Successful business owners seem to have an innate ability to persevere in the face of adversity. When two entrepreneurs are married to one another there’s bound to be great things to follow. In 2012 Kristine Teto and Brad Aubin decided to combine talents and open up The Hopscotch Room on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. The business would combine Kristine’s flair for home decorating with Brad’s more than 20 years as a high end custom home builder.
In Kristine’s words, the SBDC provided “outstanding support, always willing to listen and advise with very relevant feedback.”
The Hopscotch Room can best be described as a retail shopping village. Customers can currently tour 4 small buildings to find different themes and product assortments. The retail spaces are used to display a wide variety of home décor items including small to medium size gifts, lighting fixtures and small and medium sized furniture. The SBDC’s assisted Kristine and Brad with writing a business plan and preparing financial projections to be used for a bank loan application. A bank loan was approved and the doors opened in 2012 with great fanfare.
Recently, Brad’s back began limiting his home building business and foot traffic began slowing down at the store. Kristine and Brad decided to review their merchandise mix. They began liquidating products that were not selling and introducing new products that customers seemed to like. Without a substantial advertising budget sales remained slow.
With the need to reduce storage expenses and get more products on the sales floor Kristine and Brad decided to renovate two other small buildings they were using for storage and rental space. The new spaces will feature expanded show room space and a café. Included in this project will be an outdoor patio, decorated by Kristine, of course, which will create a warm and inviting atmosphere. A longtime business associate and past client was tapped to provide the funding needed to make the renovations. With Brad’s design and building skills the craftsmanship is first class.
The Hopscotch Room
2207 and 2209 Mineral Spring Avenue, North P rovidence, RI
401-349-4409 and 401-349-4332 or Email: shop@hopscotchroom.com
