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My successes.

We moved to the area in February 2021. We are a family of artists and art teachers and we looked for an art supply store in our city....and there wasn't one! We knew there was a prolific art community in the area and we weren't the only ones who needed an art supply store. As we looked into it more seriously, we felt like maybe we could actually do this, but we definitely needed support as we had never started a business before. With the help of our SCORE and other small business mentors, we have been open and running for almost one year!

What do you do?

We are an independent art supply store. We sell fine art and craft supplies for artists of all levels.

What inspired you to start your business?

Our community inspired us! Lakewood is full of wonderful, unique small businesses! When we moved to Lakewood, we instantly fell in love! What better way to immerse yourself in a community than to open a business that benefits the people of your community?

What's special about your business?

We like to bring in new, interesting, and more uncommon art supplies. We also like supporting small and local businesses as much as possible, whether that means buying supplies from them or sharing their events on social media.

What influenced you to seek help from SCORE?

We are artists, not entrepreneurs! We really needed help with the steps of opening a business. Our SCORE mentors guided us through the process and kept pushing us toward some of our wider goals.

How SCORE helped.

My mentors really helped me get started. Send me links to important websites where I could get my business set up.

What's great about my mentor?

They are long-time businessmen who know a lot about business strategies. They are encouraging and also guide me to think about aspects of my business that I might not have thought about.

What would you tell a fellow business owner about SCORE?

Be open about receiving advice! There are business practices that transfer across any type of business.

What have you learned from your experiences as a business owner?

The advice I would give others wanting to start a business is that you don't have to know every single thing about a business to get started. Reach out to SCORE and other small business owners to get info about where to start and what you really need to get going.

Additional media My mentors

Larry Goldrick Sr.

I can assist you if you are needing help with supply chain/operations, managing materials, reducing...

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Mike Weissman

Small business owner in the furniture field for 50 years. My experience included retail, wholesale...

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