Don Salvador and Jen Knight ran into each other often in the dog park. As all dog lovers know, a dog park is a great place to get to know other dog lovers who show up regularly with their pets.

Over time Don and Jen discovered that they had a good deal in common. As Thanksgiving was approaching, they talked about how much they both loved decorating for the occasion.

That conversation led to further chats about the joys of decorating. Ultimately,  the two joined forces in a new business venture which they named Broken Basket Designs in September, 2020.

The Kingsville Times recently interviewed Don about Broken Basket Designs.

KT:
What was the motivation for starting your business?

Don:
We both share a passion for making custom home decor to match each season and know how difficult it is to find these items at the stores.  We also discussed how many of our family and friends don’t have the time in their schedules to be able to shop for these items, let alone create them.

In knowing that, our original plan included coming up with a few ideas for the fall season and posting some pictures on Facebook Marketplace. It kind of took off from there.

The feedback we received was so incredible and positive, we had many customers asking about what we had planned for the winter/Christmas season. It was at this point we realized there was a niche for this kind of service and we couldn’t have been more excited.

We immediately changed our focus and collaborated on a long-term plan which we are still working on, and will continuously work on.

KT: 
How would you describe your services and products?

Don: 
We specialize in custom home decor. We primarily focus on and create seasonal centerpieces. During the fall and winter season we expand our services to indoor baskets and outdoor arrangements.

We create custom fall porch crates, fall harvest baskets for indoors and winter planters to display outdoors in the winter months.

KT:
What do your clients say about your business?

Don: 
So far, we have been receiving very positive feedback. We like to make sure that the customers have input along the way of what their vision is and we try to achieve that goal to the best of our abilities. We love when our customers reach out to us after purchasing their products.

They will sometimes send us pictures of how their centrepieces look on their tables. We love it when that happens. That’s kind of our motivation to keep doing what we are doing.

KT: 
What advice would you give to others who might be considering starting a business?

Don:
Just stay true to who you are and what your product represents. Remember that quality is key, not quantity. If you take pride in your service then so will others. Word of mouth speaks volumes.

KT:
What are your plans for business growth? New services and products that clients can look out for?

Don:
Our plans for growth would include a storefront for our clients to be able to view our products in person. We would also like to add different items to our product list, while keeping costs at a minimum to allow for resale at a reasonable and affordable price.

KT:
How has COVID affected your business and what have you done to COVID-proof it?

Don:
This is a tricky question. We would be remiss to say that COVID hasn’t negatively affected our business. Because of COVID, we haven’t been able to have the initial face-to-face interaction with our customers. It has strictly been an online-only business.

On the other hand, you could say that COVID has positively affected our business. In today’s market, online purchases have increased dramatically due to individuals not leaving their homes. This trend was already happening pre-COVID, but the pandemic has definitely made online shopping more of a necessity than a pleasure.

Photos provided by Don Salvador

************

Do you know of a local business that would like to be highlighted in Spotlight On Business? Please send the business name and contact details to info@kingsvilletimes.ca and we may feature them in a future article.