Stop breaking the bank and support businesses made for students by students
By: Krissy Butler
Hair and beauty services always pose two main challenges for university students: accessibility and affordability. As students face financial and academic pressures while pursuing their degree, they deserve to look and feel their best. However, it can be difficult to find a business that is able to accommodate the hair and beauty care needs of McMaster University's diverse population at an affordable price. Here are a few student-run Black-owned businesses that are both accessible and affordable for McMaster students!
Specializing in a diverse range of hair types and hair textures, Mt is a skilled barber located within ten-minute walking distance from McMaster’s campus. This talented barber offers a wide range of haircut services to cater to his clientele’s diverse needs. Mt provides accessible and convenient services, providing clients with the option to receive a haircut onsite at his studio or, for an additional cost, a house call haircut.
Like a Princess Nailz is run by Princess, a skilled Hamilton-based nail technician. Princess works in her home studio located near McMaster’s campus. LAP Nailz offers a variety of services, including gel manicures, custom press-on nails and acrylic designs. As seen on her Instagram page, Princess demonstrates her artistry and meticulousness with every client.
Tomi caters to a variety of hair styles and hair textures. The self-taught hairstylist showcases her skills on Instagram, through videos of her process, managing a diverse range of clients with different hair care needs. Her attention to affordability can provide students with a convenient and accessible way to look their best, especially during the midterm season.
“I enjoy the whole process of doing hair, it’s a hobby for me, which is why my prices are so low. I’m also aware that students are broke," said Tomi, in an interview.
For all things makeup, Harmony has you covered. This talented makeup artist demonstrates adaptability with each client’s unique needs to achieve their desired makeup look. Harmony offers a great range of services, linked on her Instagram business page, specializing in soft and full glam makeup. For all students who want a timeless makeup look for any memorable special occasion, Harmony can make it happen.
ElevateYourSkills is a groundbreaking learning option designed to empower current undergraduate McMaster students to earn a professional certificate or diploma alongside their degree to be more job-ready as they enter the workforce
The ElevateYourSkills option, available through McMaster Continuing Education, offers a diverse range of programs in health, business, tech and marketing, helping students to tailor their education to their career aspirations.
ElevateYourSkills is ideal for first-year and second-year students who can use their elective space for McMaster Continuing Education courses to help them get career-ready. See what options interest you:
Business
Health and Social Services
Marketing
Technology and Data
For a complete list of McMaster Continuing Education’s flexible online programs courses, check out their website.
Getting started with ElevateYourSkills is as easy as 1, 2 3
Take the next step in your educational journey and unlock a world of opportunities with ElevateYourSkills at McMaster Continuing Education. Your future self will thank you.
Top candy sellers make big bucks during Halloween by exploiting people and the planet and our purchases are only helping them succeed
We spend over half a billion dollars on Halloween candy each year, generating big bucks for large corporations that are more frightening than the holiday itself. Child labour, unfair treatment of workers and detrimental environmental impacts are just some of the unethical practices the top winners of Halloween such as Mars, Nestle, Lindt and Hershey, participate in.
Several high-profile cases have revealed chocolate and candy manufacturers indirectly or directly benefit from forced and child labor. For example, cocoa plantations in West Africa, which supply major chocolate makers including Mars, Nestle and Hershey, have faced allegations of using child labor in hazardous conditions.
More specifically, excessive plastic packaging used by these corporations also contributes to global plastic pollution crisis, especially since they often use non-biodegradable materials that end up in landfills or oceans.
The palm oil industry, frequently used in the production of chocolate products, has also been significantly associated with deforestation and habitat destruction. Many of the aforementioned companies source palm oil from unsustainable suppliers, such as those involved in illegal land clearing, further contributing to this issue.
On top of this, there have also been instances of workplace discrimination and unfair compensation among these corporations. Employees, particularly in lower-wage positions, may experience wage disparities and discriminatory practices based on their gender, ethnicity or other factors.
While we enjoy a short-lived moment of joy, indulging in the sweet treats of Halloween, these companies get away with exploiting other communities across the world, depriving individuals of their human rights.
While we enjoy a short-lived moment of joy, indulging in the sweet treats of Halloween, these companies get away with exploiting other communities across the world, depriving individuals of their human rights.
As consumers, we need to recognize that when we support these companies through our high volumes of purchases at Halloween, this choice ultimately drives their sales, profits and their ability to maintain their unethical operations into the future. Our decisions contribute to the consistent perpetuation of these business practices, and we have the power to hold these major corporations accountable.
Although creating such large-scale change seems daunting, it’s our collective efforts that matter. For one, consider doing some research into and choosing ethical brands as much as possible. Prioritize businesses with transparent and ethical practices, such as those that support fair labour, use sustainable materials and have a commitment to social responsibility/ESG.
In addition, take the opportunity to support local businesses. Opt for local costume shops, bakeries, and artisans who often maintain higher ethical and quality standards due to their smaller and community-focused scale.
To further prevent corporations from perpetuating harms, express your concerns to businesses that may be involved in these unethical practices. Consumer feedback can lead to positive change and get more people involved in supporting the greater cause.
While Halloween is meant to be an exciting break during the fall season, it is also a day to reflect on the consequences of our consumer choices.
By being conscious consumers, we can send a message to businesses that we value ethical and responsible practices. Let’s focus on enjoying Halloween with awareness and ensure that the season's treats and tricks don't come at the expense of people, the planet or our own ethical values.
By being conscious consumers, we can send a message to businesses that we value ethical and responsible practices. Let’s focus on enjoying Halloween with awareness and ensure that the season's treats and tricks don't come at the expense of people, the planet or our own ethical values.
Werk Nights Hamilton is building safe spaces for the women entrepreneurs community
Werk Nights Hamilton is community-building initiative focused on promoting women-owned businesses and fostering connections in the industry. Werk Nights consist of a featured speaker, games, drinks, food and an all-around fun time to interact with like-minded individuals.
The larger events are currently being held every other month with a limited capacity and smaller events are hosted every month. Werk Night’s current venue is the Steel Town Cider, located downtown.
The next event is being held on Apr. 16 at 7:00 p.m. The speaker for this month’s event is Alex Coombs, the founder and president of Northern Spruce Media, a marketing media agency. The only requirement to attend is that you must identify as a women business owner.
Werk Nights was founded by Alyssa Lancia and Anna Di Carlo, both small business owners themselves. Lancia currently owns and operates Darling Donuts, a donut shop geared towards making gourmet and gluten-free, vegan donuts and Di Carlo owns Day of Creative, an event planning company.
Before working on Darling Donuts and Werk Nights, Lancia worked in human resources until her company closed down and she went on maternity leave. This prompted her to grow her side hustle baking business into something bigger and it has been her focus for the past year and a half.
Lancia found entrepreneurship to be a lonely and isolating business and felt the urge to create an empowering and safe space for other women who might be having similar experiences.
“There's a lot of entrepreneur events, but there's no female entrepreneurial events. [As] women in this industry, [we] are very similar. We've been through the same types of challenges and similar journeys. So I wanted to create that space that we didn't have previously,” said Lancia.
“There's a lot of entrepreneur events, but there's no female entrepreneurial events. [As] women in this industry, [we] are very similar. We've been through the same types of challenges and similar journeys. So I wanted to create that space that we didn't have previously."
Alyssa Lancia, founder and event organizer of Werk Nights Hamilton
During the pandemic, Lancia set out to interview different women entrepreneurs to shine a light on their businesses, especially during such a difficult time. Out of this, she started to see a way to bring other women together. After bringing Di Carlo onto this project, the two of them began to work to make Werk Nights a reality, hosting their first event last March.
Reception for the events has been very positive so far. A combination of new members and returning ones frequent Werk Nights. Lancia explained people come excited to see the featured speaker, meet new people and create professional in-person branding.
Lancia hopes people leave the events having had a fun time, but also having facilitated new friendships while learning more about themselves and what other businesses have to offer. Most importantly, she hopes they will feel a sense of relief knowing there are other people going through the exact same journey.
For students entrepreneurs or those interested in pursuing entrepreneurship, Werk Nights can be a great way to learn about other women in the industry.
“I think it's good that students can definitely come out and see what it's all about and get inspired. You [can] see how inspiring and ambitious people are and think, “Oh my God, this is me; I want to do this.” So I think it would be great for them to come,” Lancia said.
Local donut business is fostering community while promoting inclusivity with vegan and gluten-free options
Alyssa Lancia, the founder of Darling Donuts, grew up in Stoney Creek. Her family ran a banquet hall and as such, she learned the ins and outs of running a business at an early age. Her interest in business continued as she studied business Human Resources at Western University.
After graduating and beginning to work in HR for a few years, she questioned if this field was what she was truly passionate about. Lancia remembered how she loved to bake and play around with gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan recipes during university due to her gluten intolerance.
“I've always had a love and passion for baking and cooking. When I was at Western, I remember. . .there'd be a lot of exams and midterms. I would procrastinate [because] I hated studying. So, I would just start baking random recipes from Pinterest,” said Lancia.
To help reignite her previous passion for baking, she got a mini donut maker and started bringing mini cinnamon sugar donuts to events and birthdays. During the Thanksgiving weekend of 2018, she then also began selling them on local Facebook mom groups . She received a huge, positive response and her business took off from there.
“I realized people like food [and] many things where you don't have to commit to [something] like a big slice of cake or a big donut. You can have a mini bite, not feel guilty and then try a lot of flavors,” said Lancia.
Darling Donuts is currently run in Lancia’s home and makes made-to-order mini customizable donuts. Pre-orders are collected through its website and Lancia recommends customers to pre-order their donuts at least two to four weeks in advance as she only bakes Fridays to Sundays.
Gluten-free and vegan options are also available to ensure everyone in the community can enjoy them.
By catering to customers with various dietary restrictions, Darling Donuts aims to bring together a community of people to enjoy their products. They hope their donuts can satisfy people’s sweets cravings and create special memories with every bite.
“Although we sell a product, we're about bringing people together to enjoy our sweet products [while] enjoy[ing] a lot of flavours and a little bit of sweetness in their life,” said Lancia.
“Although we sell a product, we're about bringing people together to enjoy our sweet products [while] enjoy[ing] a lot of flavours and a little bit of sweetness in their life."
Alyssa Lancia, founder of Darling Donuts
While they have a set menu on their website, they are also open to new, customized flavours for their customers. When they release new flavours, they always include a gluten-free version and a vegan version so more people can enjoy them. Most of their products are also nut-free, though, they are not a nut-free facility and there is the possibility of cross-contamination.
In the future, Lancia hopes to collaborate more with other small businesses. She recently started “Work Nights”, a night where female small business owners can network and have fun once a month.
“It really got us a lot of positive traction to show [that] we're not just about sell, sell, sell, but it's more about what we're doing in the community . . . and it gets people to connect with you,” said Lancia.
More towards the future, Lancia hopes to continue to be able to showcase fun, new, exciting flavours while also working on automating their process to make it more efficient and move their business outside of her house.
The newly opened local restaurant creates a space that highlights popular Asian street foods through their own family's recipes.
Food allows for culture and traditions from one part of the world to be shared with communities in a completely different one. Fisticuffs is a local restaurant that is bringing Chinese-Malaysian snack foods commonly found in Asian night markets to the Hamilton community.
The restaurant’s menu is inspired by recipes from co-owner Caitlin Chee’s late grandmother. Chee operates Fisticuffs with their spouse and their vision is to combine the feelings of comfort a home cooked meal brings with a modern dining experience.
“[Fisticuffs is] inspired a lot by my family, bringing together those childhood memories for me of the comfort home cooking has. But it's also about bringing in the familiar with the new and making a really fun modern dining experience,” said Chee.
“[Fisticuffs is] inspired a lot by my family, bringing together those childhood memories for me of the comfort home cooking has. But it's also about bringing in the familiar with the new and making a really fun modern dining experience."
Caitlin Chee, Co-owner of fisticuffs
A large portion of Fisticuffs’ menu contains very popular east Asian night market snacks and a unique selection of beers.
One popular snack plate is shrimp chips, while another is satay, grilled meat served on a skewer. Satay alone makes up one section in their menu. Fisticuffs also offers a vegetarian version of this, which instead has grilled eggplant on the skewer.
Overall, their dishes strive to emphasis popular Asian street food dishes with their own twist.
Before opening their restaurant last November, Fisticuffs used be a pop-up vendor. Their very first pop-up was with the Toronto Brewing Company. Through these pop-ups, they formed meaningful connections with other business owners and learned about others’ experiences opening restaurants.
Chee and their partner also found other businesses they encountered were often connected with breweries in Hamilton a food vendor. Then, following the same footsteps, Fisticuff also eventually found themselves in Hamilton.
So far the response to Fisticuffs from within the Hamilton community has been quite positive. Both Chee and their partner love that there are people who are trying a new style of food and bring a positive attitude. They hope that these folks will continue to come to the restaurant in the new year.
“I know that a lot of the people who come into our doors may have never had the type of food that we serve or even some of the more experimental beers . . . But everyone’s been excited to try new things and I really appreciate how busy we’ve been and how much people have been writing about us,” Chee said.
“I know that a lot of the people who come into our doors may have never had the type of food that we serve or even some of the more experimental beers . . . But everyone’s been excited to try new things and I really appreciate how busy we’ve been and how much people have been writing about us."
Caitlin Chee, Co-owner of fisticuffs
Chee has also loved the response from the Chinese-Malaysian community in Hamilton. Many family friends from their childhood would visit the restaurant and recall eating some of the menu items in Chee’s grandmother’s home over 30 years ago. Their grandmother was a respected figure within their own Chinese-Malaysian community as she hosted many Chinese-Malaysian immigrants when they first arrived in Canada.
“[Our customers include] really old family friends that I haven’t seen since I was a young child. I’ve had people come in and be like, “We met you when you were a kid at your grandma's house. Do you remember us?” which has been really cute,” Chee said.
Fisticuffs is hopeful that the past months will continue to reflect the response they will receive in the new year. Currently, they are developing new ideas to keep Fisticuffs unique and ever-changing, including preparing their first five course dinner menu to celebrate Lunar New Year at the end of January. They hope to continue having themed dinner nights and bring the Hamilton community together at the restaurant.
“Fisticuffs is vibrant. It’s a fun space. We’re trying to create an environment that people. . .can come and make the night whatever they want it to [be],” Chee said.
As Fisticuffs continues into its first year of business, they hope to inspire people to try new foods and find comfort in their food. Ultimately though, Chee just wants the restaurant to be a place where people can come to relax and eat good food.
Jessica Yang / Multimedia Assistant
These entrepreneurs are adding a feminine touch to the arts and culture business industry in the city
Being a successful entrepreneur is already a difficult enough career. However, for aspiring women business owners, there can be many more obstacles and challenges due to the lack of resources and opportunities often arising due to gender inequalities.
Fortunately, there are many ways to support women and their businesses, starting with being aware of what is available in your community and purchasing their products.
These four women-owned businesses in Hamilton highlight the steel city’s arts and culture and work towards making the world a better place, one sale at a time.
studio k2
Located in downtown Hamilton on Parkdale Avenue North, studio k2 is an art gallery dedicated to supporting local artists and providing them with a place to showcase their work. They also provide multiple workshops and retreats for artists to work together, receive feedback, improve their work and make new connections.
studio k2 accepts artists of all levels, from beginners to experts, to work creatively in a collaborative and expressive environment. They even offer team-building exercises, workshops for corporations, art lessons and experiences for the public like paint nights for couples and friends.
Founded by Karen Klucowicz, a fine art painter with experience in marketing, advertising and interior design, studio k2 has allowed her to realize her vision to grow the art world while supporting fellow artists in a safe and encouraging space. If you are interested in attending a workshop or showcasing your art, this is certainly a gallery to check out!
East Bay Beads
East Bay Beads is an online store founded by Nadine Farkas and a group of women to connect people with a love for beading and allow them to collaborate on projects. They sell everything from tote bags and buttons to materials for creating beaded art like beads and tools.
East Bay Beads’ vision is to create high-quality, sustainable, locally sourced beads for people and promote their art. Their work is an example of craftivism, a form of activism, where environmentalism, solidarity and feminism blend to focus on crafts to create social empowerment, mindfulness, expression and negotiation for people.
If you’re looking for a new hobby, beads for jewelry or art or a way to support craftivism and the company’s vision, East Bay Beads’ products are what you need.
Studio Objective
Located in southern Burlington and on the border of Hamilton on Mountain Grove Avenue, Studio Objective is founded by Isabelle Ford-Roy and Cassandra Giansante. The company aims to support women’s equality and safety while also working to improve the environment. Five per cent of their profit goes towards women’s and environmental charities in their initiative, such as Greenpeace Canada and Women for Women International, to help make the world a better place.
Ford-Roy was previously interested in geology before discovering graphic design in high school. She is now the lead graphic designer, working on the company’s social media and specializing in eco branding, print and packaging. Giansante was a former film school student, dropping out to become the lead web designer and use her passion to rebrand clients’ websites and images.
As a web design company helping clients rebrand and transform their image, Studio Objective covers everything from brand identity to designing web pages. They even go beyond technology and brand design for packaging, print and photography. If you’re looking to rebrand your company, or just create an online presence with eye-catching and clean designs, this company is what you’re looking for.
Darling Donuts
Darling Donuts is a small online baking business selling gourmet donuts with vegan and gluten-free options tailored to individual preferences. The donuts are freshly baked on the weekends and are available in the form of donut towers or with customizable messages or images for any occasion.
Darling Donuts was founded by Alyssa Lancia after a life-long passion for baking. When she developed a gluten and dairy intolerance in university, Lancia turned her focus to vegan and gluten-free baking treats. Darling Donuts began as a fun way for Lancia to express her passion for baking and it grew into the business it is now. If you’re interested in pre-ordering a tasty treat made exactly the way you like it, Darling Donuts is the bakery for you.
Women-owned businesses deserve to be recognized for their efforts as well as what they do for their community and women's empowerment in entrepreneurship. These small businesses are a few examples of projects happening around the city for women and the community by women.
C/O @ark_collectivehamilton
The Ark Collective draws the community’s attention to local BIPOC businesses.
The Ark Collective strives to promote and support local Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour owned businesses from their storefront on James St. N. The collective aims to help expose the community to the variety of these small businesses and their products.
Ayodele Adefala, the founder of Ark Collective, worked in retail for over 10 years before launching her online clothing boutique, Liza and Grace, focused on selling women’s clothing and accessories. However, Adefala realized customers were more willing to trust and purchase from a brick-and-mortar store because they could physically see and try the product.
“Small business owners struggle with having to pay for Facebook ads, which cost a lot of money for people to even realize your store exists. And . . . sometimes customers are a bit apprehensive and conscious about online shopping with new businesses, like “Will I get my product or not?”, that sort of thing,” explainedAdefala.
Adefala decided to sell some of her products in a collective store in Toronto. Being a part of a collective can be a incredibly valuable opportunity to a business and it provides every brand with the same amount of exposure and recognition.
Seeing a lack of similar collective store in Hamilton, Adefala decided to open her own in the steel city this past April. Recognizing the difficulties local BIPOC businesses can face, she chose to focus her work on supporting them.
“The sad reality of this life is we don’t have as many opportunities as some of our counterparts. In the GTA, there are about six or seven Black-owned businesses with a similar business model. But the prerequisite is you have to be Black, but I was like, ‘What about the Spanish girl? What about the Ecuador girl? What about the Asian girl?’. . . We all suffer with similar issues,” said Adefala.
“The sad reality of this life is we don’t have as many opportunities as some of our counterparts. In the GTA, there are about six or seven Black-owned businesses with a similar business model. But the prerequisite is you have to be Black, but I was like, ‘What about the Spanish girl? What about the Ecuador girl? What about the Asian girl?’. . . We all suffer with similar issues.”
Ayodele Adefala, founder of ark collective
Her business approach has broadened her search for brands to collaborate with while also keepingt the products in the collective diverse.
Right now, Ark Collective has over 20 brands with various products such as clothing, jewellery, accessories, skincare, health and wellness and home decor.
“You get to see the vendors in person who can tell you more about the product. I feel like [a storefront has] a more genuine approach to it and that’s what makes us unique,” explained Adefala.
She plans to add food items to the collective soon and hopes to make the Ark Collective a one-stop shop where customers can purchase anything they might need.
Adefala also rotates through vendors every three months and she hopes this system will help keep the store seeming fresh and different every time a customer steps in.
Moving forward, the Ark Collective aims to expand the variety of products they carry and continue to participate in more pop-up markets to bring more exposure to the brands in their store.
“I want them to walk away with that ‘do good, feel good’ mindset and feeling when they are coming in,” said Adefala.
Lindsay Parry shares her love of art and fibres through her blooming small yarn business
Small businesses were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. They were constantly adapting to new opening plan policies, lockdowns and safety protocols and many were left frustrated with the lack of government support. However, a few industries providing remote, online experiences, services and products flourished and even made record sales.
One of the industries which thrived during the pandemic was the hobby and arts and craft supply industry. This included Hello Stella, a hand-dyed yarn business specializing in untreated wool, meaning the yarn comes straight from a sheep and without chemical processing.
“My business actually, I would say, more so blossomed. I think a lot of people found themselves at home with a lot more time and they were interested in picking up a new hobby,” said Lindsay Parry, owner and founder of Hello Stella.
“My business actually, I would say, more so blossomed. I think a lot of people found themselves at home with a lot more time and they were interested in picking up a new hobby,”
Lindsay Parry, Owner & Founder of Hello Stella
With increasing time spent at home, many people were seeking new pastime hobbies and there was a surge in people expressing interest in pursuing arts and crafts, including knitting, crocheting and fibre arts.
Parry herself initially fell in love with fibre arts for its ability to help her relax and relieve stress. Prompted by wanting to make her husband a handmade knit gift for Christmas one year, she first learned to knit 12 years ago.
“[Knitting] has become a daily thing for me and it helps greatly with stress. It’s just something I find I take a few minutes every day and, it could be something small like a sock, but it kind of grounds me a little bit more,” said Parry.
Named after her dog, Hello Stella started in 2017 when Parry became a new mom. She was faced with the choice of returning to her day job or staying home with her son. Ultimately, she decided to leave her job. During this time, she merged her two interests in the arts and fibres through Hello Stella.
“[Hello Stella] had always been a dream of mine to start and I kind of decided, if not now, then when would I? So I took a chance,” said Parry.
She always knew she wanted to lead a creative life and her career to reflect her passion.
This year marks the business’ fifth. It has grown tremendously since it first launched. In the beginning, Parry only sold handmade knit items, such as hats and scarves. She now sells various types of fibres, patterns, tea, stickers and art and her business Instagram page has garnered more than 34 thousand followers.
Despite all the achievements and successes during the pandemic, Hello Stella could not escape all the negative consequences of the pandemic lockdowns.
“Peru is one of the major hubs in the world for wool distribution and they closed down for [months], which greatly impacted wool being produced and spun,” explained Parry.
Peru is home to 87 per cent of the world’s alpaca population, making it a major hub for alpaca wool. In 2018, the country exported 30 tons of alpaca fibre. However, in March 2020, President Martín Vizcarra announced a nation-wide lockdown, affecting business operations and exports. The strict lockdown measures lasted until late June and July of 2020.
The supply shortage is what forced Hello Stella to explore more domestic, local yarn and shift from chemically treated wool to pure, untreated wool. Last year, Parry introduced domestic wool into a wide range of products and began working with local farms as well.
Her favourite part of the business is the process of dying the yarn — the most creative aspect of running the shop. She uses her background in colour theory to mix and merge beautiful, unique and captivating colours, such as lilac fields, a dusty mauve purple and Patina, a blend of warm orange and turquoise.
Coming up, Hello Stella will participate as a vendor at Hamilton’s Fibre Forge market at The Cotton Factory on Mar. 22. Whether you are a crochet or knitting enthusiast or interested in exploring your fibre options for your next crafting project, the market is the perfect opportunity to touch and see Hello Stella’s fibre products in-person.
Jovan Popovic has shown that he’s serious about his business in an industry that has found itself growing quickly amid the pandemic.
More often than not, university students solely focus on their studies for the four years that they spend in their undergraduate programs. For many, the only vision that they have in mind is schoolwork and graduation and they avoid pursuing their dream career on the side for this reason. However, this isn’t always the case. There are students around who have their own business success stories and have translated their entrepreneurship into serious and impressive endeavours.
A third-year business student, Jovan Popovic, has developed his passion for sports memorabilia into a serious business. Also known as the Sports Editor of the Silhouette, Popovic has been running his paid private signings business, Pop Sports Memorabilia, for 3 years. His business first began as a card flipping venture, but later changed focus, implementing a strategy to target a niche with sports fans by offering private autograph signings.
The business is based on Popovic finding various popular players and arranging private autograph signings with them. The business student would then collect items from all interested clients, and meet with the player on a predetermined date to get them signed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Popovic found this unique opportunity to develop his business, and by taking advantage, his business gained much momentum.
In an interview, Popovic explained how autographs became a rarity during the pandemic as face to face meetings were limited and players avoided in-person physical contact, whether it be by choice or as a result of league protocol.
“Ever since the pandemic began, the business sort of took off. People couldn't see each other as much face to face, so autographs really became a delicacy. That’s where my business came in.”
Jovan Popovic, Pop Sports Memorabilia Founder
Since autographs became much less common, private signings took over. As business continued to grow, Popovic continued looking for more players to sign, having included as many as 12 players in a single wave of signings before.
When explaining his business model, Popovic described himself as the one who “connects” the two parties — players and fans.
“The way the business works, I would conduct research and find players that I believe are in high demand. I would reach out to them using my connections, or by contacting their agents. As soon as I get in touch with them, I’d negotiate a deal, and once it's set I would bring it to my customer base and start collecting items for the player,” explained Popovic.
Although Popovic is currently in contact with dozens of different baseball players, getting in contact with all of them was not easy. He explained that when he first broke into the business, he messaged 150 different players over Instagram, only to receive a reply from one.
“It didn't start off well. Generally [for] every 150 players I’d message, I would get one reply. Once I finished off with the first couple players, I offered them referral fees to get me in contact with others. That was what helped my business propel forward,”
Jovan Popovic
Through his connections and his negotiations with sports agencies such as Apex Baseball and True Gravity, Popovic has managed to gather an impressive pool of talent from the baseball world. Among the players with whom he has done business are Daniel Nava (World Series champion, 2013), Reese McGuire (Blue Jays catcher), Kris Bubic (Royals starting pitcher) and Ross Stripling (Blue Jays starting pitcher and former All-Star).
Although players may be slowly returning to normal signing more often now than through a majority of the pandemic, Popovic has found himself able to maintain a high business volume. After having grown the business from scratch, Pop Sports Memorabilia has made a name for itself in the industry over the course of the year. To learn more about the business, or to get in touch with Popovic, you can message him through the business Instagram or visit his website.
