It took awhile, but Brenda Hull finally got fed up.

Ms. Hull, the owner of Chautauqua Antiques, has moved her business from downtown Jamestown to Levant, citing a laundry list of concerns about operating a business in downtown Jamestown.

''Honestly, we could have continued our lease,'' she said. ''But my partner and I didn't want to. We were just so disgusted with everything that we moved.''

Ms. Hull's business is now located in the old Gold Star Market building off Route 394 in Levant. She said she and her partner began looking for a new location in April, signed a lease in July and spent the month of August moving into the new space.

LEAVING DOWNTOWN JAMESTOWN

A laundry list of concerns forced the move, Ms. Hull said.

''The parking meters were a major hassle,'' she said. ''Not only the expense, which is out of line, but having to take time away from my customers to go feed the meter just wasn't working. You can't leave customers alone in your store. It wasn't theft I was concerned with - you've got to be available to answer questions or unlock a case if someone needs it. It's not right to just up and leave.''

That meant Ms. Hull was given a number of parking tickets over the four years she operated a business in downtown Jamestown. Many of them were waived, she said, but several weren't. And after city officials sent a letter to those with outstanding parking tickets urging them to pay or risk retribution through the Department of Motor Vehicles, she said ''enough was enough.''

In addition, the old location - which was on East Second Street in an upstairs unit - lacked a loading zone.

''That was a big deal for us,'' she said. ''It was a big problem, especially when it rained. We have a long trailer that we use to transport the antiques. Without a proper loading area, you run the risk of exposing these items to the elements.''

Adding insult to injury, Ms. Hull said, was the parking lot across the street from her business. The spaces there are metered and open to the public, but some have been reserved for those who park in the Spring Street Parking Ramp, which is currently closed for repairs.

''There's a ton of empty space there, but you can't use it right now,'' she said. ''It was a real hindrance to customers.''

Ms. Hull cited other concerns, too. She said downtown bar patrons would frequently deface buildings near her business and police could not catch the offenders. She also said she lost customers because the Downtown Jamestown Development Corp. would shut streets down for festivals or special events.

''That never used to be a problem, but when you throw in high parking meter costs and limited availability of parking, people are going to avoid downtown Jamestown,'' she said. ''I had many people call for directions but then say they weren't coming because I was in downtown Jamestown. People told me it was always a hassle to get around.''

Ms. Hull doesn't know what's going to come of her new location, which is at the back of a building located on a major east-west route. But she said she's willing to ''make a go of it.''

''I've got to try something different,'' she said. ''Downtown Jamestown just wasn't going to work.''

COPING WITH THE ECONOMY

Beth Reed, a business adviser for the state's Small Business Development Center, which is located at Jamestown Community College, said antique dealers like Ms. Hull are facing ''difficult times'' because they target customers who have disposable income - a rarity nowadays.

''The antique industry as a whole has been in decline for several years,'' she said. ''That's because of the economy, of course - people don't have as much discretionary income as they did before and they're watching expenses very carefully. But you've also got to factor in the effect of Ebay and the Internet. Something might be worth $300, but when a lot of other people start offering it on Ebay, the price goes down.''

The economy has played a part in other ways, Ms. Reed said - consumers now are looking for ''comfortable, livable, durable products.'' And that doesn't always mean antiques, she said.

''Antique dealers are getting hit from both sides, which makes it hard,'' she said. ''So if you're a business owner, you've really got to focus in on that, in addition to keeping in mind your location and that sort of thing.''

Ms. Reed said business owners - especially those who want customers to spend disposable income - should work hard to ''keep the inventory fresh.''

''Make sure you've got unique products,'' she said. ''Make sure you're offering very high-quality products. That will attract customers.''

But Ms. Reed also advocated a very nuts-and-bolts approach to successfully operating a business, whether it's a downtown business or one located elsewhere.

''Economize your expenditures, just like you would at home,'' she said. ''Review even the smallest things. Get double quotes on insurance. Check into using different vendors for your supplies. Question everything and do whatever you can to keep your overhead as low as possible.''

Ms. Reed also said small-business owners should create a business plan that lists ''very clear goals'' and outlines ways to achieve those goals.

''Very few business owners actually sit down and create a plan,'' she said. ''They're wearing so many hats that they don't have time to think about growth opportunities, new products they could offer, ways to enhance services or ways to attract new customer groups. But it's so important to set goals and be persistent and tenacious in pursuing them. That will go a long way towards keeping your business afloat.''