We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wanda Davila. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Wanda below.
Wanda, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea?
The idea of opening a store-front as a short-term rental for businesses came organically in conversation with my husband. Many years ago I read about how storefronts struggling to keep long-term tenants were offering short-ter options. I did a market research in the Atlanta area and found few options in this market so I decided to take the plunge.
The first thing was to choose and register a business name that would reflect a space for community building, equity, and casual.
The next step was to create an aesthetic with which I could share a part of my Puerto Rican culture with tropical motifs and bright colors. Local interior design firm CG Interiors Group helped me carry out this vision of retro tropical style that is popular with my clients.
The third step was to build a website, social media accounts, and a Google business profile. With these tools I am able to connect with clients and provide our services to them.
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 interest in this industry came when I noticed there weren’t enough short-term brick and mortar spaces for small businesses to have an in person connection with their customers. My artistic and information science background certainly influences the aesthetic of the space and eagerness to serve my clients’ needs.
The thing I am most proud of is our ability to provide a turn-key space with amenities and social media exposure that helps our clients focus on the products or services they will bring to our storefront. Most of my clients are female solopreneurs who may have a hard time bringing bulky items. I try to alleviate this added stress by providing tables, clothing racks, full length mirror and rack, mini-fridge, female form mannequin, and other items.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
The start-up money for the business came out of my savings and carried through renovation with the help of my husband. The space is not huge so we were able to fix it up without going into debt and paid a friend to build the website. The hardest part came when we were ready to open in March 2020 but plans had to be put on hold due to the pandemic.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I don’t consider myself an online marketing expert but I am blessed my mother is. She helped me choose a name that could easily come up on Google and identify the hashtags that align with the brand. This helps me connect with my audience in a crowded medium.
My nature is to be a private person online so being active on social media doesn’t come naturally. It is still a work in process with lots of lessons yet to be learned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elpatiopopupshop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elpatiopopupshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elpatiopopupshop
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandacdavila/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-patio-pop-up-shop-atlanta?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
- Other: Google https://g.co/kgs/U8Zok3
Image Credits
Mr. Maylink Studios