We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ciara O’Briant a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ciara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

During the holidays, I would always create handmade gifts for family and friends. I am a visionary so I usually create detailed gifts for each persons interest. One holiday season , a friend encourged me to start selling gifts I created, and encouraged me to plan & decorate for her holiday party for her business. I accepted the offer and did her event. I decorated and created personalized gifts for her party guest. I received so many compliments for my work and gained many clients that evening. Things took off very fast since It was during the holiday season.

When the holiday season slowed down , I decided to offically write down a plan to start my business. I spent the next few months creating my business plan,website and networking. After all of the hard work and dedication , I was ready to officially branch out and launch my business.

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

My name is Ciara O’Briant, Owner of Gifts With Elegance, LLC. Gifts With Elegance offers personalized gifts & favors, event planning /decor, and event prop rentals. I’ve always been a creative person. I began by making custom gifts and hosting small events for family and friends. My hobby turned into a business that I already had the passion for.

Most of my clients have an idea of what they may want , but need help with how to bring it all together. That’s where I come in to offer my expertise. I enjoy creating a unique experience for each client.

Overcoming my fear of getting started. That was the heardest part for me.

I am married with three wonderful girls. As a small business owner, I appreciate the support from my family about persuing my passion.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for me has been client referrals and promtions on social media. I have been very grateful for my clients that post pictures of my work and tag me on social media. New clients are able to visiually see my work on social media and place orders quickly that way.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I started off taking orders my email and social media. As, I grew my business I knew I would need to sell my items online. I started selling my gifts and crafts on Etsy. I chose Etsy because they have high online views. The con about selling on Etsy is it has been really hard to gain shoppers since its such a huge platform for handmade crafts. A customer can easily choose a diffrent seller. I decided to get my own website domain so my clients could see what my business had to offer. I have a much better experience with selling my items on my own platform.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.giftswithelegance.com
• Instagram: @giftswith_elegance
• Facebook: Gifts With Elegance

Image Credits
Deangelo O’Briant Photography