![](media/image1.png){width="1.979861111111111in"
height="1.0083333333333333in"} ***News Release***

New York District Office

Release Date: September 24, 2007 Contact: John Miller (212) 264-7770

Release Number: 07-25 e-mail: john.miller@sba.gov

***Husband-Wife Team Turn Passion into Profits***

**Rhinebeck, NY**--- Would-be entrepreneurs are frequently cautioned by
small business counselors and experts not to risk their careers or
savings by trying to turn their hobbies into small businesses unless or
until they have a thorough understanding of running a business. Cindy
and Patrick Sweeney are an example of how to do it the right way, having
turned their passion for globetrotting into a successful small business.

Patrick had been majoring in political science and business at the State
University of New York in New Paltz when his wanderlust got the best of
him and he took off for Mexico and Central America. While in Guatemala
he learned and worked in the garment and fashion-accessories business,
gaining experience in all the aspects of manufacturing, selling and
exporting those products to the United States. Deciding he had found his
calling Sweeney settled down there. It was also during his travels that
Patrick "found" his future wife, Cindy, another world traveler, who
joined him in the business.

But after a time the travel bug hit the Sweeneys again and they embarked
for Bali, Indonesia, where they continued to work in the clothing
industry. And in the next several years they added two sons to their
globetrotting entourage. On one of their Indonesian excursions the
Sweeneys met an old acquaintance who was adamant that Patrick see all
the different and unusual furniture being produced on the island. The
subsequent tour convinced Sweeney that the exotically designed
Indonesian furniture, typically made of teak, mahoghony and merbau
woods, would find a market in the U.S. So the Sweeneys happily exited
the garment industry and took up exporting of Indonesian and other
Southeast Asian furniture and decorative accessories for their planned
retail store in the U.S.

The establishment of the retail store in Stone Ridge, NY, enabled the
family to satisfy its travel urges on buying expeditions, while bringing
exotic household goods to the Mid-Hudson Valley. The majority of the
inventory at that time consisted of furniture, jewelry and gift items.
The store did so well after five years that they opened a second store
called Four Winds Home Furnishings in Rhinebeck, NY, where they could
expand their inventories of furniture, lava stone statuary, rugs and
kilims from Afghanistan, and one-of-a-kind treasures. Although the
stores were doing well, the Sweeneys decided to scale back the Rhinebeck
store and eventually shutter the Stone Ridge location so that they could
travel more and focus on raising their boys.

Page 1 of 2

Fast forward a few more years, and with the children old enough to be
independent, the Sweeneys re-opened a second store once again in Stone
Ridge because it was within their sons' school district.

The Sweeney's dream of integrating work and family was now complete. And
it was made possible through a loan from Rhinebeck Savings Bank that was
guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. "The loan enabled
us to consolidate all of the high-priced personal credit card debt upon
which we had been operating the business," said Patrick. "We're doing
very well and it is because the SBA loan gave us the hand up that we
needed," added Cindy.

The family still regularly goes on expeditions throughout Southeast Asia
and combs the local markets for handcrafted products. "Satisfying our
travel desires is key to what we do," said Patrick. And ever-mindful of
the people they've met on those excursions, the Sweeneys make it a point
to buy directly from the families that produce many of the unique items.
"Small family businesses in this age of globalization need each other to
survive and grow, and that's why we do what we do," said Cindy.

If you have the desire to bring a little bit of the four corners of the
world into your home or office, you might want to start by visiting the
company Web site at
[www.fourwindsathome.com](http://www.fourwindsathome.com/).

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*All of the SBA's programs and services are provided to the public on a
non-discriminatory basis. For more information about the SBA please
visit [www.sba.gov/ny/ny](http://www.sba.gov/ny/ny).*