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My successes.

Suzy McGrane-Hop worked for many years for local art and framing galleries in Cedar Rapids.  Today she reports daily to her own shop The Gilded Pear Gallery located at 808 Third Avenue SE, in Cedar Rapids.  As Suzy looked back on her career working for other people, she can now see that she had been capable of running a business and being an entrepreneur herself.

 

 

Suzy opened for business in 2011 after attending a seminar, Business Start Up Basics,  presented by SCORE East Central Iowa at a Kirkwood classroom.  She requested the help of a SCORE Mentor, and John Brockardt was assigned to assist her.  John primarily provided counseling in the areas of record keeping and setting up a marketing plan.  She was in a fortunate situation of not requiring outside financing and was able to cover the hours of the store herself. Recently she has added two staff members to help her run the day-to-day operations.  From the start the growth of the Gilded Pear has been enviable:  Doubling the business after the start-up year, and then tripling it!  Besides selling fine pieces of artwork, Suzy is a Certified Appraiser of Personal Property, and is a Certified Member of the International Society of Appraisers.  She is in fact a member of a small elite group in Iowa of Certified Fine Art Appraisers.

Other services provided by the Gilded Pear include Corporate and Private Residense art consultation, custom framing, restoration service, and rental of store for special events.  Visiting Suzy's studio is an experience to enjoy.  She represents many area artists and a variety of types of artwork.  Visit the Suzy's website:  www.gildedpeargallery.com for a complete listing of services and artwork available.