Interview By: Natalie Newman
My business partner and I had the pleasure of meeting Whitney at AmericasMart in Atlanta, Georgia for the April Apparel Mart. She was kind enough to let me interview her and provided me with some pointers that are perfect for us new boutique owners. Enjoy!
Tell me about yourself and your business. What is your background, where is your business located, how
long have you been open, what do you sell?
My name is Whitney Parker. Nikkilynn Boutique started July 2016, previously I worked for my mother who had a boutique for 8 years. My business is located in Aiken, SC. We primarily sell women’s clothing, we have accessories & shoes as well.
What led you to want to open a boutique?
I’ve grown up in the “boutique” world, honestly back when my mom had it I said I would never wanna do this & that I wanted to be a nurse. I went to nursing school & that was NOT for me! LOL!
What skills prepared you to open a boutique?
Working in a boutique definitely helped, I also took entrepreneurship classes in school & did DECA and FBLA while in high school. Those are both business focused groups that compete and do projects together!
What differentiates your boutique from your competitors?
I love being on a personal level with everyone, I’m constantly in the picture, whether it be literally in pictures, working the store or working the warehouse! I talk to customers & do just as much “dirty” work as my employees!
How do you balance in-store and online sales?
Balancing in-store & online sales is HARD! In-store requires a lot of hands on but web sales is where the $$ is! We recently switched to Shopify (last week, woah!!) & it been a game changer. It helps manage the inventory like no other!
What are the pros and cons of using Shopify?
I cant really answer this since this week was our first week with it! I will update in about a month!
What is your strategy when you attend big apparel shows like the one at AmericasMart in Atlanta?
I actually like to attend Dallas, but was in need of some quick orders when I met you guys. You definitely have to have a plan and budget. For a week or so before market I post and ask customers “what do you want?” they love to give their opinion, trust me! So I take a notepad with me the entire time, write down what I want to order, what I have ordered, when it will ship, how much I’ve spent and make sure I stay in budget!
How far ahead do you order inventory?
I normally order at each show for the following season, but I order weekly off of FashionGo for fillers.
Where do you get inspiration on what to purchase for your store? How do you make decisions when
buying?
I love Pinterest, love to see what’s trending! I always have loved a boho-chic style so I tend to go with what I love when I buy. I feel like if you don’t love it your customers won’t either.
What advice would you give to aspiring boutique owners?
Be prepared to fail 1,000 times and stand back up 1,001. It is HARD but rewarding like no other. Get some tissues, you’re gonna need them! LOL.
What is one thing you wish you would have done differently or wish you had known before opening?
I wish I would have known how bad our landlord is at our current place. I can’t really say I wish something wouldn’t have happened, because if everything hadn’t happened the way it has I wouldn’t have learned, there isn’t one bad thing that has taken place that I would want to change because it put me in a better place.
What tips can you give on creating a strong online presence and a strong social media presence?
Be yourself, people love to follow “you” the real you. I let everyone add me on my personal pages & I post A LOT on my personal facebook page. Nothing to do with the business just “my life” people like to be able to personally relate & I think that helps.
What social media channels do you use and how do you create visibility for your boutique online?
DEF a Facebook page & group. We are exploring Instagram moreso this year & it’s really paying off!
What have you found to be the most successful for you when it comes to marketing and advertising?
NOT the paper! hahah! The biggest waste of money ever! Facebook is #1, then right behind that is google. But word of mouth over all!
What do you love most about owning a boutique?
I love to see my hard work pay off. It is not easy, everyone thinks we play dress up all day but that is SOOO not true! It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done but I LOVE a challenge. I love to meet my goals & see my #’s go up & I’ll do anything to get it to the top.
What has been the most challenging thing about owning a boutique or being a business owner?
The public! HA, that’s broad. But people are SO rude, so you have to be prepared. Don’t let anyone bully you to change the policies you put in place. Stick to them, & “train” them to listen! Not hitting sales goals is hard, sometimes its hard to watch a bad month, no matter what you do or how hard you bust butt sometimes you just have a bad month, but just get up and hit the next month even harder!
