Collaboration is the name of the game for three Connecticut friends who have discovered there is strength in numbers.
Laura Verses, Stephany Sanderson and Jacqui Coleman – whose friendship dates from middle school in Ridgefield – each had a business of her own, but their individual setups were not ideal. Verses ran her custom fine jewelry business, Five and Nine Designs, out of a shop in Ridgefield for a while; Coleman and her partners ran their curated vintage clothing business, The Shop, selling at flea markets and fairs, and Sanderson operated her fresh and dried floral arrangement business, Lily Astraea, from home.
Looking around Main Street in Georgetown – a census-designated area of Fairfield County where the towns of Redding, Weston and Wilton meet — they saw the area’s potential and harnessed it by taking a collaborative approach to business ownership. The result is The Shops at Auburn Landing, a cooperative space that now houses all three of their businesses under one roof.
Their approach allows the businesses to stay independent financially while taking advantage of the new shared space. Sanderson said that there aren’t many small retail spaces available in the area and the amount of money, resources, time and manpower that go into running a large space isn’t necessarily feasible for mothers who want to open a business.
“We all wanted a retail space but couldn’t find something that suited our small business model,” she added. “So it made much more sense to share a space, share utilities and share manpower without hiring extra people.”
The space itself is 1,500 square feet that they have split up but that nevertheless feels cohesive to the customer.
“I’ve always believed that as small business owners, especially women, we’re stronger when we lift each other up and create an environment where we can all thrive together,” Verses said.
As to how they found it, the trio told the Westfair Business Journal that they were well-connected in Georgetown and knew their landlord, so the setup was “a perfect fit.”
While there is still extra space, the three said they have debated on renting the additional unit but have decided not to for now. Instead, they are hosting visiting artists, who rent by the month, one month at a time. The trio said this brought in welcome revenue as well as interest in the existing stores, while also allowing them to promote new artists.
“Opening a business is challenging and scary,” Sanderson said. “When I look down Redding’s Main Street, I see support and friendship, which makes opening a business so much more fun.”
This new wave of female-led entrepreneurship aims to bring businesses to the community, keeping shopping local and having a helpful economic effect. With no management board per se, no specific theme or design plan for the space and no rules or charter, the shared vision of the three friends accounts for the smooth running of the enterprise. Their management style? “We communicate well and know when to let others have the floor. We run our businesses like a healthy functional family.”
For more, visit @lily_astraea, @wearetheshopgirls and @fiveandninedesigns.
