Sunday, May 6, 2012

New business set to open on Grant Street

              Another small business is making  its way to Grant Street with high hopes of surviving the neighborhood economy.
 Global Villages is set to open mid-May at 216 Grant St., said Owner Louise Sano. It will include items such as baskets, shoes, jewelry, scarves and other unique gifts, Sano said.
 One of the greatest challenges a small business on the West Side will face is trying to overcome language and cultural barriers to make sure the information is clear, said Tony Maggiotto, Jr., an advisor from the Small Business Development Center of Buffalo State College.
Our most valuable resource is information,” Maggiotto, Jr. said.
 Sano will try to overcome those barriers by providing goods from all around the world specifically Thailand, Nidia, Nepal, Kenya and other countries within Africa and Asia, Sano said.  She will be able to keep prices low due to cutting out the middleman  and purchasing the items directly from her suppliers. The prices will range from three dollars to seventy-five dollars, Sano said.
 While the building space is still under construction, Sano is excited to open a store that will infuse modern and traditional items, she said. 
 Sano is able to rent the building space with the help of her family and friends along with profits her store earned  while located in the West Side Bazaar.
 Sano hopes to inspire other small business owners to take a chance and also fill up more abandoned business spaces on the West Side, she said.
“The worst failure is not to try,” Sano said. By Elaundress Ballard and Christie Jok