Starting a Small Business in Florissant: Choosing a Business Concept

When you're considering opening a small business, the first step is to decide exactly what you want your business to be--to develop a business concept.

Whether you choose to go the potentially safer route and open a franchise or you choose to think outside the box and open a unique business, the first thing you need is a good idea.

This week, we’re going to focus on coming up with your own original business idea. We’re taking a little inspiration from some Florissant business owners who shared the different ways they were inspired to start their own businesses.

Girl Power

Although she always knew she wanted to own her own business, Pretty N Posh owner Tiffany Jackson had a career in nursing. But after a conversation with a friend about her daughter, she decided she wanted to do something to help her and other girls feel empowered.

“We were talking about different things we want to do, and the idea just came from there,” Jackson told Florissant Patch. “We were talking about what we could do to empower girls and make it fun.”

She worked hard to make her dream come true, and she finally opened Pretty N Post in 2010.

Fashion Inspiration

Andrea’s Boutique owner Andrea D’Angelo told Florissant Patch that before junior high and high school, she was really a tomboy. But when she became aware of fashion, all of that changed.

“You come into makeup and probably boys, you start to think about fashion,” D’Angelo said. “I kind of really enjoyed the fashion magazines early, but I was [still] just a tomboy, so I knew it was one day to come. Now, I’m pretty much obsessed.”

She said that these days, she’s “engrossed.” Her natural creativity and love for fashion, along with a healthy curiosity and supportive parents, led her to open her boutique in 2010.

It All Adds Up

Jeff and Kris Mullersman, owners of the recently opened de.lish Cheesecake Bakery and Café, have been married for 13 years.

The couple started making cheesecakes and pretzels for family, friends and neighbors, and the positive feedback they received led them to believe they could open the restaurant. These days, the couple makes everything fresh daily, and while Kris handles the cheesecake-baking, Jeff handles the marketing.

They named the restaurant “de.lish” in honor of Kris’ father, who tells her mother after each meal that “It was de-lish, my love.”

"We thought it would be a good name because it signifies the importance for families to sit down and talk to each other," Jeff told Florissant Patch.

All in the Family

John Goeke’s granddaughter Tricia Stout grew up in the produce business. She and her cousins are the third generation of Goekes working in the store. Stout’s mother, Karen Ormsby and three of Ormsby’s sisters took over Goeke Produce when John Goeke retired.

The family moved the store to 449 St. Ferdinand from its old location at 300 St. Ferdinand in 2009, and the business continues to expand.

“Goeke has always been family-owned and family-run for well over 50 years now, and we’re really just trying to serve the community and give then what they want,” Stout told Florissant Patch.

A Good Cup of Joe

Alaska Klondike Coffee Company owner Steve Richards said that when he moved to Florissant from Alaska in the early 1990s, he had a hard time finding employment because he didn’t graduate from a local high school.

"I couldn't find a job to my taste, and I couldn't find a decent cup of coffee,” he told Florissant Patch.

That’s why he decided to open his own coffee shop and brewery in 1994, using the roasting skills he learned in Alaska. The coffee house has since become a popular place for java lovers, and has won awards from the Specialty Coffee Association of America and the Taste of North County Food Fair.

Have you always dreamed of starting your own business? Subscribe to our daily newsletter so you won’t miss a single part of this upcoming series! Next week, we’ll weigh the pros and cons of opening a franchise in Florissant.

Do you own your own business in Florissant? We want to share your story with the community! Contact Patch reporter Angela Atkinson at angela.atkinson@patch.com.