Having a business is no new experience for Charlotte Becerra. She began working in retail when she was 8 years old, helping her mom in the family’s houseware stores. She started up her own business in her mother’s store when she was 12, where she sold toys and called it Charlotte’s Christmas Corner.
Now, she’s opened up a new store that doesn’t stray too far from the model she started with.
Charlotte’s Vintage Silver & Western Treasures opened its doors on May 17 of this year. When Becerra’ husband, owner of a saddle shop that will close soon, turned to her and said, “I think you should open a boutique,” she laughed and said she had been thinking the same thing for about a month.
“It all happened a little faster than we had expected,” she said. “We had started thinking about closing down the saddle shop and I thought, ‘I should have a boutique.’”
With her and her husband on the same page, Becerra began looking at what was selling in the saddle shop and what wouldn’t take up too much space in the new store. The jewelry had done well, and it was something that interested Becerra.
“I like pretty things,” she said. “It’s fun to shop for.”
With jewelry and accessories for horses together, Becerra opened up shop. The combination works well, she said.
She also said that the men don’t “panic” as much walking into her shop because it’s not just a jewelry store.
“I’ve watched guys shop for jewelry and they’re sweating,” she said.
Selling more than just jewelry seems to keep the guys calm and the girls happy, she said.
“The best seal of approval I’ve gotten is I have wives that drag their husbands in here and say, ‘You can buy me anything in this store and I guarantee I’ll like it,’” she said.
Becerra’s jewelry is mostly vintage, though she does try to have a few modern pieces in the store. She explained that while stocking vintage jewelry is nice, it can sometimes be a challenge because “it’s not like you can call the manufacturer and say, ‘Hey, I need another one of these.’”
She calls it a “hunt” to find the right things for her customers, but she enjoys it. When searching for new jewelry, she makes sure she’s not just shopping with her taste in mind. Drawing inspiration from people like her retired fashion designer friend or her jewelry-making friend, Becerra gathers jewelry that would appeal to many.
“I try to keep in mind the ladies that I admire their style,” she said, “and I think, ‘What would they wear?’ Or, ‘What would they like?’ And that helps me.”
Her favorite part of the business is the fact that she gets to help people. Beccera likes being able to help her customers find what they need, she explained, and will even tell some of her customers not to buy something they don’t really seem interested in.
“I always joke that I’m not very good at sales,” she said. “If you’re looking at something like, ‘Oh, I might buy this because it’ll do,’ I’m like, ‘Don’t buy it!’”
The person should be happy with what they are getting, Becerra explained. She tries to make sure the customer has what they need and that they are happy with what they buy.
“It’s good to put beans and tortillas on the table too, of course, but you have to earn it,” she said.
Charlotte’s Vintage Silver & Western Treasures is located in Santa Ynez at 3551 Sagunto St. They are open Thursday through Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Highlights
• Cottage Health debuted its Population Health Learning Lab, which includes Cottage Data2Go and the Evaluation Toolkit. Cottage Data2Go is a free tool created to show the specific health needs by population, geography, and health outcome or influencer. The Evaluation Toolkit will support community or clinical programs in working toward achieving a healthy community. For more information, visit cottagehealth.org.
• Starting Aug. 1, the Responsible Pet Ownership Alliance is offering county dog owners spay and neutering, vaccinations for rabies, microchipping, and licensing for $80, saving the owner more than $500. They are taking appointments now and space is limited. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 934-6968.
Intern Carmen Aguila-Tornero wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 3, 2017.