Community-driven brand supporting local creatives
The Retail Gift Shop Made in Corpus Christi seeks to build a strong, thriving creative community in Corpus Christi, Texas, by promoting and supporting local artists and makers. – Made in Corpus Christi
Nikki Riojas founded Made in Corpus Christi, a retail gift shop dedicated to showcasing talented creatives in Corpus Christi, Texas, as a way to celebrate her city.
“We partner with small, independent manufacturers and work with local businesses to curate beautiful lines of goods designed, finished and produced in and around Coastal Bend,” said Riojas, who worked with CO-‘s 2021 Dream has won the Big Woman-Owned Business Award.
[Learn more about the 2022 Dream Big Awards, and enter your business by July 8 for a chance to win $25,000!]
The business seeks to build a strong, thriving creative community in Corpus Christi by promoting and supporting local artists and producers. For Riojas, a focus on relationships within this small circle of local manufacturers was the key to their early success, and she advised aspiring entrepreneurs to be selective when sharing their mission with others.
“Without the extraneous noise that comes with too many opinions, you are able to put forward your ideas before they are diluted by anyone else,” she said.
Diversify and uplift your community
In addition to starting Made in Corpus Christi, a woman-owned business, Riojas also founded the Women Entrepreneurs Society of Corpus Christi (WES), “a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting women business owners in Coastal Bend.” “
“Many of the more than 100 WES members have become friends and vendors of Made in Corpus Christi over the years, and we support these women-owned businesses by stocking their products, promoting their services, and collaborating with them on specialty lines. continue to help make our shop,” she explained. “It is imperative that we strive to promote women- and minority-owned businesses so that our community can be diverse and uplifted.”
Without the extraneous noise that comes with too many opinions, you are able to put forward your ideas before they are diluted by someone else’s.
Nikki Riojas Founder, Made in Corpus Christi
Made in Corpus Christi prides itself on ensuring that tax dollars are kept local while fueling the overall financial development of the city.
“We are a community-driven brand that loves our city, contributing to the vibrancy of the culture, collaborating with and uplifting small, independent businesses and local non-profits through consumer-funded campaigns. give back to for-profit organizations,” Riojas said.
[Read more: 10 Resources for Women-Owned Businesses]
adapt to unforeseen circumstances
Flexibility in business requires the ability to adapt to any changes or changes that may affect your brand – such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Riojas may not have anticipated the global health crisis and subsequent restrictions, but he made sure Made in Corpus Christi stayed afloat by primarily shifting to the digital shopping experience.
Additionally, Riojas said, already existing online gave the company the opportunity to create virtual online events, increase revenue and media exposure, and build on an established e-commerce foundation.
“It is difficult to start a business and run it under normal circumstances, but doing it in a pandemic is something I never anticipated,” Riojas told CO-. “While we may not have planned for this specific situation, we set ourselves up to weather the storm with a strong online e-commerce platform and active social media accounts from the time our businesses were formed.”
[Read More: 3 Startups Share The Secret To Growing During a Pandemic]
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Published on March 14, 2022
