Tiny Trendsetter was founded by two moms Sonia and Kirsten who have been friends for over a decade. Kirsten’s identical twin girls Sadie and Nyla and Sonia’s boys Carter and Crosby were the inspiration behind the launch of the online shop www.tinytrendsetter.com in 2015.

  1. When did you open your business?

We opened our brick and mortar store in March of 2017. Our online store opened in 2016.

  1. What prompted you to open your own business?

Kristen and I were best friends with young children. We both travelled a lot for work, and would bring home clothing for our kids from the U.S. and Europe. We wanted more clothing options for our own kids here in Canada, so we decided to put together an offering of all of the brands that we loved. I have a background in fashion and have worked with large wholesale distribution and design. Kristen has a background in finance. We took those skillsets and used them to help us open our own store.

  1. Tell us a bit about your business (products, services). What makes you unique?

We carry over 80 brands, from all over the world, including Europe, Japan and Australia. We also like to support up and coming Canadian brands, and independent designers.

In addition, we design and develop our own products under the label “Lola and Taylor”. Both of our families had the tradition of wearing matching pjs during the holidays. However, we had a hard time finding pajamas that were both stylish and affordable, so we started designing our own. We plan to grow this brand to offer four collections of pajamas per year.

Lastly, we really pride ourselves on service. We are two local moms who really love interacting with our customers, and we always strive to go above and beyond what is expected in terms of service.

  1. What is “a day in the life of a small business owner” like for you?

We are both moms, so we do everything. We create all of our own social media and marketing content. We manage our online store, inventory, shipping, supplies, purchasing, you name it! Taking alternating shifts in the store (we are very rarely there at the same time) gives us the flexibility to get everything done behind the scenes, and spend time with our families as well. 

  1. What has been your biggest success as a small business owner?

Our biggest success is the fact that Kristen and I have been able to grow Tiny Trendsetter into a successful retail and online store in just two short years, while maintaining our strong friendship. We have built a loyal customer base, and we get to design and sell products that they (and we) love!

  1. What has been your biggest challenge as a small business owner?

Our biggest challenge is one that many small business owners face: balance. It can be tricky finding enough hours in the day to get everything done. We have had to learn which things we can let go of and delegate.

 

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Tiny Trendsetter, 264 Jane Street, Toronto, ON M6S 3Z2

Tel: 416-761-7474

info@tinytrendsetter.com     www.tinytrendsetter.com

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