"THE critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. A lot of people have ideas but there are few who decide to do something about them now. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer."

Atari founder Nolan Bushnell wasn't referring specifically to businesswoman Barbara Spence when he made the above observation, but he certainly could have been.

Getting off her butt is exactly what Barbara did after losing her job two years ago. With more than 20 years' experience in the travel industry, the mother of a young son suddenly found herself with plenty of drive and ambition, but no career.

Unperturbed, Barbara immediately set about learning a new skill and within months was running her own business from home as a balloon decorator.

Less than two years on, Barbara's business is soaring to such heights she has now expanded her operation and moved to new premises.

Last week she opened up her first store, Designer Balloons, Teddy Bear Stuffers, on Lovers Lane in Paget. And while it's still too early to say if the new venture will be a success, Barbara, along with her husband Anthony, who is now helping out at the store part-time, feel they have built up a strong foundation from which the company can develop.

"It's very much a leap of faith ? I'm nervous but excited," Barbara explained.

"The first year was kind of slow but I had enough to keep me going ? I just went out looking for new business and trying to build a strong client base".

As well as creating balloon bouquets for special events such as birthdays, anniversaries and company parties, Barbara has branched out into another field ? selling teddy bears. But hers are no ordinary bears.

Customers have the chance to create their own, totally personalised cuddly creatures from scratch. A teddy bear stuffing machine takes up one corner of the store while the walls are awash with teddy bear clothing and accessories.

While the majority of Barbara's clients up to now have been corporate, her new premises are definitely more child-friendly, appealing to youngsters in search of something soft and cute rather than companies looking to get a room decorated for a fancy function.

But for Barbara, the twin pillars of her business empire are a perfect match.

"They really go hand in hand because although we have the bear side of it, most people know me because of the balloon side of the business," she said.

"If someone came in and wanted to get a bear for a little girl celebrating a birthday, I can also then offer the complete package with balloons and decorating ? we can decorate the total party.

"In the future we're going to organise the store so that children can come and have their teddy bear stuffing parties here. We'll offer up some of the space and they can book it in advance as a group."

Her husband also believes the new aspect of the venture will complement rather than detract from the core business.

"It's kid-friendly, retail-oriented," he said.

"But we're maintaining our corporate base as far as the decorating side of things goes and then we're offering this side of it to children where they can have somewhere to come and have that interactive experience with teddy bears and clothes. We're trying to merge the two together and create something new and fresh."

The couple have researched their market thoroughly and have hooked up with "a very good supplier". And with the operation now running from a warm and welcoming store, confidence is running high.

"It's a bit of a risk but I believe that since this is a new concept being introduced to Bermuda we have every chance of success," said Anthony.

"Looking at some of the other toy stores I think we can pick up some of their customer base because we offer a unique product. This is a unique, one-of-a-kind experience."

Another advantage of having a permanent space is increased credibility.

"Working from home I discovered that not everyone is comfortable with the fact that I do work from home," said Barbara.

"Most times I have to go to customers to pick up payment. Now we have a base where they can come ? it's a bit more professional".

Although lacking experience in the retail industry, Barbara believes her previous career has helped her run her own business.

"Being in travel has taught me a lot, in some ways it's sort of similar," she said.

"Like any business, it's all about building relationships with people, developing trust and delivering on time.

"When people find out that they can trust you and that you do deliver on time, they come back."

But while expansion is key for any successful business, it brings with it a whole set of fresh challenges.

Aside from the increased financial investment, with money now being ploughed into rent and stock, the business is taking up more of the couple's time. Barbara opens the store between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the week, giving her a few hours in the morning to make deliveries, while her evenings are now occupied creating bouquets.

Her husband takes a break from his full-time job at Butterfield & Vallis to man the store on Saturdays, putting in another long day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

"We are juggling it at the moment," Barbara said. "It's a lot of hard work and of course, being your own boss, if you don't get out and work, you don't get paid.

"It's constantly on our minds ? we never switch off. Our day doesn't stop at 5 p.m. we can go on into the night preparing for the next day. Basically, we have to be a lot more involved if we want to keep the business afloat. But that also means that it's a lot more satisfying.

"As time goes on and things pick up we might be able to get someone to fill in for me for some of the time so I can focus on doing the bouquets. We're still going to be covering all the occasions ? we've got Valentine's Day coming up and after that we've got Easter and Mother's Day. There's no way I can do it all ? at the moment we're working it out."

And what's the most significant lesson Barbara has learned since running her own business?

"You have to be a self-starter," she said.

"You have to be committed and work at it day to day. A lot of times you can be under a great deal of stress but at the end of the day it all comes together."