#SmallBusinessSpotlight
Smith & McCain
By Amanda DiGiacomo
- What is the name of the business? What is the owner’s name?
We are Smith & McCain owned by Kristin Smith and Alycia McCain!
2. What services or products do you offer?
We are a hand crafted niche fragrance line. We have one line called, The Invitation, offering body butter and restorative salts that are laced with The Invitation as well! Eu de perfume of The Invitation comes in a roll on and a 50 ml bottle.
3. How long as the business been open?
We launched in November of 2015 so about 3 1/2 years!
4. What inspired you to start your own business?
We wanted to make women feel beautiful! As both of us are esthetician’s, we could only help one client at a time while they were in our room. By making a product we could help build confidence around the world! And if you take away skin care or make up, how would a woman still feel beautiful and confident? If she smells good!
5. What did you do to develop the skills to start/run your business?
We knew the scent we wanted to create. We wanted a sweet but sophisticated smell. Flirty but also confident and direct. When we found a perfumer we vocalized that and she definitely knew what we were wanting to create. From there we made A LOT of phone calls. Trying to find the best quality of components at the best price. Once we knew what our bottle looked like, it was to the drawing board for designing! We are so fortunate to have an amazing design team whether it be box design, website, etc… our skills have developed so much in this process and continue to. We learn something new almost every day!
6. Share with us one of your biggest success to date?
I would have to say our biggest success is how fast we have grown in such a short amount of time. Within 3 years we have locations across the nation, were in Ipsy last March and have continual commercial advertising running. That has been a great success!
7. Share with us one of your biggest challenges to date?
Our biggest challenge was figuring out the best way to advertise. Everyone told us to focus on Instagram and other social media’s. But that didn’t work very well with us. It was difficult finding the best avenue to sell fragrance through a screen.
8. What is the nicest thing a customer has said about your business?
Wow! So many to choose from lol. I love that for women who can’t wear fragrance, most likely they can wear ours because of the ingredients and quality of ingredients. So when a woman tells me that she is so happy that she can finally wear fragrance and loves the scent! That makes my heart so happy!
9. Who inspires you to keep going?
Our customers! We love making people happy! And we love the idea that our company not only brings happiness to purchasers, but also happiness to women who can’t help themselves. For every bottle of The Invitation sold, we donate a portion to an anti human trafficking organization to help rescue women and children! This year, we have chosen The Daughter Project. For the first time in our business we were able to donate 100% of the proceeds from January (anti human trafficking awareness month) to this organization. We plan to do this every January from here on out!
10. What advice do you have for someone who wants to start their own business?
Follow your heart. Be open to suggestions, advice, and guidance but overall, follow what your heart tells you.
Thanks for the continued support. Stayed tuned for our next week’s small business spotlight.
Make sure to go follow Smith & McCain on Instagram and Facebook the links directly below to their page!
