Eva's Boutique is in fashion in Armory Square

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Aug 27, 2004 by Kropf, Annemarie

SYRACUSE - When Eva Higgins puts her mind to something, it gets done fast. In late April/early May of this year, the entrepreneur decided to start her own retail business. By June, the lease was signed. On Aug. 1, Eva's Boutique opened its doors to the public.

"Women come in and say, 'Thank God you're here,"' Higgins, sole owner, says. "I've gotten a lot of positive feedback."

Eva's Boutique, located at 266 W. Jefferson St. in Armory Square, offers elegant fashions to women ages 13 and up. Higgins says she is trying to draw in women of all ages with a variety of designers such as Siasia, Kay Unger, Laundry, Montage, and Avanti. "I'm really looking forward to the college kids coming back," she adds.

Though not all the clothes are targeted at them, Higgins, 51, has found one underserved niche. Higgins says she kept hearing women her age who were either mothers or relatives of the bride complaining about how hard it was to find the perfect dress. She says only a handful of stores in Syracuse cater to this market, and that most women had to travel to Rochester or New York City to purchase an outfit.

"The plan formulated in my head," she says. "I thought, 'Why don't I just look into it?...

So she did. Higgins and her husband looked in Baldwsinville, Clay, and Liverpool but didn't find anything they liked. Then they took a drive on a Sunday and saw a "for lease" sign in the window of Marguerite's Pour Le Table. Higgins jumped at the chance, signing a five-year lease on approximately 650 to 700 square feet. Robert Doucette of Center Armory Association is the landlord.

Higgins' husband, Ed, a construction-management consultant, did all the renovations and built the dressing rooms. The duo used their own money and credit line to start the business. Higgins calls her husband her silent partner in the company

In order to get clothes for the store, Higgins researched various designers on the Internet and contacted them. The prices for items in her store range from $250 to $900.

Higgins has a business plan in place, but says in this business, she can't predict what kind of revenues she will generate. She expects that there will be a steady stream of customers throughout the year, as there are always special events to attend. "I really don't know when I'll have a quiet time," she notes. "I hope I don't."

Higgins says there really isn't a lot of competition for her business. Local retailers, such as Spybaby Bridal, cater more to the bridal and prom market, rather than mother of the bride, Higgins says. "I won't compete with [Spybaby] on prom," she adds. "There is room enough for everybody in this town."

As for marketing, Higgins has spoken with Lamar Outdoor Advertising about billboards and also to the Daily Orange, Syracuse University's daily newspaper. She's decided not to do any radio advertising until a big shopping season starts.

Prior to her new role as business owner, Higgins was a business/office manager at various companies around Syracuse and the country. A Massena native, Higgins came back to Central New York nearly 20 years ago to be closer to her family. She is currently the only employee.

Eva's Boutique is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"I'm very optimistic about how the store will fair," she says. "Once the right season is here, I think we'll do OK here.

We're very hopeful."