Nicole Galanti, a senior majoring in Marketing & Management, has recently started a business called Bow & Arrow Collection. Bow & Arrow Collection is a pop-up shop inside of Felt, a women’s clothing boutique in Logan Square in Chicago. Nicole, along with her sister Danielle and sister-in-law Casey, opened their business this past winter.
Nicole: We turned a passion and hobby into a business. It has been so much fun and I’ve learned so much throughout the process! We love being creative and giving people the experience to share a personalized gift. We have spent a lot of time curating the perfect collection for ourselves, so we decided it would be fun to do it on a larger scale by sharing it with others.
Why did you choose to name your pop-up Bow & Arrow Collection?
Nicole: The name Bow & Arrow Collection is in memory of my dad who passed away. His zodiac sign was Sagittarius, which is a bow and arrow. Instead of an archery bow, I was always the “bow” (think girly, cute, fun) and my sister, Danielle, was always the “arrow” (pointing us in the right direction). When you put us together we made Bow & Arrow, the perfect team. The Bow & Arrow Collection logo is our version of a bow and arrow. The “&” represents my sister-in-law Casey, hold everything together and completing the team. She plays an important role and does what we can’t do – the accounting ;)
What was the biggest challenge you faced while planning the opening of this pop-up?
Nicole: The biggest challenge was the fact that I’ve never done this before. Opening your own business isn’t something a normal 21-year-old does, so just learning from experience was the hardest thing. It was awesome to bounce ideas off of Catherine (the owner of Felt – where our pop-up is located) and listen to her advice, but besides that, it was all trial and error. We had a vision for the pop-up and we made it come to life! Managing our time was a big challenge, we had a lot of very late nights leading up to the grand opening! I would say there’s always going to be challenges, but they will be worth it in the end.
What are your goals for the future of Bow & Arrow Collection?
Nicole: We will be popping up @ Felt Chicago until the end of March (so come check it out!). We are currently looking into getting our own retail space for the future. We are hoping for summer 2016! Looking for our own space has been a very fun process. I’m so excited for what’s in store for B&A and I wish I could share more! Exciting things coming soon!
How do you market Bow & Arrow Collection?
Nicole: For marketing, we use social media. Bow & Arrow Collection is on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. We also have a website (www.bowandarrowcollection.com)! As a marketing major, it’s been a challenge to determine how to gain a following. However, the whole process has been so much fun to learn and be able to experiment different strategies. It really helps to get featured. We love doing collabs and hosting fun events for our customers. Our latest was a “Galentine’s Day Party” we put on with Felt in February. We also attended the 50th Dose Market on Valentine’s Day! We will be having a “going away party” at Felt on April 2nd as well!
Do you have any advice for aspiring business owners?
Nicole: Pick the right business partners because I know there’s no way Bow & Arrow Collection would be what it is today without my sister and sister-in-law. Also, be smart about your business decisions, but have fun with it! You’re never supposed to quit your day dream, right?
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bowandarrowcollection
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bowandarrowcollection
Photos Courtesy of Nicole Galanti