‘A lot has changed’
Inquisitive Toy Company closes in Wolfville
Miranda and Jake Rideout say they’re looking forward to spending more time as a family following their decision to close the Inquisitive Toy Company.
The couple announced Jan. 9 that their Wolfville-based store would close — a decision Miranda Rideout describes as “a tough one.”
She says despite it being a difficult call, they’ve been “overwhelmed by the support from our community” following their decision.
“We ran a successful business that became the community hub we set out to build. We looked at the time, energy, and resources we would have to spend to continue growing the business and it was clear that after over five years, we wanted to spend those on our young family,” she says.
Jake Rideout says three floods that happened at their Wolfville business from March to April 2017 were a “difficult time” since the building had to be closed for six weeks for repairs.
The couple references these floods in their Facebook statement to customers, which states that “after re-evaluating the needs of our young family and the resources needed to continue growing this business, we have decided to shift our focus.”
Both will now work full-time with their consultancy business, In Life and Business, which they started while attending university when they built websites for local businesses.
Jake Rideout says it “has since grown to include business planning for start-ups and established businesses, marketing strategy development, and social media marketing and content development” — all of which he says is based on their experience owning their own business.
Miranda Rideout says the couple will continue working toward “slowing our pace and enjoying life” and “stopping to smell the roses” as they set time aside to spend with family while shifting their focus back into their consulting, and will chronicle it all in their In Life and Business blog.
“A lot has changed since we started, including having our first child and our priorities have shifted,” she says.
“Spending more time outside, having time for hobbies again and learning more about ourselves. It is possible to balance work and life and we’re designing a lifestyle to do just that.”