A store full of merchandise is worlds apart from Jaylen Lagrande's first business venture. "I started selling t-shirts, religious t-shirts, out of my mom's trunk. I got so much attention for them," LaGrande said.
The Wayland Baptist Student has come a long way since then, opening up Religious Expressions in the South Plains Mall. He didn't do it alone.
"I had 38 cents in my bank account the day that I called the mall to inquire about the space. I had relatives, specifically my mom and my aunt who believed in me so much to invest in me. It just gave me that extra push that I needed to go forth and do it," LaGrande said.
He's now living his dream, selling t-shirts donning religious messages. LaGrande says word of mouth is helping business pick up, and he loves being his own boss. "I'm a very creative person and sometimes when I'm working for other people, I feel limited on what I can do," he said.
But small business experts say before you jump out on your own, to have a plan.
"It's easy to start a business in terms of the paperwork, but to have a successful business the recipe is always the same: experience, research, planning," Ray Laurent with the Small Business Development Center said.
He adds start-up capital depends on the scale of your business, but most people need help. "It's really hard to start up your own business without some of your own money, unless you get an investor," Laurent said.
His advice for those who want to succeed is to realize it's not all glamorous. "Do some research, do some thorough market research," Laurent said.
LaGrande can attest while the road isn't always easy, it's worth it. "It's gonna be hard. There will be some days where you're like, why did I get into this? But the greater part is always better and it outweighs the negative," he said.
