Jul 26, 2009

Bucking the downturn: New Anniston store opensBy Amanda IrleColumbian.com

Not only have items been flying off the shelves at Trish Land’s store of the same name, the shelves are going fast, too.

Although it calls itself a home and garden store, Land’s shop on East Moulton Street is filled with an eclectic blend of vintage furniture and gifts from all over the world.

“I love old things, things that tell a story,” Land said. “I work really hard to find unique pieces. I wasn’t sure if Decatur would welcome it, but they really have.”

Excluding Land’s desk, everything in the store is for sale, from the handmade pillows to the bench made from a converted Victorian bed they rest upon.

Land said she has been in business for 12 years, but she opened shop on Moulton Street in March.

Starting a business in the current economy may sound risky, but Tina Boyles of the Decatur Revenue Department said more people have been applying for business licenses this year.

Boyles reported that between January and June of this year, the Revenue Department issued 220 business licenses. In the same period last year, the department issued 193.

Land was also able to start her business without the financial aid from agencies like the U.S. Small Business Administration, which helps Americans start, build and grow their own businesses.

“I used my own funding,” Land said. “There are a lot of things I like to do, so when I decide I want to do something, I get behind myself and see it to fruition.”

Land, whose store was featured in the May issue of Southern Lady magazine, also works as a florist and as a holiday decorator.

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