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CRAVE BlogInterview with Entrepreness Kim Sibley of Little Urbanites
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Kim Sibley is an influential person in your community and in your business but you may not even realize it until now! Not only is Kim the proud owner of Little Urbanites, a wonderfully curated children’s store in Portland’s Pearl District, she also sits on several neighborhood associations planning and implementing ways to improve our neighborhoods and business districts in Portland. With a degree in Early Childhood Education & Fine Art and seven years of experience working for a children’s museum as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Kim brings her expertise, knowledge as well as energy to Little Urbanites. Offering a unique selection of safe, worldly, and quality products, Kim provides exceptional customer service and gives expert advice for families in Portland and across the nation. Kim set aside some time for me to interview her for our CRAVE Portland Entrepreness feature and it was so much fun getting to know more about her and her business.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I grew up in New York and New Jersey and have traveled 48 out of the 50 states in the U.S.–I’ve lived everywhere too. My background is in art, and I worked at Metropolitan Museum of Art. I’m passionate about education and developing the business districts in Portland. I’m also VP of the Pearl District Business Association (PDBA), on the board for Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associaion (APNBA) as well as a mentor for Mentor Portland. I also love to garden and volunteer!
What aspects of the business do you handle most?
I do all the buying for the store, merchandising, I handle marketing and public relations, web design and maintenance, and I also do sales on the weekends. I oversee all other aspects of the business, but for example financials–that’s not me, I have someone else taking care of the numbers, that’s boring to me!
What’s the significance of the name “Little Urbanites”?
My mom, Suzanne owned a kids’ store in New Jersey and I actually give her all the credit for coming up with the name. We knew that we wanted to have the business in the Pearl District, and so our customers would be city dwellers and their children would be growing up in the city.
What’s your criteria for buying for your store?
I always ask where it’s made and whose making it. In addition to uniqueness, I try to choose products that are safe, environmentally friendly and socially response. I feel that I can make an impact by making responsible choices.
What are some of the most popular products that you carry?
The Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair — “the chair that grows with your child.” It was made in the 1970′s by a dad and is actually in Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) cafe! Baby registry, strollers and stroller advice are also popular products and services. i spend hours and days helping customers find the right stroller!
In addition to your retail store, you also have your online store www.littleurbanites.com. What are the pros & cons of having both entities?
The retail store is fun, interactive, and you get to meet your customers but it also has to be open all days of the week. I really love doing social media online and working on relaunching our blog! The downside of online is the maintenance of everything!
Besides being your own boss, what’s the most rewarding aspect of having your own business?
I get a feeling of personal achievement, that you built something from the ground up and it’s become something successful. I also curate the store and go through a very in-depth selection process and research to make sure that each and every one of my products in the store has a purpose and makes a statement. That’s rewarding to me!
What do you do to maintain a balance in your life?
Balance is very difficult to achieve! I try to take at least one day off a week, garden or spend time traveling. I don’t have any children yet but Little Urbanites IS my baby and that’s where most of my focus is right now.
Do you have plans for the future of Little Urbanites?
We’ve had our online store for two years now and it’s been doing pretty well, but I’d love to grow it even more. I’d also like to open up in other locations in the future.
Any last words for our readers?
Connect with us on Facebook or Twitter! Those are both ways I’m able to connect and interact with fans and customers. I would also love your feedback on how we’re doing and what products you like!
One Response to “Interview with Entrepreness Kim Sibley of Little Urbanites”
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Kim Sibley’s Interview with Crave Portland « Little Urbanites Says:
[...] May 21, 2010 by Cecilia | Comments (0) [...]