We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andria Niles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Andria , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
After I decided to stay home from teaching due to my youngest daughter’s severe asthma, I started teaching myself how to sew and quilt. I got a sewing machine and quickly upgraded and then upgraded again to a machine that also did embroidery. I started embroidering for people in town as well as teaching people how to sew. I then purchased a larger embroidery machine to handle more jobs, and the business quickly outgrew my home. So, I was at a crossroads where i had to either stop the business or find a place I could have an office or studio. I looked around, but that type of space didn’t exist in our area. But, I did find a great space in a small strip mall, and I took a huge leap and opened The Sparkly Elephant Sewing Lounge. We do custom embroidery, teach sewing classes and sell fabric, sewing machines, notions and gifts! It was scary at first, but we grow a little every year and have become a staple in our town for sewing, embroidery and more!
During covid, our volunteers made over 14,000 masks that we gave away to anyone who needed them. We teach many people to sew and offer summer sewing camps and have recently expanded to offer crochet and hand knit classes as well. Arts such as sewing are generally not offered in school, and it is a very important life skill. We believe in helping people discover and embrace their creativity.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My shop is a welcoming, bright, fun space. We believe that everyone can find success in their craft, and it’s our job to foster that. We often help clients solve unique sewing/quilting/crafting problems (for example – repairing old quilts, making cross stitch into pillows, etc.). Our customer service is top notch, and I believe it sets up apart from other shops. We regularly spend 30, 60 minutes or more with customers helping them choose fabrics or the right project. Our shop is welcoming and many of our customers become our friends. We learn about their lives and their stories, and how that weaves into the sewing/quilting/crafting projects they are working on.
I am proud that we have a shop that welcomes everyone regardless of experience. We may be small, but we get feedback saying that we are unlike most other shops people visit. We host volunteer groups that make Linus Blankets (blankets for kids in foster care, etc.), Angel Gowns (burial gowns for babies who have passed away at birth or before), The Birthday Joy Project (pillowcases filled with a birthday party for kids in foster care or who are unhoused). I’m proud that members of our community refer friends to us for any of our services or volunteer programs. I’m proud to have a shop that I can use to serve our community while also providing a welcoming, creative space for our customers.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
It is difficult to advertise these days. While I have a presence on social media, I find that the personal relationships and welcoming customer service that we offer at the shop (in addition to quality merchandise) has been one of the best ways to build our customer base. We get a lot of feedback that people heard about our shop through word of mouth, and there is truly no greater compliment! I do post on social media, but it is the personal attention and friendly atmosphere that brings people back and has them sharing our shop!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When covid hit, I had only been in business for about 18 months. At that time, I panicked. I had bills to pay and no one was leaving their house. There wasn’t much we could do about it. I wanted to keep my employees safe and figure out a way to make enough money to pay the bills. A random customer reached out to me and asked if I could help her make masks – she was sewing at home and giving the masks away. I said yes, of course! I wasn’t sure what would happen, but I sent e-mails and posted on social media, and before I knew it, I had an army of volunteers, fabric donations, major fabric sales and more. I found that when I focused on doing what the community needed in that moment, that somehow it would all work out. If I gave it my all and we had to close, then I would know I did the right thing. But, the complete opposite happened! We gained customers, business and some really good publicity that helped get us through that difficult time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesparklyelephant.com
- Instagram: @sparklyelephantsewing
- Facebook: @thesparklyelephant
Image Credits
All photos are taken by me.