Thursday, December 5, 2013

End of 2013

Hello all,

Sorry it has been awhile since I've written. 

We are approaching the end of the year and with that comes Huge sales here at R & B Boutique.  I have over 500 products ready to ship, or as I like to say be adopted and head to their new home.  Who doesn't need more bows and tutus?  In my world, every little girl deserves a bow and a tutu or two! :)
You can purchase my products in three online locations; Etsy, Facebook, and my website!  Each location has hundreds of different products at prices you can't beat!! 

Today ONLY on my Facebook page: Buy 1 product at regular price and get 1 product FREE of equal or lesser value!!  Shipping is not included.  Become a fan and stay up to date with sales, new products, and so much more! 
www.facebook.com/rbboutique 

Currently my Etsy shop is all marked down 50%, prices do not include shipping.  www.etsy.com/shop/rbboutique

And last but not least, my website products are also marked down 50% and again, prices do not include shipping. 
www.randbboutique.com 

If there is anything I can help you find or create a custom piece for you, please send me a message and I will do my best to accommodate you.
I am also found on twitter @BowWeaver and Tumblr at www.bowweaver.tumblr.com

Thank you for reading!
 
~Hope

Monday, October 14, 2013

Website Launch

Hello all,

It's been a few months since I last blogged.  I have been busy working on my website, which launched TODAY!!!  YAY!!!  www.randbboutique.com is where you can find beautiful hair accessories for the special little girl in your life! 

I did not realize that creating a website would be so difficult!  I thought that I could have the entire website up and running in 30 days, but to my dismay it was not that simple.  Every time I would think I was almost finished and able to launch, something would need edited.  I am glad that I was able to finish it before the holiday shopping season commenced, so that all of you have access to my products!

I am really pleased with the way my website turned out and I am excited to continue along this adventure of being a WAHM! :)

Thank you all for reading and don't forget to check out R & B Boutique's website www.randbboutique.com

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Website Announcement and Babble

I would like to inform you all of my new venture!!  I am going to be launching a website in September!!  My goal is to launch on September 1, but I have a lot of work to do for the website to be ready to launch!  I am really excited about this new venture in my business.  It was time for an expansion and I believe this was just the thing to do!

I have been putting in a lot of hours at the computer the last week trying to finish editing my Etsy Shop and working on the website.  When I need a change of scenery I will work on the other for awhile.  My work week has been jam packed to finish everything by September 1 and will continue to be full until I can get everything finished that I want completed by then. 

I am a multi-tasker/thinker... As I am working on one project I am constantly thinking about how I can improve another area of my business.  So my To Do List continues to expand, I will mark something off once it's complete and somehow I think of three more things to add to the list.  Luckily not everything has to be finished by a deadline but it is sometimes overwhelming that my list is never ending.  Looking at the glass half full: I am always trying to better my business so it is not boring and routine, and so all of you (my customers) continue to have quality products!

Sorry for getting off topic a tad, but I just want you all to know that I am working hard to continue to supply you with quality products and customer service!

Thank you all for reading!!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Editing

This past week I have been extremely busy editing my Etsy Shop (www.etsy.com/shop/rbboutique).  I received some helpful advise from other Etsians (sellers on Etsy) on how to improve my shop, so I took notes and made a list.  I have 150 items in my shop and have about one third of the listings edited, however I am waiting on my photo backgrounds to come in the mail so I can get started retaking all my photos and make them more appealing to all of you.  I am excited to retake my photos because my new backgrounds are adorable!!  They are neutral colors but I'm still really excited to get started.  I'm planning on having all of my listings edited by the end of the week, so when my backgrounds come in I can get started on taking photos and editing them on Etsy. 

Here are some coupon codes for my Etsy Shop:

Get 10% Off your purchase at my Etsy Shop Now through July 31 by using Coupon Code FREEDOM10

Get Free Shipping (IN THE USA ONLY) on orders $30 Coupon Code FREESHIP13!!


Thank you all for reading, I will be back soon with updates!!

~Hope

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Beginning

Hello all and welcome to my blog!

First off I would like to introduce and tell you about myself.  My name is Hope, I'm a mother of two children, my daughter is 8 and my son is 5.  I have two fur babies a 3 year old American Straffordshire Terrier, Charlie, and a 5 month old Great Dane, Brea.  I married my best friend and soul mate, Tyler, on the beach of Surfside Beach, SC, July 2012.  I love being able to stay at home and take care of my children and watch their milestones daily. 


So, when did I begin my journey as a WAHM?  I was taking college online courses to obtain my Associates Degree in Psychology and decided that I needed another outlet and needed to feel like I was helping financially with my family.  I started brainstorming with my husband and decided in December 2011, that I would open a hair accessories business.  The search began with finding supply stores, deciding what I wanted to offer, and of course a business name.  My mom called me one day to let me know she came up with a name idea for me, Ribbons and Bows Boutique.  I thought the name was lacking uniqueness so I abbreviated the Ribbons and Bows part to R and B.  I decided I would open my shop on what would have been my sister's 16th birthday (she passed away at the age of 10 due to a heart condition.)  I announced on Facebook to all my friends and family that I was opening a business, on Facebook www.facebook.com/rbboutique.  When I opened I orders gradually came in.  I began looking for craft shows and booking them.  Before I knew it I had booked nearly 20 shows in a 4 month period.  I was swamped, I had shows every weekend, and was swamped with homework, household duties, tending to my children, being a wife, and trying to keep my completed supply stocked for my shows.  About mid September I was making nearly 100 flower and bow clips a week, on top of everything else I had to do.  Needless to say it made for a long winter. 

I graduated college in December *YAY* and was able to focus more of my time to my business.  I began expanding my inventory, making more products, added nearly 200 items to my Etsy Shop www.etsy.com/shop/rbboutique, added over a 100 pins to my Pinterest Board http://pinterest.com/hopemc2012/r-b-boutique/, Opened a Twitter Account @BowWeaver, and soon found myself running out of space in my tiny (a 12 x 12 room) office area... also known to my children and hubby as "the boutique." 

Now, I have been open for business for a year and a half, cringe when I have to go into my boutique because it's crowded with supplies, tables, and my display for my craft shows.  However, that is about to change because we are going to add on to make my boutique area A LOT bigger!  I can't wait!!  And of course I will post about the addition as it's going on!  I have recently placed my business on Manta and had it verified by the company, something I highly recommend and of course I decided to blog about my adventure and if it helps spread the word about my business, then that is an added bonus!!



Things that I offer for being a fan on my Facebook page:
Special Offers & Sales for Facebook Fans Only
Coupon Codes for Etsy
Updates on New Products
Play Games for Prizes; discounts, free R & B products, etc.
Helpful Customer Service
Custom Orders
and More!

Things I offer on Etsy
Over 100 Ready to Ship Items
Coupon Codes to new customers (found at the top of my shop)
Helpful Customer Service
Custom Orders
and More!

Twitter, Pinterest, and Manta are other ways I help promote my business!!

Looking at my business over the last year and a half, I can definitely say that there are things I needed/need to change but the best part about a new business is that I can learn what works, what doesn't, and what does work but can be bettered!!

I saw a quote today that fits perfectly for how I am feeling:
"The Fabulous Life of a WAHM; Crazy, Hectic, but Always Worth IT!!"
~Author Unknown

Thank you all for reading!  See you next time! :)