MADISONVILLE, KY – What do you do when they say the economy is down, you are laid off from a job you have held for seven years, you’re a wife and mother, and you’re about to graduate from college?  For Wendy Kolb, the answer is simple.  You start your own business.

Don't tell this young lady that she can't do something because she has the determination to make it happen.  Kolb is married and the mother of a little boy.  When she discovered that finding a job wasn't going to be easy, she decided to create her own place of employment.  She opened up Giggles & Grins. A new business in Madisonville that she is very passionate about and a situation that is flexible for a young mother.

Giggles & Grins is the newest business to open its doors in the city.  Located at 614 East Arch Street (across from the fairgrounds), this boutique caters to the clothing needs of the entire family.  Kolb says it is a consignment clothing store that offers “previously loved items.”  She said, “Customers can find name brand items such as “Children's Place, Gap, Justice, and Ambercrombie & Fitch.”  Parents can bring in clothing that their children have outgrown for consignment resale.  The store also offers new items such as ladies purses, handbags and backpacks, tumblers, sippy cups and can coolers.

Frances Oldham works with Kolb and brings her talents to the business.  She creates custom kids clothes, personalized embroidery, and special gifts.

Kolb said she has had a life time of experiences that have helped prepare her to become the area’s newest entrepreneur.  From her teenage years she has helped her dad, Terry McGregor, in the home medical business.  She said she learned how to greet customers and help them with their needs.  She also learned how to keep business records and handle inventory.  She also credits her Grandmother, Maggie Shouse who owns IHA Trucking Company for helping to give her, “a good head for business.”

Later in life she began working for a Madisonville manufacturing facility.  Employed by Ahlstrom seven years ago, Kolb worked as one of their sales executives.  She would conduct national and international sales as she stayed in contact with customers from all over the world.  She said this experience helped her to learn more about people and to be more accepting of their background and culture.  But due to a down-turn in the economy, Kolb was laid off from Ahlstrom.

The lay-off came right before Christmas of 2008.  She said that the hardest part of the experience was trying to find another job in this area that paid as well as her previous job. 

Kolb said her encouragement to go into business for herself came from her husband, Ryan.  He bragged on how well she was able to shop for the best bargains and suggested she start a consignment shop.  So in September of this year, she began to visit other consignment shops just to see what others were doing.  Kolb said she was surprised at how some other stores were cluttered and how hard it was to find what you were looking for.  But she said, “None of the other stores I visited had the whole package.” She said it was difficult to determine who the other stores were catering to.

She said she has designed her store to be open with plenty of room to browse.  She said she does not want her customers to feel pressured.  There is a TV and a play area for children to enjoy themselves while their mother's shop. 

Before opening her store last week, Kolb said she visited the Madisonville/Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce for assistance in learning how to open her boutique.  She met with a representative from Murray State University through the chambers Small Business Development Association.  She said he asked, “What do you need me for?”  suggesting that Kolb was already well prepared to start her own business.

Kolb will graduate next month from Mid-Continent University with a degree in Business Management.  She said, “ we had a lot of classes that taught us how to operate a small business.”  She credits the college with helping her learn how to plan for the future and stay in business.  “This is not just a shop.  I have created a 5-10 year business plan which includes franchising my boutique.”

Finally, Kolb credits her faith in God with helping her in getting started.  Mid-Continent is a Christian based college that requires each Advantage student to enroll in a Christian Studies Class.”  Kolb said her professor was also a minister.  She said he was praying for her future business decision.  During the last day in class he told her that there were great things to come in her future and that she would see, “The light at the end of the tunnel.”

Kolb said she can remember during her early years growing up as her family did not have a lot of things.  She said it was difficult going to the thrift shops as a kid because everyone knew they could not afford new cloths.  “I don't want kids to feel that way when they come in here.  I want them to be able to feel good about themselves and be able to afford good cloths.”  She said, “being a wife and mother, I understand how hard it can be to make ends meet.”  The average income in the area is $35,000 annually.  Giggles & Grins has quality clothing at affordable prices for the average working family.  All of the consignment clothing brought in is washed and steamed before they are placed on the racks.  Kolb said, “I have a passion to bring a quality consignment boutique to Madisonville.  I want all my customers to feel that they are special and appreciated.”

Tim Moore- iSurf News Director