THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 4, 1996 TAG: 9611020174
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LOUKIA LOUKA, SPECIAL TO BUSINESS WEEKLY
LENGTH: 79 lines
Sometimes, a great notion will come to Theresa Parsons in the hours before dawn. A better way to do even a small job may elude the goldsmith until, say, 3 in the morning.
``I wake up a lot in the middle of the night. I definitely do not leave this at work,'' said Parsons, owner of Goldworks on the ground floor of the Mayflower Seaside Apartments at 34th Street and Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach.
She's not complaining though. At the helm of a jewelry gallery that offers custom designs, hand engraving and repairs, her store's reputation clearly rests on her shoulders.
To make sure her venture succeeds, Parsons follows this business plan: ``If you work hard, and you are honest, you have a good product and you educate yourself, it can't help but work,'' she said.
How the 45-year-old Richmond native ended up an entrepreneur is interesting because she went to college and studied elementary education. After receiving her bachelor of science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, Parsons realized she didn't have a great desire to teach.
She traveled for a while and did some substitute teaching before going to Bowman Technical School in Lancaster, Pa., to study jewelry repair and hand engraving. Parsons started Goldworks in 1978 at the corner of Holly and Laskin roads, operating the business for 11 years.
Needing a break and time to give her business more focus, Parsons moved Goldworks to 35th Street and maintained by-appointment-only office hours and home studio for five years.
``I needed to stand back and regroup and look at the whole thing,'' she said. ``I was so busy all the time, I didn't have time to do it.''
In 1994, armed with more business acumen, clients dating back to 1978, and a pile of ribbons from art shows, Parsons opened Goldworks on the ground floor of the Mayflower with $13,000 she had set aside.
She says she believes in using funds she has available, instead of owing on a loan or taking a big financial risk, letting ``things grow slowly rather than try to make a big splash.''
The gallery is small and offers an inviting, personal setting. Pale pink walls coupled with soft lighting and stylish jewelry showcases add to the intimate atmosphere.
Pictures of pieces she has designed for people, including a crown for Virginia Beach's King Neptune, are on view. A stroll by her showcases introduces customers to her eclectic collection, from gold-hammered hearts and handmade beaded necklaces to a ``weird piece I made'' that is dubbed a UFO necklace - a disk of gold with a quartz sphere.
Occasionally, Parsons carries the work of other jewelry designers and estate items. She has continued to educate herself by taking advanced jewelry courses and attending trade shows throughout the world.
It has paid off. Her clients come from all around - she received a call from one in Alabama during this interview - and often are interested in artistic creativity and unusual pieces that can't be found anywhere else. Through the years, Parsons has gotten to know her clients and vice versa.
And they love to talk about her, using words like personable, creative and artistic. ``She has old world craftsmanship,'' said Grace Hood of Norfolk, who describes Parsons as an ``architect of jewelry.
``She has a very unique ability to turn a thought or idea into reality.''
Behind the scenes, in the back of the store, is Parsons' work area which she shares with her employees. That space also serves as a kitchen and a play area for her 2-year-old son, Kelsey, whom she adopted about the time she opened Goldworks in the Mayflower.
The gallery is open three days a week so Parsons has more time to devote to Kelsey and to her clients. ``I want to be a full-time mom as well as a business person. It's working . . . It's amazing. It's a real juggling act,'' said Parsons, who frequently brings her son to work.
Parsons said being in the Mayflower means she has lower overhead than if she were in a mall or a large shopping center. Much of her business is custom designs, repairs and hand engraving and all work is done on the premises.
A big assist comes from her husband, Jack, who helps keep her records, taxes and payroll in order. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by Motoya Nakamura
Goldsmith Theresa Parsons has operated Virginia Beach jewelry stores
since 1978.
KEYWORDS: SMALL BUSINESS by CNB