Sarah Charlton-Galle had a decades-long and successful career working in communications. But a desire to fulfill her dream job nagged at her.
In her late teens and early 20s, Toronto-based Charlton-Galle worked for a florist in the city. “It was incredible,” Charlton-Galle said. “I got one-on-one training with the florist, and I loved it.”
Charlton-Galle continued on to study English literature and international relations at the University of Toronto, and pursued a career in communications and consulting. She was good at it, and enjoyed the fast-paced environment.
Then the pandemic hit, and Charlton-Galle felt she needed a change. Work had become hectic, and she had just turned 50 years old. Her dream of opening her own flower shop never went away, and the timing felt right to pursue it.
“I was like, if I don't do this now, I'm never going to do it,” she said. “The pandemic changed things for a lot of people, in terms of their priorities. For me, this was something I've always wanted to do, and if I waited until I retired, I worried I might not actually do it.”
So, in 2022, Charlton-Galle pivoted her career. She left her communications role and opened her shop, Cherry Bomb Mercantile, in the east end of Toronto where she lives. In addition to flowers, Cherry Bomb Mercantile sells goods from local artists and artisans.
Now, two years in, Charlton-Galle said her business is growing – and the holidays are a reminder of why she opened a shop in her own community.
“I’ve lived in this area for about 25 years now. I recognized the need for this type of store, because it was something that I wished was here,” she said.
“I think what people love is that I carry items from so many local artists, and when customers shop here, they are also supporting me as a florist and small business owner.”
Starting a small business
When Charlton-Galle decided to take the plunge into becoming a small business owner, she started by creating a business plan. She knew there was a lack of independent florists in her neighbourhood, so she believed she was filling a gap.
She found a retail space in a plaza and sought out a lawyer to get her business name incorporated. To take care of the financial aspects of her new venture, she made a visit to her bank, TD.
“I’ve done all my personal banking with TD since I was a kid, so I met with a small business representative at my local TD branch,” Charlton-Galle said.
“She could not have been more helpful. Because I had good standing with my personal line of credit and investments with the Bank, I secured good credit availability for my business credit card.”
Once she had her business affairs in order, she got working on her physical shop. Charlton-Galle's husband is a contractor, so he renovated her storefront. When Cherry Bomb Mercantile was ready to open, Charlton-Galle relied on local social media groups and word-of-mouth to spread the news.
Around the time she opened shop, the province was just coming out of another wave of pandemic lockdowns. Being in the retail business at that time was tough, she said, but she powered through and greeted customers behind her mask.
As things have slowly returned to “normal,” business has steadily grown. Charlton-Galle has built a reputation in her local community for her fresh floral arrangements and has developed meaningful relationships with her regular customers.
“The first two years of running a business are tough, because you’re lucky if you’re breaking even,” she said. “I'm fortunate that I've had that experience almost since the beginning of opening my shop.”
The importance of supporting local and small businesses
Supporting local businesses is important to the economy.
According to the Government of Canada, when you support a small business, it increases jobs and supports the success of the community. It may also help reduce your carbon footprint, since small businesses often source their goods from local manufacturers.
Part of the reason Charlton-Galle opened her shop in her neighbourhood is because she wanted to offer locals somewhere to shop other than the big-box stores. There are several chain retailers nearby, but few independent ones.
Charlton-Galle also wanted her shop to be a place where local artists and artisans could sell their work and find new audiences. “When people come to my store, they’re going to find something unique,” she said, adding that this holiday season she’s stocked her store with more goods than previous holidays.
It has also been rewarding for Charlton-Galle to be able to hire part-time staff, further contributing to her local economy. This reflects a larger trend in Canada: As of December 2022, there were 1.22 million employer businesses in Canada, 97.8% of which were small businesses, according to Statistics Canada.
Lessons for future business owners
While Charlton-Galle is thrilled she took the plunge into entrepreneurship, it hasn’t been without challenges. “I came to the very quick realization that I am not an accounting person,” she said.
After managing her own bookkeeping during the first year of business, she decided to hire a professional. “I found it super stressful to do it myself, so finding a good bookkeeper and accountant to help me with that was huge,” she said.
“I'm super busy with everything else I'm doing, so my advice to other small business owners is to pay the professionals to do the stuff that's not really your thing.”
Another piece of advice she has for retail owners: stock items in your store that you personally like.
“I have a friend who owns a store in Cambridge, Ont., and she gave me great advice. She said, ‘Only buy what you like, Sarah, so if you made a mistake, you know that you're going to be able to use it.’”
And, importantly, Charlton-Galle said small business owners should be prepared for long days and putting in many hours. Owning your own business often means spending much of your time managing it, especially in the beginning.
Charlton-Galle said her day-to-day life has changed a lot, including over the holidays when demand for flowers and gifts is high. Before, she would have a break from work in December. Now, she can be found round-the-clock in her shop.
“It’s been an adjustment for my family, but they have all been super supportive,” she said. “And I'm so happy.”