Saying this year has been difficult would be a massive understatement. And for small business owners, the pandemic has caused serious hardship. Some businesses have had to close their doors completely, while others are trying to get creative just keep their doors open – trying different business models altogether – like Virginia Sharp.
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Virginia Sharp owns a small boutique in Macon, Georgia called Daemarii’s Unique Boutique– and when the pandemic hit, she knew she’d have to come with an inventive idea to keep paying her bills.
“My bills still had to be paid, so I had to figure out a way to let the customers know, I know it was a downtime for everyone, and everybody was scared, didn’t know what to do and how to do it,” she told local news station WMAZ.
Deciding she needs to think outside-the-box, Virginia knew that due to the stay-at-home order, people would no longer be able to come into her shop. Even when people are allowed to shop again, she knew that the public would still be hesitant to do frivolous things like that.
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So, she decided to transition her clothing sales from in-store to online. Virginia took to social media to reach the masses and came up with a brilliant tactic – online fashion shows.
Every Friday, Virginia began live-streaming fashion shows with different themes each week. She had no idea it would completely transform her business.
Because of her fashion shows, Virginia has seen sales come in all the way from Alaska! First, she hosted a “White Party,” followed by “Girl’s Trip,” “Yacht Party,” and also a “Coffee Chat” which focused on three colors – black, cream, and sugar. The fashion shows have been a giant success.
“Our community is loving the live theme shows on Facebook,” she told GNN.
Now, a bulk of her business is packing up boxes and sending them across the country.
“We’ve had customers now tune in from Chicago, New York, Maryland, Florida, I’m sending packages all over, Alaska, it’s exciting now just to see what we’re gonna do next,” she says.
“Although I was in the medical field, I chose a position which still allowed me to be a fashionista because I was a nurse liaison who could dress and visit the hospitals and evaluate patients for acute and subacute rehab. That’s how I built my customer base because everyone knew me by the way I dressed.”
When she opened the doors to Daemarii’s Unique Boutique in 2014, she never expected a pandemic to hit. However, she’s grateful for her recent success.
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“Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you,” Virginia says. “Do what you love and the money will follow. Never give up!”
Learn more about Virginia, her boutique, and her incredible fashion shows in the video below.
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