6 | Amanda Svoboda: Serving Customers Through Meaningful Gifts and Supporting Local Families in Need

Amanda Svoboda, owner of Little House on Main, talks with us about starting a gift shop and lifestyle boutique with a mission for supporting and giving back to those in need because the Svoboda’s found themselves in need just a couple years ago. We’ll talk about how Amanda got started in her physical location, adding ecommerce to the business, and what life is like running a shop full-time with 4 young boys. This episode is filled with encouragement and peace radiates from Amanda’s voice.

SHOW NOTES

Imagine a beautiful, quaint boutique located on Main Street in the heart of Iowa. Welcome to Little House on Main, a gift boutique focused on meaningful, thoughtful gifts that bring peace and joy. The best part of all? A percentage of every purchase goes back to support those in need in the local community.

When Amanda started Little House on Main, she knew there needed to be a bigger purpose behind it. Having recently been through a series of open heart surgeries with one of her young boys, she knew the emotional and financial support that is needed by so many when going through hard situations. Little House on Main began to take on the theme “Shop with a Purpose” and customers can’t wait to shop knowing they are not only getting beautiful, curated gifts but also supporting other Iowa families facing heavy burdens.

DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE

• How the idea for Little House on Main came about and how they got their property
  
  
• Investors and cheerleaders for your business
  
  
• How Amanda decides what types of products she is going to carry in the shop that are both meaningful and have the look/feel of her business
  
  
• The intentional pivot Amanda made in the shop during Covid
  
  
• The desire to support other small local businesses and carry their products
  
  
• Finding inspiration and ideas from other shops like yours that are not local
  
  
• Using Faire to find locally crafted and branded merchandise
  
  
• Bringing other local businesses for events and pop-ups
  
  
• How Amanda learned merchandising and the joy she finds in displaying items
  
  
• Why Amanda doesn’t take online courses or build her business with lots of training
  
  
• The importance of networking with other businesses and with people who know how to help you
  
  
• What it means to shop with a purpose at Little House on Main
  
  
• Adding an online shop instead of adding on to their physical location
  
  

RESOURCES AND LINKS

Website: Little House on Main
Instagram: Little House on Main
Facebook: Little House on Main
Faire - wholesale marketplace

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Love this episode? Hear more from Amanda in our bonus content episode over in our Patreon membership. In this bonus episode we are discussing planning for busy seasons like Christmas and also discussing how Amanda loves to have her family close by to help with and visit the shop. Become a Patreon member and have instant access to all our bonus episodes AND receive new episodes each month from our guests. Don’t miss it!