Who is Keeta Collection?
We are two friends turned business partners, Robbin Mills and Vicki Ray. We were two work at home moms who were looking for an outlet for our creative sides.
Where are you located?
We live in Ocala, Florida.
How did you come up with your business name?
Well, it's not a terribly exciting story, but here it is. Vicki's sister-in-law gave her the nickname Vickita, which then turned into Keeta. We loved the way it looked and sounded so we elaborated on it a little and came up with the Keeta Collection. We also wanted a name that would work with whatever we created. Keeta sounds funky, classic, cute and creative all at one time, which is the personality we feel our bags have.
When and why did you decide to start your own business?
We always loved talking about our newest creations and comparing notes. Then one day out of the blue, Vicki looked at me and said, "We are starting a business, today, are you ready?" After the shock wore off, I realized that our taste really complemented each other and we already knew that we could work well together. So therein the Keeta Collection was born.
How did you get started?
After the initial ideas formed, we began selling a few bags at a time on Ebay. From there we developed a website, KeetaCollection.com. Our latest venture would be boutique sales. We have just opened our doors to a few wholesale accounts and it has been great getting to know the shop owners and working with them.
What motivates you to keep your business going?
We tend to motivate each other. We both have a passion for creating and that motivates us as well. What is awesome about our partnership is that when one of us needs to give more at home then the other steps in and gives more to the business.
Do you have a new product/design you are featuring on your website?
We continually add new designs. But our signature item would have to be our messenger bags. We sell those as diaper bags, school bags and everyday totes.
How do you juggle family and work at home?
It helps to have the partner to step up when times are hard. In addition, with running our own business, we can slow down when necessary. A big part of working at home revolves around scheduling. As long as we are organized, we can accomplish what we set out to accomplish. If we know we will be on a school field trip, or at our child's tennis match or basketball game, we can set our work schedule around that. On occasion, our families do have to live with bags piled up all around, but that only gives them a chance to appreciate our hard work.
What advice would you give to moms seeking to become a WAHM?
The biggest thing would be to set up a good plan for time management. It is very helpful to schedule in your work hours and keep them as separated from home life as possible. If the family knows you are completely theirs outside of work hours, they are much more helpful during the work hours. Of course there are times when the two will intertwine, but we find that we are much happier when we separate them as much as possible.
Visit Keeta Collection at www.KeetaCollection.com
***Special Offer: Get 25% off your entire purchase over $40 - just email Keeta Collection and mention "WAHM." Discount good from November 23, 2006 through December 8, 2006***
Stores that carry Keeta Collection products:
The Cottage Shoppe
Apricot Lane
Sunflower Embroidery
