We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paige Houston. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paige below.
Alright, Paige thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
There are a lot of things that contribute to success, but I believe it takes passion and drive to be successful when it comes to owning a small business. I have always had a love and a passion for art so owning a business centered around it was a no-brainer! I get to do something I love every single day while also bringing customer’s visions to 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 have always had a love for everything art since I was young. The older I got, the more I realized that I was letting that passion get lost in the busyness of life. I wanted to find a way to continue doing art besides just gifting it to family members. At about the same time, I was starting to dream about working for myself.
I started Enhanced Designs a little over 2 years ago, and it started as a simple handmade door hanger and Facebook post. The more I sold, the more I realized that I would love to grow this business into something great! I then quickly developed the dream of owning my own store front. My business continued to grow, so I was balancing keeping up with that and working full-time, and it just wasn’t working. In the Spring, I started keeping my eye out for store fronts open, which is when I really got antsy. I figured it was now or never. I received the keys to my space at 1836 Broadway in Quincy, IL in June 2024, spent almost 2 months redoing the inside to match my style, and had my official opening August 4th. My goal of this store and my business is to handmake as much as I can while also offering custom orders. I love it when customers message me with a vision and I can help bring it to life. Some custom orders that I have done include door hangers, front porch leaners, paintings, wooden pallets, garden bricks, and a large photo cutout prop.
I’m a realist and know that there are not enough hours in the day to handmake every single thing to fill a large store! In-store, besides my handmade decor and paintings, you will also find other handmade products from local vendors and other fun home decor and gift options. My vendors include Fatty K’s, Midwest Moms Co., Slip Stitch Simmons, Air Roma, Sleepytime Crochet, Raindrops and Sunshine Children’s Boutique, Custom Cupz and Decalz by Mya, and The Beads Knees. I also feature a Door Hanger Bar with a three-part interchangeable design.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
I have found the most effective source to be word-of-mouth. I have a lot of people on Facebook come to me with custom orders who heard of me through a friend or saw a custom order and asked the person about it. I love seeing the chain reaction of just simply telling someone about a small business.
Sharing my Facebook content has also been helpful. Showing people what I have created and that I am capable of creating just about anything is so much fun! If I have never done it, there’s a very good chance I’m willing to research it, practice it, and take on the challenge.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I would say that me making the very scary jump to open a storefront shows resilience. When I would share my dream with others, I heard a lot of negative comments about how tough the economy is, the expenses that come with owning a store, etc. and I did not cave under that negativity. I was also fully aware that we live in a world where everyone is always on-the-go and all about convenience. Sometimes, it is hard for people to remember to slow down and support that local business by shopping in-store. Ultimately, I had a dream, and I was determined to make it happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://enhanced-designs.myshopify.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enhanceddsns/
- Other: In-store location: 1836 Broadway, Quincy, IL
