Hello, Fashology family! Our last post was in February. Let me first start by saying we have missed you so much! If you follow us on instagram you know we have been up to a lot of good things. Babies, boutiques, oh my! So, let’s break it down.
At the end of January I was feeling unfulfilled & just frustrated. I just felt flat & needed to do something different. I also was experiencing an exhaustion like I had never experienced before. Did I have lyme disease, was it covid? The list of self diagnosis went on! My sister gave me that last push that I needed to start my online boutique, she asked “What I was waiting for?” For the longest time I had these self limiting thoughts that held me back. It was particularly the paperwork to become a legitimate business for me. Sole proprietorship vs LLC? Am I filling out the right documents so I don’t get arrested by the IRS? I did all the research I could, got overwhelmed, & then got a SCORE mentor to help me navigate through the process.
I had finally got all my paperwork done! I was feeling very accomplished! Then my husband & I found out we were pregnant! We are super excited to be welcoming baby Penelope Sloane Williams due October 2021.
As some of you know, I also work a full time corporate job during the day. In came the intrusive self doubting thoughts again. “I’m pregnant, work full time, & I’m trying to create something?! I can’t do this!” I had come so far after the paperwork aspect of launching a boutique so, I pushed myself to keep going. I will say it helps to still be working from home. A lot of days have been spent in sweatshirts or pjs. I am so glad that I kept going!
March was spent sourcing product which presented to be harder than I expected. I was trying to get into shows that I once attended when I did buying for a local boutique but, since all of them went virtual they kept the shows to established businesses. A friend that own’s a boutique in Raleigh, NC had made me aware of a portal that connected stores with suppliers. My initial intent was to order a wider breath in sizing however, with this portal it limited my purchasing to pre-packs which meant a set quantity per size, no flexibility (most of it was 2 smalls, 2 medium, 2 large). I also wanted to introduce a hat & maybe a couple other accessories but, the minimums were way too high! Given the circumstance we are super happy with the first collection & looking forward to watching it flourish! Bringing this to life with photoshoots (taken by none other than CLW Photography) & coming up with a launch plan inclusive of influencers & virtual parties was an easier experience.
Our boutique officially launched Friday 5/7! You can now shop! Thank you all so much for your continued support & love. It truly means so much! We wouldn’t be here without you! I have wanted to launch a boutique since I was a sales associate in high school. It is an honor to share this experience with you. We appreciate your patience as we shifted our focus to a successful launch.
