It is so refreshing to be able to talk with other new entrepreneurs about concerns and triumphs in business because there are few other people who can understand. It is also great that we can have an interchange of ideas. -Florence Amundson, Mystic Dreams, Kamloops BC-
Sheri Reynard, Design First Landscape Services and The Gardening Gal, Salmon Arm
Sheri Reynard has been somewhat of a chameleon throughout her life. She’s moved from being a successful executive, to a stay-at-home mom, to a busy entrepreneur running two landscaping businesses. How did she get to where she is today?
“I was very successfully running an investment office where I was the sole stockbroker, but when I had my first child the hormones hit and I went from very career driven to wanting to be with my baby,” admits Reynard. “I lasted nine months and then decided to say goodbye to that career. After spending five years with my two daughters it became time to work where I was completely autonomous. It was then I started thinking about self-employment options.”
True to her financial background, Reynard brainstormed ideas and crunched numbers to find a viable business concept. She was searching for a low risk, low overhead business that she could be passionate about. It seemed like an impossible task, but when she thought of offering a gardening service, it fit the bill perfectly.
“I started The Gardening Gal by providing yard maintenance services like mowing and weeding, but as I took courses in horticulture and landscape design and my knowledge grew, I started taking on some construction requests. The business developed from there into full scale landscape construction.”
Reynard now manages Design First Landscape Services with a business partner and continues The Gardening Gal as a sole proprietorship. Behind the success she’s achieved, Reynard gives credit to her mentor.
“A former boss of mine always encouraged me to go after what I wanted,” says Reynard. “Entrepreneurs really need a support system because it’s tough to be the one responsible for everything. Having someone to bounce ideas off of and to hear objective suggestions from is invaluable.”
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