I e-mailed the owner to tell her I was interested and then we started texting with each other while I asked a million little questions. When I woke up on Friday I got everybody loaded in the car and went to check out the store, but by this time Bryce had told me that he did not like this idea at all. Small business is a huge risk and it didn't make any sense that I would all of a sudden and out of no-where decide I wanted to own a store. I talked to the owner, she showed me the books, told me about the store, she has it open Wednesday-Saturday 11-4, pretty great hours for someone who hasn't worked in almost 4 years.
Mom and Steve drove into Spokane ready to check it out. But Bryce still wasn't buying in, he had LOTS of very good reasons why we shouldn't do it, and I agreed with him. And then I disagreed, and then I agreed again. So we told her no, we couldn't do it, and I cried for a while. Then we went out to dinner with Mom and Steve. After we went to bed I disagreed again and we stayed up until 1:30 in the morning trying to decide if it was something we should pursue or not. On Saturday morning I told Bryce I really want to do this, I don't know why, but I think it will be great! He of course agreed because he's great, and also maybe tired of arguing with me. So I sent her a text, "I want it, we will buy it." And there was no response.
So I got in the car and drove over there and she had 5 other people in the store interested in buying. Two women ready to swipe their credit cards to buy it. I got her alone for a minute and assured her that whomever she decided to sell to would be the person right for the store. That I wouldn't be hurt and I would understand whatever she needed to do. Mom and Steve stopped by to see it, they liked it and still thought it could be a good thing. They were both very supportive, however things might work out is meant to be! Later that night the owner texted me and said, "the store is yours!"
It is has been a whirlwind of business licenses, resale permits, bank accounts, lease agreements, phone, electric, washing, cleaning, rearranging, putting things in storage and planning a grand opening! I kind of can't believe we are doing it, and sometimes the anxiety and uncertainty is hard to deal with, but we are almost there and I am so excited for this new adventure! I am excited to be challenged and do something I have never done before. I am so lucky that I have some pretty amazing support people to help me with everything from getting the store ready to watching kids while we work on things.
So on a whim, I decided to buy a small business, and in the wise words of the three year old in my house, that is how it works...
