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2007 Commonwealth Ave.
704-334-6209
1515 S. Tryon St.
704-332-7782
Oakdale Greenhouses LLC, a supplier of tropical plants, trees and more
Bill Kay: I bought the business about two-and-a-half years ago; that's before the recession took hold and the recent drought in Charlotte. It's been rather tough, primarily due to the drought. Business for me has been affected starting two years ago with the drought, and then the recession came in right behind that. My business is actually down quite a bit. Business is running at about 60 percent of what it was two years ago. The greenhouse business is traditionally slow during the summertime when it's hot. Our busiest time is in the spring and in the fall. We're in a normal season slowdown. It usually picks up around the end of August and first of September.
5626 Statesville Road
704-596-4052
Tempo Nightclub, an entertainment venue/nightclub
Jumaane Torrence: It's not bad at all; it's going pretty good. It's not going as well as it was once before, '07-'08, early part of '08, before everything kind of took a nosedive. But we're still doing pretty well. We did take a dip in latter part of 2008, early part of 2009. The quarter numbers were down, of course except for CIAA, which actually did better than the two previous years. Aside from that, business itself has kind of shifted because of more establishments opening. People are going to see what's new, but it seems like they're coming back. Our numbers are coming back up to the occupancy numbers that we usually have on the weekends. But people are spending less money. Spending is down per person approximately 15 to 20 percent. But business is still going well. It's still in our normal projected growth overall, but as a whole, we're a little lower than we were at one point.
4809 Wilkinson Blvd.
704-391-8909
Cottage Chic, a lifestyle store offering everything from furniture to personalized jewelry
Julie PageSmith: It has been improving a little bit. I wouldn't say we're over the hump, but people seem to have more of a positive outlook right now. We're hoping for the best.
1232 East Blvd.
704-375-1888
Black Sheep, a skateshop that also sells clothing and sneakers
Josh Frazier: There's no doubt that it's been a challenging environment for retail, but we've been extremely fortunate. Black Sheep's mission is to carry unique brands that are exclusive to our store. Our customers are looking for the latest styles of sneakers, clothing and skateboards that are not available anywhere else in town. As independent, specialty retailers, we really have to focus on our customers and product differentiation even in the best of times. We've also worked hard to collaborate with other local businesses to throw free events like art shows, fashion shows, and autograph signings as a way of keeping our name out there and saying thank you to our customers. Luckily, we have won the support of some very loyal customers, and that has made all the difference.
1504 Camden Road
704-333-1423
The Rat's Nest, a vintage clothing shop
Brian Wilson: Business has been good. I'm fortunate to be in this area, in a tight-knit community where a lot of people will support local businesses. Being in this area helps a whole lot. Haven't really felt a dropoff or anything like that. If anything, I may have picked up a few more people who were shopping at Nordstrom's or wherever it may be, and may come in here just because you get more bang for your buck. In the type of business I'm in, it's been fortunate that way, too. I think more of the higher-end businesses have been affected more so than -- well, I've got $10 to $12 T-shirts. People still want to have something new and fresh and different in their lives. They can still afford to do that here.
442 E 36th St.
704-371-3599
www.myspace.com/theratsnestkicksass
704Events, an online community events calendar
Kim Hughes: Business is actually doing really well. I think a big part of it is not being afraid of the economy. When business is slower, I usually schedule meetings with people in my circle to reaffirm connections, to get advice, to strategize. I also take out my business plan and see what I can do differently. I take a step back and see what my clients want more of. The economy is not bad for everyone, and it's what you make of it.
