Living the Dream:Erin Weckerle
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Name: Erin Weckerle
Age: 31
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Education: B.F.A. in Painting from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, Pa.; M.F.A. in Painting from Yale University
Occupation: Boutique owner
What She Does: Erin is the owner of Sodafine, a popular boutique specializing in one-of-a-kind handmade clothing, selective vintage pieces, and eco-friendly fashion lines. With two storefronts in Brooklyn, she has her hands full assisting customers, managing the budget, scouting new designers, and working on her own projects. In addition to painting during her free time, she makes a line of handmade knit goods called Purldrop, which she sells in Sodafine as well as in selective stores nationwide.
How She Got Her Gig: After completing her master’s at Yale, Erin moved back to Philadelphia, where she found a home for her knitwear line—delicate hats, bikinis, even earrings, all made from her own original patterns—at a local boutique. The owners liked her line so much they asked Erin if she had any interest in opening her own shop in the back of their store. Thus, Sodafine was born. “It seemed like a good opportunity to try out being my own boss without much risk or financial investment,” she says. “Once I realized that this was something I really liked doing, and could do well at, I moved Sodafine to Brooklyn.”
Who’s the Boss?: Living down the street from her own store means Erin enjoys a high level of autonomy—in addition to making her own hours, she has complete creative control over the store’s direction. Still, her favorite part of owning Sodafine has to do with the people she meets. “My shop is pretty small, so it’s an intimate environment,” she says. “I often get together with the designers whose lines I carry, which is a great way to support and keep each other inspired.”
Working Round the Clock: With so much to juggle, Erin is left with little free time—owning your own business can make it that much harder to draw the line between your work life and personal life. Also, because her business revolves around other people’s leisure time, her schedule does as well. “I can’t just take off for the weekend,” she says. “And I struggle with finding time to devote to making art.”
Do It Yourself: Erin’s experience is unique in that she was able to try running a store without putting forth a large financial investment initially. However, there are certain universal tips for any small-business owner: First, make a business plan. If you don’t know where to start, consult guides for small-business owners like The Big Book of Small Business (HarperCollins Publishers; $29.95) and Small Business for Dummies (Wiley; $21.99). When you’re coming up with your business strategy, be realistic: “It’s important to have a game plan for how you’re going to fund the business if it can’t sustain itself for the first year,” says Erin. “A lot of people seem to think that you start making money as soon as you open your doors, and that’s rarely ever the case.” Because of this, it always pays to do your research: Find out what your city requires of you in terms of licensing and taxes and think about how your business will fill a niche.
This Job’s for You if: You’re good at multitasking: “There are so many things you have to stay on top of, and you have to be able to resolve issues as soon as they arrive,” she says. Flexibility is also key: “Some months are better than others, and there can be quite a lot of ups and downs,” says Erin. “But at the end of the day, it’s truly gratifying.”