Name of Owner:
Steve and Anne Snyder
Year you opened for business:
Opened by Steve’s parents, Sam and Lillian Snyder, in 1951.
How would you describe your business?
Ladies wigs and hats store. We also have a website, www.gayleswigsnthings.com.
Briefly describe your typical client/customer.
Our customers come from all walks of life. We have customers who buy wigs and head covering for chemotherapy and other medical reasons. We have many customers who by wigs and hats for fashion. We also sell wigs to theater groups for productions and costumes, party-goers, etc.
What is one thing most people do not know about your business that would surprise him/her?
It is a very interesting business because you meet people from all walks of life. We’ve gotten to know a lot of our customers personally and that’s a nice thing.
What do you enjoy most about doing business in your district/community?
We actually live a few blocks away from our store, so we are part of the community not just as merchants, but also as residents. Our store is really an extension of our home.
What do you enjoy most about doing business in Hampton Roads?
I was born and grown up here. My wife is from Richmond but we moved back here in 1980. Living in a coastal area like this with beaches, a commercial port and great urban and rural areas gives you much diversity.
What challenges do you face as a business owner?
These are tough economic times. Getting credit is challenging, but because we’ve been in business almost 60 years, we’ve managed to work that out. As a small business owner, I resent both political parties’ claims to be champions of small business. This is hypocritical pandering to get campaign contributions and votes.
What’s in store for your business in the future?
We have already begun expanding our wig inventory throughout the store and we have a shopping cart set up on our website to sell our wigs. A person who wants to purchase a wigs has an enormous selection.
What could local government do to help small business owners in your business district (besides lower taxes)?
This street, 21st Street, is a strategic business area that deserves as much attention as Colley and downtown. By this, I mean beautifying the area with more landscaping. It would also help to subsidize or tax credit merchants’ efforts to upgrade properties.
What is one thing your business district needs?
More parking 21st Street has a serious issue of parking.
