A small town in Muskoka, Port Carling, has become a thriving hub for female entrepreneurs. Kathyrn McNally, founder of Poppy’s Collection, discusses the community, challenges, and future outlook on not just her brand, but other businesses in the area.
“Almost every single one of these businesses I can see around me are female-owned. We have done a really good job of stopping the trend of huge retailers coming in, and it is a lot of really cool small businesses that are thriving in Port Carling,” says Kathyrn McNally. “Retailers really do support each other. We really believe in Port Carling – if one store is successful, the other stores will also be successful.”
Poppy’s Collection
McNally started Poppy’s Collection after a desire to offer something that was missing in the community – high-quality children’s clothing. The inspiration behind the brand came from witnessing her mother have difficulties finding good clothing options for her nephew.
McNally quickly realized that while the market offered plenty of fast-fashion options, it lacked durable, long-lasting products
“Poppy’s Collection started about ten years ago, I was inspired by seeing my mom shop for my nephew, and we were kind of disappointed in the offerings. A lot of the stores were like big massive retailers, and most of the stuff my mom wanted to buy was made in Europe so you could pass it down kid to kid,” says McNally. “I am the youngest of four children, and I wore hand-me-downs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and that is how my mom wanted to shop for my nephew and my nieces.”
Poppy’s Collection carries products for infants, toddlers, children, and women. McNally says she aims to provide children’s apparel that will last from the first child to the last.
After several pop-up shops, McNally says she found the perfect location in Port Carling and opened the store in 2020. The brand carries products for infants, toddlers, children, and women.
“I opened the doors in 2020, which was an interesting year to start a store in Port Carling because it was the height of the pandemic. We opened our doors in June 2020, and we have been here ever since then. We actually bought the building two years ago because it was a really great location for us, and we really wanted to invest in Poppy’s being there for years to come and continue to have great local businesses.”
Women supporting women
McNally says Port Carlings is a thriving hub for female entrepreneurs, with a strong sense of community, mutual respect, and support.
Rather than competition, the female entrepreneurs understand that the success of one business helps others. McNally says retailers rather support each other in various ways including cross-promotion, sharing advice, or participating in joint events. This allows the storefronts to share resources, ideas, and opportunities; ensuring everyone has a fair chance of growth.
“There was a ladies night in July, so we messaged all the other businesses around us to tell them about it and to ask if we can all stay open later so everyone can benefit from it. If one of us stays open, we all stay open, that way we can attract more people to come into our shops. And so, we were able to organize all the businesses to stay open later that night.”
McNally says they also help each other with joint events and activities, social media promotions by promoting each other’s businesses online, sharing knowledge and resources, providing feedback, collaborating on new initiatives, and having emotional and practical support for working moms.
People often fail to take female entrepreneurs seriously
While the women of Port Carling have built a supportive community, McNally says they still face challenges as female entrepreneurs. One of the main challenges is the biases women face while trying to establish their businesses.
“I think female entrepreneurs suffer from not being taken seriously. I think Port Carling is kind of a haven for small businesses, so we don’t really face that too much here, but I do think female entrepreneurs struggle with not being taken seriously and not having the same access to resources that other entrepreneurs have.”
Other challenges include the responsibility to balance their business with family responsibilities such as taking care of their children.
Joys and challenges
McNally is experiencing the joy and challenges that come with being a new mother.
“I have more of an appreciation of female entrepreneurs who are mothers, because I think it is just harder to do it all and still kind of be the primary parent. My husband is very hands-on and he is a fantastic father, but I will have to stop my work every two hours to pump to feed my baby because she can’t be on formula due to allergies – I don’t think that is something a man would obviously would ever have to balance.”
Other female owned brands on the street mentioned by McNally include Snapdragon, Lemonwood, York & Mason, Imala, and Open Court. “These shops are not just businesses; they are the heart of the community.”
Services going beyond retail
McNally says she evolves her business on what the community is seeking.
“This year, I actually had a focus group of local moms, and I was like, ‘ what do you want Poppy’s to be? What do you wish we didn’t do? What do you want us to do?’” McNally says the insights from this focus group provided her valuable information into what exactly her consumers are looking for, this way, she will be able to stay on-top of new trends and expectations.
McNally also has been offering in-store activities such as designing hats, story times for kids, manicures for moms at the store, and more. The list of activities creates a family-friendly space that allows McNally to serve the community’s needs beyond retail.
Going forward, McNally says she will look for new ways to connect with the community.
“We are not afraid to take risks and we will continue to learn from different experiences,” says McNally. “I think consumers can expect going forward from the brand is more services for the customer. So listening to those people who want somewhere to go with their kids on the weekend and listening to their challenges. So more story times, more events that can really help cater to the community. Consumers can expect us to continue to listen to them about what they need and what they want for future years to come.”
Relevant article: Huntsville Ontario seeing ongoing retail expansion with updated downtown and new mall
