From concept to concrete

I never expected to own a successful storefront. I had dreamt of it of course, and I had notebooks full of different business plans and ideas scattered around my house. But as a college drop-out, I didn't expect it to ever come to fruition. Now, I have a front-page-worthy store that has been voted Viewers Top Choice in a recent local news segment. My dream of owning a shop with over 100 local artists was once an idea that even my husband thought was farfetched, but I'm here to tell you, it's a reality now. When it all began, I was a homebound mother of two with over $25,000 in student loans. Now, I'm the owner of an artisan store that supports over 100 local artists, crafters, and entrepreneurs. 

I started looking for craft fairs to get myself out of the house and make a few bucks, but after a few months of not finding anything relevant, I decided to reach out to my local mother's group. I asked if they would be interested if I hosted a craft fair pop-up, and to my surprise, they thought it was a great idea. My first concrete step was starting a group where I could bounce my ideas off of people and get their feedback. This became one of my greatest marketing tools because it provided a venue for immediate communication. 

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