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

Amanda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

I am currently seeing (and I enjoy it as well) seeing business owners being more open and having more conversations about how their business runs, sharing the behind the scenes, explaining pricing, being humorous about awkward things that happen in small businesses and more. For example, we are a floral and gift shop so a lot of the reels and posts in our “for you” page share about floral businesses and there is a breakdown of floral costs and how that works so people can understand how things are priced and that its not just a simple “we grow flowers, cut them and give them to you for 5$ because they are wildflowers”. There is a lot of work and time that goes into it and I really appreciate seeing the breakdown (this goes for bakers, fitness instructors, retail, etc.)

Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

WE are a dual business comprised of Amy Kate Designs and Golden Hill Farms. Amy Kate Designs is our floral side- this is where we do special events, weddings, etc. Amy Kate Designs has been in business for almost 40 years… Amy is the head of this business that she has built over many magical years. Golden Hill Farms is a new addition over the past couple years. Our farm in Rapid City that grows a majority of our florals for farmers markets, custom fresh, and other floral pieces- that is called Golden Hill Farm (we have 7 golden retrievers between our families which is how we came up with that name)… We recently opened up a retail space downtown Elk Rapids where we offer our fresh florals, beautiful faux silk flowers, gifts and beyond.
I think one thing we are most proud of is that this is a family owned business and we really all do work hand in hand each day to make every bit of these businesses something we love and believe in. We are constantly trying to learn and grow, and that isn’t always easy, especially with family, but I must say, with a mission we can all agree on, we really see things through.
We hope our clients and customers see that we are constantly searching for the best quality and meeting the needs of each person who walks through the door. We pride ourselves in having something for everyone, especially with 3 of us coming up with the inventory and how the shop is displayed, we have multiple generations, different personalities and can see the customer base for a variety of things. We have a dream and working hard to fulfill it, its fun to share that and see everyone who supports and rallys around us.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I have worked multiple businesses through online presence and social media- which also means MANY years of MANY different trends. It is something that is always evolving. I will say, today I do a lot of interaction with customers and followers, and sharing a lot of fellow local businesses on my page. I want to keep the town alive that our business is in, and share what else is offered. The more people we can continue to bring into our town, the more faces we will see in our store. We also share a post or a reel almost daily and are on our stories (even if the store is closed that day.) It will keep our page relevant and keep the eyes there and looking forward to what we have to share! We have become a lot better at taking photos and making sure the aesthetic is right. Now we just have a few more branding things to work with and I think it will flow so well.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

There are a few different ways we reach new clients… and quite honestly it helps that there are 3 of us who all socialize differently. We attend a lot of after work events (business after hours, community events, family dinners at local establishments).. We are busy business owners but make sure to enjoy social time as well, and I think that is what helps new people connect to us and then further our business. Obviously it isn’t an everyday thing, but it is nice to know we’ve made a lot of new clients and friends by just making it out of the house. That being said, the online market is just huge and can extend far beyond a small town. We are working on an online website which will eventually help with expanding our business even more, but the support of a like, comment and share helps bring new people to our page and introduced to our faces and what we bring to our store.
Word of mouth is always a huge win, as well. I think most businesses can agree!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amykatedesigns.com
• Instagram: goldenhillfarms_
• Facebook: Golden Hill Farms // Amy Kate Designs

Image Credits
Em Creative Photography