We recently connected with Elle Torres and have shared our conversation below.

Elle, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

If I were to start over, I would do more research, more financial planning, and I would take the time to narrow down my target market as much as possible.

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

I started this business a year after graduating from Umass Boston in 2018. Despite graduating Summa Cum Laude and having years of management experience, I was limited to administrative assistant roles in the workforce. I was exasperated and wanted more from my career. The idea started in February 2019 and was a reality by April.

Preserved roses were a relatively new concept; people were unsure about the concept or the price tag. With the support of friends, family, and former colleagues, the value proposition became more prominent. My clients loved the idea of commemorating their special occasions with roses that never wilt. One year later, the pandemic hit. The world shut down, and florists were no exception.

I looked at my stock and decided to donate roses to first responders. Social media helped us spread the message, and soon, I was shipping to clinics, hospitals, senior citizen centers, and more. It was such an honor to contribute to the appreciation of our first responders.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

Donations to first responders during the height of Covid in the spring of 2020 had unintended consequences. Our Instagram following grew by 60% overnight, sales picked up, and our customer base expanded. It was both exhilarating and scary. Being a one-person business, I worried about my ability to fulfill orders. However, I did not shy away from being transparent; I used my social media, email marketing, and any form of communication to let my clients know exactly what to expect. If something would take a little longer, if items sold out, anything that had to do with orders, I notified everyone. To my surprise, my clients were not only understanding, but they were also very kind and appreciated my honesty. This increased customer loyalty and even got me a few referrals!

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

When choosing a selling platform, I knew I had a lot of choices; Etsy, Amazon, Social media channels, and a website. Though each has pros and cons, I decided to sell on my website to increase brand awareness. I didn’t want people to say, “I got it on Etsy/Amazon.” I wanted them to recognize The Rose Maven as a unique brand. Building and maintaining your own website is a lot of work and can be costly, but worth it, in my option.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.therosemaven.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therosemaven/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therosemaven
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therosemaven/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/therosemaven
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgFvv5KXVWixgh1IHDvolQ