By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
If Britney Spivey ever gets tired of being a business owner, she could become a commercial real estate developer.
Spivey opened Simply Chic Boutique almost 14 years ago in Bossier City’s McKenzie Plaza — on Douglas Drive, just off Airline Drive. From then until now, when a business closed, Britney took unofficial responsibility to bring in a new business.
“When a spot would open up, I would ask our landlord, ‘Can you just give me a minute to try and find someone I think would be good to go in that spot? Don’t advertise it. Just give me a second and let me see if I can find someone.”
Spivey worked her connections, many of whom are women. The result is a rarity
— six female-owned businesses in one location.
“You look around, and I’m surrounded by a bunch of bosses who are women.” Spivey said. “You don’t always find that in business.”
Nor do you find the convenience provided by each female-owned business.
“Honestly, we pride ourselves on being a one-stop shop,” said Morgan Sewell, owner of Rosewood Home Market. “You can get your kids an outfit. You can get a housewarming gift for a friend. You can go to K Couture and get an outfit for a date night. You can go to Give Me 3 and get the best birthday party gift. You can go to Simply Chic and get an outfit for your next vacation . . . . If you have to knock something out, this is the place to come.”
The six businesses don’t compete against each other. Instead, they compliment each other. It’s not that Spivey is afraid of competition, but she’s found that working together is better than working apart.
“It says we can all support each other and still succeed. There’s enough pie for everyone at the table. When they do well, I do well. It doesn’t have to be we’re against each other. I think we really do support one another. We come together and put on events. At Christmas, we’ve always had a huge event. There’s Valentine’s Day. There’s Mother’s Day. We work to complement one another, and because of that, we’re all more successful.”
Spivey learned early on that competitors aren’t always friendly.
“When I first got into the business, I was the new competition. People weren’t always kind about it. I thought if I’m going to do this, I’m going to treat people like I want to be treated. You make friends with people in retail because you can help each other out and recommend. When someone comes in looking for something and I don’t have it, I can say, ‘Oh, go here.’ You know the type people you want to work with, so those are the type people I want to be my neighbors.”
People like one of Spivey’s friends, who until recently owned a children’s clothing store.
“I’m a mom, so when we were looking for a new store to come to our shopping center, she had Britches and Bows. I was like, ‘Why not?’ Why wouldn’t a mom want to be able to come shop for herself and also her kids?”
Britches and Bows’ owner retired and closed the business, but Sewell is using that to her advantage. Rosewood Home Market, which sells home decor, accent furniture, and gifts, will soon fill the void left by Britches and Bows.
“They approached me and said, ‘You should totally expand and move down here and do baby and kids clothes,’ Sewell said. “I was like, ‘Okay, let’s do it. I felt like now is the time, and if I didn’t do it, I would have never done it.”
The six store owners are proof that owning a business isn’t a man’s world anymore.
“I have four boys,” Spivey said. When I was a little girl, I didn’t always think I would grow up and be a boss. For a long time, most of your bosses were men. My boys, when they talk about who’s the boss, there’s no gender specificity. They’re like, ‘Well, my mom, she’s the boss at her work.’ I just think it’s changed to where it’s a non-issue. You can grow up and lead a company, or you cannot. But it doesn’t have to be a man. They don’t think, ‘My dad’s a boss, but my mom couldn’t be a boss.'”
As if owning a business isn’t enough responsibility, there’s also the fact that each owner has a family to take care of.
“It speaks volumes to being not only a female, but a mom. I’m a new mom. I have a one-year-old. Everyone up here has kids, and they balance that working mom business life. They provide the best customer service they possibly can, then go home and provide their family with the best mom they can be. It’s pretty impressive that we all try and juggle it all.”
And what’s the best part of being one of six successful, female-owned businesses, all in one spot?
“Definitely the camaraderie between all of us,” Sewell said. “We push each other to be better, and send each other ideas we see on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. When one of us does well, everybody does well. We all want to see each other succeed.”
Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com.