We recently connected with Chanickqwa Griffin and have shared our conversation below.

Chanickqwa, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

As I was learning he to manage my business in my first year, I was also learning packaging of my products. Should I leave a thank you note? Should I leave a coupon for their next purchase? What was the best way to keep my customers happy and coming back? I wanted to make the experience something to remember from start to finish. Then I remembered what worked ON me. Businesses that added a personal and giving touch even if it was a small additive like candy or a free small item. So that’s what I did. Every purchase, even in person, comes with a small thank you bag from me. A small free item, could be a necklace, keychain or decorative piece – some candy , a business card and a small note to personally thank the customer for their purchase and support. As of six months ago, I also include a coupon code for 10% off for returning customers as well! I know thank you is an important part of keeping people coming back and I never want to take their support for granted.

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

My name is Chanickqwa Griffin and I started my business, BlackUnicornMagics LLC, in 2020. I was furloughed from my job at the time and needed something to do. I invested my stimulus into my business start up and haven’t looked back since.

I have always LOVED to create and be extra so why not put those two things together? I can’t be the only one, right? So from there I thought, accessories. I have always been a huge fan of flower crowns and I figured to just jump head into it. I watched diy’s, created a Pinterest board and got to work. The process of figuring out what my business will provide is still an ongoing process but for the most part, flower crowns grew into much more. I now offer the following: Flower crowns, flower bras, handmade wands, resin works, crystals and more! I never knew I would be where I am right now, creating my own pieces and seeing customers love my work.
From creating the pieces I had to market. Doing this all on your own is tough and it’s no joke that you work harder for yourself than any other business you’ve worked for. Some days I don’t even notice I’ve worked 12+ hours! 😳 Being a creator, I feel my largest issue I run into is my marketing and advertising. Sometimes when you create, you are tired and want to “done ” but there is so much left to do! You have to price your merchandise, take media to promote the finished piece and post it to any socials or website you have to sell. As a new business owner I am hoping the hard work pays off in the end.
The fact that 40% of small businesses fail in the first four years is a bit scary and disheartening but I try to think of the positive! I was able to start up a small business during Covid and am still continuing to make it through somehow.
My Etsy shop is currently a work in progress as I rebrand and my Facebook page is needing to be set up with my shop not that I can do it through mobile. Eventually, I’d like to be easily accessible to my customers by my own website but that may take a bit more of time.
What I want people to know most about my brand is that most merchandise is handmade and made with magic/love. I’m still learning many new techniques and ways to create but as I go on, each piece is preciously made and taken care of. My favorite pieces to create are gifts for others because I always send progress videos/photos to the gifter and love seeing the excitement during the process.
While my goal is to work towards being a brick and mortar right now my “shop” is based solely online and in vendor events. I may be setting a high goal for the end of 2023 but I am working hard to strive for a small shop to be able to share my creations with my community and the world. ☺️

How did you build your audience on social media?

This question is great for someone like me because it is hard to create content for socials and be the creator. Something people may not know about a small business owner like me, you are an army of one. I do everything on my own – except for bookkeeping. I had to hire a contractor for that. So in doing so, I had to learn how to manage my time. In the beginning I would create many pieces and be pleased but would wonder why they weren’t selling quickly. Then I realized, I wasn’t posting them on my Etsy or socials. That’s a second job in its own right. Many times I would create and then set aside a whole day to photograph/video all new pieces and upload them all in the same day. The process can be a bit draining but how can you sell if your customers don’t see it? That is when I thought of brand ambassadors for the business. I reached out on my Facebook and put a post out seeking brand ambassadors with a variety of socials, who were active and created quality content. Now, not only do I gain content and media but I also have a source for feedback on my creations and social presence.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

I make about 98% of my own merchandise. That’s the best part of my company right now. For what I don’t, I reach out to other small businesses. I think as a small business owner it is important to have connections and great relationships with other small businesses. As for what I create, the process of finding the right brands and supplies to use is still an ongoing process. Anytime you add or create something new there will questions like, “Did I like that brand? How did I like that piece?” I think it’s healthy to try many brands, especially in the beginning of starting so you can immediately cut out what you definitely DON’T want to use. For example, I have a list of resin companies I will not purchase resin from. This helps me to not make pieces I won’t be happy with in the end. I feel if I wouldn’t spend money on it, my customers won’t either. It also saves me money in the long run! Finding the right brand for you can be an expensive process but once you find one, you can build a relationship with that brand/company and utilize each other to help get reach out. Whether that come in the for of coupons or discounts, it’s a symbiotic relationship for business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/BlackUnicornMagics
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/BlackUnicornMagics
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BlackUnicornMagics
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/BlackUniMagics
• Other: All of my socials can be found on my linktree: https://linktr.ee/blackunicornmagics