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A New Venture...

Polarfire

Jeep Aficionado
Lifetime Member
City
Columbia
State
MO
Some of you may (or maybe not) have noticed that I haven't been as active on here lately as in the past (my build thread has definitely not been active!). Like BigWalton, I too have been busy with a new and exciting (and scary) venture! Back in the spring of this year my wife and I starting discussing starting a business of our own (I suggested Classic Jeep Restoration and Sales which she flatly shut down :shrug:). She has not been happy in her job (ad sales for a local magazine) and has always had the dream of working for herself. We discussed several different business ventures but ultimately settled on one that we feel has the strongest chance for booming growth and good profitability as well as something she loves. Since then we have been working on a business plan and doing a LOT of research and making a lot of business contacts. This last week our small business loan was approved and we will be opening in January 2015! The business is Belle Mariee Bridal Boutique carrying a full line of bridal dresses and accessories as well as bridesmaids dresses and tuxedos. My wife has worked in the bridal industry in the past and loved it. This last week was her last with her old sales job and she just got back from a huge bridal market in Chicago this weekend. Our area is a very ripe market as currently there are no competitors. We are extremely excited about this new venture and I'm learning more about wedding dresses than I ever thought I would know! Now begins a lot of work with renovating the lease space we have secured, ordering all the inventory, hiring employees, etc... I'm still working full-time for the fire department and will continue with that but I will also be working behind the scenes (because unless you put a wedding dress on with a torque wrench you don't want me helping!) at the store. This of course means that for now (until the business gets going well) my Jeep projects will continue to linger on the back burner, which sucks. However, I feel strongly that in the long-run this will be a great move for our family and that includes the Jeeps! So, if any of you or your family or friends are getting married in 2015 or later and are in the mid-Missouri area feel free to contact us and we will be glad to help any way we can!

Belle Mariee Logo card.jpg
 

gr8dain

Old and Slow
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Ashburn
State
VA
That is awesome. And very scary. It takes a lot more guts than I have to drop what you have and start your own company. But it is very awesome. I wish your family only the best. Enjoy the journey.
 
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IAFFCJ

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Manassas
State
VA
Good deal. Good luck to you and the wife. I hope your new business takes right off.
 

OGRES

Ramblin' Wreck
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
City
Suwanee
State
GA
I wish you all the luck.

With a wife who has her own fledgling business, I know how much work it can be.
 

wm69

Scrambler Junkie
Silver Member
Lifetime Member
City
God's Country
State
AR
Congratulations. I'm getting hitched in December, and we have a bridal store in nearby Brinkley Arkansas called Lowe's. It's seriously in the middle of nowhere and people fly in from all over the country to buy dresses there.

As for your classic Jeep business, now many of us here have that idea in the back of our minds, especially watching Rudy's site and a few others who get to do this for a living?
 

certifiablejeep

Definitley Certifiable
Lifetime Member
City
Bedford
State
NH
I guess Lowe's means different things here on the east coast ;) Cause my wife would never have gotten her dress at a hardware store chain...

cb
 

Doc Savage

Basic User
City
Greenville
State
TX
Good luck with it! My mom owned a dress shop that was about half bridal and prom dresses. Lots of work, but she enjoyed it.
 

Randyzzz

Blown Budget
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Redmond
State
OR
Wow...exciting news! Best wishes for a profitable and enjoyable venture.

Bummer that the Scrambler has to get back-burnered. I finally started ordering some parts to move forward on Copper, and am anxiously awaiting starting on Red.
 

BRKLYNZ28

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
BROOKLYN
State
NY
Yep great business and all the good luck in your business... I think we spent around 20k so far on the wedding dress and Tux's ect. Good luck its all about the name and branding in that business . as I live in NY the top makers are here and wow some dresses go for 100k easy .. For a dress!!!! That u wear one day!! 🙎 . there's kleinfelds, David tatara which he wanted 10k just for a consult Davids bridal, Sophia. 😵

Sent from my SPH-L900
 
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Randyzzz

Blown Budget
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Redmond
State
OR
20K! Dang, BRKLYNZ28, do you know how many Jeep parts that would buy??? (Our wedding was at the other end of the spectrum. Next to nothing, even with a Church ceremony. But that was 34 years ago, we did something right!)

Polarfire, you are going to be able to buy LOTS of Jeep parts soon at that rate!
 

BRKLYNZ28

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
BROOKLYN
State
NY
Lol then u don't want to know what the wedding hall cost..NY is crazy expensive . tell me about it I had to hold back from buy jeep parts all year.. Weddings are big money over here. yes I could of got a little cheaper if I went to long island or Nj but that means people would have to travel and sleep in hotels.. I'm having 200+ people so I made life easier for everyone.. Would I do this again.. Hells no I want jeep parts.. But the wedding business is one of the best money makers I have seen. Every woman wants the fairy tale wedding.. O BTW George Clooney wife's wedding dress cost 300k ..

Sent from my SPH-L900
 
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Polarfire

Jeep Aficionado
Lifetime Member
City
Columbia
State
MO
Thanks for all the support guys! I wish it was more auto/Jeep related but gotta make the wife happy...you know the saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life"! I'm hoping she can be my sugar-mamma eventually! :rotfl: One of the reasons we chose this business was the excellent profit margins! I don't think we will be selling any $10k+ dresses though, our range is more in the $700-$2500 ballpark. Right now there is just a lot of money flying out the door in order to be ready to open in January but with all the research and feedback from sales reps we feel we should be doing really well after the first year of business. Thanks again for the support and the offers of help I've received through PM's, it means a lot!
:cheers:
 

gr8dain

Old and Slow
BENEFACTOR
Gold Member
Lifetime Member
SOA Member
City
Ashburn
State
VA
That is awesome. I can see the excitement.
 

BRKLYNZ28

Scrambler Junkie
Lifetime Member
City
BROOKLYN
State
NY
Wow that looks great.. I like the little statues on the sides.. O and will there be a discount for members? Lol could of used that a few months ago 😭

Sent from my SPH-L900
 

PetesCj-8

CJ-8 Member
City
slatington
State
pa
Congrats and best of luck to you. Theres people out there that just dont learn. You can end up with repeat customers. :rotfl:
 
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