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A Tisket, a Tasket
Name: Pat McCarthy
Title: Principal
Company: The Original Basket Case, 167 Cherry Street, Milford
No. employees: 1 (“Plus the invaluable help and support of priceless friends who believe in me”)
Web site: www.originalbasketcase.com
Age: 43
Education: Courses at the
University of New Haven and
Mattatuck Community College
Best movie seen this year: “I'll reserve judgment at this time”
Outside interests: “Family is always a priority”; so are numerous business-related organizations. McCarthy founded the Women's Group to provide support for entrepreneurial women
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Business New Haven
4/3/2000
By: BNH
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Pat McCarthy says the distinctiveness of her business, which creates gift baskets, as well as networking and constant visibility contributes to her success. “The quality of the product and the trend toward personalization in gift-giving helps, too,” she adds.
Her new life as an entrepreneur follows a career in medical marketing. While still working full-time, she started and ran several part-time businesses for about five years before leaving them all behind to strike out on her own.
Starting from zero, she built her client base to more than 100 corporate accounts and a like number of individual customers, which provides her with a full-time income.
“As a frustrated entrepreneur, I was always trying to figure out how to start a unique business on a shoestring,” she recalls, “and finally decided to use my interest in painting, crafts and decorating
“If I had it to do over, I would definitely choose this as a career. Though exhausting at times, it's mine. It's positive.
Her advice to other budding entrepreneurs is to “get involved.”
Specifically, “Get involved with your local chamber of commerce and your community, network, ask lots of questions, do your research and know your market and your competition,” McCarthy says.
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