{"id":6683,"date":"2012-10-31T13:14:34","date_gmt":"2012-10-31T17:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=6683"},"modified":"2012-10-31T13:14:34","modified_gmt":"2012-10-31T17:14:34","slug":"love-of-wine-and-the-country-life-lead-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/love-of-wine-and-the-country-life-lead-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Love of wine and the country life lead to success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Owner of Vinosity wine shop succeeds in tough economy<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of the best business advice Kim Kelly ever received was also a compliment.<\/p>\n

She was taking a wine tasting course in Georgetown when a fellow student suggested she work for the wine distribution firm where he was employed. He told her she had a good palate, \u201cYou should really consider applying for a job. I think you\u2019d be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had never done direct sales before and didn\u2019t consider myself a wine expert. But the firm I was working for was going out of business so I said, \u2018what the heck,\u2019 and applied for the job. They hired me,\u201d Kelly says. The new job turned out to be the springboard to a great career.<\/p>\n

Today, Kelly is the proprietor of Vinosity, a popular wine shop in Culpeper and living in the Virginia Piedmont.<\/p>\n

In 1990, Kelly worked for AARP in DC in its membership development office. A fellow worker decided to start her own firm focused on selling discounted services to women. She asked Kelly to join her. As with many startup firms, success was elusive and the underfunded enterprise eventually went out of business. But Kelly says, \u201cIt was a great experience because I was part of a new business and got in on the ground floor. I learned a lot.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Kim Kelly<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cMaking sure you\u2019re setting realistic expectations and goals and managing the business is key. The company burned through a lot of money not realizing how quickly it goes. It gave me a good understanding of what it takes to make a business go.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2000, building on what she learned in both direct marketing and the failed startup, she accepted the wine job offer and applied her palate skills and business acumen to becoming a successful wine sales rep. For eight years she was employed by a small distribution firm in Northern Virginia. The company\u2019s portfolio included about 300 wines from boutique producers around the world; by comparison most major wine distribution firms have a \u201cbook\u201d of 3,000 to 5,000 producers.<\/p>\n

Her accounts were restaurants and wine shops. But she was selling high quality esoteric wines that most of her clients had never heard of. \u201cI learned I had to be prepared. I became knowledgeable about my producers so I could tell their story. It was exciting but incredibly more challenging to convince someone to buy wine that they had never heard of and knew nothing about.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also researched my clients businesses. Doing your homework and being prepared are critical. It\u2019s how you build respect and sales in this business,\u201d Kelly emphasizes.<\/p>\n

Part of her research involved an analysis of each account\u2019s wine inventory, looking for opportunities to place her distinct wines where they would offer greater depth to an account\u2019s portfolio.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall I think consistency was the critical component of my success. I always arrived at appointments on time. I did my homework, researching both my wines and my customer\u2019s needs. I knew each of my shops and restaurants business profile. I knew the palates of the managers and owners and what type of wines to offer them. I really was looking to see where the holes were and offering unique selections to fill the gap. It was fun and rewarding and led to my next career move,\u201d says Kelly.<\/p>\n

In 2005, Kelly and her husband moved to Madison,Virginia. The couple had been renting a house near White Oak Canyon for weekend getaways. \u201cWe both loved the country and were looking for a way to make a permanent move to a rural area. The traffic and congestion in Northern Virginia can wear you down. My husband telecommutes so we began thinking about relocating,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

When the lease on their mountain hideaway was not renewed, it set the stage for the purchase of their home in Madison. Kelly quit her job in wine distribution and for six months acted as general contractor for their home\u2019s renovation and expansion. \u201cAt first, I was ecstatic at not having to work. But after the house restoration was done I wanted to go back to work,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

Serendipitously, her former employer asked in she could again cover The Inn at Little Washington. \u201cThe Inn was an important client and they had been unable to find a wine rep to cover it. I agreed to do it and to also build a customer base in the Culpeper to Charlottesville area. Within three years I was servicing some 30 new accounts. But the job involved a lot of driving. I was ready to move on again,\u201d she says smiling.<\/p>\n

\"\"In 2008, the former Culpeper wine shop Chateau du Reaux came up for sale. The owner was retiring and the small shop offered an opportunity for Kelly to transition to wine store owner. \u201cThe shop was perfect for me. It was small enough for me to get my hands around the inventory and located at an ideal location on Davis Street. We opened in the middle of the recession and I threw myself into building the business,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

And build it she did. Within three years she had outgrown the small shop and relocated to larger quarters diagonally across the street on Davis Street. The doors of Vinosity opened in November, 2011. The business has grown 15% annually since 2008 through one of the most intractable recessions in recent memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of my previous business experience paid off when I opened Vinosity. I had learned how to build inventory—don\u2019t go crazy—and how to keep your funds in control,\u201d she says. Kelly also knew what to provide customers. Today, the wine shop offers more than 500 different selections, almost twice her original inventory. Some 200 of her offerings are priced at $15 or less.<\/p>\n

The shop also features nearly 100 beer selections, a host of artisanal cheeses sliced to order, and a humidor of hand rolled cigars. Wine tastings are held twice a week on Fridays and Saturdays.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very proud of what I\u2019ve accomplished and super thrilled with the growth we\u2019ve experienced. But the best part has been getting to know the community. It\u2019s been an integral part of our success. Our core customers are local and are our biggest cheerleaders. Getting to know them and their palates and making wine recommendations has really been fun,\u201d says Kelly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Community<\/strong>: Kelly is a member of the Board of Directors of Culpeper Renaissance Inc. CRI promotes Culpeper\u2019s downtown Virginia Main Street Program. She also serves as co-chair for Taste of Culpeper, an annual wine, food and crafts festival held every October.<\/p>\n

Insider Information:<\/strong>\u201cMy advice to women in business is the same as for men. Know your customers. Be consistent. Be reliable. Do your research. Work hard. The basics are really the key to success. Learn what your customers want and then provide it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen customers come to trust you and your knowledge success will follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Flaming Beauty<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Published in the Fall 2012 edition of the Piedmont Business Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Owner of Vinosity wine shop succeeds in tough economy\u00a0\u00a0 Some of the best business advice Kim Kelly ever received was also a compliment. She was taking a wine tasting course in Georgetown when a fellow student suggested she work for the wine distribution firm where he was employed. He told her she had a good […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[509,510,508],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n