Two Generations = One Successful Business

In just a short time, a Kentucky t-shirt business has quickly become one of our top customers. The success story starts with a home embroidery business that our customer’s mom had run since 1998. Although always around her mom’s business, Jessica never really took much interest in it. As a senior in high school Jessica was in a co-op program; you took two classes each morning then had to work for the remainder of the day. She looked no further than her mom’s embroidery business to finish her co-op day.

She discovered her mom’s embroidery business served a successful niche and filled customer’s needs for birthday gifts, swim teams, upholstery shops and even a large number of sympathy gifts for funerals and florists. But they were turning away business.

All it took was a heat press and Jessica’s end of the business was born. She says, “I bought my heat press, and it has added SO SO much to our shop. It’s unreal. I now get calls on a daily basis about it. People in our community are so glad that our business is available and they don’t have to go out of town, because we are a really small community.” Jessica’s biggest customer is the local school system but she also does orders for restaurants, factories, and local businesses. She also has done shirts for several fundraisers. After graduating from high school, Jessica has been taking graphic design classes at her local college which fits perfectly with their business. She has found success and hasn’t even turned 21 yet!

Her biggest challenge is keeping up with an older brother who at the age of 21 is a successful full time farmer with a tremendous work ethic! A second challenge is learning the ins and outs of the new business. She said the mistakes help you learn real fast!

Jessica and her mom decided to move out of the home business to a store about a year ago. She says it has been much more than they could have imagined and her greatest success. They were operating in their basement which was small and could be awkward as customer’s came knocking at the door. They weighed the pros and cons and decided a store could be nothing but good! They built a little shop right across the street from their home. They now have a store they can feel confident about! Their work area is now separated from the showroom where they greet customers.

Obviously a family with a strong work ethic, good values and the entrepreneurial spirit, we have no doubt they will be successful for many years to come!

Jessica and Mom run a success t-shirt business.

Mom and Jessica, happy to grow from home business to their own store.

 

Josh Ellsworth

Great story! I think the Graphic Design expertise is key as business owners are getting started and trying to create items that match their vision or their customers’ ideas. Congratulations to all involved and best of luck in the future!

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