Cyndi Finkle believes that small businesses will save this struggling economy. Maybe that’s because the mother, entrepreneur and owner of two small businesses never saw herself as a business woman–until duty called.
Her path from photographer and artist to small business owner didn’t quite happen overnight. In fact, it all started with a debt.
Debt Reduction on a Lower Income
After accumulating $16,000 in debt from her wedding, Finkle and her husband, Temple, then a TV producer in Los Angeles, gave themselves one year to pay it off.
“We felt it was a huge weight that was going to stop us from living our life,” Finkle said.
That debt might have been tucked neatly in the past; case closed. Instead, Finkle’s husband found himself with an opportunity to reprise a role in a play with his former theatre company. It was a move he was compelled to make. The catch was, it wasn’t exactly a high-paying gig, which would make it impossible for the couple to meet their goal to pay off their debt as soon as possible.
“Because we had the debt, it was a tough decision to make,” Finkle said. “He almost didn’t do it.”
Instead, the couple sat down and brainstormed ways to bring in more money.
Borrower to Small Business Owner
What they hit on was a small business which, at the time, was mostly considered entry-level work for aspiring chefs and caterers: Craft services, a department in film, theater and television companies responsible for feeding the cast, crew and other workers on site.
Finkle was already an avid cook, often hosting dinner parties for up to 50 people and charging a small fee to her guests. She decided to dip her toe into business by investing $100 on flyers to advertise her services, which she sent out to production companies in Los Angeles.
“I got a call for work literally the next day. And I just started working,” Finkle said.
Because she had just gotten married, she had all the kitchen equipment she needed to do some cooking and bring in extra cash. However, what began as an attempt to shore up her husband’s drop in income quickly became something else.
“In the beginning, the purpose was for me to make money to pay off our debt. But I fell in love with it,” Finkle said.
In the 15 years since she launched Sunday Night Dinner, Finkle’s business has grown to include several employees who serve food to the cast and crew of some of television’s most popular programs, such as The Biggest Loser, Hell’s Kitchen, Deal or No Deal, Dancing with the Stars and The Tyra Banks Show.
The work hasn’t always been easy, Finkle concedes, but it has provided her with the flexibility to work on her own terms, especially when her daughter was born in 2000.
“My business works for me personally and professionally, but I never would have imagined myself doing this,” Finkle said. “I was just a photographer and an artist. I don’t know that I would have taken the leap if I hadn’t been forced to.”
Finkle also recently launched Art Works Studio & Classroom, a fine art studio with locations in Hollywood and Culver City, California, offering art classes and workshops to children and adults alike.
For those looking to take the leap into their own small business ventures, Finkle has a few key pieces of advice.
“Find something that requires a solution,” Finkle said, “and do something that you love. We found something that people needed or wanted. That’s a great starting point for any business.”
Finkle also recommends that aspiring entrepreneurs attend local workshops for small business owners, a move she attributes to a much easier start to her second business.
Finally, Finkle says, the only thing left to do is dive in. It isn’t always easy, but she’s glad she took the plunge rather than opting for a nine-to-five.
“Everything has changed in terms of job security,” Finkle said. “The only way you can have control over your livelihood is to have your own business. I really believe that.”
