KIDS CLOTHING - Owners Kelly Kurian, left, and Cathy Wade stand inside Simply Spoiled, their Lancaster boutique. The two opened the store in March. EVELYN KRISTO/Valley Press

Former queens open kids clothing boutique

"We enjoyed shopping, but it was difficult to find name-brand clothing for children in the Antelope Valley," Wade said.

"The items we carry in our store are things that are not carried in any of the department stores in the Antelope Valley. Maybe Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus, but nothing up here," she said.

Shopping for cute boy clothes has always been difficult but Simply Spoiled makes it easy.

"We know it is hard to find cute clothes for boys and we wanted to offer a great selection for boys as well," Wade said.

The boutique offers an array of merchandise that will make any mother smile.

They carry a number of items for the mom-to-be from Belly Bands, stroller covers and blankets to nursing covers and even Petunia Pickle Bottoms diaper bags.

They even have cool diaper bags for dads called "Diaper Dudes, From Dads for Dads."

No need for dads to worry about looking cool, the diaper bags come in blue, black and gray hues.

"We have plenty for parents to choose from. We also have an organic section that offers sleepers, T-shirts and hats for newborns and even muslin wraps. People come in specifically looking for the muslin wraps because you can wrap the babies tight in them," Wade said.

Owners Kurian and Wade are planning to open the boutique for birthday parties, baby showers and Lamaze classes.

"We will have a party planner that can help you decide on invitations and other services relating to your event," Wade said.

Describe your business and its products or services: We are an upscale boutique carrying everything from maternity, baby and kids clothes. We have beautiful cribs, bedding, car seat covers, blankets and a large shoe department specializing in Pedi-Ped. We have tons of brand-name clothing and accessories for the mom-to-be, children and newborn. Our boy section is awesome and our diaper bag selection is great!

Why did you start this business? We started this business because we love to dress our kids and couldn't find the brands we wanted locally.

Where did you get the idea? We love to shop. Because of our love for shopping, we wanted to take the experience to the next level and try our hand in the retail business. We visited many boutiques and soon after Simply Spoiled was born.

How long and what did it take to open? We thought about the possibility about 8 months ago but it wasn't until two months later that we began to shop for merchandise. The renovation of the previous store started and by March 23, we were open for business.

What were the start-up costs and how did you finance them? Kelly and I both worked in the medical field as ultrasound technicians as well as at Simply Spoiled. We both used some savings and with a lot of work our dream became Simply Spoiled. We were denied an SBA loan because neither of us had retail experience, so we both used some savings, and with a lot of hard work, our dream became Simply Spoiled.

From whom did you get advice? We talked to many local business owners including our neighbor Gary Myes from Total Health & Fitness, Maria Elena from the Lemon Leaf Cafe and countless friends. Without the support and help from our families, we never would have opened so quickly.

What problems developed that you hadn't considered? The roof blew off the factory in China so our display furniture was delayed eight weeks. We had to scramble and do alternate planning, but it all worked out.

What are your goals for your business? We want to make moms happy! We hope our merchandise and services will provide that. Many customers say they don't have to drive down below anymore and with the price of gas, that's a good thing! We know that the economy is tough and that our store is pure luxury, but we really felt the Valley needed a store like this. We are thankful for every purchase and hope we will be successful. We have even been asked to franchise but right now we are happy with what we have done. Maybe in the future?

The Valley Press Business Profile, compiled by Staff Writer Gabriela Garay, runs Fridays in the Business section. Business owners and managers interested in being featured can fill out the Valley Success Business Profile questionnaire at www.avpress.com or call Business Editor Jim Skeen at (661) 267-4138.