Entrepreneur let ‘passion’ guide her choice of business

By Khymyle Mims Contributing Writer “Driven” is just one word you could use to describe Lindy Vincent; however, a better word would be “strategic.” Vincent’s a mother of three, a wife, a Stanford and University of Michigan graduate, and as of August 13, 2013 she is the only African American female UPS Store franchise owner in the Twin Cities.

“I knew I wanted to start my business, a brick and mortar business, when my youngest [child] went to school full time,” Vincent says. With that same child now about to enter into the second grade and the store hitting its one-year

anniversary, it is clear that this process did not happen overnight. “I knew it was going to take a while,” Vincent says with a smile on her face. “I wanted to make sure I did my homework, did my research, etcetera. So I made a list of franchises I would be interested in, and I made a list of things [that] I didn’t want.” The list of “don’ts” consisted of things like businesses in the food industry and businesses that deal with lots of cash.

The opposing list of “wants” consisted of things like a strong brand and a family-friendly atmosphere. “I had this long list of things I was looking for, and The UPS Store pretty much fit everything I was looking for,” says Vincent. Since beginning this new adventure, Vincent says the experience has been “very diverse.” The UPS Store offers binding, laminating, secure document shredding, and of course shipping amongst other services.

With so much variety, Vincent says you never know what you’re going to get. Speaking on a recent job that her store is doing for a local company’s 60th anniversary, The UPS Store owner says that she also uses her background in marketing to assist with the design of brochures and other promotional materials. “If I don’t have the time and energy and passion for something, I don’t do it,” says Vincent in describing how her personality fits so well with UPS.

In order to be successful, the company required a pretty substantial time commitment to travel to the company headquarters in San Diego, CA for a comprehensive training, one month of shadowing, and a series of tests before letting her go off on her own. Now in business just over a year, Vincent says the community has responded well to the store, believing it is something that they have been wanting for quite some time.

“I’d like to let people know that if they want to be entrepreneurs, it takes hard work, faith, self-confidence, and stepping out of your comfort zone,” says Vincent. “My advice is to follow your passion. Make a comprehensive list of what types of franchises you [might] want to invest in, research it thoroughly, talk to existing owners, and determine what type fits into your lifestyle.” If you would like to support Lindy Vincent, you can do so by stopping by her store located at 10504 France Ave. S., Bloomington, MN 55431; calling the store at 952-405-9975; or visiting upsstoreprint.com/6440 to submit your print jobs.

Khymyle Mims welcomes reader comments to mimsk@my.normandale.edu.