were mentioned in an article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel by Carly Harrington.Not too late for a new enterprise
If there's one thing Evelyn Miller and Debbie Shepherd want you to know, it's that you're never too old to start your own business.
Evelyn, 68, and Debbie, 57, began their home-based business Goode Scents a year ago, selling hand-poured soy candles and natural bath and body products.
"It has absolutely taken off. We cannot believe it," said Debbie, who is Evelyn's niece. "Everything just happened so quickly. It's awesome."
What essentially started with a $35 candle kit last September has become a labor of love for the Knoxville baby boomers, who in a year of doing business have made unbelievable progress.
"We're older so we have to work faster," Debbie says with a chuckle. "We can't necessarily think about a five-year plan because of our age."
The pair began selling their products at Southern Market in Homberg in February.
Soon thereafter, they had a Web site created and began selling at other retail outlets including M Boutiques, Medi Spa, Youth Glo Day Spa, Iland Productions, the East Tennessee Historical Society and The Shoppes at Meadowview Garden in Lenoir City.
They also sell wholesale to the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas; The Mustard Seed in Charlotte; and at Kelly's Beauty Supply and Accessories in Devine, Texas. They are currently in negotiations with additional businesses in five other states.
Both Evelyn and Debbie, who share the maiden name Goode, maintain other careers as well.
Evelyn, who previously served as president of the Knoxville Symphony League and is currently on the Ramsey House board of directors, has worked for RBM Co., a petroleum industry supplier, for 35 years. Debbie, who is actively involved in the service organization Akima, has worked for the heavy equipment parts distributor Regal Corp. for 22 years.
The knowledge gained from those careers has proven invaluable to the success of the business.
Evelyn, who focuses on creating the bath and body products, does the bookkeeping. Debbie, who makes the candles, is director of quality control and customer service at Regal. She was previously director of purchasing. Both roles, she said, have given her a foundation for inventory control and manufacturing.
It's not uncommon for the two of them to work all day and then go home and work all night.
"You won't find us sitting in a rocking chair," Debbie said. "We're feisty older women. It gives us something to look forward to. It's not really work."
Both say they have dreamed of owning their own business but were distracted by life.
"I've always worked but my heart has always been somewhere else," Evelyn said.
They hope to make Goode Scents into a solid business and possibly pass it down to their grandchildren.
"It's a very exciting time," Evelyn said. "With our age, we're still able to do this and to follow a dream we've always had. If it doesn't go anywhere, we're still having fun and that's what keeps you young."
-source Knoxville News Sentinel
