To all the small-business owners out there: Square thanks you for taking the risk and answering the call to start your own business. We appreciate your desires, trials, and triumphs—everything you do to realize your dreams. You are the reason we go to work every day. This video is a tribute to all the passion, effort, and dedication you put into your craft.
Featured Square Merchants:
- Beau Bien Fine Foods
- Astor Row Café
- Rancourt & Co.
- Distillery Lane Ciderworks
- Scarlett Garnet Jewelry
- SWAT Wildlife
- Rustica Bakery
- Whisk: a Sustainable Bakeshop
- Krewe du Brew Coffee House
- The Barber Sharp
- Regla De Oro Gallery
- Taceaux Loceaux
- Sump Coffee
- The Peacock Room
- Butter Bakery Café
- Cartel Coffee Lab
- Hot Indian Foods
- Just Baked
- Salt & Cedar
- Maysles Documentary Center
- Arbor Care
- Cherokee Street Bikes
Full Transcript:
“My expectation of my life was different than what it’s become, I was told, ‘You go to school, and you go to college for four years, you’ll get a job, and there’s always gonna be security. That has not proven to be true.’”
“I couldn’t find a job, and when all else fails, work for yourself. It’s my passion, and love. It’s a lot more liberating than anything else you can do.”
“I went into business after college, and started doing a couple little craft fairs, and then you realize I can maybe do this and support myself.”
“My wife and I said, ‘Well, let’s start a coffee shop.’ We dove in with both feet, and it’s history from there.”
“As entrepreneurs, we’re inherently risk-takers. It’s our job to be out there paving the way.”
“The most challenging part of being a small business owner is everything.”
“‘Can I do this on my own?’”
“With all of the reward that’s yours, all the responsibility is yours.”
“There’s nobody else to blame for your successes or failures and that’s a lot of pressure.”
“It can really get you down and it can be very, very hard at times.”
“So there’s lots of surprises, and lots of little pitfalls along the way:”
“finding your customers and marketing,”
“paperwork,”
“all of your bills,”
“the capital to grow,”
“the retail and distribution channels,”
“getting licenses and permits,”
“just having enough time.”
“But, it’s worth it. I love it. I love what I do every day and I feel really happy that this is what I get to spend my time doing.”
“That passion carries you through everything that’s hard.”
“That really is the entrepreneurial spirit is to be able to take a hit and get back up. And that people are willing to take a risk again, and again, and again.”
“Persistence, patience, and dedication would be what you need if you want to be successful as a small business. It’s just forcing yourself to get up and do it every day ’cause you’d rather do this than anything else.”
“It really means a lot to be able to work towards what you ultimately want in life. And it makes me feel really good about what I do.”
“We do one thing, and I think we do it well. And the best part is connecting with that passion every day.”
“It was a really fun journey, and it’s allowed us to grow a lot, and to grow a company that we believe is making an impact on its community.”
“I just really want people to be happy.”
“If you have an idea, you should do it. You should do it.”
“Stick with it. And never give up.”
“This is so the way to go.”
“And I think, anybody could start a business. Anybody could be successful.”
“I do sit down every now and then and watch. There’s a real sense of joy and pride in thinking, ‘I made this. I made this happen.’”
