Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maria Dinoia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Maria , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I feel everyday that you own a retail store is taking a risk! In my position as apparel buyer, I am deciding what I think customers will like and will sell through. It is definitely not an easy decision, as there are countless apparel options to choose from. From style trends to material to price points, all of that factors into the decision of what I THINK will sell well for us. Sometimes the risk pays off and other times, clothes end up going straight to the sale rack. It’s a continual and ongoing guessing game and I’m not sure anyone has apparel completely figured out!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My husband and I own The Tennis Store in Franklin, Tennessee. We’ve owned it now for almost two years. Neither one of us had owned a business before. My husband came from the corporate world with a background in finance and I came from a PR/marketing background. Together, we believed we could use our blended skills to run a business. Our son used to play tennis for his high school and we’d frequented The Tennis Store as customers, so we were excited to try something new when we heard it was for sale.

The Tennis Store sells everything and anything you can think of necessary to play tennis and pickleball. Shoes, racquets, paddles, balls, grips, accessories, gifts, apparel – you name it! We are a specialty store that caters to a niche market.

We pride ourselves on our customer service, as we are constantly competing with online retailers. I think most people crave customer service and like to shop small and support small business.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When we first purchased the business in November of 2021, the world was still reeling from Covid and all of the shipping issues that created. We had to make some snap decisions about placing orders and making sure we had inventory. We don’t like people to leave the store empty-handed! There’s nothing worse for us than to say, “I’m sorry, we don’t have your size.” So it was Covid that caused us to have to pivot our thinking about the supply chain.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

We purchased The Tennis Store in November 2021. My husband had lost his corporate job due to Covid. He had always wanted to own his own business, but not necessarily START one. When we heard The Tennis Store was for sale, it was kind of a no brainer for us. Our son had played tennis, so we knew a bit about it. And it seemed like the next logical step in my husband’s career.

The former owners of the store made the acquisition so easy. They were organized and left no stone unturned as we made the shift. They also helped train us. It really was the smoothest transition. They even still visit the store from time to time!    

Contact Info:

• Website: TheTennisStore.net
• Instagram: tennis_store_of_franklin
• Facebook: tennisstoreoffranklin