Friday, June 05, 2009

Bold One-Woman Business Idea

A photographer I know, Artie Dixon, is offering her beautiful second home in the North Carolina mountains for week-long vacations for girlfriends--with tour guide to the sites of the area. So no maps, planning, or GPS is required.

The art-filled 1939 house in Little Switzerland is called Sky Blue, and its stone patio opens onto wide mountain vistas.

Three upcoming weeks have themes: Mountain Crafts, Greek Cooking (Artie's maiden name was Markatos), and Learning Photography. The area also has much to see and do: Penland School of Crafts, riding, hiking, waterfalls, the very groovy town of Asheville, Blue Ridge Parkway, the nearby mountain village.

The house is available for conventional rentals. But planned themed weeks with guide is a new twist. I like the idea and the enterprise involved.

It reminds me of my businessman father who turned his own outgrown tuxedos into a formal wear rental business that eventually wholesaled throughout the Southeast.

The questions to ask oneself in order to do something similar are:

*what do I have?
*what do I know?
*what can I offer?
*what do I have to offer that others need?







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8 comments:

Mamie said...

Interesting questions, Peggy. Especially for young people trying to identify their life's work. Maybe you should do a weekend at Artie's exploring the theme??

Artie and Dale are friends of ours also. The weekends looked inviting.

Peggy Payne said...

Thanks, Mamie. Good idea.

A really good book on identifying life's work is Callings. I loved it even though I'd already identified mine.

I think the question doesn't end though. There are lots of subdivisions, some waiting to be created, within a given field.

Anonymous said...

what m. said! small world.
it'd be a nice place for a retreat/workshop.
Callings is a great! book for deep self-exploration. sub-title is Finding & following an authentic life--elegant & Eloquent. by greg levoy, also wrote This Business of Writing.Aiki

Peggy Payne said...

Thanks, Aiki. I didn't know about the other Levoy book. I expect I'd like it, given how good the other one is.

And about the Little Switzerland house, Artie said that several writers have used it.

Debra said...

Peggy, it doesn't surprise me that your dad was also an interesting man! Sounds like your parents also led a very bold life.

Peggy Payne said...

They sure did!

Peggy Payne said...

In fact, my mom's still at it.

Debra said...

Yes, your mom is quite a dynamic lady! She probably does more in one day at 87, then I do!