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By Connie Leinbach
Anna Rucker wants other women to have the same entrepreneurial opportunity that she’s had on Ocracoke.
Rucker is the owner of The Sunglass Shop in Spencer’s Market and would like to sell it before the end of the year when her lease is up.
Rucker has been selling an array of sunglass styles since she purchased the business in 2014.
“I bought a preestablished business because I knew I wanted to live here,” she said. “I took a leap. It’s feasible to be a young female and make it successful.”
And that leap turned out well for the 30-something young woman.
The other women business owners on the island were open to her questions. Up until recently when Blue Heron Realty moved out of the complex, Spencer’s Market businesses were almost totally women owned.
Those others include Moonraker Tea Shop, Helios Hideaway (which is one-half woman owned) and Thai Moon Thai restaurant.
Up the street there’s the Magic Bean Coffee Shop, owned by Katy Mitchell, and across the street is Books to Be Red, owned by Leslie Lanier.
And those are just the businesses in her immediate area.
An informal, nonscientific tally of the businesses listed in the Ocracoke Walking Map, which does not include every business on Ocracoke, 84 businesses show that 28 are wholly women owned and 21 are half women-owned.
“It’s a strong woman business community,” Rucker said, adding that if someone has a passion to live and work on Ocracoke, “here’s your chance.”
For information, call Rucker at 704-692-1426.
