Rachel Burch is the founder and previous owner of Home Sweet Home Apparel. She owned the company for four and a half years, growing it considerably into a thriving Springfield business before selling it this past summer. The Scoop talked to Burch about the ups and downs of starting a small business and how to build it into a success.
Q: When did you first get into the retail industry?
A: I mean that’s a complicated answer because in 2015 I started selling LulaRoe which I guess is technically retail but it’s a little bit different. But then January 1st of 2020 is when I went out on my own.
Q: What made you decide to start your very own independent small business, Home Sweet Home?
A: I think that online retail really boomed—well I think it peaked in 2020 for small business owners like small boutiques on social media sale. It was before influencing is as big as it is now…but four or five years ago, they were looking at ‘what are you selling that I can buy direct from you?’ and so I felt like the time was right to do it like…I could tell that it was really peaking then and I wanted to take advantage of it.
Q: Were there any challenges that you faced with starting your business?
A: I think customer service is the biggest challenge because you’re gonna deal with grouchy people and people that don’t wanna follow the rules.
Q: Home Sweet Home is very successful. Your brand began strictly online. How did your company grow and change over time and what are some strategies you used to grow your business?
A: My sales almost always increased. I knew my customer base; I shopped for them. I didn’t shop for myself. I did love my customers, and I still am in contact with a lot with them.
Q: From your experience, what are some key factors for success with a small business?
A: You have to work hard. It’s just a lot of hard work all the time. Especially if you’re the owner, you’re working all the time. And the tax situation is really complicated, so getting really good help with that I think is key—a good bookkeeper, good accountant. And I think work life balance is especially hard when there’s no starting time and end time. Now I have more time…but with the business I was always working.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring small business owners and entrepreneurs in the Springfield area?
A: I would say ‘don’t copy someone else.’ I think I was successful because my whole business model was extremely unique. And find your customer [base] and cater to them.
Q: What is one of your favorite things about the small business industry, specifically in Springfield?
A: Well, I think Springfield is pretty large, but honestly, it’s very interconnected, and, you know, it can be a small world, and so I just loved all the connections.
