Want to do something out of the ordinary?

Shannon Loomis, owner of Kiln Creations, offers a fun and creative Paint-Your-Own Pottery and Mosaic, in her Noblesville, Indiana studio. Kiln Creations is a unique environment where adults and children can relax, create, and spend quality time together. Shannon tries to keep it a “stress free” zone for customers and make each visit as smooth as possible. “It’s meaningful for customers to have a functional piece of pottery that they can remember and the time they spent together. You can’t say that about [other activities, like] a movie, bounce house, or bowling,” Loomis says.

Loomis as a small business owner

Loomis faces many of the challenges that other owners may run into. “Most business owners would agree that staffing and managing employees is one of the biggest challenges. I am really lucky and currently have an amazing staff, but that always hasn’t been the case, so I don’t take it for granted for a minute,” she says. “Another challenge that I personally have is ‘turning it off.’ When you have your own business and enjoy what you do, it can easily suck up all your time and you realize you are working day and night. I try to make sure that I take a day off and take time for myself and relax.”

To celebrate success with her employees and leaders, Loomis “took my staff to dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate making it through our busy and successful summer. It was great to relax and chat with them about non-work things. I also love leaving them fun notes and gift cards to let them know that their hard work is appreciated.”

Kiln Creations and the community

For Loomis, giving back to her community is important, which is why she is a proud supporter of the #LoveLocal movement as a business owner and as a citizen. She does what she can to help out with local events and help bring people to the small downtown area, which she says is made up of amazing local shops and restaurants. She also spends much of her free time coaching and volunteering for her county Special Olympics program.

As a business owner, Loomis uses Fivestars to build a feeling of community, and show her customers appreciation. She loves how it’s easy to track points so she can reward her loyal customers. What are her customers’ favorite reward? Loomis enjoys telling people when they spend $100, they get $5 back on their next visit, an incentive that motivates many of her customers.

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