Beyond Origins the Discussion

Owning A Small Local Biz That Is Not Really Profitable, But It Sure Is Rewarding

August 14th, 2008

I manage a small video and video game rental store in a small town. It was always my dream to open this shop, and I finally did it when I was 26 years old. And that was a long time ago. To put it into perspective, I now need eyeglasses to see up close. So I have been at this a long time. And having a business like that in a small town is not easy.

There is a very limited number of customers, the nearest place to buy videos is over an hour away, and the savings with which I began this store is long gone. My day begins at six o’clock in the morning. I shower, get dressed, eat, and head to my store. I open it six days a week from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, closing on Wednesdays so I can drive to the city to shop for videos, video games, some small general merchandise, and of course food and such for myself.

I originally had two employees who worked for me, but I can no longer afford them so I work all day myself. The problem is that there just aren’t enough people in my town. I have many regular customers who will rent a movie or two almost every day, but the sad truth is that with rent, utilities like electricity and water, the mortgage on my house, and the staggering cost of videos, it takes a lot more money to survive than I can squeeze out of this area.

I have spent all of my enormous savings paying the bills and now I find myself skipping lunch most days and eating ramen, rice, and pancakes because those foods are very cheap. I am frequently sick, probably due to not getting healthy enough food. But I can’t close the store when I’m sick because that’s 50 or 100 dollars lost.

So why do I keep doing this? It’s simple: I love it. I love the joy families’ get when they find a movie they can all enjoy. I love the expression on a child’s face when their parent tells them they can pick a movie by themselves. When they bring it up and put it on the counter, they feel so big and so proud.

So many great friends are made talking about the latest movies. Especially the new technology films that incorporate special effects. We discuss the halloween contact lenses those experts in Hollywood used.

It’s not a business where you imagine a great sense of satisfaction from making other people happy. I’m not healing people or building them a home. I’m not saving lives or saving property. But I do enrich the lives of the people who walk through my doors. And being in a small town, I know most people who come in by name. I can greet them and talk about their lives, what’s going on with their children or siblings, or hear about their troubles and help them get through it.

I love the energy and excitement older children and teenagers show when I have the coolest new video game or something else new in stock and they can take it home right then and there. There is nothing more rewarding than this, in my mind.

It is not the most glamorous job a person can have, and it’s very hard to make ends meet from this little shop. However, I would not trade it away for anything. This is my true joy in life and I will always be thankful for realizing this dream.

Entry Filed under: Business