The Dandelion Patch is pretty much my heaven. The local stationery stores are filled to the brim with beautiful paper and fabulous gifts. I actually am quite certain that I could go on a shopping spree there daily.
Next week is the grand opening of it’s fourth retail location in Leesburg, VA - June 29, 2011 in The Village at Leesburg Shopping Center from 7pm – 9pm.
Just in time to celebrate, I was able to catch up with Heidi Kallett, owner and business guru, to hear more about The Dandelion Patch.
What is your background and how did you get into the industry?
I was the President of the Junior League of Northern Virginia and in the middle of my term, my husband asked what I was going to do after my term expired. He encouraged me to do the same thing that I’d done successfully with the JLNV in a business of my own: motivate, inspire, lead and grow.
So after a dinner with my girlfriends, it was determined that I was “that mom” … you know… the kind that for my kids’ birthday parties had all the matching paper goods, the paper invitations (of course!), the party game that matched the theme, and the perfect favors.
Soon afterwards, I learned that The Dandelion Patch was for sale in Vienna. Now, the store wasn’t what you see now– it had about 75 loyal customers and a reasonable reputation in the local marketplace. But no website, no logo, located in a small, warehouse district in Vienna and no real brand. However, I know enough about myself to realize that I am much better “editing a piece of paper, than starting from scratch”… so buying an existing company was the best option for me.
The best thing I did when I started was to write a master business plan. That research made me quickly realize that there was a need in the DC area for a brick and mortar retailer that focused on the high end, custom invitations of all life milestones.
Now, 7 years later we are part of the fabric in thousands of family households through our experiences in working with their birth announcements, Bar/Bat Mitzvah invitations, and of course– our custom wedding suites.
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