After Preparing For A Year, Young Entrepreneur Opens Business

After Preparing For A Year, Young Entrepreneur Opens Business

THE OUTSIDER

By Justin Geurin

A new Water Vallian sits down with the people that make this town special. Geurin and his wife, Robin, and twin daughters moved to town last July.

As of last week, Shuffle’s Snow is open and ready for business in Water Valley and, for Shuffield, this is not your average summer job. 

To understand Shay’s story, you must first know this is not a spur-of-the-moment decision. She first got the idea of opening a snow-cone stand last summer after a family trip to the beach. 

“I saw snow-cone places everywhere, and I thought, ‘we don’t have anything like this is Water Valley,’” she explains. Shay has always been a bit of an entrepreneur, as in school she used to sell candy to other students and, since her brothers used to fight competitively, she would charge her friends $1 to watch. 

Even with a natural inclination towards running a business, there is still a lot of work to be done to actually open a business, as Shay would soon find out. “When I first told my mom, she was reluctant,” she says, “they just didn’t want me to get in over my head.” With her goal in mind, Shuffield set about getting started. 

She decided to use her brother’s old racing trailer to house her business and her grandfather agreed to let her park the trailer on his property on Blackmur Drive. Shuffield also took courses including accounting and career pathways this past year at Water Valley High School in preparation for her operation. 

She then reached out to an acquaintance for guidance on the snow-cone industry, former WVHS teacher and coach, as well as Oxford’s Sno-Biz owner and operator, John Sherman. “Coach Sherman told me I could come by his shop and watch what they do,” Shuffield said. He talked to her about supplies and equipment and gave her the most important advice, to pick a quality machine because, as he told her, “Your machine IS your business.” 

Shuffield took Sherman’s advice and purchased a machine for her shop and her mother found a gentleman in Tupelo who sold snow-cones for years and was now selling his equipment, which also helped prepare them for operation. 

But, there was still a long way to go. There were permits to apply for, health department regulations to comply with, and more work to be done on the trailer to make it an operational snow-cone business. 

“The trailer had to be cleaned, needed new tires and a window, lights…I could not have done it without the help of my family,” Shuffield explained. 

Her family is now helping her back the operation financially, but Shuffield had to prove she was committed before they would agree to do so. 

“I had to spend my own money before my parents would help, so I used my money to get the trailer painted.” From there, many others have helped her get up and running. Her uncle gave her four sinks for the trailer. When Shay had 100 blocks of ice for her shop but only space to store 20, Don Larson offered to store the other 80 temporarily. 

“That is the sort of thing that wouldn’t happen anywhere else,” she adds 

Now that Shuffle’s Snow is open for business, Shay is still learning every day. As a  self-described people-pleaser, she personally makes every snow-cone that is sold at Shuffle’s, which can sometimes be a challenge on a busy day. 

“The first day, we opened at 11 and I got lunch at 12,” she says, “but I never got a chance to eat until we finally finished up at 9!” She is still working on a schedule that makes the most sense and is learning to manage a staff, as she has a couple of friends and family members helping. Her goal is to  find a balance between selling snow-cones and setting limitations so she and her workers do not get overwhelmed. But when it comes down to it, “I just really like to make snow-cones!” she exclaims. 

For Shay, a rising senior at WVHS, Shuffle’s Snow is not necessarily her long-term goal. In fact, she plans to save her profit for college tuition, where she hopes to study to become an ultrasound technician. “I want to take it day by day…I plan to keep it as long as it works,” she says. 

When asked about giving advice to others about opening a business, she said she would be willing to help, but she would be straight forward and realistic. “Writing a menu is easy,” she says, “but I would ask them if they have a vendor, or land, or an A/C unit, it is the small things that you don’t think about.” 

When asked about her hometown, she raved about the “small-town feeling,” here in Water Valley and she expressed excitement to see it continue to grow. “If I had to describe this place to someone, I would tell them it is like a movie of an old, small town, where you walk into a grocery store for a pop and say, ‘Hey Mrs. So-and-so,’ and wave to everyone on the street,” she laughs. 

It is clear she has put in a lot of hard work, but she is grateful for the support and encouragement she has gotten from so many people. Shay takes a great deal of satisfaction from seeing people eat one of her snow-cones and is excited for the lessons and opportunities she has already received.

“I just want everyone to feel comfortable and to love to come by,” she says. 

Now for the rapid-fire questions to close the interview with Shay Shuffield

What was your first car? 

– 2003 Exterra

You are stranded on a desert island, what three things do you want to have with you? 

– backpack with several must-have items…hairbrush, chapstick, rope bracelet…I am such a girl! 

Is a hotdog considered a sandwich? 

–  Yes, because I don’t know what other category it would be

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? 

– To read people’s minds

It’s karaoke night, what is your go-to song to sing? 

– So many, I have a list on my phone…for a duet, “Picture,” for a solo…Strawberry Wine, Jolene, Danny’s Song…too many to pick from!

Last meal, what do you want? Entrée, desert, and beverage? 

– Steak with garlic bread, chocolate cake, and Dr. Pepper