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Small Business Blog

Empowering Entrepreneurs, One Blog at a Time.

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Why Community Is the Secret to Long-Term Success

#805: Why Community Is the Secret to Long-Term Success

In this episode, Ashley sits down with April Burks, owner of Love Ivy Boutique to unpack the real story behind longevity in retail. From starting at 24 years old with no roadmap to building a thriving store rooted in community, confidence, and customer relationships.

Read More

Five Minute Friday (Couch Conversations): The Ins & Outs of Business

What if you could sit down on the couch with other boutique owners and just talk about what’s really working right now? Welcome to a brand new Five Minute Friday series —Couch Conversations! In this first episode, Ashley Alderson and Sara Burks break down the IN vs OUT shifts for 2026, from content creation to customer experience to how you’re running your day-to-day business. If you’re still doing everything manually,

Read More

Feeling Stuck in Your Boutique? 7 Signs You’re Ready for Summit

Feeling stuck in your boutique—even though you’re doing everything “right”? You’re not alone. In this blog, we break down 7 clear signs your business has outgrown its current strategy and what to do next. If you’re ready for more clarity, better systems, and real growth, Boutique Summit 2026 might be exactly what you need.

Read More

#804: The Ultimate Market Buying Tool Every Boutique Owner Needs

What if the biggest inventory mistakes in your business are happening before the product ever arrives? Ashley Alderson is joined by Ulla Hald, founder of FAVES, to talk about how boutique retailers can buy smarter by planning ahead, tracking purchases in real time, and staying on top of what’s ordered, what’s arriving, and what still needs attention. They unpack why buying without a system leads to confusion, overbuying, missed categories,

Read More

Five Minute Friday: Sales Are Down… Now What?

Sales are down… so what should you actually do next? If you’ve ever had a slow day (or week) where your stomach drops, your heart starts racing, and you’re refreshing Shopify every 10 seconds… this episode is for you. Ashley breaks down exactly how to respond when sales dip — and why panic is the fastest way to hurt your business long-term. Retail is cyclical. The difference between struggling boutiques

Read More
The Boutique Hub at Atlanta Market

The Boutique Hub at Atlanta Apparel Market

Make The Boutique Hub Showroom your first stop in Atlanta! Boutique Hub members save money with “Hub Member Only” market discounts. Check in at the showroom to get your Must See List, Buyers Badge and more

Read More

#803: How to Navigate Cash Flow, Inventory, and Survival Seasons

Sponsored by Color Guru This episode is sponsored by Color Guru. Boutique Chat listeners receive $350 off Color Guru Academy with code: BOUTIQUE350. Learn more at: https://www.colorguruacademy.com/ _____________________ What do you do when your boutique hits one hard month… and then another… and another? In this episode, Ashley sits down with Jessica Brown of Pink on Pickens Boutique in Abbeville, South Carolina, for a real and honest conversation about rebranding,

Read More
3 CEO Shifts for Working Moms

Five Minute Friday: 3 CEO Shifts for Working Moms

How do you build a business while raising a family without feeling like you’re failing at one or the other? For many working moms and boutique owners, the pressure to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship can feel overwhelming. The truth is, the idea of perfect “balance” doesn’t really exist. Instead, it’s about understanding the season you’re in and making intentional choices about where your energy goes. In this Five Minute Friday

Read More
Custom Packaging: What I’ve Learned After Seeing It All in a 3PL

Custom Packaging: What I’ve Learned After Seeing It All in a 3PL

Guest Blog from Senderoo Custom packaging is one of the most common topics brands ask us about and for good reason. Everyone wants their products to feel special when they arrive at a customer’s door. As a boutique 3PL, we see all types of packaging come through our warehouse. Beautiful, well-thought-out packaging that works brilliantly and packaging that looks great on Instagram but causes constant issues behind the scenes. So

Read More
The Financial Foundations Every Retailer Needs to Get Right

#802: The Financial Foundations Every Retailer Needs to Get Right

Numbers do not have to be the part of business you avoid. Ashley is joined by Christyne Gray of She Profits Now, for a practical & helpful conversation on the money side of running a Boutique – bookkeeping, cash flow, inventory planning, and tax preparation for boutique owners. They unpack the financial basics every retailer needs to understand, from setting up the right bank accounts and using QuickBooks effectively to

Read More
Why Community Is the Secret to Long-Term Success

#805: Why Community Is the Secret to Long-Term Success

In this episode, Ashley sits down with April Burks, owner of Love Ivy Boutique to unpack the real story behind longevity in retail. From starting at 24 years old with no roadmap to building a thriving store rooted in community, confidence, and customer relationships.

Read More

Five Minute Friday (Couch Conversations): The Ins & Outs of Business

What if you could sit down on the couch with other boutique owners and just talk about what’s really working right now? Welcome to a brand new Five Minute Friday series —Couch Conversations! In this first episode, Ashley Alderson and Sara Burks break down the IN vs OUT shifts for 2026, from content creation to customer experience to how you’re running your day-to-day business. If you’re still doing everything manually,

Read More

Feeling Stuck in Your Boutique? 7 Signs You’re Ready for Summit

Feeling stuck in your boutique—even though you’re doing everything “right”? You’re not alone. In this blog, we break down 7 clear signs your business has outgrown its current strategy and what to do next. If you’re ready for more clarity, better systems, and real growth, Boutique Summit 2026 might be exactly what you need.

Read More

#804: The Ultimate Market Buying Tool Every Boutique Owner Needs

What if the biggest inventory mistakes in your business are happening before the product ever arrives? Ashley Alderson is joined by Ulla Hald, founder of FAVES, to talk about how boutique retailers can buy smarter by planning ahead, tracking purchases in real time, and staying on top of what’s ordered, what’s arriving, and what still needs attention. They unpack why buying without a system leads to confusion, overbuying, missed categories,

Read More

Five Minute Friday: Sales Are Down… Now What?

Sales are down… so what should you actually do next? If you’ve ever had a slow day (or week) where your stomach drops, your heart starts racing, and you’re refreshing Shopify every 10 seconds… this episode is for you. Ashley breaks down exactly how to respond when sales dip — and why panic is the fastest way to hurt your business long-term. Retail is cyclical. The difference between struggling boutiques

Read More
The Boutique Hub at Atlanta Market

The Boutique Hub at Atlanta Apparel Market

Make The Boutique Hub Showroom your first stop in Atlanta! Boutique Hub members save money with “Hub Member Only” market discounts. Check in at the showroom to get your Must See List, Buyers Badge and more

Read More

#803: How to Navigate Cash Flow, Inventory, and Survival Seasons

Sponsored by Color Guru This episode is sponsored by Color Guru. Boutique Chat listeners receive $350 off Color Guru Academy with code: BOUTIQUE350. Learn more at: https://www.colorguruacademy.com/ _____________________ What do you do when your boutique hits one hard month… and then another… and another? In this episode, Ashley sits down with Jessica Brown of Pink on Pickens Boutique in Abbeville, South Carolina, for a real and honest conversation about rebranding,

Read More
3 CEO Shifts for Working Moms

Five Minute Friday: 3 CEO Shifts for Working Moms

How do you build a business while raising a family without feeling like you’re failing at one or the other? For many working moms and boutique owners, the pressure to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship can feel overwhelming. The truth is, the idea of perfect “balance” doesn’t really exist. Instead, it’s about understanding the season you’re in and making intentional choices about where your energy goes. In this Five Minute Friday

Read More
Custom Packaging: What I’ve Learned After Seeing It All in a 3PL

Custom Packaging: What I’ve Learned After Seeing It All in a 3PL

Guest Blog from Senderoo Custom packaging is one of the most common topics brands ask us about and for good reason. Everyone wants their products to feel special when they arrive at a customer’s door. As a boutique 3PL, we see all types of packaging come through our warehouse. Beautiful, well-thought-out packaging that works brilliantly and packaging that looks great on Instagram but causes constant issues behind the scenes. So

Read More
The Financial Foundations Every Retailer Needs to Get Right

#802: The Financial Foundations Every Retailer Needs to Get Right

Numbers do not have to be the part of business you avoid. Ashley is joined by Christyne Gray of She Profits Now, for a practical & helpful conversation on the money side of running a Boutique – bookkeeping, cash flow, inventory planning, and tax preparation for boutique owners. They unpack the financial basics every retailer needs to understand, from setting up the right bank accounts and using QuickBooks effectively to

Read More