Article published in the 2019 third quarter edition of Greater Waco Business magazine.
Small businesses are the engine of our economy in the Greater Waco community — more than 70 percent of our membership is considered “small business.” We love introducing small businesses and their owners in our “Small Business Spotlight.” This allows us to showcase some of our local small business owners and hear from them what it’s like owning a small business in Waco and how
the Chamber has helped their business. For this quarter’s Small Business Q & A, we visited with Alejandra Evans, a retailer who is reaping the benefits of Waco’s strong economy.
Q: Tell us about how your business got started, what inspired you to open Interior Glow?
A: My husband, Bo, and I wanted to start a business together. We used to flip houses in Houston and I loved the interior design and staging aspect. I really just fell in love with making something ugly and undesirable, beautiful again. My husband is a supply chain management expert and has contacts for suppliers of unique products around the world. He came up with the idea of
using both of our passions to open a home decor, furniture and gift store. Our family verse has always been Mathew 5:16. We wanted the name to represent that, and that’s why we came up with
“Interior Glow.” We wanted to remind others to always let their light shine.
After a lot of thought, we decided to move to Waco and start our business here. Waco has always been a second home to both of us. We both had family here and Bo’s brother graduated from Baylor, so over the years we fell in love with downtown Waco. We thought it was beautiful and with so much potential, that we decided to invest in Waco, and open our store here.
Q: How has the growth that Waco has experienced affected your business? What are some of the biggest changes that have come with the growth and development of downtown?
A: We love all the growth and development of downtown. We have not experienced a big change since we opened our store about 3 years ago. I’m sure businesses that have been here for longer have noticed a bigger change than we have. We hope that all the new development encourages locals to come to downtown more often. It’s a great place to be with so much to offer!
Q: What is the most beneficial part of being a member of the Chamber?
A: We love that the Greater Waco Chamber provides many networking opportunities for the members. Networking is very important for all small businesses, you can find contacts in your industry that can give you great advice or you can connect with great companies that you can partner with.
They also have a great staff and website, that can direct you to the support you may need.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting a new business in Waco?
A: I would definitely recommend they become a member of the Waco Chamber, and to seek help from other great organizations, like City Center Waco, Start Up Waco, and many others. They are here to help new businesses in Waco. Starting a new business is always hard and having a good support system makes a big difference.
Q: What does the future look like for Interior Glow?
A: Within Interior Glow there are many products and services we offer. In addition to our retail products, we offer tree rentals and consignment for local artists. On the services side, we offer Interior Design work for customers, apartment complexes, management companies, and B&Bs.
We have always been very open to change if it is in the best interest of the overall business.
We see Interior Glow evolving into more than just a retail store in the future. We are working on a very unique project, that we are very excited about.
Q: How do you enjoy Waco in your free time?
A: Waco has so much to offer! We enjoy going to the Zoo, Cameron Park, and Lake Waco for outdoor activities. We also, love going to any Baylor games and visit the Dr Pepper and children’s
museums with our kids. There are other great places we have visited like the Waco Mammoth National Monument and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame. There are great local shops all around Waco, especially in downtown and lots of restaurants to choose from. When we want to watch a movie, we love going to the Hippodrome, so we can watch a movie and eat a meal at the same time. Again, so much to do. It’s a great place to live, and an exciting time to be a part of the Waco community.