Today we’d like to introduce you to Tefani.
Tefani, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started Tefani Boutique after being off work for a year due to a back injury. I had just moved to my new apartment with my son and I had to figure out another way to make money. I was living in Washington, D.C. at the time, which is where im from. I gave myself a year to save money. I also returned back to work and went back to college. During those times, I worked during the day and at night, I was doing pop-up shops at local bars in D.C. August 2017, I was ready to move to ATL and push myself to grow more. The first year in ATL, I got sidetrack because I was trying to adjust for my son and I. After sustaining another back injury in 2018, I decided to get back on track with being a full-time entrepreneur. At the end of the day, that’s why I moved to ATL in the first place. I re-brand the business in April of this year (2019), I flew to LA to meet my distributions and manufacturers in person. I wanted to see how it feels to actually handpick my merchandise for my business versus ordering online. Traveling to LA was one of the best decisions I’ve done for my business. I racked up on apparel and accessories. Two weeks later, my website was up and running again with a whole new look. May of this year (2019), I was searching for a space to conduct my business in. My inventory was growing and it was time to get out of my comfort zone (my living room). I decided to move forward and check into Synergy Suites for a space. The owner Montana gave me a tour and when he learned what my business was, he insisted I take the first suite in the front of the entrance. I agreed and paid my deposit right then and there. Taking his advice was a blessing for my business. My business is now the first thing anybody sees when they walk in the front door. Which help my business grow tremendously. I’m glad I chose a leap of faith and challenge myself to learn and grow. It is the best feeling I’ve ever felt like a businesswoman.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Running my business has been a bumpy road. The first struggle was getting exposure to my business. Moving to ATL, meant I had to start all over again. Nobody knows me here or my business. The second struggle was keeping merchandise on hand frequently. When sales were low, I had to use my money outside of the business to buy merchandise which made things hard when it was time to pay bills. My third struggle was staying on top of my business and not getting lazy. Pushing myself to work even when I was in pain (due to my back injuries, I have a chronic nerve pain). My fourth struggle (which is current) is working on my marketing skills. Marketing takes money to do when you want to use bigger platforms. But I’m pushing on it and hiring my first two models is working for me.
Please tell us about Tefani Boutique, LLC.
Tefani Boutique is a clothing store for women and soon to be men as well. We sell clothes online and at our retail locations. We sell clothing for women in sizes small to extra large. we are working on pushing our curvy lady sizes to come out in two weeks. We sell purses, sunglasses and accessories. Our clothes range from clubwear, streetwear, office wear, sporty wear, and classy wear. Tefani Boutique is known for selling items that are hard to find either in style or select color. We also don’t restock items, which helps our customers purchase asap. As a company, I am most proud of the growth we have sustained over the last couple of months. Seeing the great feedback from our customers is the best. What sets Tefani Boutique apart from others is, we are very down to earth with our customers. We make them feel wanted. We do social events to connect to our audience. We don’t want to be behind the scenes. We want to be in the front and communicating with everybody we connect too.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, if I had to start over, I would do everything the same way. Only because my struggles and mistakes is why I am where I am at today. I learn so much as a businesswoman. I wouldn’t change anything. The process was worth every penny spent and experience learned.
Pricing:
- Tops starting at $20
- Sets starting at $30
- Purses starting at $35
Contact Info:
- Address: 1735 Defoor Pl NW F2
Atlanta, GA 30318 - Website: www.tefaniboutique.bigcartel.com
- Phone: 2028343458
- Email: tefaniboutique@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Vada Penkett Instagram @vada.penkett, Tefani Williams instagram @miss_tefani
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