[MooseDog]

I opened a small general consignment shop in a downtown area of a Northern California (Bay Area) town that was recently listed as #1 based on per-capita income and despite a great lease and low expenses I have not been able to make it and am closing after 2 1/2 years of futility.

Granted, I started with one foot in the grave by not having enough capital (retail requires at least access to large amounts of cash) and hanging on much too long (I don't have many options - companies around here don't hire self employed people).

Brick and mortar retail is dead. Even established retail stores here have noted sales are trending down, and we're talking about the 1% who make up a large part of the population here.

If you have a lot of money you can afford to lose (don't touch any pensions or IRAs for startup capital), and you figure you can make your sales goals by selling 80% online and 20% in the retail store, you can probably make it. But don't count on making a high five figure salary on walk-in sales. Be VERY conservative with your estimates though. Running your own business can be a big headache and time sink, but nothing beats being your own boss.