Red Tape and Drywall Dust

Starting a small business from scratch sounds charming when you say it out loud. It looks cute on the vision board. But behind the scenes? It’s mostly late-night logistics, learning the hard way, and feeling like you’re trying to thread a needle while wearing oven mitts.

There’s no denying the barrier to entry is steep. Not impossible but steep. Between permits, paperwork, inspections, shifting expectations, misaligned schedules, and more red tape than a Christmas clearance bin, the reality is: opening a store (especially a first-time, from-the-ground-up store) takes serious stamina.

And unlike a franchise or a large corporate rollout, there’s no pre-built roadmap. No team of experts. No “here’s what we always do.” Just you, your best guesses, and an ever-growing to-do list.

Now to be clear - I’m not knocking franchises or chains, big or small. Anyone who’s gotten their business off the ground has earned some serious respect. There’s grit in every model. But there’s something uniquely lonely (and a little feral) about navigating all of it without a blueprint. Especially when you’re the kind of person who lives for rules - who finds comfort in a checklist and maybe even enjoys reading terms and conditions (don’t judge).

You can follow the rules, double-check the fine print, pay every fee - and still feel like you’re doing something wrong. The rules don’t always come printed. You’ve missed a secret step somewhere. Suddenly signs are delayed, permit and license timing overlaps, you misunderstood Rule #37, and suddenly you’re opening 2 weeks later than you hoped with still a mountain to climb to get there.

And when you’re someone who wants to get it right - who thrives on timelines and checklists - it’s frustrating. Not because of the individuals (many of whom have been kind, patient, and helpful), but because the structure itself is built on slow communication, conflicting information, and an undercurrent of “you should already know this.”

You quickly learn that trying not to step on toes doesn’t always stop you from feeling like an elephant in the room.

The people who’ve done this before - those with businesses already up and running - deserve serious applause. Even if the road is winding, it's still heading somewhere worthwhile.

So we keep going. With drywall dust on our knees, paint in our hair, forms in our inbox, and just enough momentum to power through the next “small” surprise.

If you're out there doing it too - online, brick-and-mortar, booth at a market - you’re not alone. This part is messy. But you’re building something real.

And that? That’s worth the chaos.

— The Jonquies Team

Hopefully opening 8/15/2025