Etsian Friends Sunday Spotlight

New Year and a new start on featuring fellow Etsians and their shops. This weeks featured shop is Renee Originals

1. How long have you been in business?
We have been in business for about a year now. We started towards the end of December 2012.

2. How did you get started in this business?

For as long as I can remember my mother and father always did creative things with my sister and I, so when we really started coming in to our own style and honed our skills it was only natural that we would try and support ourselves with our creations. Our father is also a very business minded person, so when the choice was to encourage his girls to get a job or work for themselves it was a rather cut and dry decision. We started off in the usual ways giving items to friends making things and wearing them, as well as getting involved in community events.


3. Can you provide me with a description of your business?

We specialize in unique, hand crafted fashion accessories. My sister and I are drawn to a sophisticated, classy and yet unique sense of style, thus we create items using a rather vintage method... crochet. We specialize in items such as shawls, hats, scarfs, gloves and even wire crochet jewelry. We also share the idea that the items you wear should be just as unique as the wearer, thus many of our items are customizable to each individual patron. On the jewelry side of our business unique and one of a kind is everything. So we really endeavor to bring unique items that have an elegance and beauty about them.


4. How did you come up with the name of your business?

Well Reneé is my middle name (Sarah Reneé Jones) and we like to create original items.


5. Is this your only job?
Thanks to the support and love of our family, yes this is. We are actually in college and we are actively involved in a volunteer work and so staying focused and organized has let us have the opportunity to work on making this our full-time job.


6. Favorite part of owning your own business?

I would have to say the freedom of being able to decide how we use our time. It always seems like there are not enough hours in the day and while owning our own business does not change this, it has provided us the freedom to still have our independence and not neglect really important things like our health and family.


7. Least Favorite part?

I would have to say the uncertainty. There is no guarantee that people will like what you do and actually buy which is a scary prospect. When you own your own business everything is dependent on you, if something breaks or someone is unhappy or even if you just can't meet an order all of the responsibility fall on you as the owner.

8. What has proven to be the best ways to market your business?

Being your brand is certainly one of the best ways that we have found to market. We like most people interact with others on a regular basis, so actually doing things like wearing our creations and not being afraid to talk them up has helped. As well as being involved in local events and of course social media.


9. Your advice to someone just starting out?
Be realistic, starting a business for most people is not an overnight endeavor, it takes time, so be patient and persevere.
Talk yourself and why you do what you do up, you are your business so be sure that the image that you portray is the image you want to give off.


10. Anything else you'd like to share about yourself or your business?

Our business is truly a melting pot of my sister and I's differing personalities, we kind of cover all the base's that way. We've really appreciated this opportunity to share what we love with everyone and wish all those who read this the best.

Thanks to Sarah for taking the time to answer my questions this week. Make sure to stop by and see more of their wonderful creations.  Renee Originals