Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Stevens.
Hi Candice, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Our family has always enjoyed camping and spending time together. It was always our dream to own a campground and help others enjoy time with their family’s too. One day I called my husband and told him we should buy a tent and help others go camping. My business model was simple – we set up the campsite, you camp, we come back and pick it all up. That idea turned into people asking us to set up for sleepovers in their backyard, curating picnics in the tent, and more. We were asked to provide tents for an entire wedding party, including the honeymoon suite. We quickly added enough inventory for 40 people to glamp together. Our business continues to grow as people find new adventures for our bell tents.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our adventure in bell tents has definitely been a lot of hard work. I thought the inventory for our “little side hustle” would take up a small part of our laundry room. I worked hard to post on social media and get our name out there to others. As the business took off, the inventory quickly began to grow and our home became overtaken by the glamping inventory. I remember right before our first wedding we literally had little walk ways through the house while I figured out what to do with all the Amazon deliveries. It took us a while to determine out how much storage we were going to need and then we purchased our first warehouse. Since then, we’ve purchased a second and are continuing to outgrow it quickly. I think one of the hardest things about a rental business is all the stuff and how much work goes into loading, unloading and storing, not to mention setting up and decorating.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are definitely known for our bell tents. Our most popular set ups are for sleepovers. We set up twin size mattresses for people of all ages. We also have real queen beds that go in them which can make it feel just like a hotel room. What people don’t always realize is that you don’t have to just sleep in the tent. We put couches in them for a lounge tent for adults, We can put more kid friendly furniture in the tent for a chill tent that creates a fun hang out space without the commitment of a sleepover. Our picnic in the tent is one of my favorites. I love having the opportunity to set up a pretty tablescape and make the tent all cozy. What people don’t always realize is we are here for just about anything fun! We love a challenge and get super excited about creating or designing something new.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think I got lucky when I met my husband. He has been the best partner I could have ever asked for to do this crazy life with. When I asked him about starting the business, he was all in. When I asked him to build a picnic table or 20 queen beds, he was ready to make my dreams come true. With luck and a lot of hard work, we’ve created a life and a family that loves being together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.UnderTheStarsGlampingAdv.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underthestars_glamping_adv
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underthestarsglampingadv
