For seven years, Samantha Castillo worked as a field executive for an insurance company. The pay was “amazing,” she said, but there was something unfulfilling about the job. She wanted to start her own business.
Castillo started Junk Attic in 2012, and ran it out of her garage, but eventually changed the name to Blue Eyed Daisies Antiques and Vintage Furniture.
She ran her business for several years up until about a month ago when Castillo quit her insurance job. That’s when she decided to open up a storefront.
While doing research, Castillo realized that the overhead costs (the indirect or fixed costs not related to producing a product) were way more than she realized.
“It was going to cost me around $20,000 just to get started,” Castillo told the Sun. “Then you have to keep up on insurance, liability, and then there’s the risk of not selling your items and still paying $3,000 to $5,000 in rent.”
Castillo looked into renting space at other antique stores, but couldn’t stand the thought of paying monthly rental fees coupled with exorbitant consignment fees—if she’s able to sell anything at all.
She and her husband construct nail polish racks using vintage frames, as well as refinished vintage furniture—end tables, desks, wall hangings, decor, pretty much all vintage, antique, and decor items—and Castillo thought that the booths in many of the stores were too small.
She also had difficulty in finding help from local nonprofits that specialize in helping would-be entrepreneurs, Castillo said, adding that many of the classes they offer are for Spanish speakers only.
Frustrated with the lack of guidance, Castillo pulled herself up by the bootstraps and acquired a space along Tefft Street in Nipomo that would not only get her business started, but would also help anyone else who wanted to sell their wares.
Castillo calls it a pop-up market, and the location is essentially a barn divided into booths, similar to other local antique stores. It’s meant to provide a venue for anyone who wants to bring his or her handmade products to market. Booths are only $75 to rent each month, which she said is inexpensive compared to similar markets.
Sympathizing with others like her, Castillo said she realizes that many small business owners like her pull double duty with raising a family and working a full-time day job to boot.
“If you’re working full-time and have a family, you have to work at night and on weekends, and it doesn’t work very well,” Castillo told the Sun. “That’s why I decided to start this and give people a place to sell their stuff once a month, not just during the holidays.”
She also plans on inviting a nonprofit each month to set up a booth at no charge. All that Castillo asks from them is that they bring four volunteers to help vendors set up and tear down booths, as well as provide labor to help customers move items back to their cars.
In addition to vendors, Castillo will have games for kids, such as Jenga and cornhole, a bake sale, and Santa Maria Hot Dogs will be there providing food.
The grand opening for Blue Eyed Daisies is June 26 at 10 a.m. located at 511 E. Tefft St. in Nipomo. Other upcoming dates are July 24, Aug. 21, Sept. 25, Oct. 16, Nov. 13, and Dec. 11. She’s putting out the call for vendors. For more information on renting a booth, contact Castillo at 868-1294. For more information, Castillo’s business can also be found on Facebook and online at blueeyeddaisies.com.
Highlights
• Just got hired at a wine tasting room and need your certification? The Santa Barbara County Vintners Association (SBCVA) is partnering with Central Coast RBS to provide responsible beverage service training on June 28 at the Buellton Recreation Center located at 301 2nd St. in Buellton. Classes will be held at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and offer a Level II “on-sale professional server training” certification. The cost of the class is $55 per person for SBCVA members, and $75 for non-members. Upon completion, students earn a certification that’s valid for two years. Each class is limited to 36 participants, with only two spots available for non-members. For more information, call the SBCVA at 688-0881.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Jun 23-30, 2016.
