ISM- INTERVIEW ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Student Name:
Printed Name of Person
Interviewed:
Role of Individual:

Calista Alvarez

Period:

1st period

Courtney Grant

Place of Business:

___Mentor ___Other Professional #1

The Silver Bee Boutique

_x_Other Professional #2

Business Address:

180 S Friendswood Dr. Friendswood, TX 77546

Phone Number:

281-948-6111 (cell)

Date of Interview:

April 12, 2016

Type of Interview: _x_ In Person ___ Telephone* ___Email*

*Documentation Required (Attach E-mail to Interview Verification Page)

1. For someone working in your field, please describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.
(fantasy vs. reality)
In a fantasy world you would thing that making your own small business is a complete breeze
and that everything goes well. In reality its like a rollercoaster and no one knows how things will turn
out. A lot of time and effort goes into making a business run smoothly and not everything you have to
deal with has a happy outcome.
2. What is your current educational level? What continuing education and training are required?
(educational level and requirements)
I have a masters degree from University of Houston Main Campus and none because its my
business! (she laughed after saying this).
3. Please describe the typical day to day activities of someone working in your field.
(day-to-day activities)
Since I own the business with GG our days mainly consist of dealing with our vendors and
looking for new ideas and vendors that will bring the most profit to the store. We work a lot on inventory
and on ways to make our business more successful! Also some days that I am the store Ill work on the
floor greeting customers or at the register checking people out.
4. How secure are you in your current position? What do you think is the future of your field?
(job security)
I feel extremely secure in my current job position because the store has been doing so well and I
always believe there is room for improvement and that our store can always grow. My dream is make
our store a chain and add another location so more vendors can participate.
5. What is a typical (average or lowest to highest) salary of someone working in your field?
Revised Fall 2013

(salary)
I say I make around 37,000-43,000 a year depending on how well that year went for the store!

6. What potential for growth is there in your field?

(growth potential)
I believe this business can grow dramatically. Small businesses are beginning to pop up
everywhere and I think that more and more businesses like ours will and can take place because of the
wants of the people.
***Questions 7-10 will be created by the ISM student.
7. Why did you choose to open a business?
I chose to open up this business up with GG because we felt that it would help us be able to get to spend
more time with our families and have more fun making money!
8. Why did you choose this particular location to open a business?
GG and I thought this location was most convenient and near a lot of other stores that could bring in
good customers!
9. What was your biggest motivation in creating this business?
My biggest motivator was my husband. He owns his own business and knows how hard it can be, but he
encourages me to keep pushing because he knew that after all the hard work was finished, it would all be
worth it in the end.
10. How long did it take to bring this business to life?
I would say it took around 9-12 months to really get used to everything. It was all so new at first and not
as many people knew about the store, but as those months passed more and more people came to visit. It
became a really big hit for us this past year with all our new vendors and with the use of social media to
get our name out there.

Revised Fall 2013

Calista Alvarez
1st period
4/15/16
Interview Summary: Mentor (Kristen Garcia-Galan)
From the interview with Mrs. Garcia-Galan I was able to gather a lot of new information for
my final presentation on how to create your own small business and how to make it
successful.
Mrs. Garcia-Galan explained how failure kept her hopes up. She said to me that if she didnt
fail in the process, that her business would not run as well as it does today. She learned
mostly from her own mistakes and has corrected them to make her business run and work
efficiently for her and her customers.
Also, she said patience is key when starting a business. The Silver Bee did not become as
vibrant and as successful as it is in a day. It took time and many changes to make up what it
is today.
She also mentioned that having support from your peers and loved ones are what keep you
motivated. You do not want to do it all on your own, it helps to talk to people with
experience and have those you know well support you and give you ideas that could help
your business grow even faster.
Owning your own business comes with many pros. Such as creating your own work schedule
so you can have more time to be with your family while also enjoying working at the store
from time to time.
Location can make or break a business. You have to pick a location that is convenient for
you, but most importantly, your customers.
There is always room for improvement and everyday they are looking for new ways to make
the business more successful.

Revised Fall 2013

Calista Alvarez
1st Period
4/15/16
Interview Summary: (Dawn Davis & Courtney Grant)
Always make sure to make the customer happy, customer satisfaction is key when running a
small business. Reviews are what make or break a business.
No matter how difficult the customer may be, always make sure to have patience and keep
calm. Never raise your voice or use rude tones, keeping customers is key at a small business.
Do not spend time on things you do not enjoy. If you are unhappy with your current job, find
another that will make you want to go to work everyday.
Building strong relationships with your fellow employees is important because if conflict
does arise, it should be dealt with quickly so no tension is present.
When creating or managing a business, you have to do what is best for the store and choose
things not based on ease, but on how itll help the store in the long run.
When hiring new employees, you have to make sure they will not cause any tension or drama
in the store. Also make sure they seem reliable enough to get to work on time so the business
can begin as quickly as possible in the mornings.
Small businesses are just now becoming a large part of the American business world and it
grows everyday. New businesses pop up all the time and in order to stay in competition with
the new stores, you have to stay up to date with customers and technology so you do not fall
behind.
Another key to success in a small business is to make sure your business is put out to the
public. Social media is such a great way to show others what the business has to offer and it
also attracts the younger generations of people who may be looking for a product that
business has to offer!

Revised Fall 2013