New Chapter
When Morrow moved to Vienna about 15 years ago, she was working in risk management for a large government contractor. "Opening a bookstore was not my dream, "she said. "It just came to my mind out of curiosity."
Morrow's path to entrepreneurship arose from her experience as a parent. Awed and inspired when her son started learning to read, Morrow decided she wanted to do more to promote literacy. She had always been a passionate reader and bookstore fan, so she began exploring what it would take to open a bookstore of her own.
Encouragement, support, and resources in and around the Town of Vienna kept her going.
"I never came to a stop sign, so here I am," Morrow said of her journey from notion, in 2012, to the opening of Bards Alley in July 2017. Here’s what she learned along the way.
Six tips for first-timers
No two businesses develop under identical circumstances, but Morrow’s journey can be instructive, especially for a first-time business owner in Vienna.
- Start talking. "It really is that small town word-of-mouth in Vienna," Morrow said. "I would talk to friends about the idea. They would introduce me to people." Those talks included a conversation in 2013 with the Town’s mayor, Laurie DeRocco, when Morrow joined one of the mayor’s "walk and talks" with residents. (Current Mayor Linda Colbert has continued these walks.) Morrow spoke to DeRocco "just to get word in her ear." "She was thrilled to hear about my idea," Morrow said.
- Find mentors. Morrow sought guidance from other entrepreneurs in Vienna, such as Michael Amouri, whose Caffè Amouri opened in 2010, and Denise Lee, who opened Social Burger in 2014. The Vienna Business Association also provided mentors. "A circle of Vienna business owners guided me through the process," Morrow said. "Even now, they are still there to support me."
- Build business knowledge. Morrow said she started as a "blank slate" concerning what it takes to start a business. So in addition to finding mentors, she enrolled in a Fairfax County Economic Development Authority entrepreneur workshop to learn the basics. She also joined the Vienna Business Association, visited a consulting group in Michigan that helps bookstores open, and hired a consultant to help her write a business plan. That well-crafted business plan helped Morrow build a relationship with a local community bank for a loan.
- Identify your ideal locations. For Morrow, picking Vienna for her business was not just about staying close to home. She liked that the Town was (and still is) home to compatible businesses and populated by affluent and well-educated residents who reinvest in the community. Morrow also knew she wanted to locate her store on historic Church Street, a walkable street crossed by the well-traveled W&OD trail. Morrow reasoned that bicyclists on the trail might appreciate a stopping point where they could find good places to eat, grab a beverage, and buy a book. With this ideal location in mind, Morrow would wait about two years for the right opportunity. She finally found it at 110 Church St. NW.
- Be comprehensive. Morrow believes she could have done more to prepare. For example, she wishes she had gone to Vienna Town Council meetings and met in person with the council members and officials involved in planning, zoning, and safety. The additional information she could have gathered would have helped with the design and build phase of her business, she said. The Town of Vienna’s Economic Development Division, which did not exist when Morrow was getting started, is another great resource for current entrepreneurs, Morrow said. So is Code Create Vienna, which helps people understand the zoning codes and proposed changes.
- Be open to making changes. Morrow says that, early on, she was reluctant to make operational changes that differed from her vision for the store. But ultimately, taking industry data and consumer input into consideration enabled her to improve her business.
Postscript
Morrow has faced and overcome numerous challenges since her store's 2017 opening, including maintaining her business through the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s learned to be flexible and to focus on the positive when things get rough. Those positive thoughts include reminding herself where she started and the contributions she's making.
The thing that surprised her most after she opened, Morrow said, was the number of people who said, "Thank you. Thank you for opening. Thank you for bringing this to Vienna."
