"What were some of your successes cultivating a community around your shop?"

It may sound corny, but Creative Kind has been about community from day one. Opening the shop came later! Initially, my goal was simply to bring together crafty people and make friends. That grew into the brand's mission: to help people connect through creativity.

As I hired help, I made a point to keep that principle at the forefront of our decision-making. But cultivating a vibrant, local community didn’t always come easily. We had to work for it!

So, what worked and would I have done differently for our brick & mortar stores? Read on for more on how to build community around your business.

Determine Your Shop's Values & Lead with Them

Our mission dictated our values, which we documented in our Brand Book and revisit annually. These aren’t just vague, broad words; we discuss contextual examples of what these values look like in action. They guide every decision, from hiring new staff to selecting products and exploring new revenue streams.

Building a community around your business starts with sharing core beliefs. When your values are clear and consistently reflected, they help build trust and loyalty.  

Pick The Right Storefront Location (and Neighbors!)

One of our objectives in opening a shop was to have our doors open every day. But once we moved in to our Tucson brick & mortar, we felt isolated. Our first shop in Tucson was in a shopping center mostly occupied by corporate brands...not ideal for fostering indie community camaraderie.

Our second shop in Phoenix was in a retail center entirely occupied by small businesses*. This gave us the opportunity to be part of a larger destination for shoppers who wanted to shop small. Especially when all the tenants participated in collaborative events!

In Tucson, bringing other makers in for pop-ups and hosting our own markets helped us cultivate community despite the lack of nearby small businesses. It enabled us to create a temporary “shop small” destination within a larger, corporate-dominated shopping center.

Location and neighbors definitely aren't make or break when it comes to community, but it should influence how you go about it!

Host Interactive Events Like Workshops

Creative Kind began with pop-up workshops, which were key in fostering a sense of community. Back in 2015, there were very few of these events happening in Tucson, so they caught on quickly. We immediately had a small but strong network of people showing up. Many of those folks went on to become vendors, event instructors, and cheerleaders for us when we ventured into retail.

While our workshop model changed over time, we always included a beginner-friendly, hands-on project. I’m not one for small talk, and I knew from experience that talking to strangers was way, way easier when your hands were busy and you shared a common goal. We also incorporated elements that provided comfort and more easy conversation starters, like quick icebreaker questions and snacks. Always snacks!

Your local shop ideas could be a book club, a pot luck style dinner club, or holiday shopping events.

Participate In Off-Site Markets & Pop-Ups

The workshops also provided a way to tap into the local business community, as we partnered with artists to lead the events and bars/restaurants around town to host.

Once we had our own space, markets and pop-ups were instrumental in helping us continue to connect with other small businesses. And we got to see customers who didn’t frequent our store often! 

In the early days, it was hard to justify doing many off-site events because we operated on very low inventory and couldn’t staff two places at once. If we had more resources, I would prioritized doing more off-site markets and pop-ups.

Get Creative During Challenging Times

COVID presented an exceptional challenge for us as a a brick-and-mortar store that relied entirely on in-person experiences. Shocking, right?

For the holidays, I decided to print a magazine to showcase local art while our doors were physically closed. No ads, just full-page spreads of beautiful work and an artists' directory. It gave me and everyone who bought a copy a way to support and engage with the local creative community in a time when that couldn't happen in person. 

Sometimes you have to improvise, and finding creative ways to connect during tough times can turn challenges into opportunities for deeper connections.

Embrace A Niche & Cultivate It

One trend I’ve observed (and at times envied) about other shops is how having a specific niche or inventory focus can quickly attract a dedicated community. For example, carrying exclusively stationery, plants, or eco-friendly wares.

Alas, I just loved too many things and we had a lot of categories! 

Due to our heavy local emphasis (and abundance of cactus designs) many folks christened us "the Arizona store”. But it's not something we leaned into with our marketing until the last couple of years.

Had we had a more narrow, values- or lifestyle-driven focus earlier, I think it would have been a major boost. 

Half the battle, even if you have a niche, is giving your community opportunities to engage over their shared interest.

Our workshops were a mechanism for that and served as a major differentiator!

Listen To Your People

Remember I mentioned that core group of supporters that formed when we were doing our initial workshops? Before launching our pop-up shop, I invited them to an informal “focus group” to get their thoughts on the idea.

As time went on, I continued to use social media, Google Forms, paper surveys, and in-person prompts to gather our community’s input. And then I acted on it!

This one may seem obvious, but is easy to forget or put aside when you’re a small business owner doing ten jobs in a day. Your community show ups because they care about your business. Give them opportunities to be a part of its growth! 

It could be a formal survey with a raffle prize or as simple as giving floor staff a specific topic to discuss with folks that come in.

How To Build Community Around Your Business

Cultivating a shop community requires giving before you get, but it is so worth it!

From pop-up workshops to markets and even creating a magazine during the pandemic, we've never regretted the effort it takes to connect with our customers and other small businesses. 

If you’re a small shop owner, remember that building a community takes time, effort, and sometimes a little improvisation. Keep your mission at the forefront, and the rewards will follow.

I'd love to hear about your successes and challenges in community building, feel free to share your stories or questions below!