A mothers wish to have a playhouse for her daughter has sparked a new, and fun, business venture.
Ashlynn Olson, owner of Happy Little Homes Co., located at 724 James St. Unit 4, in Clayton, searched for the perfect children’s playhouse but wasn’t finding anything that was aesthetically pleasing or in the style that she was hoping for.
“I couldn’t find anything that seemed like it would be tall enough to last for a few years, and that was something that I actually wanted to look at in my backyard without it being terribly expensive,” said Mrs. Olson. “
She decided to take matters into her own hands.
“It came out really cute and I had a lot of fun with it,” she recalled.
After successfully completing her first home, she posted a picture on Facebook and told people if they were interested to message her. She didn’t expect the outreach from interested parties and from there Happy Little Homes Co. was born.
“I customize them to be either houses or little businesses, whatever the parents want to order for their kids,” said Mrs. Olson. “Then I add my own touches to them. I reinforce them, add lights, customized signs with the kids names on them, decorations, whatever the parents ask me to do.”
Since her official business open in September, she has created farmers markets complete with felt fruits and vegetables and a cash register; a bakery, a flower shop and even a bait and tackle shop.
“The typical one that I do is about six-feet-tall; that’s the most popular one which has a kitchen in it and all the items you’d expect. And the other is much wider and a little bit shorter,” Mrs. Olson explained. “It’s better for families with multiple kids and has a back porch on it. There is even one for indoor use and those are the ones I most like to do because I turn them into little businesses and then all the props don’t have to go outside.”
Starting Happy Little Homes Co. is something that Mrs. Olson says has been an amazing journey, but she still maintains her main job at her family business, Hutchinson’s Boat Works in Alexandria Bay.
“My main job is with my family; I am the fourth generation there,” said Mrs. Olson. “I’ve always had two jobs, something else, I’ve just never had one thing.”
While she is busy in her life she says that creating this business has allowed her extra time with her daughter.
“To find something that I can do with my daughter, and she can come in here and not necessarily hold the drill for me, but she can play in the houses when ever I have an open house is great. She plays with all the kids and it’s really fun to see her get so much out of it,” she said.
Getting Happy Little Homes Co. started not only came from inspiration from her daughter but close friends who also have entered into the world of entreprenuership.
“Morgan and Eric Ingerson have been great,” she said. “They’re my landlords and close family friends. Morgan has been really great with helping me out; she was the one that encouraged me to start this business.”
Mrs. Olson says that when she first thought of starting the new venture she reached out to Mrs. Ingerson, telling her she had a crazy idea.
“He response was, ‘If you’re looking for someone to tell you not to do it that’s not going to be me.’ And, so, that’s kind of what I would say to anybody at this point that wants to start their own business,” said Mrs. Olson. “As long as you are bringing your own creative touch to something, do it.”
Since her start, she says that she has gotten amazing feedback from her customers and potential clients, getting videos and photos that she then will post on her social media sites Facebook and Instagram.
“I post all the photos and videos of the kids being surprised with their houses,” she said. “It is really fun to see their reactions; they love it every time I bring them somewhere in public for a show or to drop them off.”
She also feels that providing children an avenue to have creative, interactive play away from “screen time” is extremely important and something she encourages.
“There is so much imagination play that can go on with these. It doesn’t just have to be a house and it doesn’t just have to be a business. The customer can customize these into whatever their children want to explore and play in,” said Mrs. Olson.
Right now, she says, the best way to work with her on a custom Happy Little Home is to contact her via phone by calling 315-559-6842 to schedule a consultation.
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Johnson Newspapers 7.1
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