Sigal de-Mayo just opened her very first brick-and-mortar store for her business, Insiders1, in Brooklyn.
But the entrepreneur, who creates and sells fashion accessories and similar products using photos and collages, isn’t new to the business world. In fact, she’s been selling the same types of products at street fairs and markets for about 16 years.
She told TIME magazine about her gradual journey into business ownership:
“Slowly I started to sell first to friends and then to other people that they knew. And then when I started to sell also to strangers that’s when I felt like, ‘okay it’s a real business so I have to do it full time’.”
That’s a pretty common progression for business owners who sell handmade goods. It’s a smart idea to build a following and find the market for your items before really investing in your business. And that’s what de-Mayo did.
But the more unconventional part of her journey is the 16-year period between starting the business and opening a storefront.
With all of the modern online tools available for business owners today, opening a retail store is no longer necessary for many businesses. But for those who feel like that should be part of their journey, it’s common to jump into retail ownership sooner.
Instead, de-Mayo took the time to really make sure that her products had staying power and that she enjoyed doing the job. She told Time that she often works seven days a week. So having a passion for business ownership is really necessary for sustainable success. Luckily for de-Mayo, she’s been around long enough to know that she has what it takes.
And on top of that, the following that she’s built over the last 16 years in business is likely to help ensure that her retail location is another successful part of her business.
Image: Insiders1
