Markleeville resident Judy Jensen has some harsh advice for aspiring small business owners.
"Don't do it," she said. "It's too risky. The economy is on a downhill slide, and it's going to be years before it recovers."
Jensen owns Minden-based High Sierra Hobbies, which is throwing in the towel after four years of trying to sell remote-controlled cars along Highway 395.
"Our biggest customers were construction workers, and that industry has declined," she said. "People are only spending money on food and gas. They can't afford to buy items they don't need."
A credit manager for O'Neill Wet Suits, Jensen said she opened the store with a sound business plan.
"We changed locations, we reduced our rent, and we tried everything we could," she said, "but what a sad situation our country is in. The only businesses that are going to survive around here are service businesses."
A weak economy has hit mom-and-pop shops especially hard. Since September, decreased sales and rising operational costs have thwarted more than a dozen small businesses along the Highway 395 corridor.
"It looked promising in the beginning," said Candy Stewart, owner of Yesterdays Antiques & Collectibles in downtown Gardnerville. "We opened in July, and the store was busy. I was hoping to get to a place where the business could run itself, just a nice little store on Main Street."
Stewart wasn't able to get to that place; the store is closing at the end of the month.
"People don't have the disposable income to come into a shop and buy stuff they don't need, not with gas $5 a gallon," she said. "The winter came and was really bad as far as retail. We thought we might get a boost from the holidays, but the Christmas season was horrible."
Steward said adequate signage and parking along Highway 395 were also obstacles.
"Small businesses need a lot more support from the town governing boards," she said. "We have empty spaces downtown, yet strip malls are being built on both ends. Why spend money elsewhere when we could be putting it into historic downtown?"
Stewart urged those thinking to open a small business to wait.
"I never want to discourage anyone from following their dreams, but maybe wait until the economy is more stable," she said. "I feel bad when I see a new store going up. I wonder what kind of support they'll get."
Back in downtown Minden, Kristen McFall was preparing to close Belle's Boutique after two and a half years of selling designer clothing.
"We had a really good run for a while," said McFall, co-owner of the store. "But around the first of October, we started to feel it. It's a tough time for small businesses, especially when your regular customers have to choose between filling up their cars with gas and buying a dress."
McFall said the costs of goods and shipping continued to increase while sales decreased.
"It was no longer economically feasible to keep the store open," she said. "It's not the best time to be in apparel."
However, McFall had some positive advice for other small business owners.
"Hang in there if you can," she said. "Be smart and stay on top of the market. Look for economic indicators; the economy will turn around at some point. We weren't able to ride it out, but some businesses may."
