Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaniqua Hayward-Davis.
Hi Shaniqua , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My husband Terrance and I began searching for a small office space for our tax business. Knowing my background as a real estate entrepreneur, a friend jokingly asked, “What are you trying to buy now?” I laughed and replied, “I’m going to buy that building across the street!”
As fate would have it, at that very moment the property owner was walking by. My friend smiled and said, “Let me introduce you.”
The owner showed us a large space that once housed Tomlinson’s. While beautiful, it was more space than we needed. He then asked if I would be interested in seeing the upstairs area. Although I had been looking for a storefront, I agreed.
Upstairs, we discovered a vast space with fourteen closed doors. During our conversation, I learned that I was standing inside what was once The Old Hemingway Hotel. After touring the rooms and evaluating the renovation potential, my husband and I looked at each other and said, “Let’s bring this hotel back to life.”
After months of thoughtful renovations, Bella’s Boutique Hotel was born.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. We faced financial challenges in getting the building up to date, took in a lot of constructive criticism from past guest to make changes, and alot of sweat and tears doing renovations. Restoring an old building is not an easy task at all.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an Army Veteran. After leaving the military I came to continue in the financial field and worked as an accountant for many years. I met my husband who retired me from the “employee status” and we began a life of building businesses together. Because I was already working as an accountant and him as a manager of a successful tax office, we continued in the financial realm and grew that business even more. We then ventured into the real estate sector. Our first major real estate purchase was for 5.7 acres of land that we intended to turn into a mobile home park. Unfortunately, we went in blindly and made a ton of financial mistakes. But we turned lemons to lemonade by using the purchases in mobile homes that we had already made into income properties, just not on our own land. Then we decided to expand the tax business into other counties. That’s when we stumbled across the building in Hemingway. That was our second major real estate purchase. What people don’t know is that we did all of this directly from our own savings without any loans or additional financial assistance. Looking back now I don’t know if that was the smartest choice, but we never wanted to leave our children in debt an again we went into this business without the proper knowledge. I will say that doing it that way allowed us to now have a very healthy financial portfolio of assets. We currently own several rental properties, several pieces of land, All Things Wings Food truck, Bella’s Boutique Hotel, Bluewater Tax Firm, Bluewater Cleaning Services and my newest endeavor is Heart and Home House, a program where I house misplaced veterans, homeless individuals and battered woman. All while raising 6 amazing children. We figured out a way to balance love, family and successful businesses.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Do the research in its entirety before starting a business. Understand that starting a business does not make you instantly rich. Having a business is a lot of hard work, sacrifice and is not for everyone. Often times people think when you have a business you are instantly rich, and that you don’t have to work, and life is so glamorous. That is all WRONG!! LOL I will say that it is all worth it if you put your heart and soul into it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bellasboutiquehotel.com and www.heartandhomehouse.com
