Kinesiology major, entrepreneur finds niche in student market

Updated 4:30 AM April 28, 2007

Kinesiology major, entrepreneur finds niche in student market

By Laura Bailey
News Service

One of the hottest stores on campus was started by a U-M kinesiology student and has, well, absolutely nothing to do with kinesiology. But, it has everything to do with founder Sarah Perry, 23, achieving her goal to establish gathering places for teens—and, with hope, doing so much sooner than planned.

Photo by Scott Galvin, U-M Photo Services

Perry arrived at the idea for Sarah's Campus Dollar Store, 1229 S. University, when casting about for something to do after graduation. As the end of her U-M undergraduate career loomed, she knew she didn't want to take just any job—she wanted one that would be fulfilling.

"I wanted to live a happy life," says Perry, who admits she loves things done her way. "I just didn't want to graduate with a good degree but not be happy in my job. That came from the death of my parents and my sister. Because I experienced a lot of stuff earlier in life, I know life is short and I want to enjoy my life."

When Perry was 3, her father died of a heart attack and about eight years later her mother and sister were murdered in their home on Detroit's east side while Sarah was at school. The killer was never caught.

After that, Perry went to live with an aunt, and throughout high school was drawn to physical therapy and athletics. She started college at Wayne State, where a friend was an athletic trainer, but transferred to U-M a year later. Along the way, she developed the idea of starting a youth sports center and gathering place for teenagers.

"People just want to go somewhere to hang out or go somewhere and feel wanted; those thoughts were developing in my mind as far as starting my own business," Perry says.

While searching for a way to make her mark and reach her goal, she noticed a dearth of inexpensive stores that catered to the needs of cash-strapped students.

She researched franchises but soon learned she couldn't afford the fees. After consulting with her older brother, a real estate developer in California, she eventually found a company that would help her set up her business but did not charge franchise fees. The company acts as a kind of consultant, guiding clients like Perry through the maze of vendors, finding retail space, etc. She did not tell anyone, save her boyfriend, brother and an aunt, until a few weeks before opening.

"When she said she was opening Sarah's Campus Dollar Store, all of us in Kinesiology were thrilled and very happy for her, and somewhat surprised," says Perry's advisor Angela Sullivan. "She had planned to attend graduate school, but this opportunity came along and she took it. That's Sarah for you. She sees what she wants and goes for it. She's a risk taker and not afraid to fail."

The store is a huge hit with students. Revenue is on target, and she has hired one employee and hopes one day to have many more when she is able to open Sarah's Campus Dollar Store in other university towns.

"My ultimate goal is to build a center for high school students," Perry says. "Me owning these businesses will help me to get to my end point a lot sooner, now I will actually have the money to do it."

Kinesiology major, entrepreneur finds niche in student market

More Stories