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Gibson Girl Vintage

Help a female solopreneur's hard work & dreams come to fruition and donate to save her business! 

Dear Donors,
My business is my baby. 
While fashion has been a lifelong passion, I have worked tirelessly for EIGHT years  to build and grow my vintage clothing and homewares business.  Passion is an understatement; it's an obsession!!   A rare set of circumstances have led me to an exciting opportunity to rent the perfect space for my business in Durham's up-and-coming West End, and while I have the funds necessary to pay the first month's rent + deposit, I need help with start up costs - for a sign, renovations, fresh paint, and the inevitable, unexpected costs associated with opening a brick and mortar!
Furthermore, your donations will be dual-purpose.  Not only do I need them for start-up costs, but they are also necessary to acquire the space in the first place.  While I have a chunk of change saved, it's not quite enough to negotiate a lease, much less to persuade a property owner to let me sign on the dotted line. 
I applied for a commercial loan through my local credit union and a microloan company, but, despite my good credit and ability to repay it, I don't have the collateral, and have been denied, with no one able to cosign.  It took a lot of work to even get to the point where I was able to apply for a commercial loan as an existing business:  over two years of counting every penny spent and earned; schedule C's; meetings with mentors from the SBA; applications; supporting documents - all in vain to that end.
Meanwhile, I fear my dream space will be discovered by another business.  It's the perfect space for my purposes:  perfect location, perfect size, perfect price.  Most of all, I fear that the opportunity will probably never present itself to me again - I feel I've discovered this space right in the nick of time! 
Finally, your support will mean that Durham will finally have a source for amazing, affordable vintage furniture and clothing!  As of right now, there are no vintage furniture shops in Durham, and with twenty people moving to the city every day  and an exponentially growing market for used goods retail, you could help meet that demand and bring about the first shop of its kind here.
Every donation of $250 or more will be rewarded with an in-store, one-time five-finger discount (a freebie :) and every donation, regardless of amount, will earn an in-store friends & family discount for life, not to mention my love and awe in the face of your generosity and care.

Sincerely,
Sara Spissu
Gibson Girl Vintage
https://gibsongirlvintage.com/
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Donations 

  • Stephanie Hendrix
    • $50 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer

Sara Spissu
Organizer
Durham, NC

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