Small business spotlight

Pigeon Roost Apiary

It was in 2016 that Jennifer Lane-Watson and her family began selling their honey. It started out small with lots of time spent at the local farmers market in Olive Branch, Mississippi, selling the delicious, liquid gold from the back of their 1961 Chevy truck. 

In the same year of Pigeon Roost’s founding, Jennifer’s son, Charlie, attended kindergarten at Northpoint Chrisitan School. A presentation from experts at Memphis Botanic Garden about the importance of bees encouraged Charlie to bring up the subject to his parents. Charlie’s main concern was that if bees go extinct, “we won’t have any food.” For the kindergartener’s sixth birthday, he asked for a beehive. From there, the beehive collection grew. One turned into three, and three turned into 25 beehives within the first year! Jennifer’s father was a beekeeper, so she has always been interested in the skill of maintaining beehives. She got serious about it after her son’s interest, and that’s when the business was formed. Ever since, the apiary continues to grow.

Jennifer thinks it is important for future business owners to never sell themselves or their products short. “If you know what your product is worth and you know that you have a quality product, stay committed to that,” she said. Owning your own business is a big responsibility full of life lessons. That’s one reason she sought mentorship opportunities with the Memphis Beekeepers Association. Its mentor program helped establish Pigeon Roost’s hives and gave them the knowledge to help keep the hives healthy with the extraction and bottling process. Now, customers from all over reap the health benefits of raw and local honey all while supporting local beekeepers!

Owning your own business of this kind can be full of challenges, but Jennifer and her family love to spread their love for beekeeping to others. It is rewarding for the crew to see others take up the skill and help save the bee population. Jennifer’s favorite part of being a business owner?  “When someone tells us how much they love our honey or that they received it as a gift, those comments make all the hard work and the bee stings worth it.”

Sugar & Honey Boutique

Located in Silo Square in Southaven, Mississippi, this DeSoto County business was opened by Allie Crick as a children’s store in October 2021. Sugar & Honey Boutique has all the adorable outfits and accessories for your little ladies and gents. Retail is a passion of Allie’s, but working for a big corporation with benefits seemed to outweigh the idea of having her own business. In September of 2020, the passing of Allie’s father brought her to a point in life where she wanted to pursue her dreams. Allie wanted to be an example for her son and show him that there is more to life than just “checking all of the boxes.” One of her favorite quotes states, “If you don’t have big dreams and goals, you will end up working for someone who does.”

One piece of advice Allie would share with those who want to pursue their own business is that you can never learn too much from other business owners. Whether it is a positive or negative lesson, there is always something new to learn. Allie thinks it is very important to stay true to yourself when starting a business. Everyone has their own advice and opinion on how you should operate, but sticking to what you know and creating what you envision is important. 

The owner of Stella Ivy Boutique, Brianne Howard, is a mentor of Allie’s. Brianne opened the store eight years ago all while she had a job as a full-time educator. Stella Ivy grew so much over the years and the advice Allie received from Brianne is second to none. Allie views her as not only a business mentor, but a life mentor as well.

Seeing her satisfied customers is a great source of joy for Allie. Finding an outfit that makes little ones feel special is her goal. Making memories in the store and interacting with her patrons makes a big impact on her and Allie loves to see children laughing and playing as parents shop. 

Both Jennifer and Allie are passionate about what they do, so show them some love by purchasing amazing local honey or buying a sweet outfit for your little one. Visit DeSoto County to discover what all they have to offer!