What started off as an attempt to gain real-world marketing experience has turned into a business for marketing freshman Madeline Dunbar.
Dunbar is the founder of Seaux Chic Monograms, a business she launched in March that designs personalized vinyl monograms, Greek decals, monogrammed flasks, monogrammed fruit-infuser water bottles and monogrammed coffee mugs.
Because she was unable to run the social media accounts for the boutique where she was employed, Dunbar said she decided to start her own business to test different social media marketing techniques and other business strategies.
“I just did it on a whim, really, just to get more experience,” Dunbar said.
Dunbar said she designs and prepares her business inventory from her dorm room, using a desk-sized vinyl cutting machine that connects to her laptop.
Dunbar uses Etsy.com as her selling platform, which she said gives her business nationwide reach.
“I’ve had people in California, I’ve had people in Florida, I’ve had people in New Jersey,” Dunbar said. “It’s fun to get a broad spectrum that way.”
Dunbar also makes sales around campus and in-person. The business’ customer base expanded through social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook and through word-of-mouth. Many of her customers are members of sororities.
Elementary education sophomore Elizabeth Culotta, who owns about 10 monogrammed items, said she likes the practical purpose of monograms as well as the custom element it adds to possessions.
“[It’s] for fun and to kind of know what’s yours. It’s a little bit of personalization,” Culotta said. “Instead of having everything the same as everybody else, it’s a way to stand out.”
Seaux Chic Monograms offers two-letter decals and three-letter decals in half inch sizes, starting from 1 1/2 inches ranging up to six inches. Prices for decals start at $1.50 and go up $.50 for every half inch.
By selling just the decals, customers are able to personalize anything with a monogram.
“People will order the decals from me and then buy whatever they want to customize,” Dunbar said. “It just adds a little flair to it.”
Dunbar said that while the volume of orders she receives varies from month to month, Seaux Chic Monograms has been successful so far.
Her dedication to the business’ success is what differentiates Seaux Chic Monograms from other monogramming businesses, Dunbar said.
“What separates me, I think, from other monogrammers would be the fact that I really did start it because it was a hobby to me,” Dunbar said. “It’s something that I’m passionate about.”
She said she hopes to expand the business in terms of the products offered, with the next step being the purchase of an embroidery machine.
Dunbar said the addition of an embroidery machine would allow her to cover all monogramming bases.
“I’m excited to continue expanding and see where it takes me,” Dunbar said.