Kash Patel is answering questions for this week's Small Business Snapshot for Smiley Shila’s Corner located at 1714 Turner McCall Boulevard.

What is the primary purpose of your business? To serve as the best neighborhood type store. We offer all the things you would typically find in a good convenience store.

What is the business background of the owners? We’ve been in this business for 17 years. We owned the Elm Street Food and Beverage, and the Bottle and Basket previously. Chris Morgan, our third employee, has been with us for 17 years. We are all in it as a team. The front of the store is Chris and Shila and I am in the background.

Why did you start (or purchase) this particular business? When I moved here from England we were looking for some businesses. I am a photographer by profession. For a year we couldn’t find anything, then we found the business on Elm Street and bought it and then got into it.

What makes your business unique? This is a great location. Turner McCall is a major road and we’ve got a great neighborhood around us, so we want to be a good neighbor, with a great store. I think our friendly nature also sets us apart from many others.

What do you enjoy most about your chosen profession? Talking to people, different people everyday, meeting new people and serving them.

What has been the biggest or most interesting challenge to overcome as a small business owner? The biggest challenge is the economy at the moment. Looking at the past history of the store, ownership has changed frequently and it did not do very well. We took it as a challenge to be able to turn it around.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? Come to our store and get to know Smiley Shila. The name was given to her by her customers after serving them for 16 years. That’s how we named the store. We want to be both good neighbors to the community and well as providing the best service possible to our neighbors.