Handmade gifts stirred into mix at North Shore shop

photo Summer Schiesser, left, shops with her mother Linda Meadows at Leo's Handmade Gallery on 22 Frazier Ave. Leo's sells a variety of crafts made by both local and national artisans.

• Name: Leo Handmade shop and gallery

• Location: 22 Frazier Ave.

• Products/services: Handmade products that are made by local artists. Co-owner John Hall sells an eclectic blend of items including clothes, records, jewelry, art and even magazines. He buys them from artists who work in the area, attempting to pick out a selection that meshes well with the other items in the store.

• Age: 11/2 years

• Startup investment: Less than $50,000

• Annual sales: Less than $75,000 in revenue

• Target market: Tends to be from high school up through middle-age

• Biggest hurdle: "Being your own boss is cool, but it's hard to clock out," Hall said.

• Biggest reward: Hall said he likes the satisfaction of paying his artists to do what they love, while he gets to do what he loves, which is selling an interesting mix of items to customers.

• Challenges in the future: Getting burned out could be a danger, Hall said, especially with the long hours he works. Though considering he started the company in a recession, he said he's already well positioned to take advantage of an economic recovery.

• Lesson learned: The cost of doing business was higher than anticipated, he said, with credit card fees, taxes and permits. "They get you coming and going," he said. He also learned to serve white wine, not red wine, at openings, due to the staining nature of red wine.

• Five-year goal: The first goal was to become self-employed, Hall said, so the next goal is to take on an additional employee and expand the business. He would also like to employ artists who make the actual goods, to better "generate more of what we're selling," to further set his shop apart.

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