Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in clothing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hannah Gingrich, owner of Mountain Standard Goods, located in Colorado Springs, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our standard is to honor your individuality by providing thoughtful and sustainable menswear. We offer a variety of curated apparel and gifts that are new, repurposed, and vintage to suit any type of person with any budget.

Tell us about yourself

The seed was planted many years ago while I was working retail at a local women's boutique downtown (shout out to my friends over at Terra Verde!) Customers would often ask if there was a place to buy men's clothing or gifts, and I saw an opportunity in the market. My sister and I were really sparked to start working towards launching in 2021 when a friend of ours told us about a cool old church that was up for sale downtown.

We worked hard to compile a business plan to gain SBC lending and try to secure a loan, which was a lot harder during mid-covid in early 2021. Banks had halted small business loans, and we had to explore many other avenues to get something going. The church unfortunately sold, but we switched gears and continued to work towards getting lending and putting our plans in motion.

The Holiday Pop-up program was an ideal time and program to launch. There's been so much excitement and enthusiasm from the Downtown Partnership and the general public coming into the store. We are, in turn, fueled by our customers and motivated to keep on bringing fun, sustainable clothing, and products to our amazing customers!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think my business partner/sister Jessie and I both feel so proud to have launched our store so quickly and for it to be so warmly received by the people!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The learning curve! We love learning, but there were so many things to juggle at the beginning, and there never seems to be enough time in the day to get it all done!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Give yourself time to get a business plan in place and work hard at it. This is a good test to make sure you want to go into whatever business you're starting.
  2. Be patient and open-minded. There is a lot to learn and do in the first months, but there are so many free resources out there to help, like the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) and the Downtown Partnership! Talk to a lot of these types of people along the way as they have a lot of knowledge and encouragement to share.
  3. Enjoy the little moments of building your business! It can take a lot of time to do the groundwork, and it can be a rollercoaster, but it is also really fun and fulfilling!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

We just moved from our pop-up location on Tejon to our new permanent location at 109 East Bijou! We're located on the south side of Acacia Park across from Story Coffee, next to Art 111 and Ladyfingers Letterpress.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mstgoods.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MSTGoods/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mst_goods/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.