Meet Jen Western

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Western.

Jen, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My husband, Sam, and I started our business summer of 2018 by purchasing our CNC plasma cutter. Sam has always dreamed of owning his own business. I have always loved to create, and that love is how Sam talked me into purchasing our machine, haha. We started with the hope that it would eventually pay off. We were optimistic it would be a good business venture, but no one can ever know for sure.

Now, we are growing faster than we ever thought possible! We are selling on Wayfair.com and are vendors in 12 stores around the valley and the white mountains. This season is going to be extra busy as we have every weekend double or triple booked with events.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, definitely not smooth! Our initial struggle was being able to afford the machine. We dreamed up this business for a few years before it became a reality. When we finally bought our machine, we could just barely afford the payment on it. After that came all the other start up costs. We are proud to say that after the initial machine purchase, we pinched every penny and were able to cash flow the first year of our business. At my first market I used my kitchen table with a sheet as my tablecloth, and a stand made out of scrap wood I found laying around. We made do with whatever we had on hand.

Last year during the crazy holiday season, Sam and I would work two to three hours in the shop every night after putting kids to bed. Sam had his regular work hours during the day, and we couldn’t afford much babysitting, so those cold late nights were how we would keep up.

I think another obstacle has been learning how to run a business, what works and doesn’t work, and making sure our business is profitable. We have learned and evolved so much in the last year.

Please tell us about your business.
We make metal home decor and custom signs, which are CNC plasma cut out of mild steel.

We receive a lot of custom orders. I love seeing a new design come to life! We make business signs and logos, and many beautiful signs for homes.

I have strong attention to detail, and I feel like it shows in my work. I love creating beautiful products. I love displaying them in a clean and professional way. A friend of mine sent me this message: “Pretty much anyone could buy your machine, but very few people would have the eye to create what you do with it. You have a gift for sure!” I love that I get to use my talents and passions in this business!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to be okay with progress! I’m someone who wants everything to be perfect from the very beginning. That’s just not possible when starting a new business, especially with limited resources. That was very hard on me. My list of things to improve is a mile long, but Sam and I are learning as we go, and it takes time. I’m very proud of where we’ve come and can’t wait to see where we will end up!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.willamarket.com
• Email: jen.willamarket@gmail.com
• Instagram: willa_market
• Facebook: Willa Market

Image Credit:
Hillarie Mae Photography

Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.