Small Business Blog

What if your next buying trip could also transform the way you run your business? The Boutique Hub LA Experience is a three-day immersive event that brings boutique owners behind the scenes of the Los Angeles fashion industry. From exclusive showroom access and wholesale buying opportunities to education with FASHIONGO and networking with fellow retailers, every part of the experience is designed to help you buy smarter, grow your business,

Some awards recognize a great year. Others recognize a lifetime of impact. This year, Gifts & Decorative Accessories introduced its first-ever Diamond Awards in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Retailer Excellence Awards—a one-time recognition honoring the retailers, manufacturers, sales organizations, and influencers who have helped shape the independent retail industry for generations. We’re incredibly proud to share that our very own Ashley Alderson, Founder & CEO of The

After two incredible days of learning, networking, and growing your business, it’s time to celebrate. Join us for the official Boutique Summit 2026 Closing Party—an evening filled with great food, live music, new friendships, and plenty of unforgettable moments. Whether you came with your team or arrived knowing no one, this is one of the best opportunities all weekend to relax, connect, and simply have fun with fellow retailers. Party

Guest Blog by Soul Mana Web Design You’ve built something real. Your products are curated, your brand has a distinct personality, and your customers love what you’ve created. Your Instagram is beautiful. Your in-store experience is warm, elevated, and entirely on brand. But your website? It might be the one thing holding your business back from its next level of growth. Here are five signs it’s time for an upgrade.

This is a guest blog by Simply Lynn’s Creative. Quick gut-check for you: when you think about your boutique’s “brand,” what comes to mind first? If your answer is your logo, your colors, or that font you finally landed on after twelve hours in Canva, you’re not alone. That’s where 90% of boutique owners I talk to start, and it makes total sense. Those are the visible pieces. They’re the

If you’ve never been to Boutique Summit before, it’s easy to assume it’s just another business conference. A couple of days away from the store. A few keynote speakers. Some notes you’ll take with good intentions and maybe revisit later. But Boutique Summit isn’t really something you can understand from the agenda alone. Because the biggest impact isn’t just what you learn. It’s what you feel while you’re there. You

The pace of retail is changing. Faster trends. Faster technology. Faster shifts in customer behavior. And while information has never been more accessible, many retailers are finding themselves more overwhelmed than ever. For the past eight years, Ashley Alderson and Sara Burks have coached thousands of boutique owners through Retail Bootcamp. They’ve helped retailers navigate everything from inventory planning and marketing to leadership, sales, and profitability. But over the last

Shopify may file your sales tax, but it doesn’t take responsibility for it — and that leaves more on your plate than you might expect.

This service uses automated calculations to process returns, meaning there is no human reasoning applied to your filings. You are still responsible for ensuring everything is being filed correctly, including verifying that Shopify is not double-paying VAT tax or marketplace sales.

If you’re running a boutique on Shopify, you already know that email marketing is one of the most effective ways to keep your customers coming back. Whether you’re promoting a new arrivals drop, announcing a seasonal sale, or reminding someone about that pair of earrings sitting in their cart, email keeps you top of mind with the people who already love your store.

But choosing the right email platform? That’s where things can get a little confusing. And the question I hear allll the time from boutique owners is this: should I stick with Shopify Email, or is it time to move to Klaviyo?