Published: August 29, 2008 08:13 pm            

Tribune-Star editorial: Small business closes, but will help others succeed

Beading Paradise lost, won't be forgotten

“People don’t realize in retail, they’re staring at your pocket book when they come in the store. Owning your own business is the American dream, but people don’t know that you spend more time running the business than enjoying it.”

— Beni Broeker

Owner, Beading Paradise



The sign in Broeker’s window on South Seventh Street spelled out the bad news last week: Saturday was the final day of business for Beading Paradise. The delightful little store that embodied the hope and spirit of a revived downtown marketplace the past two years has closed its doors.

Despite Broeker’s valiant effort, Beading Paradise fell victim to a number of economic factors, including the current, dismal economy itself. The June floods, spiking gas prices, higher unemployment and a weakening retail market were too much for the small business to handle. Her store, which thrilled, entertained and educated artists and hobbyists, might have survived if located in an artistic haven such as Broad Ripple, Massachusetts Avenue in downtown Indianapolis, or even on Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington. But those places are rare in Indiana. On Terre Haute’s fledgling Arts Corridor, the craft and design niche is not well-enough developed to support such a place through thick and thin.

While the loss of Beading Paradise is sad news, it in no way reflects what has been a long season of success and optimism for downtown Terre Haute. The big picture remains promising. The Hilton Garden Inn is wrapping up its first year at the corner of Seventh and Wabash and is meeting its high expectations. The Coffee Grounds is among the eye-popping renovations on Wabash Avenue, as is the impressive exterior work and painting of the buildings that house Crossroads Cafe, Corner Grind, the Verve nightclub, BookNation and other small businesses.

Renovation of the former Tribune Building into Candlewood Suites is progressing, as is construction of the Children’s Museum next door.

Positive changes in downtown Terre Haute have been dramatic the past five years, thanks primarily to a heavy dose of private investment and the efforts of former Mayor Kevin Burke, but also aided by selective and strategic public support.

The loss of Beading Paradise notwithstanding, momentum remains. Although Broeker was ultimately unsuccessful in maintaining a thriving niche business, her effort demonstrated what downtown Terre Haute can and should be. Despite a loyal customer base that loved visiting her store, those customers were just too few to sustain the young enterprise. Her experience will serve as a lesson and guidepost for future entrepreneurs drawn by the hope of success in a still-developing marketplace.

The Arts Corridor is a relatively new concept in a process of evolution. As the infrastructure to support a thriving, eclectic marketplace develops, we are confident new businesses will spring up and contribute to the formation of downtown’s new personality.

Although Beading Paradise is gone, it made a small but significant contribution to the city’s redevelopment. Terre Haute is destined to be a better place because people such as Beni Broeker, with her short-lived little store, are willing to take risks and chase their dreams.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.