Newest business success: Jackson boutique start-up moves to bigger downtown location

After one year at theLOCAL, the owner of the Nine Oh Six, Lakyn Bowman, has expanded and upgraded her eclectic vintage store to a larger, permanent location in the heart of downtown.

TheLOCAL is Jackson's micro-retail cornerstone that provides prospective business owners, like entrepreneur Bowman, the opportunity for their store to have a trial run in less than 300 square feet of space and with minimal oversight. The end goal? Relocation to a permanent space elsewhere in the city and inherently, contributing to new economic development in Jackson.

Beginning in 2017 after a state-awarded grant, other local businesses like Turntable Coffee Counter and Garner Blue both got their start at theLOCAL before moving to their current downtown locations.

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The Nine Oh Six offers a meticulous curation of vintage decor and furniture as well as pottery pieces made by Bowman herself.

"Without the vintage side, the pots wouldn't exist and without this type of creative outlet, I don't think I'd be fulfilled on the vintage side. Without the combination of both, I don't think I could sustain one," she said.

The origin story

Bowman's affinity toward pottery began when she took her first class on it in sixth grade. While pursuing pottery classes throughout high school, she continued perfecting her craft at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where she majored in ceramics.

With the guidance of her college best friend who introduced her to thrifting, Bowman learned the ins and outs of how to select vintage pieces worth reselling. Upon graduating, she moved to Tennessee and interned at Companion Gallery, a pottery studio and ceramics gallery, in Humboldt for four years.

During her time at Companion and before opening up her location at theLOCAL, Bowman sold items online and operated two successful antique mall booths in Jackson and Milan.

After the grand opening of her new location at 212 Main Street on Sept. 9, Bowman shared that the outpour of community support has come in abundance, touting that "it's been overwhelmingly welcoming."

Learning at TheLOCAL

Operating out of 212 Main Street had been Bowman's goal before she even commenced her time at theLOCAL, noting that she toured her current building just a few days before theLOCAL's application was due.

Despite knowing she eventually wanted bigger and better things for her business venture, she added that her year at theLOCAL was a needed stepping stone.

"It was exactly what I needed at the exact time that I needed it," Bowman said. "Without that, I think this building would have drowned me."

She attributed her desire for a downtown location to the community and collaboration among other local businesses.

"While I was at theLOCAL, it really taught me how to run a physical store, to teach me what seasons are busy, and what things people like to buy," she said. "Being there just gave me a little bit more confidence in how to run a store and enough to make me believe in myself that I can do it on a larger scale."

With a larger establishment comes new challenges, and according to Bowman, the increase in customers who come in and out of the store can at times be distracting while she creates her pottery.

"The walking traffic was not nearly as much as it is here and so when I would be working in my studio at theLOCAL, there might be one person that came in on a Wednesday and now there's several people that come in a Wednesday, which is exactly what I want, but then I have to re-evaluate making things in studio," she said. "That's been a challenge is finding times to make pots as well."

On a smaller scale than what's offered through theLOCAL, Bowman rents two spaces within her store to other prospective entrepreneurs, currently occupied by "No Stress Thrift" and "Hello Grace."

"I can provide other small businesses a space where they can come and pop-up and have eyes on their stuff," she said. "It's like a pre-LOCAL for them. They want to grow and have that opportunity, so giving them a small space so they can practice running a store an right on Main Street is one way I can really give back."

In a concluding sentiment, Bowman expressed that in her new location, giving back to the community is of top importance.

"I'm inspiring people to do whatever they want to do because I did it," she said. "It's giving people opportunities that I was given or I wish I could have had."

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: The Nine Oh Six moves from to a bigger downtown Jackson location