We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Constance Panton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Constance thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?

Bifties Gifts started out as a gift exchange in 2016. I was feeling depressed and overwhelmed by the consistent shooting and killing of unarmed Black men in the news I wanted to do something. I wished I could give a big hug to the entire Black community. When my aunt invited me to a gift exchange that year, I immediately found my way of giving a “financial” hug to the Black community by way of gifting. What better way to show love and appreciation than through a gift. My only criteria was that the gifts had to come from a Black owned company.

I invited all my friends regardless of color, sex or ethnicity. Some of my non-Black friends thought it was a call to action just for my Black friends. Others did not know of any Black owned businesses to support. I started a Facebook group and Instagram page and offered suggestions of Black owned businesses to buy gifts from. I hosted that gift exchange for four years before deciding to start Bifties Gifts as a means of helping to buy Black owned gifts easy for anyone, regardless of the color of their skin.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a mom to three beautiful adult daughters. I’ve worked in the telecommunications field for over 25 years. This business was birthed out of an idea revolving around ways to boost the Black community and support each other. We make buying Black for someone else, or even yourself, easy. When you purchase a gift with Bifties, one is able to support multiple different Black owned brands in one gift box. One can curate their own box or pick from pre-made boxes. We all have a reason to send a gift, whether it is professionally or personally. Bifties gifts are gifts that keep on giving. They benefit the brands and the recipients.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

When it came to funding my business, I took a loan from my 401K for $20,000. The thought never crossed my mind to apply for a loan with the bank. I figured I would pay myself back, which I did.

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

We are experiencing a severe reduction in sales in comparison to the previous 2 years. We have contemplated closing our doors many times this year but I know Bifties is a great idea and offers value. It is up to me to keep it open. So we reduced our staff to an as needed basis and consolidated our storage and office space into one in order to reduce costs. We are no longer purchasing large amounts of inventory, but focused on selling the awesome items we have on hand as well as pre-orders.

As we continue to look for ways to grow our audience and gain awareness, we will operate as lean as possible, while we weather this recession.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bifties.com
• Instagram: @biftiesgifts
• Facebook: Bifties Gifts
• Linkedin: Bifties Gifts