Readers often email us asking us for advice about new businesses they are thinking about starting and we often find that many of them don’t have a framework for thinking about a more fundamental question: why should or shouldn’t you start a business?

Below, you’ll find how successful entrepreneurs from across the city thought about this very question when they were considering whether to start their businesses.

Leigha Woody

Leigha Woody

I was taking a couple months of medical leave from my full-time job after having top surgery and decided to put my art degree to queer use to beat the boredom of not being able to do much. Read more>>

Robert Silas

First, let’s clarify that what I offer to the community is a Service, not necessarily a Business. I have had a deep interest in primitive cultures from a very young age. This interest drove me to train and experience many of the skills that are necessary to wilderness survival, and has blossomed more recently into enjoying more of the culinary experiences available with wild foods. I was experimenting with primitive shelters and friction fire before the first TV series on the subject was ever available to the mass public. Read more>>

Nick Poppa

It really started with my own healing process, searching for the root cause of it all. I dealt with chronic back pain, other injuries, IBS as well as mental health issues for a long time. Every practitioner I saw for each of the former only seemed to deal with the symptom rather than the root cause. Read more>>

Forrest Marie Fortier | Artist

Camden Art Shoppes, LLC is founded by 3 artists Forrest Fortier, Johna Esterberg, and Barbara Fincher. The vision was to establish a venue in Camden for artist to show and sell their art in a casual marketplace that was affordable. The founding members purposefully did not add gallery to our name as many people will not even venture in thinking they cannot afford it. Gifts and fine crafts all hand made we added so there is something for everyone. Our prices range from $2.00 to $25,000. Read more>>

Lynn-d Gunter | Award Winning Columbia, SC Newborn and Family Photographer

I started my photography business shortly after my daughter was born. One day, I looked at her and realized she was already 9 months old. It struck me how quickly time had passed and how much of her early days I had already forgotten. The tiny newborn details that I cherished had quickly transformed, and it saddened me to think those memories were fading. That’s when I decided to invest in a camera to document this fleeting time in our lives. What began as a personal mission to preserve these precious moments evolved into a passion for motherhood photography, allowing me to capture and share the beauty of these experiences with others. Read more>>

Jennifer Grove | Passionate Self-Care Life Coach, Wellness Advocate, and Community Leader

My thought process behind starting my own business was rooted in a desire to align my passion for self-care and personal growth with a meaningful way to impact others. I wanted to create something that allowed me to share the transformative practices I’ve experienced firsthand, like mindfulness, mental health awareness, and holistic wellness, in a way that could truly help others. Read more>>

Wendy Brown | Founder of Holy City Naturals

Actually, I accidentally became a business and business owner. My search for all-natural skincare products began when I developed eczema on my hands. After seeing many dermatologists and using numerous medicated products, I realized it was just that – the products I was using were irritants and not the clean ingredients I needed. So, I started making my own cleaner products. Read more>>

Theresa Duncan | Coach Dunc

Cheer has afforded me so many opportunities in life. I won four national championships as an undergraduate at Shorter University and the friendships that I forged then are still people that I lean on today. I wanted to offer the wonderful experience and lessons that competitive cheer has given to me to others. There is also a great need for qualified cheer coaches to work with middle and high school programs. I hope my business can fill the need where middle and high school cheer squads can cheer competitively with their classmates and represent their school instead of just teams that compete for a gym. Read more>>

Wendy Varner | Polymer Clay Artist

Well I can only wear so many earrings myself!!! I love wearable art and love the idea of others being able to wear my art. That’s what really fueled my desire. It’s more of a desire to share than to sell to be honest with you. Read more>>

Bert Wood | Publisher

I worked for 2 publications prior to starting Southern Flavor and I was constantly saying to myself that I wanted to have my own publication and run it on a different level. Read more>>

Stephanie Gregg | Wedding & Portrait Photographer

I thought if I started my own business I’d have all of the freedom in the world, annnnnnnnd I could do things as I wanted. Between staying relevant, keeping up with evolving systems and technology, being the head of social media, and customer relationships just to name a few, that couldn’t be further from the truth. However, I started my own business because I wanted to be in control of my own time. As a single parent, my mother did the best she knew how (I don’t play about my mama) but because of that, she missed a lot of my school and extra curricular activities. Read more>>