Debra Alton said that she’s always worked multiple jobs to keep on moving. She’s still working two jobs: one as a full-time caretaker of an elderly woman and one as the owner and manager of her new business LaBella Boutique on South Brundidge Street.

Alton said her hope is to make owning the boutique her last and only job. But the job isn’t just for her; Alton says she wants to leave the shop to her daughter Dawn Broderway and granddaughter Haley Broderway so they can have a job they love for years to come.

“That’s my biggest hope,” Alton said. “So Dawn can have something to do so she doesn’t have to work so hard. She really works so hard. My hope is for both of us to have full-time jobs here.”

It helps that Dawn and Haley both share Debra’s passion and love the clothes as much as their customers.

“Dawn and Haley are always making sure to order an extra in their size of what we have in the store,” Alton said,

Alton and Broderway opened the Boutique three months ago after Alton decided to take a leap by opening the small business she’d always wanted.

“It’s always been my dream to have a dress shop,” Alton said. “I love fashion and pretty clothes. I just jumped. When I got it in my head, I went that day and rented the building. Once I did that, I knew I couldn’t turn back.”

Alton said that the business at the boutique has been great so far just on word of mouth, flyers, social media and radio ads, but that opening the business is still a scary prospect.

“It was very scary,” Alton said. “It’s still scary because I don’t know if it’s going to work. But I enjoy it, I really do. I enjoy meeting all the people.”

What Alton takes the most pride in still though is the hope that the business will continue on in the family for generations.

“I really wanted to get in to it for them,” Alton said. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without Dawn and Haley.”

Alton said the hardest part of the job has been how much time she has to spend away from some of her family that doesn’t work alongside her, but that the joy of operating a business she cares about has helped to make up for that.

La Bella Boutique is located at 515B South Brundidge Street between Jones Medical Supply and Subway.

It is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.