Many people dream of retiring from their day-job, and one day opening a business of their own. Emma Harris wasted no time fulfilling that dream and starting her own company from the ground up—at just 12 years old.
“I needed money for college because college is a lot of money,” Emma laughs. “I used some of my own money to buy a few items, and I sold them online. It just started growing from there.”
Emma, a sixth grader at Oak Mountain Academy, is now preparing to host the grand opening of Boutique 215 on Saturday.
The boutique carries various women’s and girl’s clothing items, jewelry, Yeti tumblers, and other pieces. Emma explains why she chose the name Boutique 215.
“My business started out from our house, and kept growing,” says Emma. “I started our website, www.boutique215.com, and it really took off. Now I’m opening a store location. Our street address was 215, so I wanted to put that into the name of my business so I wouldn’t forget where it all started and where it came from.”
Emma says she enjoys owning a business and that she believes it’s something she wants to do as a career.
“I love it. I think being a business owner and having a boutique is what I want to do,” says Emma. “I hope it grows and we can get more locations.”
Emma’s mother, Kristy, says her daughter is a unique sixth grade girl with a strong entrepreneurial drive.
“She’s put in lots of hard work to make this happen,” says Kristy. “I have helped her a little bit, but she’s really made most of this happen on her own. I’m very proud of her.”
Emma relies on her own fashion sense to keep her store stocked with popular items.
“People really seem to like the choices I have here,” says Emma. “I just pick out things I like, and other people buy them. My friends think it’s awesome. “Sometimes they tell me what they want, and I’ll bring it to school the next day. They love it.”
She invites local shoppers to visit her store’s grand opening on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“I hope lots of people come out to see what we’ve got,” says Emma. “We’ll be doing a giveaway at the grand opening. Anyone who comes to shop has a chance to win either a Yeti tumbler or an Urban Decay eyeshadow pallet.”
Boutique 215 is located at 400 Cottage Hill Road. The store is open Monday through Friday from 2-7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To learn more, visit www.boutique215.com or join the store’s Facebook group.
