DUFFIELD, VA – February 20, 2023 – Kayla Warren said she has always appreciated a good deal and that’s one of the reasons she opened Boutique 276 in Duffield, Va. The business, located at 463 Duff Patt Highway in Duffield is a ladies clothing, shoes and accessories boutique.
Boutique 276 was a recent recipient of a $10,000 Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Seed Capital Matching Grant.
“Boutique 276 offers sales through both a brick and mortar location and online,” said Jonathan Belcher, VCEDA executive director/general counsel. “The business projects one full-time and two part-time employees within five years.”
In opening the business, Warren said she hoped to help grow her town and the community while at the same time providing job opportunities and strengthening the local economy.
“Our main goal is to make our customers feel like they are part of the family,” Warren said. “We are a small town boutique and we offer beautiful sizes in small to 3X, as well as shoes and accessories. Customers visiting our store location, or our website, will find on trend pieces for an affordable price.”
Warren said she strives to have Boutique 276 serve as a one-stop shop for women looking for a particular item of clothing, or an ensemble including shoes, belts, jewelry and a handbag.
“We want to be super affordable because the fact is, I like a good deal too,” she said of herself as a consumer. “I want to pass that along to my customers, as well as to make them feel like the beautiful and confident women they are.”
The shop, which officially opened last May, is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
“The VCEDA grant meant everything to me and VCEDA has been wonderful to work with,” Warren said of the seed capital matching grant her business received. “As a first time small business owner, I am grateful there are programs like this. Without the help of the grant, I would not have been able to do this. I wanted to bring something to my community. Everybody’s style is different, but we like to think we are able to offer something for everyone.”
She used the VCEDA grant for better signage and marketing expenses.
Warren worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) in developing her application to VCEDA and received a letter of support from the Scott County Economic Development Authority.
“Mountain Empire Community College SBDC observed Kayla’s care and love for her local community. She has worked hard to bring a clothing and accessories store to Duffield that gives the local residents work and a place to shop,” said Becki O’Quinn-Purdie, SBDC director at MECC. “The VCEDA Seed Capital Fund will allow Kayla to expand her inventory and continue to grow her business. The SBDC is pleased to see Boutique 276 continue to grow.”
For additional information about Boutique 276, interested persons may find the business on Facebook, or through the business website at www.boutique276.com.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.
About the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Seed Capital Matching Grant Fund: VCEDA region for-profit businesses, within qualifying business categories, one year and under with less than 10 full-time employees are eligible to apply for dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $10,000 from the VCEDA Seed Capital Matching Fund. Applicants work with the Small Business Development Centers at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community colleges to prepare the applications to VCEDA that include detailed business and financial plans. Businesses must be located in or plan to operate in the VCEDA region in southwestern Virginia that includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton.