We were lucky to catch up with SaraBeth Hanny recently and have shared our conversation below.

SaraBeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I wanted to create a store that is more than just a plant shop. I wanted to create an inviting and interactive space where people can come to relax and get creative! I wanted to design a shop that made people feel at home, a place that sparks creativity, where you can come and learn and talk about plants with like minded people and fully surround yourself with nature while not having to be outside!

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

My name is SaraBeth, I’m the owner of SaraBeth’s Vintage Home & Garden which I like to say is far from your average plant shop! I actually got into the plant world many years ago building terrariums and fairy gardens. I just fell in love with the concept of creating small worlds inside of a container, which turned out to be the inspiration for my store. I have a lot of fun creating terrariums and I wanted to give others the opportunity and the space to get messy and creative and make a terrarium for themselves without having to buy large quantities of rocks and sand and plants to make at home. I first started at local flea markets selling plants and I debuted my DIY terrarium bar idea and grew a following of people that loved to come each week and create something new!

This then grew into my concept for an interactive store. I wanted to create a store that was more like a creative workspace, where people could come, and create something to take home! I know how much plants make my happy, just being in a space surrounded by plants gives me so much joy and puts me at ease. I wanted to provide a safe space for people to come and relax and get creative if they wanted to. I want you to come to the shop if you’ve had a rough day and surround yourself with things that make you happy and if you want to make something or pot plants to get your mind off of life, I can help with that!
The pandemic has definitely changed the plant world for the better, many businesses shut down during Covid and were unfortunately made obsolete. But just the opposite happened in the plant world and it’s has just now started to grow! I know for myself and many others going through the pandemic, plants have been my safe haven. Before Covid many people didn’t spend the amount of time in their homes that they do now. People love being outside in nature, there is something that draws us to the outdoors. But since we were forced to reside in our homes for so long, people naturally started to bring the outdoors inside. What started as a normal display of house plants has now turned into an exploding and never ending collection of plants!
I truly believe that plants make people happy. They gives us a sense of purpose, getting to nurture something living and watching it grow under our care, it’s incredibly rewarding. Plants now play a vital roll in many peoples lives, all because of the pandemic.
With the world in a slightly different state that it was in a few years ago, tensions have risen and the amount of stress in people’s every day lives I believe has grown. With this I wanted to provide people with an escape. I wanted to create a visually aesthetically pleasing and cozy space that when you enter the shop you instantly feel relaxed and surrounded by and nature. Like stepping into your own little terrarium! As long as you are in my shop you can let your troubles melt away for time being and let nature, plants, and your creative side take over!

How did you build your audience on social media?

With my business and social media presence, I am all about being transparent. I want to be personal with my followers and tell them what is really going on in my life wether it’s good or bad. I feel like people just want to find others to identify with, people they can relate to. I never try to put on the appearance of something that I’m not. People enjoy seeing real growth of your business, and I feel like more people are willing to support you knowing there is a real human going through real life problems behind your business and social media.

Social media is incredibly important for any growing business today. What is difficult about using social media is that you might not see results right away. Social media is a long term project that you must chip away at a little bit at a time each and every day. And it might take a few years to finally get the traction you’re looking for. Consistency is key. If you want to fight the ever changing algorithm that platforms like Instagram and TikTok have, you have to stay relevant and keep posting on social media as often as you can.

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

In my business within the plant world it’s a constant challenge to compete with big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes and other large chains that sell house plants. It is incredibly hard to compete with the prices that large companies can put on their plants. But the difference between buying a plant at Home Depot and buying a plant at a small business plant shop is the quality of plant and the education you receive when buying that plant.

Owning a small store of plants is great because you can give each and every plant in your store the attention and care that it needs. The plants in my shop are all getting the perfect amount of sunlight, water, and care they need to survive. Each plant is checked daily for pests and other quality control issues. The plants you get from a small business store are truly all cared for with love and it shows within each plant! When you purchase a plant from my shop I’ll make sure you are getting the perfect plant for your personal situation and I educate you and talk to you about all the care needs for every plant. I want to make sure the plant will go to a good home and you feel confident in caring for it. I truly care about the happiness of my customers and my plants. And that is something you just don’t receive at a big box store.

Contact Info:

• Website: Sarabethsvintagehomeandgarden.com
• Instagram: Sarabeths_vintagehomeandgarden
• Facebook: SaraBeth’s Vintage Home & Garden
• Other: TikTok: sarabethhanny