Go Behind the Scenes as 2 Entrepreneurs Set Up Shop

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By Lauren Drell2014-06-30 15:05:07 UTC

"Any time one of my friends tells me they want to open a small business, the first thing I do is try to talk them out of it," says Stephen Roginson, who's in the process of setting up his own business in Detroit.

The life of a small business owner — especially in the very early days — is not an easy one. You're human resources, the accountant, the marketer and the general contractor. You're subject to the harsh regulations of zoning and permits, and you have to have your game face on as you meet customers — and prospective customers — in the neighborhood at all hours of the day. It's not a pretty ride, but it's an exciting and invigorating one, especially for entrepreneurs looking not just to make a profit, but to feed a passion and create a way to connect with people. In our new video series, Setting Up Shop, Mashable is documenting the small business journey to profits; Stephen is one of the entrepreneurs we're following.

Check Out Setting Up Shop on YouTube

Roginson, featured in the video above, is a former corporate marketer turned homebrewer, hustling to open Batch Brewery in Downtown Detroit. He's on a mission to help revitalize the city he loves, and there's a lot at stake: His life savings, a $50,000 grant, a Kickstarter campaign, his reputation and the hopes of a neighborhood.

But we're not just following Stephen; while he builds out his Detroit nanobrewery, Azalina Eusope is fighting her own battles in San Francisco. She's a fifth-generation street food vendor and the owner of Azalina’s, a Malaysian food business. With a successful food truck and catering business under her belt, she's opening her first brick-and-mortar business in the Twitter building later this year. Azalina is on the precipice of huge success, and it's a far cry from her poverty-ridden childhood in Malaysia.

Stephen and Azalina embody the modern entrepreneur — they're fearless, confident, determined and fueled by passion. The stakes are high, and the pressure is on for these underdog small business owners. Over the next few months, Mashable will follow Stephen and Azalina as they hustle, sweat, curse and claw their way to opening day. In the video above, you'll meet Stephen — stay tuned to meet Azalina in our next episode, and be sure to subscribe to the series on YouTube to keep up with these two entrepreneurs on their quest to achieve the American Dream.

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Topics: Business, Mashable Originals, mashable video, Setting Up Shop, Small Business

Image: Mashable