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A new local women-owned business that brings socialization and creativity together.
UT Senior, Emily Holyk, is building her business, B’s Events, which is dedicated to cultivating socialization while creating arts and crafts led by her. She is an aspiring business owner, juggling academics and her part-time job, as she aims trying to make a name in Knoxville.
Holyk created this business because of her love for arts and crafts, particularly painting and drawing, and socializing with her friends. Between the prices of the supplies and the struggle of trying to understand how to navigate the craft can be overwhelming. Holyk recognized that when she went to a charcuterie board making event with her mother and grandma years ago where she wasn’t impressed.
“I remember looking around and thinking, ‘I could do this so much better,’” Holyk said. “Thus, the idea for B’s Events was created.”
She then took the initiative to create a business that would be that missing piece of striking the perfect balance of engagement and creativity.
B’s Events has that unique factor. It’s not centered around a specific form of art, but integrating new and different events that would keep people coming back. It’s a place to express yourself and have a good time.
“It’s inspired by my love for arts and crafts that developed in my childhood doing them with my mom,.” Holyk said.
She is heavily inspired by the women in her family. She is actively following in her grandmother and mother’s footsteps as entrepreneurs. She views them as strong, intelligent, successful women and wants nothing more than to be like them. She talked about their strength and dedication to grow their companies and persevere through hard times, leading her to believe she is capable of it.
Her first challenge as a new business owner has been bringing in new customers. Her target audience is middle income women between the ages of 30 to 50 years old, looking to spend their free time doing something fun. She has been avidly using social media platforms to market her company. She has been creating and pushing digital ads to reach potential new customers in the local area.
“Getting the word out there about my events and building trust in a brand that many people don’t know about is a huge challenge,.” Holyk said.
She remains passionate and driven when it comes to reaching her goals. She is eager to create a presence in her local community and become a trusted name for events that allow people to relax and have fun. She would like to grow her events so that her classes are full regularly so that she can have a consistent small profit that would be an additional income.
Holyk has kept her plate full as a student, that’s for sure.
“Being a full time student is very time-consuming and is so trying to run a business.” she said.
To keep a healthy balance in her life, Holyk has made sure to schedule time to market and plan her future events. However, school remains her top priority, so she’ll set aside time in the evening to do her schoolwork and adequately prepare for the next day.
This schedule isn’t something new to Holyk, who’s used to maintaining a busy schedule.
“It’s all about time management which I’ve learned to do well since I have always worked part-time while going to school,.” she said.
Since it’s Holyk’s last semester at Tennessee, it’s been hard to plan her next event. She is eager to plan for the future when her schedule isn’t as hectic.
Ultimately, she wants B’s Events to be a place to connect with new and old friends in a creative space. In the meantime, be sure to follow B’s Events on Instagram and Facebook for updates, so you don’t miss the next one.
