From the Heart of a Local

Posted on March 28, 2019

Finding that particular shop where they know you and understand what you need can make any day a little brighter. Small businesses take a special interest in making sure their customer has a unique and enjoyable experience. Mom and Pop shops also bring fresh ideas and unique items you can’t find anywhere else. These businesses give visitors a taste of the local community, delivering a lasting impression. 

Owning your own business is a goal that many people strive to attain. It takes hard work, long hours, and dedication. Hear from a few of the small business owners in our area on their business advice, what makes their business unique, and much more! 

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Meet Darlena

Q. Tell us about your business and its location. 

A. I own two successful businesses. Darlena’s Lincolnland Restaurant which opened at the end of November 2018 and is doing very well! We have all-day breakfast and lunch. 

And Darlena’s Holiday Gift Shoppe, I’ve been in business over 10 years there. We try to offer unique gifts to our customers, a little something for everybody. 

Q. What inspired you to start your own business? 

A. Rockport needed a restaurant with good food and we do have good food. We did a lot of taste testing before opening to make sure we have great bacon and sausage and more! We wanted to feature Spencer County so we decorated the restaurant with Spencer County vintage items. 

The reason I started the gift shop is that we needed a place in Rockport to get something unique. We try and carry unique items that you don’t find everywhere. 

Q. What is the best business advice you have ever received? 

A. My dad always taught me when I was younger, if you are looking for a helping hand look at the end of your own arm. I just believe in working hard. I don’t do it for the money, I do it because I love what I do.

Q. If you have one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? 

A. If you believe it you can achieve it. It is a lot of hard work and you can't even imagine how hard it is to run a business until you actually start one. But you have to be willing to give the extra hours and extra time, otherwise, you’ll fail.

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Meet Arna

Q. Tell us about your business and its location. 

A. I have been in business for 44 years at Rice N’ Ribbon located in Rockport, Indiana. I started out of my house when I first got married.

Q. What was your dream job as a kid and why? 

A. I know that as a kid I could sew and do just about anything. I was the oldest girl in the family. So, I had to do a lot of things for my mother. However, I did really want to be a nurse. If I ever really wanted to be anything it would have been a nurse.

Q. What is the best business advice you ever received? 

A. Always take the high road and you never have a true competitor you are only competing against yourself to make yourself better every day. There's a lot that comes with this business and a lot of tear downs. My inspiration is to make myself a little better each day and always be honest.

Q. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? 

A. It is a gold mine for you! The world is so open. 

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Meet Tammy

Q. Tell us about your business and its location. 

A. We are a fashion boutique located in Santa Claus, Indiana. We carry a lot of women's clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewelry. We also keep the other half of our store Christmas all year round. We get tourists all year round and are open for them. We try and cater to the tourists coming in who want to get Santa Claus, Indiana, souvenirs. We also cater to our locals who are very good to us.

Q. What is unique about your business? 

A. We try very hard to keep all our product unique and provide items you don’t see in other shops even in other states. Especially for tourists that come to town, we don’t want to be a cookie cutter store. I also like using old things and making them new again by using displays and moving them around a couple of times a year.

Q. What was your dream job as a kid and why? 

A. My dad was a truck driver so up until my teen years, I was certain I was going to be a truck driver. He was also a very sharp dresser. He was always dressed to the hilt, after he got out of the truck and where ever we went. I feel that is where I got my fashion sense from and where I got a lot of my independence from because he owned his own trucking business. That, I think, spirited my entrepreneurship. So, I have my dad to thank for that! 

Q. What is the best business advice that you have learned? 

A. I would say changing up your merchandise. When you re-do your displays, moving them to a different corner, it is going to look different to your customer when they come in the door. We do major merchandise moves 2-3 times a year and smaller moves throughout the year. When I first started doing that, I was very surprised by the difference that it made.

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Meet Amy

Q. Tell us about your location and its location. 

A. My business is Rayelle Collection. We are a women’s boutique that specializes in clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, really anything a woman needs or wants. We have it! 

Q. How did you come up with your business name, Rayelle Collection?

A. The business name came from my husband's middle name, which is Ray, and my middle name, which is Michelle, so I mixed them together. That was my hardest thing about opening the store was trying to figure out what to name it.

Q. What is the best thing about owning your own business? 

1. My employees. I love my employees like they are my family.  
2. My customers. I love having people come in and getting to know who people are. Then the next time they come in remembering their name and something about them so they feel welcomed. 

Q. What is the best business advice you ever received? 

A. Not to give up. Because at first, it’s hard, you have very slow days, you have days where people don’t know where you are. But you just keep plugging along and pushing through and never give up!

Visit a locally owned business today! They are not only great places to shop, but they are also the backbone of the community. These are just a few in our area, find a list of more shopping and things to do. If all this shopping is making you hungry, check out some of the local dining options – we have tons of Mom and Pop restaurants to visit! 

Spread the word amongst your friends and family by using #SantaClausIndiana or #IndianasAbe.