Looked like Success, But Not Built to Grow

This story about a small business owner illustrates the challenges many entrepreneurs face when navigating similar obstacles.

Meet Jane, a smart, hardworking lady who always had a gift with flowers. Midway through her life, with a modest divorce settlement, she decided to take the big leap and open her own florist shop. She poured every penny she had from her settlement into starting her business—no loans, just her beloved dream and a whole lot of courage.

Four years in, Jane had built something beautiful. She was a fixture in her neighborhood—warm, welcoming, and so talented. Orders were steady, often she stayed up past midnight to fill them. She even brought on a few part-time employees. Business looked really good on the outside.

But behind the scenes, Jane was quietly carrying a heavy burden.

In the early years, when sales were slow and expenses constant, she relied on credit cards just to stay afloat—groceries, rent, whatever she couldn’t cover because she had a dream and was determined to succeed. Eventually, she maxed out her credit cards and wrecked her credit. It left her embarrassed and overwhelmed. When a credit repair company called offering a fix, she jumped at it. After all, she was busy running a business. But a year later, the so-called credit repair company had done little more than dodge her phone calls.

That experience left a mark. Jane swore off credit completely—credit cards were bad, loans were bad. After all, look at the mess they had made. She’s a responsible person so she decided that if she didn’t have the cash, she didn’t buy. And for a while, that worked just fine.

Until the day everything changed.

Big Order, Big Problem

A long-time customer called. Turns out she was a buyer for a major company and she just loved Jane’s work. The company was planning a huge, prestigious event and wanted to place a massive flower order. Jane was thrilled. This was the kind of opportunity that could put her shop on the map—not just for this event, but with others like it.

But there was a problem.

Jane didn’t have the cash on hand to buy all the supplies she’d need to fill this huge order. And with no credit cards and no loan options, she was stuck.

Now, Jane is resourceful. She decided to just have a chat with the buyer, after all she kind of knew this lady who had been in her shop lots of times before; and she explained her situation asking if the company could consider paying half upfront so she could cover the cost of materials. The buyer said sure but now that she thinks about maybe she doesn’t need all those arrangements and scaled back the order.

As far as Jane knew this was all just great. Yes, she was disappointed at the smaller order, but she was still grateful for the business. Jane delivered. The flowers were beautiful.

The Unspoken Difference

But something shifted as a result. Three sad things happened that went unspoken by this seemingly happy ending.

One, the buyer, while still fond of Jane, now saw her as someone who couldn’t quite play at the big table. She might still order again but maybe not for something quite so large.

Two, if she recommended Jane to others, it might come with a caveat: “She’s amazing, but maybe not for the really big orders.”

Three, and worst of all, Jane believe it, too.

Jane now doubted whether she could grow and whether she’d ever be ready for a bigger opportunity. And that belief—quiet and creeping—can be the biggest barrier of all for a business owner. Because that quiet, unspoken belief influences every decision she makes about her business from that point on.

Here’s the thing: Jane didn’t fail. She did her best with what she had. But she never had the right support at the right time.

Why It's Hard to Measure the Impact of the Women's Business Center

If she'd had someone like a Women’s Business Center counselor early on, she might have built a financial plan that included paying herself too. She might have used a microloan instead of high-interest credit cards. She might have learned how to rebuild her credit herself—without relying on shady “fixers.” And when that big call came in, she could’ve answered with a confident yes, ready with the credit she needed to rise to the occasion.

Because if Jane had had a Women’s Business Center counselor to turn to, she would have had an ally in her success who could provide the right support at the right time.

This story is based on real events. In the real version, few years later, Jane made the tough decision to step away from her shop. Not because she lost her passion, but because she couldn’t see a way, nor believe she could grow it into something sustainable without burning herself out. Without a clear path forward, the dream she built with her own hands began to feel more like a trap than a triumph.

And the impact didn’t stop with Jane. The community lost a beloved local shop—and more than that, a business owner who quietly supported school fundraisers, sponsored the local ball league, and donated help for community events. Jobs disappeared. Tax revenue went with it. And future young entrepreneurs? They lost a role model who could’ve shown them what’s possible with the right support.

Jane had been an amazing asset to her community. She had the talent, the heart, and the drive. But she also deserved the support to believe—and the knowledge to plan—for something bigger.