"“It was great to have someone to talk through opening the store with. I have never owned a store of any kind, so it was a little intimidating. Rhonda had lots of great advice!” - Jessica Thompson, Owner of Plant Patience
More Info: WebsitePlant Patience
Plant Patience was started as a home-based plant business in 2021. The client’s business was receiving excellent feedback from the community, but she had a desire to grow her dream into a brick-and-mortar location. A storefront would allow her to further increase her business and the services she could offer. In addition to plants and accessories, Plant Patience offers an ever-increasing variety of workshops and at-home consultations.
As time continued, Jessica experienced rapid growth in her business. Although this advancement was exciting, she quickly outgrew a home-based operation. She wanted to open a retail storefront, but did not have the knowledge of what steps needed to be put in place to do so. She came to the Valley Sierra Small Business Development Center to seek guidance on the proper direction of opening her first store.
Our center connected the client with Rhonda Lowe. With her connection to Rhonda, the two were able to begin exploring all the basics of a proper business plan and assessed the steps of opening a retail store in her area of service. In addition to assisting Jessica with her business plan, we have recently continued providing services by assisting her with her marketing practices and by helping her implement a marketing calendar to reach larger audiences for her business. With the assistance of the SBDC, Jessica was able to set a target launch date and opened her doors.
By moving away from a home-based business and acquiring a store front location, Jessica has been able to increase her business revenue. This transition has allowed her to cater toward a larger audience and attract new customers in the area. Since the beginning of this year, Jessica has been continuing to work with one of our marketing consultants to further promote her business to the surrounding counties. With her connection to the SBDC, Jessica received assistance with her business plan, hired one full-time employee, and has begun the process of physically expanding her store location to attract additional plant connoisseurs in her community.
