Old furniture is given a second, more contemporary life at a shop in Squamish. The vintage, antique and refurbished d茅cor at Empire of Dirt is constantly changing, enticing customers to stop by multiple times since the eclectic shop opened six months ago in downtown Squamish.
Laura Sharp, the store鈥檚 owner, spent more than a year looking for the perfect spot to open.
Her business is a collaboration with four other entrepreneurs, including artists, jewellers and Elisa Langenstam, owner of Stockholm Design, a home staging and interior design company.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be on the main strip,鈥� said Langenstam. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good for foot traffic and for people driving by to know we鈥檙e here.鈥�
With the population of Squamish increasing as more people relocate from the Vancouver area, Langsenstam said it鈥檚 important to have an easily accessible storefront and to routinely tweak their business plan.
鈥淭he demographic is such a mix, and their needs are diverse, so it鈥檚 good to offer a wide range,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here will be something to match everyone鈥檚 interests.鈥�
Bianca Peters, executive director of Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association, said now is a good time to start a business because of Squamish鈥檚 growing population of young families.
鈥淲e want people to set up shop downtown, it鈥檚 the heart and hub, but having a business open anywhere in Squamish is great,鈥� said Peters.
Perks for new businesses include, for example, a grant for fa莽ade improvements downtown and property tax exemptions in certain cases.
For other Squamish-based entrepreneurs, a home-based business makes more sense than opening a brick-and-mortar location.
Jessi McLennan, a nutritional therapist and owner of Origins Nutrition, runs holistic nutrition sessions for clients including the Chopra Centre for Addiction & Wellness in Paradise Valley and ZepTechniques, a mountain bike instructor program. She also works remotely over Skype with individual clients in Chicago.
Because her office is mobile, McLennan can visit various communities while also being flexible enough to spend time with her family.
鈥淚 love presenting, being in front of people and leading workshops,鈥� she said.
McLennan took a month off after her baby was born, then structured the nutrition sessions around the schedules of her two children.
She said having a plan for proper work-life balance by prioritizing tasks is key to a successful business, whether it is based in Squamish or anywhere else.
鈥淭he reason why you work is for your family, so if you don鈥檛 see them, something has to change.鈥�
Even if the business is home-based, owners require a business licence and are required to fill out forms. More information can be found on the District of Squamish website, squamish.ca, under the Business and Development section.
