Small Business Highlight: ShopMucho Boutique

ShopMucho aka Mucho /mooCHō/ Boutique is a small boutique owned by Angelique Sloan in the heart of Memphis on Main St. It is located in the Primas Boutique & Bakery alongside RM Petit Cakes, which is owned by Angelique’s cousin, Rachel Mullen. Mucho’s products focus on Latin-owned small businesses as well as spotlighting other makers in the Memphis area. Angelique opened Mucho in 2016. “Initially, it was a dream to have my own clothing line since I was in school for Fashion Design in Vista, CA, but my path changed when I discovered how much I love designing on the computer and using programs like Photoshop. I applied to Memphis College of Art and got a President's Scholarship! After graduating I landed my dream job (at the time) as a Photographer’s Stylist designing sets for home organization goods and retouching those photos in Southaven, MS.” She loved the experience that being a photographer’s stylist gave her, but after a visit to her family in Texas, she realized how much she missed her family’s culture. Angelique wanted to create that kind of community back home and that’s when plans for Mucho started to brew in her mind.

Angelique is half Mexican and half White. She grew up being teased a lot because of this. She wasn’t Mexican enough or White enough. But she decided she wouldn’t stop loving and sharing her family’s culture. “My shop is a mix of me. A modern Mexican mix of traditional items you would see at a Mexican market alongside trendy southern style clothing, accessories, home decor, and local art. My main goal is to show how much I embrace my culture and the cultures of others by showing people the beauty and details that go into each handmade item.” Angelique loves that she can provide this to her community and give other small businesses the opportunity to sell in her boutique.

I asked Angelique if she felt like there was a lack of Mexican culture in Memphis. She saidy, “Since starting in 2016, the market for Mexican styles and products has definitely grown. I do believe that has helped bring more customers into my shop.” She went on to tell me she loves that she is one of the only shops in town where you can buy traditional Mexican dresses and blankets.

Angelique runs Mucho by herself, a self-titled ‘solopreneur’, so I asked her what advice she would give a small business that’s just starting out, especially one in Memphis. She replied, “I would have to say to do your research and don’t give up even when things seem impossible or hard. If you love what someone else is doing or making, don't be afraid to reach out to them. Ask questions. Ask for help. Make connections.” It’s really important to connect to the people around you and have that supporting factor. If anybody knows what you are going through, it’s other small businesses. We love Angelique’s passion for showing love to other small businesses such as her own.

The last question I had for Angelique was what she loves about being a small business in Memphis. “I love that the community is very supportive of each other! I’m super grateful for how we all promote each other and work together on events when we can.” This is one of the reasons why The Profit Link loves Memphis so much and why we love to spotlight businesses like ShopMucho on our blog. The community around small businesses is so inviting and encouraging. We hope you take the time to go check out ShopMucho for yourself!

If you would like to support ShopMuch, it is located at 523 South Main Street. If you would like to buy online, their website is www.shopmucho.com. You can also find them on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

If you are a small business and would like to be featured on our blog, please contact us at blog@theprofitlink.com for more information. You can find us on all social media: @theprofitlink.