Life and Work with Heidi Buckhannon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Buckhannon.

Heidi, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always loved to sew and create things. I got my sewing machine when I was nine years old and haven’t stopped sewing since it feels like! When my son turned one, I wanted to get him a teepee tent for his birthday. I was shocked by how expensive they were and how, well… blah, they were for the price. I thought I would turn it into a project and try to make him one. It turned out better than I had thought and friends and family suggested I add it in my Etsy shop. I was shocked that it sold the next day! After some experimenting, I designed a pattern that worked great for tents and started experimenting with different fabrics. Ultimately, I wanted to create fashionable and fun toys for kids that are budget-friendly and provide more than a few minutes of playtime and then just take up room in the corner of their bedroom. Even if that does happen with my teepees, they look pretty sitting in a corner not being played with too though!

Has it been a smooth road?
The hardest thing for me has been marketing and finding the right product to sell. I feel totally confident in creating products, that part was easy for me. Finding a product that people want to buy and that can be priced at a point that’s worth the time I spend making it is a different story. I spent hours and hours researching the best place to buy wooden poles and fabric in bulk that is high quality but will keep my production coat as low as possible. Finding a successful way to market and advertise had its whole other list of struggles and there’s still so much I have to learn. The biggest advice I would give to a mom-treprenuer wanting to start a small shop would be to network. Find others in your area who have their own shops or business and learn from them. Ask for advice, find ways to collaborate with them like trading products to advertise for each other or team up with a photographer for high-quality pictures of your product. This has been absolutely essential for me. There is no way I could’ve grown LoveMeSparkle by myself and it would have been way less enjoyable. I’ve made lifelong friends all over the country with this business and that’s something I wouldn’t trade for anything.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with LoveMeSparkle – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I feel what sets me apart is the unique nature of the products I make. I see teepee tents, dolls, and backpacks for kids that double as a quiet play toy. Although the children/baby market is booming, I don’t have much direct competition. I think that’s what I take pride in the most. My ideas are 100% mine, I came up with the idea, I designed them, I had no inspiration from any other small business or brand and one can’t purchase things similar to mine on Amazon or in Walmart. I love being able to provide moms like myself with activities for their kids that get them using their imagination and off the couch away from the tv or iPad. I am a strong believer in encouraging children to use their imagination because if my parents didn’t encourage that, I would be a totally different person today with completely different interests. I also am a strong believer in giving back. Because of that, LoveMeSparkle donates 1 out of every 10 sales to a child with special medical needs. Children with terminal conditions or disabilities need a creative, pretend-play outlet more than anyone else.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Absolutely. My mom loves to sew and put me in sewing classes from a very young age, in addition to teaching me herself. My grandmother is an amazing seamstress and clothing alterations were always done by one of them as opposed to hiring someone. Also, my parents taught me to work for my money. If I wanted something, I had to pay for it. I think this mindset and the creativity of my mom and grandmother set an example to me of being self-sufficient and thinking outside the box.

Pricing:

• teepee tents $75-120
• play backpacks $45
• heirloom dolls $28

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lovemesparkle.com
• Email: shoplovemesparkle@gmail.com
• Instagram: @love.me.sparkle

Image Credit:
Alyn Gomez, Nikole Wood Photography, Krystal Hansen: Simply Girly Blog, Hannah Lorsch Photography

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