We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful London Charles Boutique. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elisha below.

London Charles Boutique, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

The name of my company stems from my want for a daughter. Someday I hope to have a daughter an her name will be LONDONCHARLES. I want her to already have a name that is a household brand that I built from the ground up. This will also be a way for me to jump start her legacy of doing great things in her life.

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 my online boutique in 2019, I had done all the research to make sure that I was a fully registered business by law in 2018. Then, I started to research to find quality vendors that I liked well enough to but behind my brand. This was not an easy process… lol. Some of the items that I would receive were horrible, I mean horrible. I have spent money with vendors that I was not able to return because the vendors were not verified.

I made sure from the start that I wouldn’t sell one item of clothing that I wouldn’t purchase for myself. This is a rule I still live by, if it’s not good enough for me it’s definitely not good enough for my London Dolls. When I finally launched my website, I was still working my full-time corporate job from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday.

I would be processing orders on my lunch as well as making post office runs to ship orders. I was basically working two full-time jobs for a year straight. I didn’t complain because I knew what the end goal was and I believe that you have to work for what you want… All BIG BUSINESSES WERE ONCE SMALL BUSINESS and I was ready for this journey.

The backstory for the name of my business “LONDON CHARLES BOUTIQUE” is I don’t currently have any children (I want four… lol) but I want to name my first daughter London Charles. The name just makes me smile and I just know looking at my daughter will do the same. I became a full-time entrepreneur shortly after Covid hit. My corporate job was requesting that all office workers work inside of our brick and mortar stores and I just wasn’t able to do that, so I had to take an unpaid leave of absence. After focusing on my business 100%, I was able to increase my revenue tremendously and I was forced to just turn in my resignation and do what I love FULL-TIME. Best decision I could have ever made.

By the end of 2020, I knew I was ready to expand because I had outgrown my house and was in need of more space. I was basically living in a clothing store… lol. So, I began to look for a building with the help of my best friend. He is my right-hand man literally; He is my number one supporter and we found a build in my budget within the first two weeks of looking. I’m an online-based boutique that caters to sizes small to 3x with the option for curbside pickup or shipping at checkout. My goal is to help all women feel better when they get dressed, when we look good, we feel good right!!

I also offer styling consultations ” THE LONDON CHARLES EXPERIENCE” this is a hit because you get to have a 2-hour styling for Taylor For You and the look you want to achieve for just $50 and the best part is that the $50 goes toward your purchase made during the consultation. This experience can be upgraded to include champagne as well as makeup, the options are endless.

I went from having a dream and a vision to living my dream through my vision in just two years. If this is someone’s passion, I encourage them to go for it and make sure that they are willing to put in the same work for themselves as they do for their 9 to 5.

Some of my biggest struggles were being consistent with promoting my business. I thought just because I had a good product everyone would just purchase everything I had as soon as I posted on social media… lol.

Well, this was a wake-up call for me all those people who said they couldn’t wait for me to launch my business so they could shop did not shop. On my first launch day January 21, 2019, I made zero dollars; I was crushed but I was also prepared to do the work to gain the trust of my future customers. By month two (February), I made only $708.66, and long story short for the entire year of 2019.

I only made $11,842.09 not what I expected but it gave me a starting point and the fact that I still worked the corporate job I knew I had growth potential. I started dedicating more of my time when I got off to promote my business.

I’m the owner of London Charles Boutique an online store that specializes and caters to sizes small to 3x. I have something for every occasion from work to parties even to weddings. I’m known for my quality, prices, and most of all customer service.

What I’m most proud of is that I have stuck to my brand and I continue to learn more and more every day, my goal is to be a household brand to all women. I love fashion and how it makes me feel and I just want to give that to every woman that shops with me.

I would like for the readers to know that shopping with London Charles is an experience, not just a purchase. I answer questions via email or DM to help my customer feel comfortable with their purchase, my goal is not to just make a sale it’s to make you smile and feel confident.

My plan for the future is to simply continue to grow and give all of my new and old customers great quality clothes as well as customer service.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The beat source of new clients come from word of mouth. My loyal customers are always a walking billboard when wearing my clothing. I offer a loyal program were they are able to earn points to use towards their purchases. This is my way of showing my appreciation to them.

I also were my brand daily so that I am also a WALKING BILLBOARD. The more people who are exposed to my brand the better.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When first starting my brand I used my personal funds and credit cards as I was establishing my business credit. I now have paid off my personal cards and solely use business credit cards to fund my business. This should be the goal for all entrepreneurs to utilize their business credit versus personal.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.londoncharlesboutique.com
• Instagram: Londoncharlesboutique
• Facebook: London Charles Boutique_