Small Business Blog

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,

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,

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

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,

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

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

In this Five Minute Friday, Ashley Alderson breaks down the FIVE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS about owning a boutique—the myths that often surprise new business owners once they’re actually in the trenches of running a retail business. While opening a boutique has never been easier, building a profitable and sustainable one requires far more than great products and a beautiful Instagram feed. Ashley shares the realities behind inventory management, customer support, time