We recently connected with Joyua Bouldes and have shared our conversation below.

Joyua, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Ideas come to you when you least expect. It takes putting in work to get an idea past just being in your head to putting it to action. After I retired from my government job I started planning and designing events for family and friends. The first job of the planning was to find a spot to have the event. After trying to select banquet halls and seeing the costly price in securing them, I decided that was something that I wanted to secure. After doing some research and planning an event at a location who had done the exact thing that I had envisioned, I began asking questions. I begin to consult with this professional and she helped guide me through each step needed in structuring my idea into a viable business. She became my mentor.

The next step was up to me. I had to start marketing. Market research is an important step to have a solid plan and promote to people who will want to book events at my space. Also, finding support and a team who wanted to see me succeed is what sped up the process. Bringing the best of what each of you has to the table increases your chances of longevity in the business.

Then I had to create a business plan. Creating a business plan will put all the concepts in your head on a document. I had to narrow down some critical projections for at least the first three years.

The next step was the scariest. Now, I had to put all of this into action and find the right spot for my business. Location, cost, parking availability, feeling safe, and sizing were key factors I had to consider in selecting the right spot. I wanted to find the right spot to lease and someone who was willing to help me with the renovations. I had to be open minded. Many times fear tried to hold me back, but I didn’t allow myself to get stuck in fear. I had to move forward with a plan and action that backed my idea. When I put my ideas into action that’s when I begin to see the whole process come together. Finding the right contractors that could begin the process of helping my dream come to a reality was very important. I had bumps along the way, but I stayed committed to the plan. Every obstacle became a stepping stone for me to get to my next. Once I begin to see progress in the building of my spot, i got excited about what was about to come to pass. A dream come true. Owning my own Event Space.

The process took longer than expected, but after about a year I was able to move into my beautiful event space. However, three months after I opened, the pandemic hit. But because of my strategic planning I was able to secure four free months upfront which enabled me to push through the pandemic without a lot of loss. I’m now on my third year as an event space owner. The key is staying committed, always looking for ways to enhance and keeping up with the competition. Being creative and networking has helped me to stay afloat even in these past trying years of uncertainty.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I own an event space in Westland, MI. After I retired from my government job, I started decorating events for family and friends. That grew into so much business that I began to do birthday parties, weddings, grad parties, etc. As a few years past, I decided I wanted my space where I could host these events.

So I begin to do my research and eventually met someone who had just opened up her event space. She ended up holding a class on ‘How to open an event space’. I attended her class and that was the best inspiration I needed to fulfill my dream. I took everything that I learned from the class and started the process of opening my space. It took a lot of hard work and discipline but I was determined to see it to fruition. After a few months I found the perfect spot, and the renovations begin that would turn a gutted out spot into the fabulous event space that proceeded my wildest dreams.

We opened in January of 2020 and was hit with a pandemic two months later. However, because of the research and class I had taken I was able to go into the business with demands that would carry me through four months of rent free.

We host all type of events from baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, weddings, etc. However, during the pandemic where crowds were limited we had to come up with creative ways to stay afloat. We would host photo shoots, video shoots, small conferences and meetings. What set us apart is that we are always looking for creative ideas to keep up relevant and ahead of our competitors.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started my business from scratch with not a lot of money to use for marketing. Marketing is very key in building your brand. Instagram and Facebook is free advertisement and has to become your best friend. I built my brand by posting something about my business everyday no matter how small or big the information was. You want to get your brand out there. I would have my friends and family share it also on their social media. I eventually hired someone to run my social media. You want to advertise your brand on social media at all times that’s how you stay relevant.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

My strategy has always been running specials. Every few months I will have a percentage off if you book during your tour. Presenting my clients with all inclusive packages where they can pay one price and receive everything from rental, decor, food and drinks, photography and DJ, have been a big hit in growing my clientele.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.theloftatjstudio.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/theloftatjstudio_
• Facebook: Theloftatjstudio