We were lucky to catch up with Shanequa Milner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shanequa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My business started from a hobby and I decided to make it a business. I love accessories and how they can help people express themselves. Our motto is, “find the complement to your life and that outfit.” I believe accessories complement more than just an outfit; I provide options for diffère personality types. I love to create something with my hands.

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 Shanequa and I’m the owner of Boutique de Petales, which is primarily an accessories boutique. I sell hats, earrings, necklaces, headwraps, bracelets, etc. I provide a variety of choices that can fit many personalities. There are some products that are handmade as well. What makes my business different from other accessory boutiques is the variety I provide, affordable prices, and my level of customer service that I provide. I am most proud of the feedback from customers. I love to know that they loved their products as well as the surprise they get with each purchase. My brand is about expressing what your personality is, whether it’s chic, artsy, sexy, or casual.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

I manufacture the wooden earrings on the site. I love how creative you can get with wooden earrings. I provide a variety of different colors. I’m a colorful person and I think most can agree with me that you can’t have too many colors when it comes to earrings. Other products on the site are not handmade. Choosing a vendor can be tricky and one piece of advise to those starting a business would be to have multiple vendors for price checks and comparing delivery windows. Just having one vendor can put you in a tight situation if the product you need to restock is not available with the vendor or it has a very long shipping time frame that does not benefit your business. I based my choices on vendors from their level of customer service.

One lesson I learned in manufacturing products myself would be in making time to make the product so it does not seem rushed.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Emails! I send out emails every chance I get. I also check direct messages on every social site. I communicate as much as possible with my customers and they know they can reach out if they have any issues or just to tell me how much they loved their purchase. I also like to show my customers they are appreciated by having routine sales and discounts on products.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.boutiquedepetales.com
• Instagram: boutique_de_petales
• Facebook: boutique_de_petales

Image Credits
Shanequa Milner