shutting down. Regular customer and Charlotte lawyer Mickey Aberman happened to come in the first day of the “going out of business” sale, and wound up saving the day — and the business. Cerniglia says, “He saw how dire it was and asked how much we needed.” Aberman negotiated a deal with the owner to buy VisArt, and he and Cerniglia became the new co-owners. There was much jubilation in the area when people learned that VisArt would be saved. “People did not want us to leave,” says Cerniglia. “A lot of people would have been heartbroken and I would have felt like I was taking something away from the city.” Then, reality set in. Cerniglia had never owned a business before. “Here I was, about to be out of a job and now, bam, I’m a business owner,” she says. She credits Aberman with providing invaluable guidance, but she also wanted to be proactive about learning. “You know the first thing I did?” she asks.“I bought the book Small Business for Dummies,” she says, with
a laugh. She admits there was a lot to learn. “I had never ordered the movies before,” she says,“and I had to start watching hundreds of movie trailers every week so I could decide which ones to get.” Although it was overwhelming and scary at times, Cerniglia had good instincts, and her intelligence, common sense and aptitude for learning on the fly have worked in her favor as owner of VisArt Video. Cerniglia thought sales should be a greater part of VisArt’s revenue than simply rentals. To that end, she started selling movie/cartoon/comic action figures at the store. Next, she added posters and other movierelated merchandise. She decided to participate in comic book and sci-fi film conventions. Selling merchandise and DVDs at conventions has resulted in an increased customer base. “It’s driven business to the store,” she says. VisArt has many loyal, regular customers from all over Charlotte.
With over 30,000 titles, there’s something for everyone. The store offers many genres, new releases,TV shows and films that are hard to find — which customers love. The first year as co-owner, Cerniglia was working 80 hours a week. She still works many hours, but enjoys what she’s doing. She appreciates her customers and considers many of them to be friends. “I love it here, I can be real,” she says. VisArt is moving in late August to a new location at Eastway Crossing, on the corner of Eastway and Central. Despite proving that she can run and own a business, Cerniglia has encountered people who make incorrect assumptions about her nontraditional look. When new customers express surprise that she is the owner, she jokes, “What were they expecting, Donald Trump?”
ToLearnMore Visit Visartvideo.net. Visit the store at 1945 E. Seventh St., until late August.
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www.TodaysCharlotteWomanMag.com | June 2015
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