We were lucky to catch up with Vicki Baker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vicki, thanks for joining us today. How has Covid changed your business model?

Covid came at a time when I had planned to expand my business sales by doing more vendor events. I had prepaid many events to attend and made lots of products. Then every show was cancelled! Although, I received refunds it didn’t replace lost sales I would have made. As a result I had to learn how to use and focus on social media for marketing and create online sales for my website. Now that Covid restrictions have eased off I can get back to doing what I enjoy most which is doing vendor events.

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 created Mattie’s Bonnets LLC out of necessity for women that were tired of the same old poorly manufactured satin bonnets sold in every beauty supply store. Like many black women I struggled to find a quality made bonnet to protect my natural hair. Wanting a better product I taught myself how to make satin bonnets. My emphasis was that the elastic can be replaced if and when needed. Shortly after that design I created the drawstring bonnet for the ladies that wanted more control of the tightness around their head.

I provide my customers with variety! They can be original by choosing their own colors, prints and proper size (S,M,L). Having options is very important to black women because we can go from short to long hairstyles with ease. I tell ladies it’s good to have at least 2 bonnets to alternate use while washing one for maintenance, or if you have misplaced one, I also make a variety of headbands, hair scrunchies, hair tubes, headwraps, sleep masks and my latest creation beard bonnets. What sets me apart is everything I sell is handmade by me! Making all products allows me to give customers an original custom design.

Over the years Mattie’s Bonnets LLC products have been sold to all types of women, girls, and men with curly, straight, and textured hair throughout the United States! My satin bonnets are an investment that will last a lifetime. I guarantee great customer service which is why I have so many repeat customers!

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding Mattie’s Bonnets LLC started like many new small businesses, I came up with my own capital from the job I was working at the time. I initially made a small investment to pay for my supplies and vowed that I would only use my sales to pay for future expenses. As my business grew I was able to keep my promise while making more in one day than I did in 2 weeks at my part-time job.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Selling at vendor events has been the best at building my reputation! The benefit is that customers can enjoy the experience of touching products before purchasing. I love seeing the excitement on their faces when they touch my products for the first time. That response sets off a chain reaction of referrals to friends, families, and social media posts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mattiesbonnets.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattiesbonnets/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbonnets
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MattiesBonnets?ref=profile_header

Image Credits
Baker’s Photography