Bedford's Lola Felton said she always wanted to achieve what she calls "the American Dream" - owning her own business. "As a child I worked in my aunt's grocery story and liked the interaction with customers and enjoyed the business." After attending the Windber School of Nursing and working in health care for several years, she and her husband, Robert, purchased a downtown Bedford store, Caroline's Children's Shop in 1976. "In a few years I saw an opportunity to expand and sell a range of clothing at very competitive prices and renamed the store the Village Fashion Outlet.

As a business owner Lola is responsible for the entire operation - buying stock, working on the sales floor, bookwork, hiring and scheduling staff, marketing - even watering the plants and emptying the garbage. She says she likes the variety - and being her own boss. "To do something this long you have to really love it. I can truthfully say that I still like getting up in the morning and coming to work." One of her biggest challenges is buying stock that will appeal to her customers. "I have to stay current with fashion and stay tuned to what customers will buy," she says. "We tend to stay away from fads and carry classic, traditional styles that offer quality at good prices."

Lola recommends that anyone considering running a clothing store like hers should work in a shop, try to work with the owner to do the buying and take business courses such as accounting and marketing. "When I first got into the business I went back to school at UPJ (University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown) to learn about the business. The coursework was invaluable." She also believes it's critical to develop good communication skills. "You've got to like being with people - working one-on-one with customers, learning to understand what they want and listen to what they say. Many of my customers have become good friends over the years. I get a great deal of satisfaction helping my customers find just the right clothes - to help them feel good about themselves. It's a thrill that never gets old no matter how long I'm in the business."

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