Who, What, Where Wednesday – Jersey Shore Cottage

My name is Donna.  I’m an original Jersey girl, who had left the state but now has returned.

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When I came back, I had no job. I have always wanted to have my own business, so I decided to go back to school since. I took a marketing class and listened to the questions asked one day, “What does the customer need? What do they want?”  I thought, what could I do with a small budget?  I decided to rent a place in town to sell small antiques and Jersey Shore Cottage was born.  Then Hurricane Sandy came, and the coast of New Jersey was not the same, we were not the same.  When we opened back up, we had people coming in needing furniture. Many had lost everything and their stuff was just gone! The need was there! People were holding on to what they had salvaged, or what they could get from family.

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Then I  found out about American Paint Company.

 I started painting and realized that I could do it, and I could transform people’s furniture! I immediately fell in love!  It was so easy to use, especially for someone like me who was a beginner painter.

The people in our area who were rebuilding their lives and their homes came in and soon I was able to move to a bigger spot in October. I did a business plan for my MBA and I went for it!  I had started with 10′ x 10′ spot and now was able to expand to a 400 square foot space and it’s still growing.

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I have been able to hire an employee and later joined with a partner to expand. People are impressed with the transformation that the paint provides and it has given me a business that continues to grow!   People are loving the colors and with the addition of the Ellis Collection, our sales have gone wild!

 Voyage is everyone’s favorite color here, near the shore.  My biggest reward in this venture has been meeting with hurricane Sandy victims who bring in those surviving or found pieces and now they have something to treasure.  This all seems like a new ‘voyage’ of sorts, and maybe that’s why the color has become so popular here.  Here are a few pieces that I have painted:

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Comments

  1. Wish I lived closer! I’d have so much fun shopping here.

  2. It is wonderful to hear about the success of your business and how it is part of healing and recovery from Hurricane Sandy for the locals in your area. How gratifying it must be to offer something positive out of all of the wreckage and loss. Love your name, “Jersey Shore Cottage”!! Blessings to you and everyone on the Jersey shore!

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