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Nowadays it’s not just about buying something because it’s cute. Our buying habits have evolved
—for the better. Thanks in great part to the surfeit of information propagated by the Internet and
the strained economic times, the wanton consumerism of yesteryear has been traded in for a new
and improved model, driven by our desire for oversight, disclosure, accountability and fact-finding
on all fronts, from vetting owner ethos to scrutinizing product quality.
Here, THE FAMILY GROOVE shines the spotlight on rising entrepreneurs and their businesses to bring you the goods on the who, what, where, when, how and why behind the best and the brightest brands on the market today. It is our hope that these interviews will not only give you some insight into the passion, spirit and values that fuel these companies, but just might inspire you to follow your dreams, too.
This month’s Top Shop: Bugs N Butterflies Baby
THE FAMILY GROOVE: What is the inspiration behind your unique name?
BRITTNEY DANA: I was sitting outside while I was watching kids one day and I was dreaming of putting together my website. I was watching them play in the yard: They were running around trying to catch butterflies that were flying around, and some of them were looking for bugs. The name just came to me. It is great because it was the things that were making the kids happy and it fit the items that I wanted to carry in my boutique, which were products that assist mothers with travel and being outside as well as natural products that are organic or made in the U.S. It also inspired me with the design of my website.
TFG: When and why did you decide to launch your boutique?
BD: I am a single mom, and it is important to me to spend as much time raising my son as I can instead of leaving it up to others. So I wanted a job that allowed me to stay at home and still spend time with him. I started my store on eBay but found the fees of eBay were cutting into my profits. That is when I decided to open my own website. So it came at a time when I was just not feeling satisfied with what I was doing for a career in daycare, and what I was doing on eBay felt like it could be more. I still have a store on eBay that I am slowly phasing out as my website grows. My website will be a year old in September and my son will be five this year, so I am excited for my website to take off and keep me busy to fill in the time while he is in school.
TFG: What were you doing before?
BD: Before opening this website, I was working at a daycare and running my eBay store. Although I was able to have my son at work with me, I didn’t feel like I was able to give him the time and attention that I wanted to.
TFG: What’s the best thing about being a mom-trepreneur?
BD: I enjoy having the time to spend with my son and the flexible schedule that allows me to work when it is convenient for me. Many things are added to my website late in the evening. I also love being my own boss.
TFG: What’s surprised you the most about being a business owner?
BD: How little I knew about running a business or website. When you see stores online, it looks so simple. You think, ‘How fun to have a store with fun products. I can do that and lots of people will love to shop with me,’ but upon diving in, I quickly learned that there is a lot going on to make those sites what they are. But through making mistakes along the way, I am learning what it takes to run a successful website.
TFG: What was your most frazzled moment as a working mom?
BD: My website is still fairly new, so some of my frazzled moments would be not growing as fast as I had expected to. Also taking the time to learn the ins and outs of building a website and making it successful. It felt like it was like teaching myself a second language.
TFG: What does your son say about the store?
BD: My son tells everyone that we have a store called Bugs N Butterflies. He loves to help carry packages when going to the post office and could be considered the manager of shipping and receiving. He gets very excited when new product comes in and he gets to open the box.
TFG: What advice do you have for other moms looking to start something of their own?
BD: Research what you want to do. Know how you are going to bring not only traffic but shopping customers to your site. For me, I got my site up and running and open with no plan on how I was going to advertise. I didn’t know anything about SEO and what it took to get my site on the search engines. I feel if I had known these things before, my site would have grown faster.
TFG: You have a distinctive style and voice, which seems to be reflected in the things that you sell. How do you decide what to carry?
BD: I choose items that as a mom I would use. I also like to carry items that are not too expensive yet are unique from the department stores. I enjoy going to retail boutiques in my travels and researching what they are selling.
TFG: Where does Bugs N Butterflies Baby buzz off to from here? What are your long-term plans?
BD: In the future of Bugs N Butterflies, shoppers will be able to find made-in-the-USA products as well as organic. I am working on bringing in products from local stay-at-home moms with great ideas. I want my site to have several options for its customers to choose from in all departments.
TFG: What should everyone know about your boutique?
BD: My boutique is a place where moms can support other moms by purchasing great handmade (mom-made) items as well as find mom-tested products. I want the customer’s shopping experience to be pleasant and enjoyable. I am always open to suggestions from customers on their favorite products and what they would like to see us carry.
BRITTNEY’S MOMMY-MUSTS OF THE SEASON
The Bugs N Butterflies owner gives us her five favorite items for spring/summer 2009
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1. The JJ Cole System Bag “I love this bag in the two new colors of the season: Cocoa/Clover and Black/Lagoon.” |
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2. The JJ Cole Lite Bundle Me “This light blanket won’t fall off when you’re out for a stroll.” |
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3. Three-Piece Playset from the Mud Pie EiEiO Collection “They are great for gift giving and are super cute.” |
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4. GumDrop Pacifier “This soft-topped soother is designed to fit Baby’s face and is perfect for side-laying.” |
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5. Just Precious Curly Bows “These very adorable accessories are made by a local stay-at-home mom.” |
Catch the buzz! Go to www.bugsnbutterfliesbaby.com.
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