Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Porter Melinda Nicodemus.
Hi Carrie Porter, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In June 2023 Carrie texted me (Melinda) and asked if I wanted to meet for coffee. We met later that week and she started off by saying she had this business idea. It was something she had been thinking about for years and wanted to chat with me about it. Carrie wanted to create a place with several options of different crafts, keep it family friendly and affordable and she wanted me to do the social media aspect of it. I loved the idea and was all in! We spent the next few weeks coming up with a business plan, looking for locations, coming up with a name and all the other 3 million things that go along with opening a small business. After chatting with a friend we decided to look into renting a spot at Bradley Square, Mall. The first place they showed us we knew instantly that this is where we wanted to start our business! On September 29, 2023 just three months after that first conversation we got the keys to our very own brick and mortar! Carrie and I both worked full-time outside of the studio so we spent the next month coming over after our day jobs and working late into the evening. We had a goal to be opened by November 1 and we made it!
That first week we took a lot of notes of things that we needed to buy or fix to make the business flow better. For instance the night before we opened at 11 PM I realized we didn’t even have any cash! I had mentally only prepared for debit card transactions! So it was a lot of little things like that that you don’t know till you know as a small business owner.. We have found that Facebook is our best way to communicate with our customers.. We had originally planned on waiting to book birthday parties in January so that we could get acclimated to everything. The Lord had other plans apparently because we booked our first one in November and have been consistently booking parties ever since! In February 2024 a 500 ft.² spot in the mall came open and we knew it would
perfect for our birthday parties ! Then towards the end of 2024 an opportunity came up for us to move into a bigger location still located Inside Bradley Square, Mall. This allowed us to have our private party room and studio in one location. It also gave us room to expand our retail side.
We currently have 4400 ft.² of space where you can paint ceramics, wooden items, 3-D printed items, and canvases! We also do custom shirt orders and have 20+ vendors located in our store. These vendors are local artist who make and sell their items. We also have Friday night events where we have guest Artist come and teach classes. We have done things like calligraphy, needle felting, book art, acrylic painting and pottery!
We are currently in the works of having our own kiln installed where we can make our own molds and fire ceramics on site!
Our dream big goals are to open multiple locations and continue to have a business that is family friendly and affordable. We strive to make people feel welcome and like a part of the family as they walk in.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say that it has been 50-50. Most days we think man we are so lucky to be able to do this! Other days we are calling each other and quitting. The hard part is there are so many things that go into starting a small business that you simply do not know until you’re in it. One of the best things we did was hire a tax person in the very beginning. That has helped our sanity tremendously!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Carrie has her BA in Art from Lincoln Memorial University. She also works full-time at a local retail store. Melinda teaches art at a local elementary school
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
If you are looking for a mentor don’t be afraid to ask! People that are passionate about what they do will gladly help others find that passion as well. We absolutely love collaborating with other small businesses in the area! We have done several events with the plus ultra coffee located Inside Bradley Square, Mall. His storefront has a patio so we will do painting on the patio. The ticket prices will include a drink and he lets us use his space. It is a win-win and one of my favorite events we do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artatthesquare?igsh=ZWhyaWtzNDA2Nmdy&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EY3xnsEX8/?mibextid=wwXIfr
