Opening your own business takes more than just a great idea. It requires dedication, a supportive team and industry knowledge. But, as two local women have discovered, when the timing is right, the rewards are well worth the risk.
Kelley Barr (pictured above), founder of k. hall designs, a local company that sells handmade bath, body and home products, never imagined working for someone else; both her parents were independent business owners. Her passion for using natural ingredients to make everyday items like soap and candles started at an early age. “Growing up, I was always concocting things with herbs from our backyard,” she says. “Our kitchen was open for me to create anything I wanted, as long as I cleaned up.” Raised in Traverse City, Michigan, Barr says she learned to appreciate a way of life that focused on “living from the farm stand. I realized I could grow something and refine it as an ingredient for an inspiring product.”
Barr was working as a buyer for a group of home and garden centers in Michigan when she noticed an area in the marketplace that was unfilled. “As the story goes, I quit my corporate job and started the company in 1998,” she says. Her plan was simple: to introduce her products to the stores she wanted to be in—and it worked. “The very first store I sold to was a clothing retailer, Tootsies, and Waterworks, a specialty retailer of luxury bath products, was the first large-scale retail chain to purchase the entire collection. Right behind that, Restoration Hardware placed a large order of my milk-, lavender- and fig-scented items, which was the beginning of really moving forward,” she says.
Her husband John joined as co-CEO in 2001, and the couple moved to St. Louis, his hometown, two years later. The first retail store was in University City with two or three employees, and it’s continued to grow since then. They moved to the current Brentwood location in 2007 and later expanded that store and moved production to a larger facility nearby. Now, there is a retail shop in Plaza Frontenac and in Chicago, and nearly 15 employees are responsible for crafting handmade goods like soap, candles, lotion and perfume under four different brands: k. hall designs, Simpatico, Barr-Co. and U.S. Apothecary. While almost everything is made locally, the company has an international distribution. “My husband propelled most of the larger business transactions,” Barr says. “I focus on product design, aesthetics and ingredients, and he manages the bigger picture.”
As mom to five children, Barr says life is busy, and she doesn’t see it slowing down. “We have a big team of helpers. It’s certainly not a two-person gig.” She says one of the most important aspects of starting your own business is being passionate about what you do. “Beyond that, it’s imperative that there is a market for what you want to offer,” she explains. “If those two things are in place, be diligent and don’t expect to make any money for awhile! But live your dream. Be happy.”
Ann Hurth, owner/founder of The Fur Boutique inside GiddyUp Jane on Clayton Road, couldn’t agree more that for a new business to work, there needs to be demand. Clients from her previous position as longtime sales manager and buyer at The Fur Centre brought Hurth out of retirement. After learning the ins and outs of the retail business by working for the Glik family (of Glik’s department stores), Hurth was recruited by The Fur Centre. “I knew nothing about fur,” she recalls. “They sent me to Montreal and New York to learn the business.” She stayed with Fur Centre for more than 20 years before retiring—and then the calls started. “About six months after I left, my phone started ringing with customers asking about help with a restyle, new purchase or cleaning,” she says. “My clients put me back in business.”
She hosted a few trunk shows at GiddyUp Jane, and it grew from there. “I had a successful pop-up shop for the 2013 holiday season and incorporated the business in March the following year,” she explains. “The demand was definitely there.” Now, Hurth’s boutique is open by appointment and she offers new inventory, as well as cleaning and conditioning and restyling services.
When asked about future growth, she says she’s taking it one season at a time. “As long as we’re doing well, we’ll see!” She advises anyone thinking about opening a business to trust their instincts. “I turned down opportunities earlier in my career because it didn’t feel right,” she says. “Timing is everything.”
Photos: Bill Barrett
