"Baby Steps" To Retail Success

EEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!  Welcome to my first ever blog post!  WHAT?  I never in a million years thought I would be blogging, but here we are!

I cannot wait to share behind the scenes of small business with you.  I am an open book so I hope to share some valuable insight with you about how I built and sold two successful businesses.  I always welcome feedback so if there is a topic you'd love for me to chat about, please let me know!

I thought I'd start with a little bit about my journey in business and how my first business became a reality.  It's been over 18 years now  🤯 so I do have a "few" stories to share!

I have a typical story.  I had always dreamed of owning my own business. I don't actually recall the moment I decided to leave my stable, government job and enter in the the entrepreneurial world, but I do know I had a 4 month old baby in my arms.  As a first time mom, who couldn't find the latest and greatest baby things in my city, I decided that was the perfect opportunity to see my dreams become reality.  

September 2005. Looking at space for our store.

Backing up a bit, I actually realized quite quickly that I didn't want to stay home full time, nor did I want to continue in my current job. There was a gap, a space where my career aspirations and motherhood could coexist. I just knew it.  It was in this space that the idea of CRAVINGS maternity & baby was born.

The original concept was simple: a maternity store, however it evolved into something more – a one-stop-shop for all things mom and baby.  Within a whirlwind week, my then business partner (we split after 7 years) incorporated the business. Admittedly, I was stepping into unknown territory, but my gut told me there was a need for this shop and I was pulled towards it.

The next phase involved contacting suppliers and carefully selecting product lines. Every decision was a step towards bringing my vision for CRAVINGS to life. My favorite part (aside from shopping for the store , of course) was creating the looks and feel.  Branding wasn't just about aesthetics; it was about the essence, the feeling of what CRAVINGS would represent to mothers and families.  Our branding included fonts we chose from our desktop, chocolate brown + pink for our colors (anyone else remember how popular those colors were? 😳) and we went to work creating our flyers, gift certificates and posters by hand. I mean, we didn't have any money to invest at that time!

This picture was actually our second location...but still using the same branding!

The next four months were a blur of leasehold improvements, merchandise orders, and meticulous planning of the store layout. It was both exciting and exhausting (insert new baby here 😉), but every day brought us closer to the realization of a dream.

Just when things seemed to be on track, we hit a major snag. Another store with the exact same concept was set to open only a few blocks away. This challenge, before we had even opened our doors, was a true test of our perseverance. It was actually a blessing, although we did't see it that way then.  

The presence of a direct competitor forced us to figure out who we really were and what we would be to our customers. We had to figure out how to differentiate ourselves and stand out to not just exist but to thrive. It was a pivotal moment, one that would shape the very identity of CRAVINGS.

Now the story of CRAVINGS is far from over. There's more to share about the challenges faced, the achievements celebrated, and the journey that followed, but I don't want to overstay my welcome...we did just meet 😉

...but I would LOVE for you to subscribe and come back. 

I do really think you and I will become business besties forever (BFF).  I can just feel it 🖤

 Jor xo