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Shayln Rogers-Davenport was recently a stay-at-home mom raising her one-year-old daughter, Juliana.
Today, she’s found a way to turn a profit and still be a full-time mom.
Davenport worked in retail for more than 10 years and sold Mary Kay Cosmetics for a couple of months before she opened her engraving and custom-label making gift shop on 588 Corporate Drive in Houma.
“After I had my daughter, I decided to stay at home and be a full-time mom,” Davenport explained. “But that didn’t last long. My daughter is great entertainment for me, but I needed something more that occupied my time.”
The restless mother searched the Internet for craft and do-it-yourself graphic projects to keep her busy outside of midday bottle feedings and diaper changes.
“I came across this label-making online business that I could do right at home from my computer,” she said. “I have always had a knack for being creative.”
From there, she signed on as an Internet custom label-maker. Davenport started receiving purchase orders via Internet sources like eBay and MySpace. She averaged about 10 bulk orders – 50 to 250 items – per week.
The volume of orders began to increase significantly, quickly reaching the point where her side business was outgrowing her home.
In April, she applied for a business license, and by July, she was signing the lease to her new home away from home, a place where she could bring her daughter to work.
Prior to the business opening, Davenport began to advertise locally. At first, she was receiving one to two bulk orders per week. That quickly jumped to five to 10 bulk orders.
“It took a couple of months to catch on,” she said.
Davenport makes all her designs from scratch to match her customers’ themes. She makes handmade frames for gifts as well.
“We have a variety of gifts available for purchase that can have anything done to the customers liking,” she said.
The following gifts can be purchased at Sweet Occasion.
Toasting flutes – Cake servers – Bridal gifts – Holiday gifts – Men’s and women’s gifts –
Baby gifts – Graduation gifts – Birthday gifts – Anniversary gifts
Davenport can convert and engrave company logos and artwork on any type of metal, plastic, wood or glass.
“I am the only engraver in town who has the machine capable of converting all types of company logos,” she said.
Customers can also sign up for her frequent-shopper card and earn free engraving points.
Her husband Chris gave her the idea to begin engraving. She had the experience from her previous job at Things Remembered in Houma.
So far, the hardest item Davenport has been asked to engrave is a small handgun – the customer wanted his initials on the handle.
“I do small engraving, but not that small,” she said. “It took me hours to finish that project.”
The craziest item Davenport’s engraved was crawfish potbowl paddles. “Those things were almost four feet tall,” she said. “Luckily they just wanted the company initials on them.”
Right now, her biggest demand is engraving glass mugs for weddings and fall theme wedding wrappers. “I missed the summer wedding rush, but I am well prepared for the fall and winter weddings,” she said.
Davenport expects business to increase as Christmas approaches.
She said there is a high demand for engraved Christmas ornaments. “I worked in this type of business before, and during Christmas time we were always busy,” she said.
“I expect the same thing here.”
Davenport notes that customers don’t have to buy a gift from Sweet Occasion to have it engraved there.
As a whole, Davenport is enjoying the freedom of self-employment. She said, “I can do what I want to do and be as creative as I want to be. I don’t put any restrictions on myself.”
The biggest hoorah about self-employment for Davenport is the fact that she gets to bring her daughter to work every day. “If she’s at work with me, I won’t miss out on the little things,” she said.
Like any other business, Sweet Occasion’s startup was hectic and chaotic. But she has become accustomed to her new digs in the 12,000-square-foot office space.
“I can’t wait to add my display shelves and other products so that people can see all the services I provide,” she said.
Davenport attributes her success to her family because they either watch her daughter or help prepare and pack the bulk orders.
Her parents, Sam and Diane Rogers are part owners in the business.
“This is a family business,” Davenport said. “My cousins, aunts and friends all want to work here and help. I can always count on them.”
As a daily routine, Shayln Rogers-Davenport, owner of Sweet Occasion on Corporate Drive, and her little helper, one-year-old Juliana, fold personalized candy wrappers for a special birthday party. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN
