By Zabryan Grant
COVID-19 has caused a decline in employment and has also caused some businesses to shut down for good.
However, this did not stop a young entrepreneur by the name of Savannah Donaldson. Donaldson has two successful businesses that she operated by herself before opening her latest one, which is Pretty Emporium. Pretty Emporium is a blacked-owned business for younger females who want to accessorize their clothing.
“I started thinking about the idea of Pretty Emporium at the end of July and soon enough I released it to the public in the beginning of August,” Donaldson said.
Donaldson decided to start the online business because someone at her previous job caught the coronavirus. Donaldson’s father suffers from a weak immune system, therefore the best decision for her was to resign from the fast-food chain.
Donaldson’s inspiration for Pretty Emporium came from social media followers asking the whereabouts of her accessories and clothing outfits.
“I was always getting messages on Instagram about where I got this and that from, and that just gave me the idea to start my own business selling accessories I was always getting asked about’,” Donaldson explained.
Pretty Emporium’s goal for its customers is to make them feel beautiful, appreciated and allow the accessory to be the finishing piece of the puzzle but in other words the outfit.
Instagram is the social media platform that the brand is displayed on, with over 200 followers. Customers can view the page to see the different accessories being sold and currently able to purchase by direct messaging the page.
“Within the next year or two, I would like to see Pretty Emporium with over 50k followers on Instagram and have my brand in a storefront,” Donaldson explained.
Donaldson said she knows the ins and outs when it comes to having a personal business and more.
“My top three priorities as a business owner is customer satisfaction, being yourself and just going for it, and being patient because patient is key,” Donaldson said.
“My website will be up and running by mid-October so customers should look out for that and also not now but in the near future clothing and shoes will be available for purchase,” Donaldson said.
Pretty Emporium’s merchandise is focused on accessories with a resemblance of the logo being involved in some way. For example, one of the hottest items selling right now is the Glamour Anklets. The anklets come in several colors with butterfly charms on them.
Another one of Pretty Emporium’s goals is to make sure the merchandise is not overpriced and affordable, Donaldson said. She added that when it came down to her pricing strategy for the brand, it revolved around her thinking about how much she would pay for an accessory or piece of clothing.
“I know quality over quantity,” Donaldson stated.
She said she’s also happy to be part of the black-owned business culture.
“It’s a great time to be a black-owned business at this time during the pandemic,” Donaldson said.
As this worldwide 2020 pandemic continues businesses are slowly working their way back into society with its restrictions. Donaldson has opened a pathway for “Pretty Emporium” to be a bankable online business.
