's not officially on the Amelia's team, he totally is Right. 254 00:23:08,530 --> 00:23:16,120 Love it. Well, we appreciate you so much. With a million more. And that is going to wrap up another episode of the Create Riches podcast series. 255 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:25,090 Arkansas Small Business, Big Rural Impact. This has been ready set grow. Im Murriel Wiley 256 00:23:25,090 --> 00:23:30,730 For more information about this or any Create Bridges podcast or more about Create Bridges in Arkansas, 257 00:23:30,730 --> 00:23:37,660 visit uaex.edu/create bridges, create bridges, small business, 258 00:23:37,660 --> 00:23:44,320 big rural impact podcast is made possible by a Wal-Mart grant to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, 259 00:23:44,320 --> 00:24:00,470 Cooperative Extension Community Professional and Economic Development Unit and White River Now Productions.