Family Focus

iScharingy The Moments

Home businesses put family's talents to work together.

SheIli Liebman Dorfman
Senior Writer

B

y day, Agnes and Keith Schare
work side by side in a family
business run out of their home.
And, because too much togetherness is
hardly an issue, by night, Agnes and Keith
Schare work side by side in a family busi-
ness run out of their home.
Now beginning its 20th year, Agnes
Schare Inc./Superstarters daycare cen-
ter maintains about eight children 7:30
a.m.-5:30 p.m. five days a week in their
Farmington Hills home. Then, evenings and
weekends are spent preparing for and work-
ing at Schare the Moment, a digital photog-
raphy business providing on-site framed
photos of guests at parties and events.
It was actually the first business that
spurred the couple to launch the second.
Randi Simko of West Bloomfield, whose
teenage children attended the daycare
when they were small, suggested the
Schares take photographs at a Hadassah
Casino Night event she chaired. "We
thought about going into this business for
quite a while," Agnes Schare said. "We got
such a great response we went full force
and Schare the Moment was born.
"Keith's degree in design and business
has set the foundation for Schare the
Moment:' she said. "Before we had the day-
care, Keith established a custom furniture
business where he designed and created
one-of-a-kind furniture and did graphic
wall designs." He regularly uses his design
background in the daycare for projects,
including borders for photos of the kids.
Keith used that experience to make tern-
plates to fit each event in the new business.
"Keith visualizes several different
templates and then begins his creation
on the computer:' Agnes said. He then
uploads the design chosen by the hosts
into the computer to be printed onto the
border of photos taken at events. "I take
pride in my work and in the creativity of
my templates as they result in pieces of
art:' Keith said.

All In The Family
Working together was a given when the
Schares opened their digital photography
business. Even though they do actually
find time to go their separate ways, they
truly enjoy working together. "We really get

Julie Schare, Kayla Rosenberg and Agnes and Keith Schare at Kayla's bat mitzvah
celebration.

along well," Agnes said. "We bounce ideas
off each other."
Agnes and Keith work their Schare the
Moment bookings along with their 17-year-
old daughter, Julie, a senior at Walled Lake
Western High School. Daughter Jamie, 22,
also joined them until leaving for Syracuse
University College of Law this past summer.
"All of us know how to operate all
aspects of the business," Agnes said. "But
basically, I do the display, Keith is the pho-
tographer and Julie works the computer,
printing the template borders onto the
photos so guests have their digital photos
to take home within minutes." Agnes is
also the PR person, meeting with families
and party planners to make sure things
run smoothly the day of the event.
The Schares have been working together
since shortly after Agnes started the day-
care business when Jamie had just turned
3, and Julie had not yet been born. She
had left her job as a nurse, continuing for
a while to also teach parenting and child-
birth classes in the evenings, and she was
having a difficult time hiring staff.
"Keith had just closed his furniture
business and was starting his current
business, managing rental properties up
north," Agnes said. "He traveled part of the
week but the rest of the time he was home
— and available'
So he started to work with her. "Right
from the start it was great:' she said. As a
licensed daycare facility, the state requires
two staff members on site if six children

pictures is so much better. Keith is very
creative and detail-oriented, and makes
sure the lighting is just right before taking
the pictures. They all worked really hard
to make sure all of our guests were really
happy with the pictures." Simko added
the framed photos from Carly's cartoon-
themed celebration to other memorabilia
created with the Schares.
"My kids [including her son 18-year-
old, Ian Bensman] have great memories of
being at their daycare and I still have proj-
ects they made there, like a wooden star
with a Polaroid picture in it, a glass vase
with potpourri and Carly's handprint,"
Simko said. "Agnes and Keith are both so
conscientious and reliable. If I entrusted
my children to them, I can trust them to
be responsible in their new business."

Branching Out
The Schares also have met new people
or more are present. "We both know we're
through Schare the Moment. Like Marla
going to show up — on time Agnes said.. and Larry Rosenberg of Farmington Hills
We've had lots of positive feedback about
and children, Jake, 16, and Kayla, who
the 'mom-and-pop' thing."
turns 13 in December. After meeting at
"We like to keep the daycare a family
the Joe Cornell Event show at the Jewish
business,"Agnes said."My college-aged niec- Community Center in West Bloomfield,
es also work for us."And so have the Schare's where the Schares have displayed their
daughters. "They grew up playing with the
work the last two years, the families dis-
kids and taking an active role in the daycare
covered they are neighbors.
as they got older;' Agnes said. "When they
Agnes and Keith provided digital photos
were little, the bonus was that they had two
for guests at Kayla's bat mitzvah celebra-
working parents who were home every day
tion at Temple Israel last month. "The
when they got off the bus from school."
border they created for us was great and
they were so easy to work with;' Larry
Growing Up
Rosenberg said. "They didn't mind how
Through the years, a lot of kids have spent
many times each of the guests came back
time in the daycare, which accepts young-
to have their pictures taken. One of the
sters ages 6 weeks to 5 years. "We pride
kids must have been in 25 pictures."
ourselves on the growth and development
And they even took "crazy photos;'
of children in a loving and nurturing envi- according to Kayla. "They didn't even
ronment and in our daily preschool edu-
mind taking pictures when my friends
cational program,"Agnes said."Our goal is picked me up and held me in a cradle
to successfully prepare each child socially,
position:' she said. The Rosenbergs ended
behaviorally, and with the educational
up with more than just their own framed
tools needed for kindergarten."
photos — they received a disk with every
And it was that positive experience that
photo taken that night.
now brings some former daycare families
"When the event is over and guests
to call on the Schares to provide photos for walk out with our digital pictures;' Keith
their children's b'nai mitzvah celebrations.
said, "I know we can be proud of the work
Twelve years after Carly Simko attended
we've done." ❑
the daycare, Agnes and Keith took photos
at her June 2008 bat mitzvah party.
"Carly was very happy with the pic-
For more on Schare the Moment, see
tures," said her mom, Randi. "She has
the Web site scharethemoment.com
come home with pictures from other par-
(there's an e-mail form there) or call
ties, but the color quality and clarity of her
(248) 661-8232 or (248) 231-1164.

October 23 • 2008

C25