We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Care Verikas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Care below.

Care, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

We do manage our own social media for both businesses. When we first started Dusty Dude Woodworks as a side hustle in 2017 we made everything from scrap wood and relied heavily on social media to share our story and products because we were really building our business from the ground up. It was very important that our branding be accurate and honest for our followers. We didn’t have the money to invest in another team to do that for us and we hadn’t really considered it for the woodshop becuse we loved doing it ourselves. We could have fun and be creative while still sharing organic content.

For our newest business, The Bristol Bazaar, we did consider bringing on a team because of the workload compared to the woodshop. After doing some interviews, we felt that we could get great content if we did it ourselves to start. We have only been open for about 6 weeks at this point but things have been going strong. Social Media is very important to a small business but we feel like it has been going well so far but if we needed to bring in help in the future, we would be okay with that and the cost would be justified.

For any business owners who are trying to make a decision, here is our recommendation –

1) Try it yourself for at least a month. This is so important for you to experience and understand the amount of work and dedication that is needed. While you are doing this, you could also reach out to a couple of groups to get a quote for the cost of monthly social media management. No only would this give you the cost but it could also trigger some ideas for you to try on your own.

2) Remember to show up on social media at least 5 days a week (Facebook, Instagram – at a minimum)

3) Be authentic – it is so important to be YOU and have fun!

4) Make a social media calendar and schedule your content if possible. Taking the time to do this will alleviate a lot of stress every day when you are unsure of what to post.

5) After you have tried it for a month, its time to weigh your options. Think through the time is took, the engagement you recieved online and if you feel like it would be worth the additional cost.

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Care Verikas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Care below.

Care, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

We do manage our own social media for both businesses. When we first started Dusty Dude Woodworks as a side hustle in 2017 we made everything from scrap wood and relied heavily on social media to share our story and products because we were really building our business from the ground up. It was very important that our branding be accurate and honest for our followers. We didn’t have the money to invest in another team to do that for us and we hadn’t really considered it for the woodshop becuse we loved doing it ourselves. We could have fun and be creative while still sharing organic content.

For our newest business, The Bristol Bazaar, we did consider bringing on a team because of the workload compared to the woodshop. After doing some interviews, we felt that we could get great content if we did it ourselves to start. We have only been open for about 6 weeks at this point but things have been going strong. Social Media is very important to a small business but we feel like it has been going well so far but if we needed to bring in help in the future, we would be okay with that and the cost would be justified.

For any business owners who are trying to make a decision, here is our recommendation –

1) Try it yourself for at least a month. This is so important for you to experience and understand the amount of work and dedication that is needed. While you are doing this, you could also reach out to a couple of groups to get a quote for the cost of monthly social media management. No only would this give you the cost but it could also trigger some ideas for you to try on your own.

2) Remember to show up on social media at least 5 days a week (Facebook, Instagram – at a minimum)

3) Be authentic – it is so important to be YOU and have fun!

4) Make a social media calendar and schedule your content if possible. Taking the time to do this will alleviate a lot of stress every day when you are unsure of what to post.

5) After you have tried it for a month, its time to weigh your options. Think through the time is took, the engagement you recieved online and if you feel like it would be worth the additional cost.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Eric & Care Verikas are the co-founders of two small businesses based in Bristol, CT. The path of entreprenuership began in 2017 when the two met through online dating. Eric was an architectural woodworker, building screen porches, doors, arches and more while Care came from the corporate marketing world. They had a lot in common but when it came to talking about their work days, it was tough. Eric shared that he had been building cornhole sets to sell on Etsy to pay off some bills and Care took that concept and wanted to expand on it. She could build a brand while Eric was building cornhole sets. And that was the beginning of Dusty Dude Woodworks. The business grew over the next three years from a friends basement, to Eric’s parents basement, to their new detatched garage, to a 1,500 square foot shop with a gift shop and now they have recently moved into a 3,500 square ft shop space. It was a very natural progression. They started with a few cornhole sets, cutting boards and coasters. Dusty Dude Woodworks now specializes in custom woodwork like built ins, tables, doors, and so much more. They really boomed in 2020 (during COVID) and that is when Eric was able to leave his job to be focused on Dusty Dude full time. Care shortly followed that summer as they had recieved a contract for 400 cutting boards a month. The two were able to grow their side hustle into a full time job within 3 years and they haven’t looked back since. In fact, they did the opposite and took another huge leap forward in 2023.

As the Dusty Dude brand was growing, Eric and Care already had a new business in mind. They wanted to help makers grow their business like they had. Providing the tools for growth and success and minimizing the amount of “Googling” a small business owner would need to do in order to level up. That is when The Bristol Bazaar started coming together. The couple had been traveling and saw a concept that they just loved. Makers selling their products in a space that they didnt have to be present at to actually sell. There was one register and customers could shop at ease while supporting local businesses. They took that basic concept and grew upon it. Adding things like a Vegas/Park vibe, an event space, networking and classes for the makers, a coffee cocktail lounge and the Think Tank (conference room).

This was an idea that had been brewing for about two and a half years until Care met with Katie D’Agostino from The Central CT Chambers of Commerce for their quarterly breakfast get together. Katie mentioned ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding that the City of Bristol was receiving and encouraged Care and Eric to apply for The Bristol Bazaar. After months of reviews, The Bristol Bazaar had been awarded $235,000 in ARPA grant funding. It was a gamechanger. Care and Eric now had a new business to build from scratch. After an intense year or so of planning and building, The Bristol Bazaar opened its doors on July 1, 2023. The bazaar is an indoor makers market that supports up to 32 artisans at any given point. Makers do not need to be present to sell their products and the Bazaar helps manage inventory and sales reports while also providing education and networking opportunities for the makers to grow their businesses. There is an event space that can seat up to 30 and that is availabl for makers to use at no additional cost and the public may also use it for a small hourly fee. The coffee cocktail lounge is under renovation and planning to open in the next couple of months.

With the two businesses open, we would say that having two small businesses is what we are most proud of. To build two businesses from the ground up is definitely challenging but also so rewarding. To know that we are able to build pieces that will truly stand the test of time in the Dusty Dude woodshop and helping makers grow their businesses through The Bristol Bazaar – it is just so heartwarming. We told ourselves that we would take the next year off from opening any new businesses so that we can truly focus on what we have already created. It has been a whirlwind and time flies when you’re working hard and having fun.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

Eric and I met through online dating – Match.com. Our first date was 12 hours long and we loved every second of it. What started out as just coffee turned into dinner and drinks which then lead to cosmic bowling.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

A huge focus for us is in marketing for both of our businesses. It is so important to work with the community that your business is a part of, and Care really dove into that. She is very involved and without the connections made there, the level of trust would be totally different. We can’t stress enough the importance of volunteering, networking and just being a part of the community you are serving.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.DustyDudeWoodworks.com & www.TheBristolBazaar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebristolbazaarct/ https://www.instagram.com/dustydudewoodworks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBristolBazaarCT/. & https://www.facebook.com/DustyDudeWoodworks/

The original article can be found here: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-care-verikas/