Area female entrepreneurs continue to shine, provide advice for newcomers in running a small business

With March being Women’s History Month, is there a better time of year to highlight some of the great work a number of local female entrepreneurs do?

According to a U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship report from the summer of 2023, of the more than 33 million small companies nationwide, close to 13 million of them are run by a woman or women. The report goes on to note that companies owned by women in the U.S. generate more than $2.5 trillion in annual revenue, employing more than 12 million individuals in the process.

You do not have to look far to see the positive impacts many women are having on local small businesses.

Take for example the work of Shana Morgan of Morgan’s Monograms in La Mesa.

Perseverance is often a key to success

Perseverance would be a good way to describe this company’s ability to survive the times, times that included the beginning of COVID in 2020.

Opened in 1983 by Morgan’s mother, Mary, this local female-run business became the first computerized embroidery company in San Diego.

“Our first location was right up the street on La Mesa Boulevard (8021) I believe,” Shana Morgan stated. “I was six years old and would sleep in a sleeping bag while she ran names and initials and tried to figure out how to use the machine. After time, we grew, moved and continued to grow until we had 52 employees and she owned the entire business park at 7584 University Avenue. She retired and I took over the company in 2012.”

To say things got a little challenging at the start of the next decade is an understatement.

In 2020, the company dealt with a flood, COVID hit and Mary Morgan shut down the company completely. It was Shana who would relaunch it four months later by herself, taking on the risk of renting this store front during COVID. To date, the company continues to be a success despite such challenges.

“COVID ended Morgan’s Monograms Inc.,” Shana noted. “We had employees of 38 years that we had to let go. My Mom had to sell the building and she dissolved the company. It was the saddest day of my life. While sitting at home everyday with no orders coming in via email or phone, I thought we were done forever. I was determined to save this company and I started an LLC along with one of my employees of 22 years and relaunched. We weren’t able to get any COVID funds because we technically started the company in 2020. I used all my savings and helped my other employees and got an embroidery/screenprint production up and running in a warehouse in Casa de Oro. I got the storefront on La Mesa Boulevard  and came in everyday hoping people would place orders and come in like always but that didn’t happen.”

One of the challenges Morgan faced was that one of her largest accounts are school uniforms. With in-person attendance sidelined by COVD for some two years, no one was buying school uniforms. Turn the clock forward when schools reopened for in-person attendance and things changed dramatically.

“Once school officially opened, there were national shortages on everything,” Morgan pointed out. “I had 1,500 families looking for school uniforms and I couldn’t find stock anywhere. It was a stressful nightmare, and it took over a year to get stock back to normal.”

While such challenges are not ones to be glossed over, they can be overcome with will and determination.

Roll up your sleeves and jump in

For other women thinking of starting a small business, Morgan encourages them to go for it.

“My Mom started a business on her own in 1983,” Morgan remarked. “In 2024 being a woman-owned business and being one myself is very natural to me and should be to all women who want to own their business. If you have a good business plan, a product that is successful and the drive to make it happen, you’re gold. Being a woman is just a bonus, it should never deter a woman from starting a business.”

Given her determination to make a go of it through some very challenging times, Shana Morgan has pieced together quite a successful small business story.

Another woman who has been a driving force for many years in the local small business scene is Marie Monet.

Owner of Marie Monet European Skin Care & Day Spa in La Mesa, Monet had her first salon in La Mesa all the way back in 1979. 

“I had no work experience but always wanted to work in the beauty industry,” Monet commented. “Classes for estheticians were just becoming available and I was fortunate to receive a government grant to attend De Loux School of Cosmetology in La Mesa.” After graduation, Monet attended massage school before taking on her first industry job working for Scientific Skin in La Jolla.

As a longtime small business owner, Monet knows there can be challenges along the way, notably getting the word out about one’s brand.

Keeping your name out there

“Advertising is very important and has significantly changed over the years,” Monet went on to say. “It’s crucial to maintain ongoing advertising especially on social media, which can be very costly. It’s important to keep your name out there, and to continually keep in touch with your clients. After COVID, there was a slow return of clients and it was imperative that they knew they were returning to a safe environment. It’s important to keep up with the newest technology and to be able to communicate it to your clients, which can be challenging.”

Having started her successful business many years ago, Monet knows all too well it can be very challenging in the beginning.

“It requires getting as much education and experience in your field as you can before opening the doors,” Monet said. “Have a mentor that you can follow to enhance your skills and who will support you through the good times and the bad. Never give up and never quit, once the doors open, the real learning begins.”

As someone who loves her work and her clients, Monet notes each day’s challenges and new successes make her job worthwhile.

“I didn’t give up, and I have enjoyed being a part of watching my clients achieve their goals.”

Running your own business has its advantages

For Dr. Abigail Fleisner of Full Circle Acupuncture in La Mesa, owning and operating her business now for four years means she gets to run her operation on her own terms.

Fleisner purchased the existing practice from another acupuncturist who retired in January of 2020. When she decided to go back to school for acupuncture, Fleisner said she knew one day she’d want to run her own practice.

Like countless other small business owners, Fleisner had to confront COVID in 2020. 

“During the time I was closed I worked on remodeling the clinic,” Fleisner noted. “I had many concerns opening back up and often wondered if I would make it due to being shut down and people not being comfortable coming back for acupuncture treatments.” While things were slow early on, Fleisner had a small loan through the SBA (Small Business Administration) which helped keep things running, though she did not qualify for any COVID relief funds.

Flash-forward to 2024 and Fleisner said her business is quite busy. She noted she is looking to add another acupuncturist and has expanded her business into offering functional medicine too.

When it comes to advice for other women looking at starting a small business, Fleisner tells them to go for it, even when they think it may be scary. “Do more, think less and lastly know your numbers,” Fleisner commented.

With her small business doing well, Fleisner is appreciative of what she has in front of her.

“I set my schedule, I take time off when it fits my schedule and I am my own boss,” Fleisner said. “I worked for a big corporation from the age of 21 to 26 and that was enough for me to know I didn’t want to play by anyone’s rules but my own.”

Putting some pizazz in your business

For Nancy Losek of Pizazz Salon in Del Cerro, having her own business under her roof and not having to rent has been ideal.

Originally opened in December of 2003, Losek had rented a booth prior to that for her business. Her coworker was also looking for a change, so they looked at renting booths at another shop, coincidentally owned by her original instructor and employer. “Upon arrival, we saw a shop in need of revitalization,” Losek said. “The owner was ready to retire and suggested my partner and I buy the place. Never having the desire to own a business, my coworker convinced me to take the plunge.”

When things changed with her partner, Losek was determined to make a go of it on her own.

“One of the major challenges of being a small business owner, I believe, is larger corporations,” Losek stated. “They have changed the way we do retail. As a victim of a theft ring, items stolen from my business have been resold online; my customers buy products online rather than from my shop, without realizing they may be compromising on quality. With the COVID shutdown, operators retired/moved out of state, clients stopped coming, while my overhead continued. It took two years for clients to fully return and for me to recover.”

When it comes to advice for other women looking to start and run a small business, Losek advises that they believe in themselves without listening to naysayers. “Treat people as you want to be treated, be fair, always think ahead and persist, looking to the future and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.”

A longtime Del Cerro resident, Losek said the neighborhood is a part of her.

“I have grown to appreciate and love the people of this community and the lessons they have taught me,” Losek noted. “I feel privileged to be an integral part of this neighborhood and to be able to serve others and give back.”

Experiencing all aspects of a small business

Kimberly Purchase of Uneeke Boutique in La Mesa opened the doors to her storefront back in June of 2014.

With a background in retail, Purchase noted, “I have been fortunate to experience all aspects from sales, merchandising, buying, management at both store and regional levels as well as the wholesale side.”

COVID and some other challenges have not derailed Purchase from making her small business a winner.

“It’s definitely been challenging and I’m constantly pivoting to stay up on the changes,” Purchase said. “Even post-COVID, as a small business there are still some setbacks.”

When it comes to advising other women looking at starting and operating a small business, Purchase stated, “Know your purpose, do your research (competition, demand of product/service, and location). It’s a commitment and unless you have help/support, it’s all you. You need to be in 100 percent. Believe in yourself and go for it. You never know unless you take the leap.”

Purchase also makes it a point that her customers feel welcomed and comfortable when they walk in the door.

“The fact they trust me to help in their search for a special outfit, or to help them enhance their wardrobe is so rewarding to me. I am so grateful for my customers and for those who have become friends.”

Having the right staff in place is key

Anyone with staff knows that their business is more likely to be successful if they have the right people in the right positions.

That said, Dr. Rosina Cullins (OD) of Allied Gardens Family Optometry has been in business since 2006. The existing practice has had several owners and dates back to the 1960’s.

“Finding, hiring and keeping good staff can be difficult,” Cullins said. “I’ve definitely come to appreciate when I have a great team at the office as I do right now. As far as advice to other women who want to start a business, I would say, trust your instincts and skills and find support when you need it.”

Cullins enjoys being part of the Allied Gardens community. Owning the business allows her the flexibility to set hours and times that allow her to be with family.

“It brings me joy to help people see better and feel better,” Cullins added. “I have the privilege to get to know some wonderful families and watch children grow up as I examine their eyes through the years. I’m certainly blessed.”

Top photo by Pixabay.com