Business Journal

Camilla Rose and Jennifer West settle into the new home for their business Alphabet Garden Designs at 606 N. Chelan Ave., Suite A., Wenatchee. The two started the vinyl wall and dance floor design business two years ago and originally worked out of Rose's house. When the business grew they needed additional space to process the orders as well as provide a retail showroom. They moved Sept. 15. YVETTE DAVIS/WBJ

Owners: Jennifer West and Camilla Rose
Address: 606 N. Chelan Ave. Suite A, Wenatchee
Startup date: Sept. 15
Phone: 509-888-3443
www.alphabetgardendesigns.com

by Yvette Davis

Wenatchee Valley residents Jennifer West and Camilla Rose were friends first and business partners later.

Both moms, they kicked around ideas for a part-time business for several years before finding what they had been looking for on Super Bowl Sunday 2007. From an encounter with a craft board, Alphabet Garden (AG) Designs, a decorative vinyl business was born. And it not only “stuck,” but has grown, necessitating the company’s move in September to a storefront location.

West said she considered making cookies, a stitchery business, selling scrap books, and more before a girlfriend showed her and Rose a craft board with some vinyl on it. Both were intrigued by the design possibilities of working with vinyl, and decided they wanted to create something for walls in children’s rooms. Then came the research.

West researched vinyl and ordered samples from other companies to see what was available. She had friends call and order items from competitors, too, so they could see the latest products such as chalkboard vinyl. The type of vinyl they use in indoor-grade, and will not harm the walls, they said.

“Can peel it off and you will never know it was there,” Rose said.

Then they researched vinyl plotters and ended up buying the biggest one they could find — it cuts designs as large as 50 inches — for $800. They put the machine in Rose’s basement for about a year as they worked to get the business going. At first, demand was slow. The duo went to craft shows and Octoberfest to find customers.

“We used to pray for just one order a month,” West said. “Then it was 10 orders per month.”
Now, West and Rose regularly see 600 orders a month, due in large part to the fact their designs have been picked up by online wholesalers such as Three Hip Chicks and Rosenberry Rooms that bring a large number of customers to their Web site daily.

With the extra exposure, the business went from making $100 a month to $25,000 a month, and shipping orders all over the world. The company recently crossed the $100,000 in total sales mark. Online sales now account for about half their orders.

With the increase in business, they outgrew Rose’s basement and a small house on her property in about 10 months, and needed to hire additional help. AG Designs moved into its new location at 606 N. Chelan Ave., Suite A, Wenatchee, on Sept. 15, added a couple more employees. Most of the five employees, like Rose and West, are moms who need flexible schedules. Rose and West work 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but their employees come and go on their own schedules.

“We always wanted a business to call our own but we want to remain moms first,” West said. “From 9 to 3 we are hardcore businesswomen and then after 3 everything closes up and we become moms again.”

Both said they are excited about having a showroom where people can walk in and see their work. Rose has a degree in graphic design, and West also designs, but customers are welcome to bring in their own plans or drawings to be converted into vinyl appliqués. The designs are fed into a program that transfers the images to the cutter. Cutting, stripping and shipping are all done in the back of the 1,700-square-foot space.

“Business for us has not slowed down because of the economy,” West said.

Either people still want to beautify their homes, or people having babies for the first time are willing to spend to make sure everything is just right. AG Designs offers monograms, custom wall lettering, art, wedding decor, and even dance floor designs. All orders ship with instructions, and Rose said very few people call them with problems. If customers do experience problems placing an item, the company will ship them a new one, she said.

Their business goals right now include visiting trade shows and becoming known in the industry as designers. They plan to attend the New York International Gift Fair on Jan. 30 and the ABC Kids Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center in October 2010. Both trade shows provide an arena for manufacturers and retail buyers to meet, and their hope is to bring in more clients.

But for now, both are staggered by their success.

“This has gone bigger than we’ve ever imagined but we’ve still kept to our goals and followed our dream. And we are still best friends,” West said.