Something which I had always wanted to do since being a teenager was open my own record store, something which I never had the confidence or money to really make happen. I entered the world of work and left that dream behind me but when my grandfather passed on he left me a little bit of money, and I decided that this would be my chance to do something that I had always dreamed of, and something that would make my grandfather proud. I quit my job the next day and launched Soul Quest Records. The first year or two was hard but 10 years on I now know that this was the best decision which I have ever made, and here is why I love it.
Passion
Whenever people talk about launching a company they tell you that you should do something which you are passionate about because if this is the case then you will work harder towards success. This is something which I can absolutely agree with and I know that if I had launched any other type of business, there is no way that I would have worked as hard and for as long as I have on this project.
The other point I want to make on having passion is that every day that I walk through those doors I do so with a smile on my face, and this has benefited my life away from work in so many ways. I am happier and more energetic than I have ever been, and this is because I love what I do.
Community
Because of the nature of those who buy records, normally passionate collectors and aficionados, I have been able to build up a really cool community around the record store and this is something really rewarding for me. I have regular customers who come in for a chat and they will spend hours in the store talking and playing records. I have made a great many friends from being in this business and the store feels more like a community hub rather than a business.
Profits
Speaking honestly I never really looked to make big bucks from the store, my goal was always to make a decent living and to commit to a job which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was however absolutely over the moon when vinyl once again became popular, prices went up and more and more people were coming into the store on a daily basis. The market improving like this has meant that this business love has also become a very successful one and this of course has also improved my life. My wife and I have zero debt, we take vacations and we spend plenty of time with the kids, and most importantly she has a happy husband who loves what he does.
If you have a passion then I would really recommend that you do all you can to turn it into a business.
