Rose Ypma often responds with quick-witted one-liners and relatable phrases when in conversation, like “I’m too pretty to work”, “I’m gonna to be late”, and “Messy hair, don’t care”. These phrases and more she’s printed onto t-shirts, crewnecks, and hoodies to sell through her online business, T21 Heart 2 Home — which she opened in March 2022.
Since her launch, she’s worked with her mother, Helene Ypma, to define and create a social media presence that speaks to who she is and the personality of her business. With help from Digital Service Squad expert Grace Evans, Helene was able to learn the different aspects of marketing her daughter’s business on social media, with free one-on-one meetings, while Rose continues to come up with phrases to expand her clothing line.
“We’re still trying to get the word out there and have people know who Rose is, by telling her story and keeping her face on all posts and the website,” says Helene. “Grace has been so knowledgeable and really helpful. I don’t use social media, so to learn how to do posts, reels, and stories has been a really steep learning curve for me, but I’m getting it,” says Helene.
Evans has helped over a handful of businesses design a website and create a content plan to strengthen their online presence. Helene and Evans meet weekly to review the tools and benefits of social media marketing, and Helene says the support is already showing through product interest and online orders.
“If I didn’t have this support, I wouldn’t be able to get as much exposure for Rose as I’ve been able to generate in the last couple of weeks. We’ve had more online orders this month than last, so it’s already showing that I’m having an effect on people since we’ve started working with Grace,” says Helene.
The Digital Service Squad is a free resource offered through Community Futures Chinook and Community Futures Entre-Corp, and is created to support and educate business owners on how to grow their digital presence.
“If I had to pay someone to do this while running a business, I would pull my hair out. I don’t think the social media portion would happen. But now, I’ll be able to post in a timely fashion and keep the posts up-to-date. I can change the web behind the scenes and maintain it to help it stay fresh and current,” says Helene.
T21 Heart 2 Home was created by Rose in hopes to elicit a smile or hearty laugh when someone reads her phrases. The clothes are comfortable and versatile and can be ordered through the online website, www.roseypma.com.
“We’re really trying to generate a small income for Rose, something she can take ownership of, and she’s proud of this accomplishment,” says Helene.
