Mom of the Month
February 2009

Who's the face behind Simply Heaven Lollipop Shoppe?

What do you sell?
Chocolate confections (such as Kona Mocha Roca, and Milk Chocolate Chai Candy Bars), Baked Goods, Lollipops and Lolly Drops (in 18 different flavors, from Cheesecake to Green Apple, and everything in between - each and every one crave worthy and bound to become a favorite).

How did your business get started?

For years I've been known as "the baker" among my friends, and I often hear compliments after a bite or two of my newest treat being sampled during an afternoon visit. I enjoy the creativity that being in the kitchen allows me, and hearing, "This is SO good!" is just an added bonus!

I fell in love with a popular online lollipop store a few years ago, and was heartbroken when the owner made the decision to sell her business. Shortly thereafter, in October 2006, I made the decision to carry on the tradition established by my friend ~ that of excellent customer service, coupled with yummy tasting, high quality candy, and baked goods.

My goal is to provide delicious, handcrafted confections that will remind you of the candy that your grandmother might have made ~ full of love and sweetness all in one bite. Being able to contribute to the household funds is a nice side effect of doing what I enjoy ~ but tapping into my creative side, while being able to stay home with my children while they are still young is what drives me.
Rather than making large batches of handcrafted gourmet candy and storing them until they are sold, I make everything fresh to order, and I trust that my customers appreciate that extra step.

In addition to the main site, I also became one of the founding members of the Artiste Congo through Hyena Cart in April 2009 ~ enabling me to reach an even larger audience, and the opportunity to offer items that aren't normally available through the regular store.

In November 2009 I decided to expand even further and bought out the rights to all of the gourmet chocolate candy previously offered through Kickshaw Confections, another well known and liked woman owned small business. That decision alone has nearly doubled my customer base!

What's the most important thing to you as a WAHM?
Communication, communication, and communication - staying in touch with the customer from the moment the order is first received until the package has been dropped off at the post office ~ allowing her to feel pampered throughout the entire experience. I had a customer once remark that receiving a package from SHLS was like receiving a treasured gift (complete with pink tissue paper, and thank you card on pretty stationery) ~ and that meant so much to me!