It was a trip to a friend’s daughter’s college in Alabama that led Tiffany Hedge to her own business. When her own daughter went away to college, Tiffany wanted a personalized door sign in the school colors. She wasn’t able to find one. When she was on the Alabama campus she saw a guy personalizing things like license plates and phone cases on site with an interesting machine and she started doing some research on the process.

At the time Tiffany was working for her brother’s online store where the main product was Barbour coats. Tiffany was a customer service angel. She personally sent notes to each and every person who bought a coat. She was so good at customer service that shoppers knew her by name and came back again and again. “The sales increase significantly from the time I began.”

But when she felt she wasn’t getting the recognition she thought was warranted, she decided to make a leap to start her own business. And she knew exactly what it would be, “If I wanted a personalized sign in my daughter’s school colors so would others.” Tiffany delved into her savings and bought the machine she had seen in Alabama. Tiffany set to work to create items branded in college colors and logos that she could also monogram.

Now what? She had just put down a large amount of her own money and left her job. “I wasn’t sure people would even buy the items I envisioned”. Another mom heard what she could make, and asked her to create a sign for her daughter and roommate who were swimmers at the University of Maine The girls loved their new dorm room sign. This sale gave Tiffany the validation she needed to tell the world about her business, “I was so relieved that someone else thought it was a good idea too.”

She needed a name and wanted something that reminded her of happy times. She chose Brant Point Prep that was a nod to a summer place she has frequented since childhood. Tiffany quickly realized, through her daughter and her mom friends, that items personalized with sorority colors and logos would be a big seller, “Phone cases and cup koozies in Sorority colors are most of my business.”

Personalized items for weddings are another area of high sales. “A bride and groom will order large quantities of things with their monogram as gifts for their guests.” Tiffany was a bit overwhelmed by the idea of setting up a website so she turned to Etsy, the online marketplace. “Etsy allowed me to set up shop almost immediately.”

Most of her marketing has been through word of mouth and social media. Lilly Pulitzer heard about her cool product line and has hired her to provide onsite gifts at their trunk shows and a large university has reached out about ordering wholesale. “A year ago I never dreamed this is where I’d be. Being my own boss and making my own schedule is the best part. Now I can use my personalized customer service for my own business.”

VentureMom Tip
Provide excellent customer service.