Sean Dagen
Down to Business
Issue #35
Breakup leads to biz plan for this green gift shop
By Sara Stroud
Published: March 1st, 2008 | 1:47pm
Sometimes the best inspiration grows from the bleakest situations. For Maureen O’Neill, an abrupt breakup about five years ago paved the way for a burgeoning business.
O’Neill, 29, who now owns Treehouse Green Gifts — a treasure trove of environmentally friendly bags, jewelry, toys, and home décor in Berkeley, California — says after she and her longtime boyfriend split up, she got motivated to prioritize her life and figure out what she wanted from a career.
FROM THE BAR TO BIZ SCHOOL
“Originally, I wanted to open a bar and art space,” O’Neill says. “But then I realized that’s not a very healthy environment.”
Instead, she went to business school, where she crafted a business plan while learning the retail ropes at a local gallery and gift store. O’Neill says that part of the challenge was to come up with an idea for a business that would have staying power, not something that would go the way of the frozen-yogurt shop. That meant a lot of research, she says.
THE GREEN GRAVY TRAIN
Luckily, O’Neill was able to combine her penchant for handmade and eco-friendly goods with the rising tide of environmental awareness. The goal was to make green shopping easy, she says, by selecting sustainable products and providing customers with information about what they’re buying all in one place.
There are plenty of challenges running your own unpredictable retail business, says O’Neill, who has only had a few days off since the store opened in fall 2007.
But it’s all worth it, she says, because you get to do all the fun stuff yourself — like buying bags and jewelry made of recycled materials from local artists.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLAN
O’Neill says she has two key pieces of advice for entrepreneurial hopefuls: plan and do your research. “If it’s something you feel like you want to do, there’s always a way to get there,” she says.
More info at treehousegreengifts.com.
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