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
