Business Person of The Month: Kim Gordon

Kim Gordon Owner, Manager

Abigail’s Best Children’s & Maternity Consignment
17221 Jefferson Hwy, Suite E
(a block south of Highland Rd)
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
(225) 448-3387 (phone)
(225) 448-2936 (fax)
facebook.com/abigailsbest

Monday – Friday 10-5
Saturday 10-4

Abigail’s Best Children’s & Maternity Consignment is a business that sells gently used children’s clothing (boys & girls sizes 0-8), Maternity Apparel, baby equipment, books, toys, shoes and accessories. Kim Gordon, the store’s owner since 2011, has extensive experience in the retail clothing business. Kim’s assistant, Sharon, has been a big part of reestablishing the store’s business in the last year. Sharon has worked in consignment for over 11 years and has a good grasp for selecting and pricing items that are accepted for resale. Abigail’s Best does not buy used clothes for resale; all clothing, maternity and baby items are available on consignment at half the price of new items. Abigail’s Best also carries new handmade merchandise for sale on consignment. Abigail’s Best is a growing business with plans to expand into adjacent building space and begin carrying women’s/plus size clothing along with maternity plus size apparel.

Abigail’s Best accepts clothing, toys and baby equipment with store inventory approximately 33% in each category. Clothing includes both name brands and boutique brands. Items are taken on consignment for 60-90 days with day one beginning when the item is entered into the shop’s computer system. If the item does not sell within 90 days, the client may reclaim it. Items not reclaimed are donated to 12 baskets Ministries, a local charity. In most cases, clients usually donate the item if it does not sell. Monies owed to clients are given as store credit and may be spent on items in the shop or they may request a check.

The store’s decisions about accepting items brought in for consignment are based on condition. Worn, faded, or stained items are not accepted. Kim’s team determines the price for each item accepted for consignment and resale through internet research and then lists them for sale at 50% off retail. Some clothing items brought in for resale still have the original price tag attached, yet they are priced 50% less.

Baby equipment includes items such as infant swings, high-chairs, exersaucers, strollers, bouncers, carriers, etc. and often sells quickly. Abigail’s Best does not usually carry furniture due to lack of display space. Car seats are also not sold in the store as it is against state law in Louisiana to resell these. New car seats must be purchased and fitted for each child.

Toys accepted for consignment must have all their parts and be in working order. Adult and children’s books must be clean and free of all markings (i.e., crayon, drawings, etc.). Adult books include topics such as pregnancy, birth and infant/toddler care, prenatal care and nutrition. Books are also priced at 50% off retail. New items in the store, also on consignment, include handmade bows and hair accessories along with custom-made children’s jewelry and pillowcase dresses. Bows may be custom ordered by style, school and special event colors.

Abigail’s Best operates like any retail store with special promotions and sale events held monthly. Some events are themed to include holidays (i.e., Easter, Halloween costumes, Christmas), back to School (uniforms), LSU/Saints items, and fall extravaganza. Clearance sales are held seasonally to make room for new “next season” items. Kim maintains an email list of all consignees & customers and sends notices of upcoming events so they can clean out their closets and plan their shopping trips.

Acquiring Abigail’s Best was a natural progression for Kim, having spent the past 25 years in retail management of both women’s and children’s apparel. She has managed stores for Strasburg Children, Babies R Us, and Catherine’s. Kim received an Associate Degree in Business from Bryant and Stratton in Rochester, NY.

Kim’s advice to others starting a small business, or purchasing an existing one as she did, is to be prepared to devote a lot of time and money to make it happen. One of the challenges Kim has had to overcome with Abigail’s Best was reestablishing a reputable operation by getting word out about the store and its new management. She regularly advertises in Parents Magazine and on Facebook. Sales and special events are posted on their Facebook page and announcements are sent via email to her regular customers.

Kim looks to author Dave Ramsey for business advice and likes having access to libraries for new books. She believes the role of a small business is in building partnerships with other businesses and working together to ensure more successful small businesses in Baton Rouge.

Abigail’s Best is a nice, friendly place to shop and includes a play area for children. Kim will help you shop, watch your children while you shop, and even recommend other places to go if she does not have what you need. Kim feels that in any business, “Success is learning from your mistakes without losing your enthusiasm”.

Business Person of the Month: Maureen Joyce

MJ’s Café
672 Jefferson Hwy.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
(225) 933-5569
http://www.mjs-cafe.com
Maureen Joyce
Owner/Chef/Hostess/Proprietor/Cook/Waitress

Hours: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm Monday – Friday
Seasonal Supper and Singing: 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm Saturdays
(approximately once a month)

Maureen Joyce always dreamed of owning a small café similar to ones located in Italy and France where meals are a part of the culture – taking time to enjoy your surroundings and eating in casual relaxed dining atmospheres.  She experienced this mealtime custom while studying in France as an LSU undergraduate and later in Italy while pursuing her LSU Masters degree.  She thought, “Why can’t meals here in Louisiana be served like this…we have wonderful fresh greens, veggies, cheese and shell fish.  Why shouldn’t we enjoy Louisiana bounty, cooked fresh, each day?”  So, On May 5, 2011, Maureen opened MJ’s Café.  She is the owner/proprietor and the only full time employee.  Maureen, along with one part-time employee, serves as the hostess, cook and waitress.

Joyce created a unique café for Baton Rouge located in the Capital Heights area of Mid-City that promotes a healthy lifestyle through fresh, homemade meals.  MJ’s Café offers cuisine that encourages people to “eat light but right” and to eat a balance of fresh foods and good nutrients.  Patrons can enjoy a dining experience that allows them to return to work without feeling sluggish and sleepy after their midday meal. MJ’s Café provides a vegan or vegetarian option rather than a heavy “meat and potatoes” meal.   However, most of MJ’s Café’s customers are not strict vegetarians.  They enjoy the change of pace and are not afraid to have a meatless meal.  Most restaurants do not offer vegetarian choices other than a salad bar, but more are adding this option to their menu.

Menu items include homemade soup using Louisiana-grown veggies and beans, sandwiches with homemade bread, greens and cheese, and quiche or other shellfish choices.  Often menu selections include what is fresh and available from the BREADA Farmers Market such as spicy sweet potato soup topped with goat cheese, curry carrot soup with cilantro, and Italian tomato and white bean parmesan cheese soup.  All soups are veggie-based (not barley or rice based) and are served with a baguette.  September is typically a lean month for fresh produce. However, beans that are harvested in the fall provide fare for hearty filling dishes.  Creative menu items feature peaches, cantaloupe, and strawberries in sandwiches and salads, and cold apple and cucumber soup.

People enjoy and appreciate having a healthy choice for lunch.  In Louisiana, chefs have access to fresh produce every month of the year.  Joyce primarily buys and features locally grown items in salads, soups and other dishes.  MJ’s serves fresh shrimp, crawfish, crab and catfish – all caught locally.  She buys from local farmers markets and some items are delivered by Louisiana farmers.  MJ’s Café is mostly farm to table; even the eggs are produced by free range chickens at Felixville Organics, LLC, in Clinton, LA.  The bread served is from local providers such as Forte Grove located in Plaquemine, LA.

About once a month MJ’s Café offers a “Seasonal Supper and Song.”  The event consists of a four-course meal along with live music.  These are held on a Saturday after regular business hours (6:00-9:30 pm).  Meals are served first and then the music begins around 8:00-8:30 pm. The music is international original compositions performed by local musicians. The menu always includes one seafood option for the main course and uses the freshest local ingredients available at that time.

Joyce was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  Her father died when she was young and her mother, who has roots in Lake Charles, moved the family to Louisiana.  Maureen grew up in Lake Charles and went to LSU to pursue a BA in English.  She taught English for 4 years at a local private school and taught art history part time at BRCC and LSU.  She also worked as marketing director for the Baton Rouge Arts Council.

She began her food career at high-end bakeries sculpting gum paste flowers, and learned everything from French butter cream to basic pastry while living in France.  She now follows a philosophy based on simple, fresh, local ingredients beautifully prepared to nurture the body and spirit.  A patron who frequents the restaurant for lunch keeps telling Maureen, “Attitude – Gratitude.”  Maureen agrees and is grateful for the abundance of fresh vegetables and fresh seafood available in Louisiana.  In the hustle and bustle of fast food restaurants and drive-thrus, she is grateful for the success of MJ’s Café – “the little café that could.”

Understanding and Rebuilding Credit

Are you confused about what your credit score means? Unsure what you can do to fix bad credit?

Then this program, Understanding and Rebuilding Credit hosted by the Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch is for you, on Tuesday, March 12, at 6:00 p.m. This financial seminar is designed to help people understand their credit reports and to provide a simple method for improving one’s credit score. The program is led by financial advisors from the Gulf Coast Bank &Trust. For more information, call 274-4440.

There is another chance to learn about understanding and rebuilding credit with What is a credit builder program? This workshop by Bennett Blackledge is designed for those who want to understand more about their credit report. Join us at the Jones Creek Regional Branch on Thursday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m. For more information or to register, call 756-1150.

Business Person of the Month: Ma Petite

Ma Petite
2561 Citiplace Court,
Suite 400
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Charlotte Petitjean Gulotta,
Owner
Janelle Earle,
Manager
Phone (225) 928-4496
Email: mapetite@aol.com

Charlotte Petitjean Gulotta introduced Baton Rouge to the petite fashion market by opening Ma Petite in Catfish Town in 1984. Ma Petite was the first and, at the time, only petite specialty store in Baton Rouge. Petite fashion caters to the clothing and accessory needs of women 5’ 4’’ and under and is not age specific. For example, customers of Ma Petite range in age from 16 to 90 years old. The common denominator for the classification of petite is height not size. Statistics show that 53 percent of women are petite. Whether you’re a size 2 or 14, if you are 5 feet 4 inches or shorter, you are considered petite. Petites can wear any style as long as the fit is proportional. Proper scaling of the clothes to the figure can create the illusion of height. Petite clothing is fashionable, modern and classic. Ma Petite carries designer names and more moderately priced items.

“In our petite business, we have an added challenge of educating women that they are petite. By purchasing fashions designed specifically for petites, you can save yourself not only the cost of expensive alterations, but also the frustration of shopping. We want our customers to enjoy shopping and to look their best” says Charlotte.

Charlotte received an RN degree in nursing from University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL)  in 1973. After graduation she worked part-time three days a week at Hotel Dieu in New Orleans as a nurse. Charlotte began her career in the retail business in 1979 when she opened Ruffles ‘N Britches, a children’s store, in Plaquemine, as a hobby while continuing her career in nursing. When Catfish Town opened in 1984, she expanded her retail business into the Baton Rouge market by opening the second location of Ruffles ‘N Britches. Ma Petite made its debut at the same time. Ruffles ‘N Britches and Ma Petite both moved to Village Square in 1986. Charlotte saw the need for a petite dress store long before she opened Ma Petite. When she would go to market for children’s clothes, her sales staff would ask her to bring back petite dresses for them since they were hard to find in Baton Rouge. Charlotte eventually decided to move out of the children’s wear business and concentrate solely on the petite clothing store. In 2003, Charlotte sold Ruffles ‘N Britches and moved Ma Petite to its current location in Citiplace Court on Corporate Blvd.

Charlotte began working full-time as an owner-employee in the store because, as she says, “No self-owned business runs itself. If you want to open a business, be ready to give it 110 percent. You’ll work very hard, but you’ll enjoy the challenge.” One also needs to be able to spend quality time with family and her capable staff allows Charlotte to find that quality time with her husband and three daughters.

Our customers’ shopping experience is always made special and fun through our staff’s service and expertise. “Janelle Earle, Manager of Ma Petite, has been with me for 23 years and she’s indispensable. She has become a member of our family,” says Charlotte. Janelle regards every person who walks through the door as a challenge. They may ask, “Where are your dresses?”, but figuring out what they want is the real question. She wants to find the customer the right outfit for the occasion, not just sell them a dress. The staff is also willing to tell the customer the truth about the fit and look of an item on them. There is no hard sell, they always tell the truth. Ma Petite customers like to shop with people they know and the staff is dedicated to the people and care about them. Alterations are offered by Faye Downey; she is available on site Tuesday and Friday from 2:30 to 5:00.

“I’ve learned a lot about running a business – advertising, management, construction, janitorial and a lot more, but the most pleasure comes from the wonderful people and families you meet,” continues Charlotte. “Thank you Baton Rouge for over 28 years of success.”

Looking for a Grant?

Grant-seeking can be a confusing process. To help, our Grants Librarian has put together an InfoGuide with information about grants, who gives them, and who is usually eligible to receive them. You’ll discover some of the special resources we have at the Library to help you find grants, including the FoundationSearch database.  You can also find out about a range of free online courses on grant-writing and non-profits now available through our database Ed2Go.

Check out the guide and visit the Grants collection at the River Center Branch or call (225) 389-4964 for more information.

And don’t miss the Grants for Beginners presentation this Saturday, November 17, at the River Center Branch Library from 10-11 a.m. where you can learn more about the world of grants and grant-writing and the great resources the Library has for grant seekers.