By ALLISON RUWALDT
An Alva mother quit her job to care for her young daughter, but still manages to earn an income to help support her family.
“I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and it be a creative endeavor,” said Kaylynn Kovat, the owner of Wild Paint Jewelry. “But what made me really want to start was that I wanted to be able to stay home with my daughter more.”
Kovat is a part of the reported 34.4% of households that WorldMetrics.org found to own home-based businesses. This trend of home-based businesses is rising as people try to find ways to profit from their creative passions. She said she had been beading since middle school, and with her extensive amount of practice and responsibilities of having a child, there was no better time to start selling.
In rural communities, things like a home business can be fundamental for community members to survive. NationalBusiness.org wrote about multiple studies that showed an average of 68% of the money spent at small businesses stays in the local economy. Many people struggle to find a job that fits their specialties in such small areas, so a home-run business can give them a chance to gain experience in fields they are trained for. For example, someone who is talented at painting can start a facepainting business and gain more experience painting for a profit.
The Alva community is constantly hosting events like Nescatunga Arts Festival, the Big Cruise and Car Show, Muralfest and many more that give home businesses a chance to expand. These events allow business owners to reach new audiences and establish a name for themselves.
Kovat spoke about how these events helped her get her start and how she looks forward to being able to do more.
Many community members help these home businesses by seeking out local owners.
Buying from a person rather than a corporation offers many advantages, such as supporting local community members and knowing where the product comes from.
This also helps consumers to know what goes into making, producing and marketing a product. Airelle Jones, the owner of Sugar Belle Candy Co., mentioned that this was her favorite part of Alva and talked about how she often gets orders from people looking for a homemade touch.
Jones came to Alva from North Carolina, looking for a fresh start. She said she noticed no one local was making the treats she makes, so she started her business. She also spoke about the efforts she put into researching ways to make her company different from others in Alva.
Customers are drawn to places like hers because it brings something unique. She said that she puts an emphasis on quality as well as aesthetics, to make sure her customers have traits that taste and look good.
Home business owners, like Jones and Kovat, can focus more on feedback and filling community needs rather than corporate needs.
Sugar Belle Candy Co. emphasizes ensuring its treats are exactly what customers want and works hard to add more trendy food items.
The Lazy Coyote always listens to what its customers feel like they are missing and does things like offer customizable scents and car air fresheners to help fulfill more personalized needs.
Businesses like Wild Paint Jewelry make fully custom pieces and countless home bakeries do fully custom treats, such as Chloe’s Kitchen or Shay’s Treats.
These businesses and the people running them are one of the supporting beams of Alva’s economy. That is a big reason stores like the Lazy Coyote have become so successful. The store operates similar to a flea market, showcasing the wares of multiple vendors. Home business owners can contact the owners and possibly get a booth in the building to sell their products year-round. This allows the store owner to promote their own products as well as others.
Amanda Ramirez, who owns the Lazy Coyote, had her start as a vendor in a similar style store in 2019. In 2021, she was able to get her building and help other people get their start, while also being able to continue doing what she loves.
“I used to go to shops like this all the time with my mom … so I do still try to keep thrift things inside and help other small businesses grow,” Ramirez said. “Even if they start out with a shelf, they can expand, and we can help that way.”
Right now the shop sells all kinds of clothes, trinkets, soaps and more that are all supplied by other small business owners. Businesses like this create a way for trends to come into rural towns.
The Lazy Coyote has vendors that keep up with selling things like Labubu’s, NeeDohs, squishy dumplings and other internet trends, while Sugar Belle Candy Co. is bringing treats like dirty sodas, candied fruit and Dubai chocolate to Alva.
Without business owners like these making an effort to keep up with trending food and products, community members would have to order them online or drive long distances. Ramirez and Jones saw the need for more urban trends in Alva, and they are capitalizing on bringing them here, once again contributing significantly to the local economy and providing people with a reason to shop local.