Saturday Business Spotlight: Small Town Creations
[June 21, 2025] What
do custom made trophies and decorations, custom made apparel like hats
and bracelets, decorations for your home, and coffee all have in common?
While all these things might not seem like they have anything in common,
they all have a home at Small Town Creations. When you first walk in the
door, you are met with the pleasant smell of coffee beans, which are
stored behind the front counter. Just past the beans you will find nice
decorations for your home, as well as a few other things. Past that and
through the double-wide doorway, you then come to an area with lots of
items that can be customized. These items include cutting boards, tea
towels, glassware, hats, bracelets, and more. Finally, at the back of
the store is the trophy shop, where you can order your own custom
engraved trophies.
Kathie Williams
is the owner of Small Town creations. With the help of Vicki Purcell,
Williams caters to many different types of customers in her store. The
story of how Williams got to where she is today is a very interesting
one, and it largely begins at another store called the Yellow Unicorn
Gift and Pipe Emporium. This business, once on the Square but now long
gone, was where Williams got her first custom item with her name spelled
correctly on it. Williams shared that she was never able to get anything
with her name on it, but the Yellow Unicorn was able to do this for her
when she was in third grade. She shared remembering feeling “like a
million bucks” when she left the store that day. This sent her down her
path of enjoying art.
Years later, in 2016, Small Town Creations was formed, but not at all in
the form it is in today. This version of Small Town hosted paint parties
and was out of Williams’s home. One year later, she rented a space at
201 S. Sangamon Street in Lincoln. Shortly after this, Williams and her
husband discovered that Purcell, owner of the Awards Shop, was looking
to sell her business. They had a conversation with her, and then decided
to think about the opportunity. Two days later, the owner of Beans and
Such reached out to Williams, informing her that they were looking to
sell their business too. Williams’s husband convinced her to purchase
both, and that was the start of the current iteration of Small Town
Creations.
The coffee has a
special place in the history of Small Town Creations, however. Williams
shared that she was actually looking to get rid of the coffee early on.
She decided not to, and that actually turned out to be one of the best
decisions she could have made. When COVID restrictions hit in the first
half of 2020, Williams was not able to be open. The coffee was actually
what kept Small Town Creations afloat during this turbulent time. With
people stuck at home, brewing coffee grew in demand. Williams sold her
coffee online, curbside, and even delivered.
Williams kept the
coffee up front and the trophies at the back of the store. The middle is
where Williams added her own flare. She created something she calls the
‘Charm Bar,’ where one can create their own bracelets. She also created
the ‘Hat Bar,’ where someone can make hats with custom patches and
designs on them.
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In addition to
these two, Williams shared that they can put custom images on things
like tea towels and cutting boards. She gave one example, stating that
they can put “grandma’s handwritten recipes” on them. This is not nearly
the limit of what Small Town can customize, however.
Making sure that
each customer has the best and most unique experience is at the
forefront of what is most important to Williams. One of the challenges
Williams faces in running Small Town is trying to not have the same
inventory as other stores in town. She wants what she sells to be unique
and unlike anything else one would find in Lincoln.
In addition to
running Small Town, Williams also helped start the Downtown Lincoln
Initiative, previously called the Downtown Business Group. This is a
group of business owners whose businesses are located on the Square.
They meet about once a month to discuss hosting events that would
attract people to the Square and their businesses. With the help of
previous Sorrento’s owner Lisa Drew, they were able to start this group
about eight years ago. Williams shared some of the things this group was
able to get to the Square, including Christmas Express and the carriage
rides around the Square during the winter time. They also partner with
Lincoln for the 3rd Fridays events in the summer. There are also four
Retail Therapy events hosted by the group each year.
Williams had some advice for people looking to open their own business
in Lincoln. “Take the chance,” Williams said. “It’s scary… [but] don’t
live your life thinking ‘what if?’” Williams also spoke on the
importance of making sure you have all of your details together. “Make
sure you have all of your i's dotted and your t’s crossed, but do it.”
Shopping locally is also something that is very important to Williams.
While it is easy to shop on your phone, supporting local businesses is
very important. “We get excited when we have a good day,” Williams
stated.
Williams also stated that she loves getting to know her customers and
working in a community she loves. She gets to celebrate with her
customers when something good happens in their lives. “It’s all about
community,” Williams said.
If you are interested in checking out Small Town Creations, they are
located at 115 S Kickapoo Street in Lincoln. They are open Tuesday
through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
[Matt Boutcher]
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