Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawna Drake.
Hi Shawna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Lotus Eden Boutique to provide a small income while I just gave birth to my son, Crew Theodore. In hindsight, it’s really funny that I started selling bows since I have a son! I was only two months post-partum starting this chapter of my life, and honestly I had no idea what to expect. I chose the name Lotus Eden because that was the name we had picked out if we had a girl instead of a boy!
I started selling bows on Etsy on June the 8th, 2020, and I was so proud of myself! It was so slow and so many times I almost called it quits, luckily my fiancé was so supportive and pushed me not to give up. Not long after that, I started a VIP group on Facebook called Lotus Eden Boutique VIP to be able to talk directly to my audience and not only my Facebook friends. I also ran my first ever rep search and that really helped get my small shop’s name out there!
In October, I stopped selling on Etsy and launched my very own website (www.lotusedenboutique.com). I started offering my customers Sezzle so they can buy more while paying four smaller payments interest-free, and I had my first ever $2 bow sale and it was a hit! I had so many people join the VIP group on Facebook and took advantage of my sale. I was beside myself and so very grateful at how well that went!
Recently I have started offering monthly mystery bows and clothes that will match bows plus some items for us momma’s! I pride myself in continuing perfecting my craft of bow making and continuing to offer my customers a wide selection of bow colors and prints.
I have done all of this in less than a year! This entire journey has flew by and grew much larger and faster than I could have ever hoped for! I count my blessings every day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest struggle was at the beginning. I have never been a seller before and had to learn everything on my own! Between learning the best fabric for bows, how to create shipping labels, and the biggest struggle of all, finding my audience. Networking is the most difficult part of starting a small shop because people don’t know if they can trust you or not yet. I do plan on going to farmer markets this summer so I can network even more and hopefully gain more customers.
We’ve been impressed with Lotus Eden Boutique, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Lotus Eden Boutique is a baby bow shop. We offer bows on nylon, clips, piggies, headwraps, and bow ties for the boys. Nylons are best for babies with little-to-no hair and can’t hold a clip yet. I use alligator clips on my clip bows, and piggies are smaller bows made into a set of two. We also offer monthly mystery bows! These are so much fun. You let me know which style bow you want from above (excluding bow ties) and you will receive four bows that has never been in the shop yet to assure that you won’t have doubles! We recently launched Lotus Eden Boutique merchandise and the clothes are so cute plus they have a quick turnaround time!
I believe what sets Lotus Eden Boutique apart from other shops is that I hand make every bow and I offer excellent customer service. I know that my customers are paying for a service and a certain level of expectations when they place an order with me. Anything that has my name attached to it will always be done to be best of my abilities, and I pride myself in consistency! If for some reason, I do make an honest mistake, I will always correct the issue as fast as I possibly can. I genuinely care about my customers.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If you or anyone that you know is looking for a fun bow shop then please check my small shop out! At the top of the website is a banner that will directly send you to my Facebook VIP group, which is where you’ll be able to help me pick out future bows to drop and access rep codes for a percentage off of your entire purchase!
Pricing:
- 5
- 10
- 20
- 25
Contact Info:
- Email: lotusedenboutique@gmail.com
- Website: www.lotusedenboutique.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotusedenboutique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LotusEdenBoutique/
