Anti 9-to-5 profile: Searah Deysach

February 5th, 2007

In 2001, Searah opened Early to Bed, Chicago’s first woman-owned, woman-friendly sex toy store. Since then, she’s launched an online store and has worked with many regional and national organizations to promote and support women’s health and sexual well-being. Searah is one of the dozens of cubicle expats featured in The Anti 9-to-5 Guide. Here’s what she has to say about fleeing the cube.

My story: In 2000, I decided that I never wanted to get up before 9 a.m. again, and I was sick of working in an office without a window or fresh air. The people were lovely, but the life drove me nuts. I tended to be the office go-to girl for advice about sex and sex toys, so — lacking any better ideas — I decided to start my own feminist sex shop and leave the safety of the office world behind.

Now, five (long) years later, I have learned to love (and sometimes loath) life off the beaten path, even though I pretty much did it all wrong. In the process, I’ve come up with a few ideas about how to do it right.

Turning my passion into a business: To become a “real businesswoman” I took a class at my local women’s business development center, thinking I was starting off on the right foot. And it didn’t hurt me, but it didn’t really help much, either. The class was full of others who wanted to be their own bosses but had no idea what business they wanted to pursue, and I realized early on that I had a passion for what I wanted to do. That was what started me out ahead of the game.

The learning curve: When I started researching my industry, I found almost no helpful information out there. I thought that I was independent and that I could hack it. But I don’t think that it ever hurts to take a business class or to talk to as many business owners as possible, even if they don’t do the same kind of work. I spent time (and money) in shops that were similar to the one that I wanted to start, and I used the web extensively to see what was going on in the industry. If you can find someone else who is willing to help you, use them! Lots of people love to talk about their businesses, and it never hurts to ask.

The dreaded money dilemma: Everything I read indicated that you really can’t start a retail business with less than $100,000. I had $0. But I did have good credit, which I now realize is so important, and I am super-fastidious about paying bills on time. Even though I was able to start my business on credit and loans from family and friends, I would not suggest that this is the best way. The best financial advice I could offer is that if you are unable to secure a big loan from a bank, it never hurts to mention to your friends and family that you need funding…and then see what happens. That said, I would never ask for or take money from any one person that can’t stand to lose it or to wait years for a payback. Once you get a business started, it eventually all comes down to money. You don’t have to be an accountant (although you should hire one), but you do have to keep on top of your finances every day.

How I ultimately made the leap: It wasn’t easy to find a place that would rent to a sex shop, especially since I hate talking to strangers and feared that they would say no. If I didn’t at least try, though, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life wondering “what if?” I had the support of my family and friends and partner, so even though I was doing this alone, I wasn’t without a support network, which I found essential. If those in my life who knew me the best weren’t there to support me, I don’t know if I would have taken the risk.

So I did it. I took the plunge and opened the doors to Early to Bed five years ago. Since then I have somehow made it work even though I started out with no experience and no money. Sure, I have cried at times and also made some stupid and expensive mistakes, but I loved what did before I even started, and my passion for helping people have happier sex lives has only grown. And…in the past five years, I haven’t once set my alarm before 9 a.m.

What’s that link again? Early to Bed, and yes, you can buy the store’s goodies online.

[posted by Traci Macnamara]

Entry Filed under: Anti 9-to-5 profiles,She's the boss