Flagstaff Featured Business: Rural Root Collective
(as published in the November 4 edition of The Community Press)
The Flagstaff Region Featured Business is a monthly newspaper and web feature presented in partnership by Flagstaff County and The Community Press.
Rural Root Collective
5016 50 St., Killam
780-385-8848
Open 9 a.m. to noon on Monday;
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday;
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday;
and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday
Nestled in the Status Hair building on Mainstreet Killam, Rural Root Collective is a chic “artisan loft” featuring nearly 40 homemade vendors from throughout the Flagstaff Region and beyond.
The seed for this unique enterprise was sown nearly a year ago, explains owner Shila Bishop.
“I have many friends that are entrepreneurs that make a lot of different products, and they were saying, ‘Oh, the Christmas season is going to be over soon. What am I going to do with my products?’” she recalls. “Usually they put them in a box in their basement for the next 10 months.”
That got Bishop thinking.
“I thought to myself, ‘I have this business, I have this building already, I have the employees, and I have the extra space.”
After some online research, the business-minded Bishop knew exactly what she was going to do.
“It was last November, the 20th to be exact, and I just said, ‘I think I could really help out, not only my friends, but so many local and provincially wide entrepreneurs and makers promote and grow their businesses by having a storefront.’”
The Collective took root in the front one-third of the 2,000-square-foot space occupied by Status Hair, a full-service salon. Opening day was Nov. 29, 2019.
Since then, the storefront has grown to include homemade and handmade products from 38 makers – and counting. For Bishop, the year-old shop is a source of pride and ongoing excitement. But she’s quick to shine the spotlight on the makers.
“It’s about them. It’s these 38 different people that have an incredible amount of talent, that are selling and promoting in here,” she says. “When a customer comes in and they grab a few different things, depending what that is, that could be supporting four or five different families. The products aren’t from a wholesaler or from overseas. They’re things that have been very thought out and planned out by people that work an unbelievable amount of hours and have so much talent.”
Each individual maker is required to apply to sell their wares at Rural Root Collective. The application process helps to ensure that no two products are the same, notes Bishop.
The shop enjoys a diverse customer base, which, of course, includes clients of the busy hair salon – a mainstay in downtown Killam for nearly 10 years. It also includes customers from farther afield, such as Camrose, Red Deer and Edmonton, and all points in between.
“They come from all over,” Bishop says. “A lot will have family or friends out here, or they’ll be going to a different town, and they’ve heard about us and they have to stop to see what’s in here.
“It’s great to see how it brings so many different people from outside our area into our area because when they stop here, maybe they need to grab something to eat at the Co-op, or they need to go down to the drug store, and then they fill up with gas on the way out. Any business in a small town is very important, but it’s really neat to see how we can all work together in such a neat way that benefits every single one of us.”
Last January, Bishop started hosting crafting workshops in the back of the building. Unfortunately, the workshops ceased in March, when COVID hit.
Since then she’s been offering DIY take-home kits for a variety of crafting projects – complete with all the supplies and an instructional video.
“They’ve been a huge hit,” she says. “They are a lot of fun to do. There’s many different kits to choose from.”
Bishop confesses that she knows what it’s like “not to be a crafter,” so she ensures the crafts are all reasonably easy to complete.
“I make sure that no one feels intimidated to grab one or two to take home,” she says.
With Christmas just around the corner, some local businesses have opted for DIY kits in lieu of an annual party, Bishop adds.
“I have big orders coming through. Some businesses in town are grabbing kits to do in their office, or at someone’s home,” she says. “It’s nice to see how people are going to be able to come together and still have the socialization.”
All of the kits are available on Bishop’s website at www.ruralrootdesigns.com. Shipping takes about seven to 10 days.
For Bishop, who took two years of business and management at Lethbridge College, business has always been a passion. In fact, her business sense was apparent right from an early age.
“It’s kind of a silly story, but I remember growing up and going back to school shopping,” she recalls. “You get your clothes and your supplies. And I remember setting up a shop in my room and I would resell the stuff to my brother and sister. I’d make them come in and buy it. So truly, business has always been a huge passion of mine.”
While “always watching YouTube videos and reading marketing trends,” Bishop also credits Flagstaff Crafted – a program and platform run by Flagstaff County that enhances the exposure of local makers, artisans and retailers of local products – with influencing her most recent business decision to start Rural Root Collective. Not to mention that many of the products that Bishop carries are from Flagstaff Crafted makers and artisans.
“Yeah, absolutely,” she says. “Flagstaff Crafted is unbelievable the amount of support that they give.”
For more information,
visit www.ruralrootdesigns.com,
find them on Facebook, and Instagram.
Also check out the feature in the November 4 edition of The Community Press – available for digital purchase anytime. Never miss an issue, become a SUBSCRIBER today!
The Flagstaff Region Featured Business is a monthly newspaper and web feature presented in partnership by Flagstaff County and The Community Press. For more information, contact Jenalee Waring, Economic Development Coordinator, at 780-384-4152.
