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In the Company of These Two, Three's No Crowd
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Business New Haven
2/4/2002
By: Anne-Marie Brungard
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Take two business owners, add some common interests, a dash of creativity and mix well. Roll carefully in opportunity and sprinkle on some owner-financing. The finished product? By Designing Women.
The concept: Give some tried-and-tested cottage-industry artistsans the opportunity to showcase their products in style. Such artists and craftspeople “are at the stage in their endeavors when they are not yet ready to commit to their own store, but keeping it all under foot at their home is getting cumbersome,” explains Lisa Hyatt, partner. “This store is an incubator for those who fall into this category.”
By Designing Women, at 58 River Street in Milford, displays handcrafted gift items and collectibles on a consignment basis. “We have filled the store with glorious and distinctive items made by women,” explains Lorene Stapleton (and even a few by males).
Hyatt and Stapleton have known each other for years in various business circles. Hyatt is the owner of Advanced Placement, an employment agency with 15 years under its belt. Stapleton recently answered her own entrepreneurial calling, that of flaky pastry and cookie concoctions in her own bakery, called Sweet Designs. Neighboring stores (and good coffee) gave the two business owners a chance to chat and dream. They discovered a shared love of antique treasures, home furnishings and carefully crafted gift items.
So when another store next to the bakery became available, they seized the opportunity to do something different. They carefully renovated the 700-square-foot space, making areas available to sublet to service companies and display areas for their designers.
But just consigning items wasn't enough to make the store unusual and draw regular customers. Hyatt and Stapleton decided they also needed a way to showcase and promote local services, too, such as Ruby Slippers, owned by Ruby Robstock. Robstock is an esthetician who offers skin care, waxing, manicures, facials, make-up applications and consulting.
By Designing Women afforded Robstock an opportunity to sublease her own small space within the larger retail establishment. While establishing her business Robstock can focus on the mechanics. Promotion and marketing are not her major concern as Hyatt and Stapleton are committed to promoting the store as a discrete unit. Their vendors and designers are included on a Web site. Some additional services include a caterer, disk jockey and photographer.
Hyatt and Stapleton have worked to assemble a network of tried-and-true people who provide top-of-the-line services to those seeking home decorating, wedding planning, entertainment, home furnishings and the like. “Every service we recommend has been 'tested' [by one of the owners],” Stapleton explains. “We have put our name in affiliation with a service or product, and expect only the best from them.”
“Retail is very different from the service industry,” adds Hyatt, “You have to bring the people to you.” The store is a bit difficult to find, and so one of the initial challenges included getting the word out on a limited budget - a very different scenario from Hyatt's service business. “But this is really fun,” she says. “You have to be even more creative.” That creativity has extended itself to strategically connecting Sweet Designs bakery and By Designing Women via a doorway. So while customers are enjoying a scone and coffee from the bakery, they can also browse through the store while waiting for a facial. This puts a whole new twist on “one-stop shopping.”
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