As a young girl growing up Portland, Ore., Mary Hamilton fondly recalls Saturday mornings spent with her dad hitting garage sales, scouring for treasures, “It was always the thrill of the hunt…whatever came our way, whatever caught our eye.”
Decades later, that same passion for ‘the hunt’ led the now Arlington Heights resident to the library’s Business Services department. Mary wanted to know – could she use her keen eye for collectible glassware to start her own online business? She scheduled an appointment and met one-on-one with a business specialist to help answer that question.
“That meeting 100 percent for sure was my motivation,” Hamilton said. “Having someone who knows the business world encouraging me made me feel like I was on the right path.”
The meeting resulted in a lot of practical advice, too, like establishing banking, obtaining a State of Illinois business license and structuring workflow. She also got tips on photography and marketing her products visually online.
“The best advice of all was that once you create your business, how important it is to stay focused and true to your brand,” she said.
As Hamilton began building her online shop, she enrolled in the library’s Quickbooks for the Small Business Owner and Creating a Business Presence on Facebook classes and continued to educate herself about collectibles by checking out reference books from the library.
The result of her efforts was Banbury Cross Vintage, an Etsy shop featuring vintage glassware and treasures. The online store has received visitors from around the world.
“When you’re starting a business, it can be intimidating because you are putting yourself out there,” Hamilton said. “But everyone at the library has been really supportive, and with it being the library you know there is no ulterior motive. No one is trying to sell you anything. They really are just there for you and supporting the community.”