More and more women are taking the steps to change their lives by becoming their own boss.
Friday, June 27, 2008 at 3:47 p.m.
Toni Liles of Traverse City, launched her own business after the birth of her daughter. "After I got married I still bought bridal magazines so I started thinking maybe I could do something in the wedding industry." It was that interest that led to Liles' decision to open up her own business, To Have and to Hold Bridal, in 2004.
Liles, who was living in Las Vegas, had just given birth to her first daughter and didn't want to go back to her corporate job. After discussing her desire to open up her own business with her husband, the research began, and so did a move back to Traverse City where Liles was born and raised. "I started literally with the bridal magazines," explains Liles. "We researched for about a year into the wedding industry and also into the business side of it, what it would take for a location, things like that."
Liles pitched the idea to her family and brought her mother and sister-in-law into the business plan, making the launch a real family affair. Now the mother of two little girls, the bridal shop is a favorite place to visit. "They love coming here, to them it's so normal to come in here see the dresses see the brides always commenting on how pretty they are, especially because I have girls so they just think its wonderful," said Liles.
But preparing a bride for her big day does mean wearing many different hats. "It's fun to be in this business aside from our real motto, our unofficial one is 'everything will be fine, don't worry, everything will be fine'. Because they don't have a wedding everyday, we have weddings all the time," explains Liles. "We do feel sometimes like psychologists, friends, and because we listen to their stress, their problems with everything going on with the wedding, we try to take on a lot for them and we try to."
Liles does have some advice for women wanting to become their own boss. She says research is key, making sure you know everything about the type of business, and also to make sure there is the customer base in your community. Liles also says make sure you love it, because you will be spending a lot of time and effort getting it started!
You can read more about Toni Liles and other area business women by picking up a current issue of Grand Traverse Woman magazine, or by visiting their website.
