| Community Futures
Meridian Region
Susan's Sign Shoppe Flourishing
It took a while for Susan Osness to take the
plunge into owning and running her own business, but once she
made the decision, things happened quickly. Susan is now the owner-operator
of Susan's Sign Shoppe in Kindersley, after working for others
for 15 years. Working for "difficult" people in one
of those shops convinced her the only way to get ahead would be
to be her own boss. When she heard the shop in Kindersley was
for sale, she moved her family to Saskatchewan with the intention
of buying it.
"Then the fear set in," she recalls.
"The banks made it all seem so unattainable."
Instead, Osness approached the local Meridian
Community Futures office and asked what was required to be approved
for purchase financing. Based on their advice, she wrote her own
business plan. Within a week of submitting her proposal, she had
the necessary financing.
"From what they'd told me, I knew there
was no way they'd say no," Susan recalls. "Then I wrote
a long essay for the bank, outlining my future plans for my company
in order to get an operating line of credit. That approval took
only four days."
Today, the biggest challenge facing Susan and
her two employees is keeping up with orders from customers in
Kindersley, the surrounding area and in other provinces. The shop
produces all types of signs, from site signs for oil companies,
vehicle graphics, logo design, storefront signage and promotional
items.
Looking back, Susan says "believing in
myself" was her biggest hurdle. "Meridian made the process
easier and less stressful." she continues. "The banks
will just say yes or no, but the people at Meridian will suggest
ways to get financing in place, and to improve and keep your business
flourishing."
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