Start Young. Carol always dreamed of having her own shop, and at the age of 21, she bought the building on Monroe Street and started selling furniture.

Topic for Discussion: Why did Carol start a business even before she worked for others?

Answer: She said it was always her dream to have her own store and her dream came true a little faster than she thought it would. At 21 years of age she knew what she wanted and her parents helped with some cash. Most people dont know what they want to do with their lives that early and some people never feel that they have figured out what they want to do.

She admits she feels blessed that she could start early and not have to spend decades searching for her dream work.

The best part about starting a business when you are young is you probably don't have a complicated and expensive lifestyle. When you marry and have children you can no longer afford to risk time or money when you should probably be focused on rearing your children.

Another merchant, Yvonne LaFleur, told us she established her business before she started giving birth to her seven children!