Meet Marie K Creations. A brand that is simply a small handcrafted business that was started in November 2016. “It originally started off as a handmade jewellery business that specialized in the creation and sale of anklets, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, waist beads and wine cork keychains. However, in recent times, the business has shifted its focus from handmade jewellery to handmade resin items such as customized coasters, plaques, keychains and much more. However, we still do certain jewellery items upon request and based on the availability of materials,” says the Marie K team.
The story of the brand begins with its name. “Marie K Creations is derived from my middle name and the first initial of my last name. I remember coming up with the name mere weeks before doing my first market and debuting the business. In retrospect, I’m grateful that I selected ‘Creations’ for the last part of the business name due to the evolution of the business from jewelry items to much more.” Creating a business or brand that has room for growth is always good idea!
So is this a part time or full time gig. “Currently, I am back to Marie K Creations full time, however, from its inception to now, I have had to juggle the business while being a full-time student at the U.W.I. and, most recently, when I was a contractual worker. As a student, it was a bit difficult managing the business and schoolwork as my degree was very demanding. However, because I enjoy creating items for customers, the business was a source of relaxation for me on tough days. When I was recently employed, it was challenging juggling business and the commitments of my job, but it just required me to plan ahead and manage my time properly in order to complete orders within the required time frame. Furthermore, I also had to reduce the volume of orders I would usually take on to ensure that I don’t overextend myself and to ensure that I produce the best quality items for customers.” Sounds like you learned quite a lot on this journey.
The brand was also born out of a childhood dream. “As a child, I always had a keen interest in crafts and jewelry making that I remember having several of the Lisa Frank buckets (I’m not sure how many people remember these lol) and creating many bracelets and other sets from the buckets. Then in 2016, I decided to take a gap year after completing CAPE Exams and before starting U.W.I. and that’s how Marie K Creations came to fruition. I wanted to do something I enjoyed in that gap year and because I was still making jewelry pieces as a hobby, and sometimes as gifts for persons, I decided to turn this hobby into a business with the support of my parents.” Great journey!
Of course there have been milestones along the way. “Being an entrepreneur definitely has its ups and downs and I am grateful for all the milestones, big and small, that I’ve achieved while in business. One major milestone is being one of the first businesses in Trinidad and Tobago to introduce resin keychains and resin crafts. I remember at the time we decided to introduce these items, it was a novelty internationally and I was so hesitant about releasing them here but I’m glad I did as it now allows me to create some beautiful and unique pieces for customers.
Another major milestone for us as a micro business is being able to purchase a Cricut machine which allows us to improve and widen the range of our customization options.” Great milestones for the brand indeed.
They have also been lessons learned as an entrepreneur along the way. “There are so many lessons I’ve learned so far as an entrepreneur but one I’d say is time management. Around peak seasons such as Mother’s Day and Christmas, the volume of orders is much more than throughout the year and when you’re a ‘one man business’, it can be quite overwhelming. But, through the years I’ve learned to manage the load by knowing how many pieces I can create within a day and also having certain deadlines for orders to ensure that all are completed within the required time and to also account for any setbacks that may occur, as that’s something that is inevitable when running this type of business.
Surely there must be advice for those out there who may want to begin their journey as an entrepreneur. “One piece of advice I’d give to a budding entrepreneur is to stay true to your brand. Before you introduce your business to the wider world, know what services or items your brand offers or will also offer in the future. It can be discouraging seeing businesses like yours thriving on social media sites but, business is much more than the number of followers and likes on your social media account, but it encompasses your customer service, how you deal with customers, the quality of your items and the general person behind the brand. Those have much more lasting impressions than social media engagement.” Wise words!
So in creating a brand, surely the Marie K team has some insight when it comes to building brands or brands on the whole. “In my opinion, a brand is the name and also the aesthetic of the business. It’s something that makes the business easily identifiable to customers.”
And what about the difference between a business and a brand? “A business is basically the services and goods that you offer whereas the brand is the ‘personality’ of the business which entails the colours, the aesthetic of the business and also the personality of the owner/workers.” Great perspective!
Check out Marie K. Creations for some amazing items and all local of course!
