聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 At 17-years-old most people are worried about schoolwork and making the most of their grade 12 year. For two young men from Oxbow, however, making the most of grade 12 includes the creation of business venture, which is seeing much success.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Braden Brock and Riley Spearing of Oxbow were looking to their futures, thinking about pursuing business, when they decided they didn鈥檛 have to wait. Together they came up with Birch Lifestyle Co., a clothing company focused on t-shirts and hoodies with aspirations of expanding in the future.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e were at his [Spearing鈥檚] cabin in Montana,鈥� Brock explained. 鈥淲e were just sitting on the deck and started talking about it [starting a clothing company], and a couple of weeks later we started it up.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Their name, Birch Lifestyle Co., was created while sitting on this deck as they discussed possibilities of the business while surrounded by trees. One of their logos therefore includes a tree they created on the computer, while a second logo involves hand drawn mountains, and they are excited to soon be unveiling a new design as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 How does one go from an idea to start a company to actually going through with it? Both Spearing and Brock agreed that it was the support of their friends and family. Anyone they talked to about it was interested and this inspired Spearing and Brock to research how to start a business.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e told people about it and they thought it was really cool,鈥� Brock stated. 鈥淧eople were asking if we had stuff ready before we had even started.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 really know where to start, so we Googled 鈥榟ow to start a business,鈥� registered it online, and have done it pretty much all on our own. We found a machine online [for silk screening] and watched videos to learn how to do it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽After figuring out the logistics of creating their product Spearing and Brock had to figure out how to market their line of clothing.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e knew a person in Estevan with a store [XS-iV Boardshop], so decided to approach them, and Stacey Lamontagne here in Oxbow at Silver Goddess Boutique is also carrying our clothing,鈥� Brock stated.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here鈥檚 one store in B.C. right now that we鈥檙e talking to and one in Weyburn, so we鈥檙e just setting up meetings right now.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Additionally they are promoting Birch Lifestyle Co. online and their products are available through their website, .
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Their mission statement and unique quality comes with a focus on nature and being outside. 鈥淎t Birch, we don鈥檛 only provide cool, quality gear; we provide a lifestyle,鈥� their website reads.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he humbling aspect of nature, woven with the beauty of simplicity is what inspires us at Birch to do what we do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s we grow as a company we will strive to learn, expand and give back while always staying humble in the process. With good roots, a solid team and a good attitude we will accomplish our goals successfully and grow in the process.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Currently Birch has a high demand and keeping up with requests has been an interesting task, but one they are happy to be challenged to.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪ales are better than we had expected,鈥� Brock stated.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Future plans for the young men include expanding westward. They are hoping to go to school near each other, and will be based in either Lethbridge or Calgary in the coming years.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brock explained, 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to move the business out west in the next couple of years and get more into the mountains.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e want to eventually get an embroidery machine too so we can do toques and jackets, different stuff, but we鈥檒l go bigger once we gain a bigger base and get the capital to do it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 They will only grow and become better with their entrepreneurial goals as Brock is planning on taking Business in university, while Spearing will be taking Multi-media.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Owner of Silver Goddess Boutique, Lamontagne, was instantly impressed by the Spearing and Brock: 鈥淚 was happy to get onboard and support local entrepreneurs, being one myself. I鈥檓 always happy to empower local people. I am new to town, I鈥檝e only been here three years, and people took me under their wing, so it鈥檚 nice to be able to help others and give back.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 saw on Facebook people were 鈥榣iking鈥� the company and I did some product research, met with them, and decided to carry their line. I鈥檝e sold two orders in one month.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 She added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great product and they鈥檙e doing a fantastic job on branding it through social media. They鈥檙e keen and very serious about it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Currently the boys have developed t-shirts and hoodies for men and women, as well as t-shirts for youth.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Spearing and Brock are ultimately excited for the future and to see what they can do with their business while continually growing and learning entrepreneurial skills in the next few years.
