Buying gifts for others led this mom to have her own gift shop.  When Rosey Costello found a hand knit sweater she liked for her son at a gift show, she was sold.  Learning that the vendor wasn’t returning the following year in time for the holidays, Rosey asked if she could rep the line.  This happened with several lines and before she knew it, Rosey had a venture selling gift items, including tunics, sweaters and shoes, starting in her home and then at trunk shows around New England.

With a job on the human resource side of the advertising business, Rosey was able to sell her unique items on the weekends or on the two days she had off each week.  She then created a venue with other vendors who had various wares and she left her permanent job to have more flexibility. After eight years of close to 100 days a year on the road for shows, Rosey wanted more of a presence in her home town.

Finding a small shop, she thought she had a store and then fate stepped in – but it turned out to be a good thing. A pending tenant came back into the picture for Rosey’s intended space, now what?

David Genovese, the landlord, told her the tenant was prepared to sign a lease immediately but wouldn’t be ready to move in for ninety days.  Rosey had an idea and wasn’t afraid to ask.  Why not have a “pop-up shop” for those three months.  It would be a great way for her to experience having a shop and the landlord would keep the space occupied while he waited for the permanent tenent.  What a great idea!!!!  This would also give her the summer off, even better.

That’s when friends came into play.  “Like the saying, ‘It takes a village’, friends helped me set up shop in three days.”  And Rosey found that the nearby store owners, like Helen Aison’s, were so welcoming and supportive.  The landlord was hugely helpful too, he sent out a notice about the new shop to his entire email list.

Given the current economic environment where some store fronts sit empty for months, landlords around the country are open to the idea of pop-up shops.  It’s a win win proposition for both parties.  So you can find Rosey’s shop in Darien at 1076 Post Road until late June.

Rosey says, “I love finding interesting items and bringing them to the public in my shop and shows and then seeing when they become a hit.” With lots of time on the road, a permanent shop may not be on the docket, but a pop-up shop for all of Rosey’s fun gifts is perfect timing and certainly rosy for Rosey.

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VentureMom Tip

Don’t be afraid to ask about a possible situation in which to showcase your venture.  You never know until you ask.