We were lucky to catch up with Melinda Emmons recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Melinda, thanks for joining us today. Has Covid resulted in any major changes to your business model?

With Covid shutting down my boutique storefront, I was forced to create a website — like overnight. With the help of a few friends working many hours per day, melindasboutiqueandgifts.com was created. This led to spending money on shipping supplies when revenue was instantly cut off, and that was worrisome. However, through social media, I was able to reach clients and they started making purchases on the website. I had to change from selling every-day casual clothing to more relaxed and comfortable clothing. Lounging pajama pants and face masks were my saving grace during this time.

After we reopened, Covid had changed the way people shop from coming into the store to buying on-line, so I have had to develop social media knowledge, which is still in the works!

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 have always had an interest in fashion going to charm school when I was young and attending Mayo Hill Modeling as a teenager. I modeled around the Houston area and at Dallas Market for a few years. After working in the corporate world of law, I had enough and left that industry. I started to make jewelry during my corporate life and had been doing shopping markets. Jewelry was always the first category filled, so I added 12 cami tops. After selling those, I doubled the inventory and kept growing it until I had enough to call my business a boutique. One day while looking for the post office in a certain area near my home, I stumbled upon a small space for lease and decided to take the plunge of opening a boutique storefront. Rent was extremely affordable, and I grew out of that small space in six months. I rented an old house down the street and painted it purple with lime green trim along with a black and white zebra sidewalk. It was such a cute shop! However, after being there three months, Hurricane Ike closed me down. Luckily, I had kept doing my shopping markets and was able to take my boutique on the road and that sustained me. When the storefront reopened, it was like starting all over again, but I managed to retain some customers and acquire new ones even though everyone in our area was recovering from the devastation of Ike. I remained in that cute old house for several years and decided to lease a larger space around the corner bringing in various vendors. Their rent covered the rent of the new, larger space and this allowed my business to grow. Major construction was threatening the area, and when a popular fast-food restaurant closed, I knew it was time to leave. Timing was perfect when a retail space opened away from the construction surrounded by several subdivisions, and I moved in still having a few vendors with me. Business was booming when Covid hit. Reopening the storefront was yet another beginning for Melinda’s Boutique, but I have managed to keep the boutique successful while working very hard every single day.

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?

I am a 60-year-old boutique owner who has been in business for 18 years. Covid, in my opinion, created a lot of on-line boutiques and storefronts, and I have had to stop, think, learn, and apply. Through much frustration and a mediocre knowledge of social media, I have had to develop new marketing ideas of getting new customers. Without constantly having free giveaways and major coupon discounts, I came up with an idea to reach new customers that I haven’t been able to reach on my own, younger ladies who may not know I sell clothing that they would like. I decided to take a risk.

Enter Kid Power Day. A friend’s 11-year-old granddaughter wanted to show her graphic t-shirts at a shopping market, but they were full. She was so disappointed that I offered her to set up in my boutique, and we would create an event on social media to spread the word. This led to invitations to a 9-year-old baker, 10-year-old jewelry maker, 11-year-old boy who makes salsa, 12-year-old girls who make dinosaur masks, 14-year-old boy who creates vases through 3-D printing, a 9-year-old young lady who makes dog blankets, and a 12-year-old boy with a lemonade stand. I scrunched and rearranged the boutique items to make room for all the kids making the day about them, not the boutique. The only “booth fee” was that the parents share and invite friends to the event, Kid Power Day. Through their sharing of the event on social media, I have managed to reach numerous people who have not been in the boutique. The kids sold over $1400 in three hours, and everyone is still very excited and asking when the next one will be. Since the event just took place, time will tell how many new people will come shop in the boutique — I’ve already received two messages from ladies who attended and want to shop for clothing in the coming days. EXCITED!!!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe that giving back to the community helps grow a positive reputation and keeps people coming back to my business. In the early years of having a storefront, I thought I had to donate to any and everyone who asked. I learned to stay away from the local “clicks,” and donate to causes that are meaningful and special to myself.

My boutique hosts a local animal shelter to have adoptions quarterly in the parking lot. We also conduct food and blanket drives for the animals. We have recently hosted a dog rescue group to have a fundraiser in the boutique, and we raised $5,000 for their great cause.

I still take the boutique on the road to shopping markets, one of them being the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market where we donate 11% of sales to the ballet. We also support Kingwood Women’s Market where we donate 15% of sales to their cause of giving mammograms to ladies who cannot afford the test.

Last year, I was invited to produce a fashion show for The Independence Village in Texas City, a home for adults with traumatic head injuries and need assisted living conditions. The runway was filled with clothing from Melinda’s Boutique, all the models from the community were colorful and natural, and the residents walked the runway in the finale. I set up a pop-up shop and we gave 10% of sales to the home, and I was recently invited to produce the show again for 2023.

These causes — and a few more — are rewarding and special to my heart. So now, I enjoy giving back instead of feeling obligated to donate to every single group.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melindasboutiqueandgifts.com/
• Instagram: melindasboutiqueandgifts
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelindasBoutique

Image Credits
Robert Emmons (in the photo with the dog and HOU K-911 on the window, purple shirts)