Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica and LaQuisha Moore.
Jessica and LaQuisha, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Jessica – I would go to all of these vendor events and buy all of these great products from super small businesses. I would share them with my Facebook friends and on Instagram. People would buy things just off of my honest recommendations. In November of 2017, I had this idea. What if I could share super small businesses with the world and help them grow? I have the network for it. I sat on the idea for a couple of months and January 2018, I purchased the domain, SisterBoxes. The idea was to curate boxes that would signify a sisterhood and self-care. I wanted to grow small businesses in order to grow the community. I moved to the South Side (Desoto) May 2016 and realized the vast entrepreneur spirit. So much untapped and tapped potential. So many people that just needed a push or advice or just encouragement. I wanted to be that, not only for my community but for women, in general.
Once I decided on a name, I bought the domain, I made a post in a business group asking for wholesale products. I didn’t want free products from really small business owners. I wanted to pay them so that they could make the product and pay them for their time. By March, I had products from four small businesses. I bought mailing boxes and made stickers with my printer. I put the logo on them that I had made on my own in Canva. Then, I jumped! I made a storefront on Tictail.com and added my boxes. I posted it on FaceBook and Instagram. I only made 24 boxes and sold them all in three weeks. It.Was.HARD! The work it took to get it out and the money spent on it was massive. I made about 5 bucks profit from each box. I realized I had a great idea but I needed help. In comes Laquisha.
LaQuisha is very organized and has a great idea for design. We’re from the same hometown and knew each but not quite friends. We connected again through business groups. The more I talked to her, the more I felt like she saw the vision and was on the same page. We started exchanging ideas. I realized she was the perfect fit for SisterBoxes. I asked her to partner with me and here we are.
Right out of the gate, she was like maybe we should change the logo. Let’s get professional help for a real website. Let’s take photos. I was game! She was the missing piece to this puzzle.
Our website is beautiful! Marisa Elliott, a talented young web designer, really brought our brand and what we stand for to life.
We’ve connected with so many small business owners, artist, graphic designers, and photographers.
In 2019, we want to expand our brand. We not only want to showcase small businesses, we want to brand and create small businesses by partnering with people who have great ideas but don’t know where to start.
LaQuisha and I have learned several lessons (some that cost money and tears lol) that we would love to teach others on their journey.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been paved with ups and downs. All lessons that have helped us get better and wiser. We’ve had budget issues, idea clashes, personal life changes, and self-care struggles. Through it all, we held on to the vision and let go of our egos. My advice to anyone, particularly women and young women, would be to learn to work with others. Pinpoint your strengths and your weaknesses. Find someone that can fill in the gaps and understand the vision. The vision will keep you connected when everything else is in question.
Please tell us about SisterBoxes.
Our main mission is to grow super small businesses in order to grow and keep money in our community. We do this by showcasing small businesses in our box. Our box is rooted in self-care. I’m proud that we’re able to support small businesses by paying for a product. Thats what sets us apart. When you look at big subscription boxes, you’ll find a lot of those products are donated. How are small businesses supposed to thrive if they’re giving away hundreds of products? We, at the very least, want to make sure the cost of the product is covered. We also help small businesses that don’t quite box ready by helping them with packaging, price list, etc. We’ve created a barter system for those that need help in that area.
For businesses that are small but are somewhat established, we’ve created a program where they can sponsor a box by giving samples. In exchange, we promote your business on all platforms weekly. We also allow flyer promotions inside the box.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
There’s an African proverb that states “If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” Women are powerful and I feel like we not only take every opportunity given to us, but we MAKE opportunities for ourselves and each other. We’re well positioned for anything that our mind allows us to see. I always say, if I can see it in my mind I can hold it in my hand.
Pricing:
- Our SisterBox is $30
- Our Deluxe SisterBox is $50
- Brand Development, coming soon!
Contact Info:
- Website: SisterBoxes.com
- Phone: 682-990-3491
- Email: info@sisterboxes.com
- Instagram: @SisterBoxes
- Facebook: SisterBoxes
Image Credit:
Taylor Reed
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
