With a big milestone simply over the horizon, Jennifer Horton of the Curvy Chick Boutique in downtown Fort Frances displays on what a decade in enterprise appears like whenever you put the time and keenness into making work enjoyable.
Horton is marking 10 years in enterprise this 12 months on the Curvy Chick Boutique, a retailer that started life as a vacation spot for lingerie on the town earlier than ultimately changing into the shop it’s at the moment, a house for not solely lingerie, however sweaters, attire, equipment, candles and extra, the whole lot and something you could possibly consider to put on or make your private area really feel a bit extra private.
“It’s simply mindblowing that it’s been 10 years already,” Horton stated.
“It’s passed by so quick. I had began doing images, sort of boudoir and issues like that, and thought that my prospects wanted some lingerie as a result of there wasn’t a retailer right here. I believed that perhaps I might usher in somewhat little bit of lingerie so my shoppers have it, after which it became opening an entire retailer.”
Horton stated she had a good friend and mentor in Dryden to depend on when it got here to studying the ins and outs of operating her personal related enterprise, and after a handful of places, the shop has carved out its area of interest as a fixture of the downtown buying scene. Curvy Chick has developed into the boutique that, in Horton’s phrases, presents buyers the sensation of not buying in Fort Frances, in Fort Frances.
“It’s positively grown through the years,” Horton defined.
“It’s developed by discovering out from prospects what they’re needing or what they need to see. COVID was an enormous shock and I someway bought by means of it, however at the moment individuals couldn’t exit of city or journey, so it turned ‘okay, what do individuals want?’ and increasing on that. I’ve constructed these relationships through the years so that individuals preserve coming again, and I’m nonetheless seeing new prospects. It’s stunning, virtually each week I’ve somebody coming in being like ‘I haven’t been in right here earlier than,’ or ‘how lengthy have you ever been right here?’ So it’s nonetheless nice.”
Over the pandemic, Horton made full use of her retailer’s social media platforms to proceed to interact along with her prospects and allow them to know what new and thrilling gadgets she had accessible, which helped to foster a way of group and goal not just for the shop proprietor, but additionally for these prospects and supporters who have been additionally caught at dwelling on the lookout for one thing to do. Whereas Horton stated she’s starting to wind down the social media movies now that restrictions have largely lifted, there are different plans she has for the enterprise shifting ahead.
Horton stated she nonetheless finds enjoyable and pleasure in her enterprise life, and stated she discovered that as a enterprise proprietor, and human being, generally you simply must ask for assist.
“Asking for assist was an enormous factor,” she stated.
“It’s okay when you don’t know the whole lot, I nonetheless don’t know the whole lot. I’m nonetheless making errors and hopefully studying from these errors. However discovering a bunch of girls or different enterprise homeowners that you could discuss to, as a result of generally it will probably really feel lonely, about issues like money move or stock. So I’m at all times studying completely different methods and tips on how to make higher choices.”
Horton additionally stated discovering a mentor in enterprise could be a large asset, significantly for individuals who are considering of beginning off their very own enterprise concepts, and that these people also needs to make sure that to take full benefit of the various completely different organizations which are set as much as assist new and established companies succeed.
“I believe discovering a mentor, discovering somebody you’ll be able to bounce concepts off of [is important],” she stated.
“I do know numerous individuals have reached out to me previously, and I’m at all times up for serving to others, or placing them in reference to the appropriate individuals, like attain out to this individual, attain out to Wet River Future Improvement. Angela [Halvorsen] is wonderful, I nonetheless meet with them. There’s different organizations like PARO Centre in Thunder Bay and the Northwest Enterprise Centre out of Kenora. There are such a lot of completely different organizations which are prepared to assist or have details about grants or loans or simply recommendation or serving to with enterprise plans.”
Nevertheless, Horton cautions that it’s additionally necessary to maintain your work-life steadiness in perspective, because it’s one of many causes she thinks she nonetheless finds a lot pleasure in coming to work.
“It’s taken me a very long time to get the place I’m, and there’s this mentality that you must work work work, and it’s so poisonous,” she stated.
“I’ve needed to actually work on the work-life steadiness, and realizing that issues shall be there tomorrow. Spending time with your loved ones and simply residing your life with the intention to come again to work or your online business and simply be refreshed and enthusiastic about it. There’s at all times going to be occasions the place you must work somewhat bit extra, however particularly being your individual enterprise, it’s necessary to ensure you’re taking that point, and prospects will be taught to respect that. I nonetheless love coming right here each day and assembly new individuals.”
Horton stated there are plans to have a good time the shop’s milestone anniversary this 12 months, so so as to preserve apprised on all issues Curvy Chick, comply with their Fb and Instagram pages at “curvychickff” or go to their web site at curvychickff.com.
