We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Ponce recently and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

Customers are the number one reason why you are in business and to me, it is so important to create a long-lasting relationship with them so that they are happy and keep returning for more products. The majority of my products are custom requests so it is very important that I take the time to get to know exactly what every customer wants and needs. The best way that I can show my appreciation is by making my customer feel like they are valued whether it’s a small $5 keychain or a big order, every customer needs to be shown the same attention. I know for some businesses this might be a hard thing to do but even something as small as a thank you note makes the customer feel appreciated. I recently also started adding prayer cards to my orders as an added little thank you. I got this idea from another fellow small business that I had placed an order with, there is just a happy feeling you get when there is a little something extra that comes out of a package. It brings back the childhood feelings you would get when you open a box of cereal and the prize would come out. Not only do you get the nostalgic feelings but it helps them remember the vendor the next time they need to order something else. From time to time I will try and do little giveaways for cups or t-shirts, on social media. I do these contests about once a year just as a thank-you to my followers. The contests create some good traffic on my social media pages without having to break the bank.

Stephanie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi, my name is Stephanie! I am a follower of God, wife, and mom to 3 boys, oh, and also the owner and creator of Blessings Boutique. Blessings Boutique is a small home-based business located in San Antonio, Texas. I make all kinds of handmade items such as t-shirts, tumblers, freshies, and more. I technically started crafting in 2017 when I received a Cricut for Christmas, I watched a whole bunch of youtube videos and followed various crafters on social media so that I could learn how to make my own crafts for my family. In 2018, I felt that I was being called to do more by spreading God’s word through my crafts. God gives each one of us talents or gifts to use, and I believe this is my calling, to give blessings to those in need. So I am dedicated to helping charities and organizations raise money for good causes. A portion of every item from t-shirts to freshies big or small that is sold gets donated towards these causes. Currently, I am working with the Tim Tebow foundation on their quest to combat human trafficking.
My brand is limited to only making items I feel will not degrade or disgrace so there are things that I will not make because I want to be aligned with God’s will. For me, it’s more about the joy I see on the faces of others and how I feel about making the product rather than how much money I will make.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective way that I have been able to get clients is through social media. Not only is social media FREE to use, but it also allows you to show off your creations and processes so that it gives a more personal touch. People tend to trust a brand more when they feel like they know you, so that is how I have been able to reach more people. I will sometimes post a reel or TikTok of how I make things, this creates a conversation with some people that might not have known about me before. I’m still far away from my ideal number of fans but the ones I do have are amazing!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My social media audience was built with my friends and family and then it branched out a bit from there. On Tiktok I got really lucky and posted a video of me spray painting a tumbler and using dishwashing liquid to create a cool effect, I got about 67K views and for me, that’s a BIG thing especially because it was my first video. Social media can be tricky and sometimes you think you have the best idea for a post and get no views. I would say don’t give up, keep trying and posting. Try and think about what would you want to see or not see when scrolling through social media pages. Record and take pictures of everything you can, you never know when it would make for a good post.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shopblessingsboutique.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blessingsboutique3/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blessingsboutiquesanantonio/
• Other: Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@blessingsboutique18 Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/blessingsboutique18/