Our September Customer Spotlight is about Lisa Finch of
Finch Designs. Like many other creative businesses, Lisa's started as a hobby while she worked a separate full time job, but one thing led to another and Finch Designs took off! She now carries a wide assortment of items in her shop for both mom and baby, from scarves and beanies to teething necklaces and bibdanas. Here is more about Lisa and her company.
Finch Designs was created in a very meandering sort of way as a hobby for me while I was working full time. Friends asked me to make baby shower items for them, and it all snowballed into a business in 2012. I first started with infinity scarves, and then added nursing scarves, beanies, necklaces and so much more! Initially, I started with a facebook page and sold directly thorough there, but knew I needed to make the ordering process easier. Thanks to online groups that I belong to, business was growing rapidly, but taking that next step was terrifying. Then in November of 2013, our life took a scary turn when my son suffered a traumatic brain injury while at daycare and had to be airlifted to Rochester-Mayo. He spent a week in the PICU, and I knew I needed to do whatever I possibly could to stay home with my children.
I stepped up my game and became more active on Instagram, ordered larger fabric quantities and found brand reps to get my name out there. Opening an etsy shop became a months long planning process. I researched nursery decor trends, fabrics, and found out as much as I could about the industry. I wanted to know exactly what people were shopping for, and that's where Girl Charlee came in. They had the designs that customers wanted, the price point is exactly right, and I love that so much is done within the United States.
Finch Designs went live on etsy (operating as Clever Finch Designs) just in time for Black Friday, and that ball has been rolling ever since. Word of mouth has made the shop exactly what it is today. Finch Designs was started as a shop for friends to buy baby shower gifts, and those friends certainly spread the word around.
Making products for children and mothers is so gratifying. I love seeing the notes that people leave for the recipients, and I love knowing that I am making a product to celebrate a rainbow baby, and new mother, or a child's birthday. It brings me so much happiness to make things that bring joy to families or make a new mothers life easier. Keeping the balance between running a busy etsy shop, stocking four retail shops, and having a life is a tricky balance, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I get to make my dreams come true every single day, and I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings for Finch Designs.
We hope you have enjoyed reading about Lisa. If you would like to be featured in our next Customer Spotlight post, email gcblog@girlcharlee.com and we will get in touch.
~ Heather & The Girl Charlee Team
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