We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tailor-Marie Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tailor-Marie below.

Tailor-Marie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Coming up with the name for my company certainly took a lot of time and consideration. I wanted to create a name that was not only memorable, but also explained in one word what my company was. Eliqua rolls off the tongue and conveys a sense of luxury to our customers. Eliqua is a combination of the words aqua and elixir…Eliqua! Simple, luxurious, and straight to the point.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Eliqua was a school assignment that I had in my final semester of college that I turned into a reality! Eliqua LLC is Life’s Natural Elixir. We provide all natural fruit infused waters that help support and promote your body’s natural needs. Each water flavor that we offer is designed to work with your body’s natural chemistry so that it can always perform at its best. Our waters contain all-natural organic ingredients. There are no calories, no sugars, and no artificial flavors or colors. Not only do we carry infused waters, but we have expanded our brand into other areas such as loose leaf herbal teas, health themed merchandise, and now apparel.

Eliqua was inspired by my love of water and nutrition. I have always been a huge advocate for drinking water and I encourage everyone I know to drink it. As I got older I watched my mom struggle with severe health issues that were partially a result of her not consuming water until well in her 20s. I wanted to create a product that I knew people needed, but also provide a community where they felt supported.

Eliqua is my passion in life, and I know in my heart that this is what God wants,me to do with my life and my platform. I am breaking stigmas of water being flavorless or unimportant to your health with my products. Although there a many bottled water companies on the market, Eliqua sets itself apart by including the physical fruits and herbs in every bottle so you can see exactly what you’re consuming. Our gimmick is, no gimmicks. What you see is what you get, and all our ingredients used can be seen through our see through clear bottles. That’s what sets Eliqua apart from the rest!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When I started my business all I had was $1,200 and a dream! I had no idea what I was doing or where it would lead me, but I was so excited and I pushed forward full steam ahead. With the initial capital I had I was able to purchase our website hosting subscription, purchase our domain name, setup a PO Box for business related mail and deliveries, purchase a small amount of inventory, and tons of business cards. I was certainly thrifty with the little money I had to start with. If you’re a small business owner wanting to get started the best advice I can give is that you don’t need a lot of money to make it happen. I was able to save a lot of money by creating a lot of things myself with the help of my inkjet printer of course! The money I used to start Eliqua was my own personal income that I had saved up, and when I was ready to take the leap of faith to start my business that’s what I used. When I think back on it I realize I could’ve bought a new purse or something else with that money, but I instead chose to invest in myself and my future.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My business is now in Year 3 of being open and operating, but it hasn’t been an easy journey. Entrepreneurship is much tougher than I ever could have imagined. Since my company isn’t well established and it doesn’t have the largest following, making consistent sales has been a struggle for us. We go days, weeks, and even months without making a single sale. Even though the sales aren’t there sometimes, I am still hard at work making sure our website is up to date, posting engaging social media content, and networking with potential clients and other small business owners. I KNOW in my heart that is is what I should be doing, and I won’t give up trying to make it successful no matter what.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eliquallc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliquallc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Eliqua-LLC/100063853572343/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@eliquallc