Bucking the Trend

If you asked Faye Salzer 10 years ago what she'd be doing today, she would have said "Working as a registered nurse." The last thing she'd answer is "Running my own Dollar Discount Store in Bismarck, North Dakota." But during a visit from her sister, Salzer heard about the Dollar Discount Store and decided to invest in it. "I was amazed at what [my sister and her family] were buying for a dollar," Salzer recalls. "I said, 'I'm going to open one of those.' I needed a change."

Working as a franchisee has definitely been a huge change for Salzer, 40, especially after working as a nurse for 15-1/2 years prior to opening her store in November 1999. And though the career change may seem daunting for someone with no prior retail experience, Salzer describes it as a "fun adventure. I'm always finding new products."

Even though she's been running her store for only three years, success has become Salzer's hallmark. Though her products are low-cost, her sales are flying high--they've grown steadily each year and are projected to increase at least another 10 to 12 percent in 2003.

Contact Source

• Dollar Discount Stores of America Inc.
  http://www.dollardiscount.com