Artizan grows from a home-based business into string retail outlets
Between maintaining a career and balancing soccer practice, homework, dinner and housework, being a working mom is no easy feat.
Now add being a part-time model and business owner. Sound crazy? Not to Robin Barre, a mom, former teacher and model, and owner of Artizan, a jewellery and fashion accessories company.
"I know it sounds nuts, but it really isn't, you just have to maintain your priorities and be an excellent time manager," she said. "My kids and family have always come first, I've worked very hard and have been very lucky to have this kind of success in business."
Barre, who has no formal business training, started making decorative candles in her kitchen in 1995.
"I would make the candles and go to artisan fairs to sell them and I realized quickly that it was very lucrative," she said. "I was a high school teacher at the time, so I actually hired a few students to help me make candles to keep up with demand."
After having success selling her products at artisan fairs, Barre began presenting them to retail stores. Soon enough, her candles were being sold at Stokes, Jean Coutu, Pharmaprix and Loblaws.
"All of the sudden, I had over 1,000 stores buying my candles," she said. "My little home business had really taken off."
Barre contracted about 20 women to work out of their homes making candles to meet sellers' demands.
"It was a bit of a logistical nightmare, but we did it," Barre said, laughing.
That went on until 2001, when Barre opened her first retail store called Artizan, which sold handcrafted goods including home decor items and jewellery.
"Until then, we had been focused on wholesale operations, this was my first venture into the retail market," she said. "It got me thinking about diversifying my wholesale clients from major players to smaller, independent stores."
It was the proverbial "don't put all your eggs in one basket" predicament, she added.
"If you sell to only large stores and one or a few of them go into bankruptcy, it can hugely impact your business," Barre said. "So it can actually be safer to have a lot of smaller clients, rather than only a handful of big ones, and that's the direction I decided to take with my wholesale division."
With close to 2,000 active clients, the wholesale division of Artizan currently makes up about 60 to 65 per cent of Barre's business.
Barre currently has 12 stores nationwide, including at most major airports, and three stores in the U.S.
The company recently moved to a new, larger head office to house its 20 employees. There are also several dozen employees working at the many retail locations.
"I have a phenomenal team, I couldn't have this business without its dedicated employees," Barre said. "I have three employees, Nicolae Corbos, Lyn Lindsay and Michellyn Samus, who have been with me for 10 years, since our candle making days, so when we say our staff is like a family, we mean it."
From 2009 to 2010 the company's sales have doubled and Barre has started to diversify her product line to include clothing, handbags and shoes.
"We want to be a one-stop shop for our clients," she said. "And of course continue to expand and grow our business."
This year, Artizan will be opening three new stores, including two in the U. S.
The company is also currently being considered for airport locations in Chicago and Edmonton, and is looking at launching more stores locally.
"I've been very fortunate, things have gone very well," she said. "I never would have imagined taking my business this far when I started making candles in my kitchen, but I hope my story inspires other people, especially women, who are looking to get into business but don't think they can or have reservations for whatever reason."
Since her business took off, Barre has retired from teaching and modelling to have more time for Artizan.
"Now it's about balancing time between my family and my business," she said. "I couldn't have built this business without my husband's help and support and my family will always be No. 1 on my list."
http://www.canada.com/Artizan+grows+from+home+based+business+into+string+retail+outlets/4583772/story.html