We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shelly Bellil. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shelly below.

Hi Shelly, thanks for joining us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Our biggest challenge to profitability is gaining customers who appreciate that the benefits of supporting local artisans outweigh the costs of the products. Small-batch, handcrafted wares have attention to details that is evident in their quality. However, a customer may question why a similar item from an online resource or big box store costs less. Rather than focus too much on mass production versus handmade, we choose to focus the conversation on our connection to the artisan community and how powerful our dollars are to the greater community. We hope our customers leave feeling good about their purchases.

In an effort to convey that message, we recently partnered with local artist, Rachael Nerney, to create a mural that symbolizes why we do what we do. It is a beautiful piece of work located at the entrance of our shop. Local Love CHS is a space that encourages creativity in all forms, and the mural is a reminder of why we are a little different than the typical business model.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I co-own a small boutique of locally-made (Charleston, SC) products with my neighbor (and friend!), Medea Duffy. We quickly realized our shared love of art, design, markets and vintage finds. As busy moms with even busier kids, it was difficult for us to make it to weekend markets, so we had the idea of opening a shop to access local makers all the time. Artists and Fleas in New York City was a huge inspiration, but I I love that Medea and I have truly created a space that reflects our shared interests.

We are extremely fortunate to have an extensive community of creatives in Charleston, SC. We carry everything from health and wellness products to home decor and apparel. We have steadily increased the number of makers each year and love the new products that come in. Observing the creative energy of our artisans makes it easy for us to keep evolving. We are constantly tweeking our website, curating gift ideas, and arranging our shop to hone that energy.

We are so proud of the talent around us, and being able to showcase that talent allows for a genuinely unique shopping experience. Highlighting our local makers helps our customers understand they are supporting actual neighbors. Our proudest moments are when customers verbalize that and let us know they “get it”. Our goal is for our customers to think “local” first and understand that art is what keeps our community unique and connected. We’re getting closer each day to achieving that goal. So, keep dreaming, Charleston! We love you for it!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

This is one subject I am particularly proud of. Now, is it the proper strategy? Probably not. Medea and I had and idea, and honestly, that’s all we had. We started small, meaning we did not open a storefront, take on a lease, utilities, renovations costs, etc. We rented a tiny booth in a consignment shop. And we created a presence on social media. We made the money to cover the consignment fee and continued to add more items to our booth. We eventually increased our booth size, and ultimately quadrupled the size of that first booth. The point is, we grew slowly and intentionally. And it was a pace we were comfortable with without any real investment other than our time. When the time came to make the leap, we agreed on an amount to each put forth, and we stuck to it. Our dollars made were put back into the business until we were comfortable paying ourselves. However, we have never taken out a loan ,and we have recovered our initial investment.

Patience is important. We followed our instincts of the amount of risk we were willing to take and what we thought was working for us. Even now, we still have customers tell us they remember us from that little booth in the consignment shop and how much they’ve enjoyed watching us grow. That’s one of the many reasons we keep on keepin” on!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients for Local Love CHS is ,without a doubt, word of mouth. We are a neighborhood boutique, so we are somewhat tucked away from main traffic. We are fortunate that our talented local makers create so many beautiful items, it’s easy for us to curate a space that is inviting and unique. We host pop ups for new makers on the weekends and we host artisan-led workshops to get our customers inspired. The idea is to have a community-driven space that is unforgettable. And, of course, great customer service is always key for getting a positive reviews.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.locallovechs.com
• Instagram: locallovechs
• Facebook: Local Love CHS

Image Credits
Vision Balm Photography