Glitterbox Offers Daughters the Chance to be Pampered Like Mom

Glitterbox

Owner: Nikki Le

Address: 2914 N. College Ave., #5, Fayetteville

Phone: 479-935-4747

E-mail: [email protected]

Hours: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday

Startup date: Aug. 14

One of Nikki Le’s four children is a 4-year-old daughter with a winter birthday. After struggling to come up with party ideas, Le came up with Glitterbox.

The front half of the 1,400-SF space is dedicated to children’s clothing (new and re-sale). The back half has generated considerable buzz among moms in the area.

The back is a manicure and pedicure space designed for children. Walk-ins are welcome, but birthday parties – ranging in price from $15 to $30 per child – have been the biggest hit, Le said.

Glitterbox is adjacent to Fancy Nails, the adult salon Le’s family has owned and operated for 10 years. Le employs a staff of four at Glitterbox.

“I really just wanted to bring something different to the area,” Le said. “The response has been great. I’ve had people contact me about franchising.”

For now, Le is content to cater to the grade-school crowd that has supplied most of her partygoers. She also plans to expand the retail selection, currently featuring brands like Giggle Moon and Chloe, to accommodate sizes up to 6 and 7. Most of the current inventory is 4T or smaller.

J. K. Connell Consulting and Marketing

Owner: J. K. Connell

Address: 1146 W. Cato Springs Road #8, Fayetteville

Phone: 479-387-5886

E-mail: [email protected]

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and by appointment

Website: www.jkconnell.com

Startup date: Oct. 25

J.K. Connell is in the consulting business, but he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.

“They’ll be seeing a lot of me and I want to feel like part of their business family,” Connell said of potential clients. “I want to get hands-on experience so I can get a feel for the dynamics of their business.”

If that means flipping a burger or waiting tables at a restaurant client, so be it.

More importantly, though, Connell wants to help small businesses put together comprehensive sales and marketing plans. That includes the institution of a “bedrock branding program,” a communications system that includes everything from website design and management to community visibility, and, of course, sales training.

“Sales is an art and a science, and I will teach the science part based on my experience,” Connell said.

Connell has spent years working in Northwest Arkansas for local car dealers and home furnishing retailers. He also worked as a radio personality in Dallas.

His approach at J. K. Connell Consulting and Marketing is to charge a $475 start-up fee and bill clients $1,295 monthly for unlimited consultation. Connell said the concept will allow clients to focus on addressing their needs rather than worry about billable hours.

“Charging someone by the hour is like them getting in a taxi and watching the meter the whole time,” Connell said. “When you need me, I want you to call me, not be looking at the meter.”