Three years ago, Genevieve Taylor (‘20) created Valley Yard Cards, a business involving installing and renting yard sign displays for a variety of events ranging from graduations to birthdays.  

“It seemed like a good business opportunity as a senior in highschool during the COVID-19 pandemic, and getting my moms help in launching the business was an encouraging factor,” said Taylor.

Graduating in 2020, one of Taylor’s challenges involved working against a slow economy during COVID-19 quarantine lockdowns. Learning from these setbacks, Taylor was able to increase her sales in a short period of time. 

“I have done about 416 rentals in the past 3 years, over half of which were from my first year in business,” said Taylor.

Although it wasn’t easy, opening her own business was a rewarding experience for Taylor.

“I don’t know that I can pinpoint one favorite memory, but I always enjoy hearing how much joy our signs bring to the person that they are celebrating,” said Taylor. 

Throughout the process, Taylor learned how to deal with challenging situations, such as customer communication and managing inventory. Although she doesn’t plan on continuing the business as a full-time career, Taylor hopes to continue working on it for as long as she can. 

“I do not work full time, as the “carding industry” has taken quite a dip. As of right now, I am riding out the business for as long as I can as a side job, but do not plan on relying on it long term,” said Taylor.

Taylor had huge success in starting her own business, hoping to inspire others who are looking to pursue something similar.

“Do something. If you don’t take the steps needed to get the ball rolling, it’s never going to happen. There’s no hurt in trying, and if it doesn’t workout, you can always try something else!” said Taylor.