Business owners gain new tools to grow and succeed
Inside a humming 3,000-square-foot production space, Kieran Summers checks a row of freshly printed hoodies while Erin reviews the month’s numbers on her laptop. It’s a far cry from the small retail shop they ran when they first opened Giv’er Shirt Works in 2003—and a big leap from where they were just a few years ago.
“When the pandemic hit, everything shifted online,” says Kieran. “We realized we had to rethink how we worked if we wanted to keep growing.”
In 2021, the couple made a bold move: they purchased their current building, transitioned fully to production, and invested in new software to better manage orders. But even with these upgrades, they knew they needed expert advice to make the changes stick. That’s when they connected with business coaches through Columbia Basin Trust’s Basin Business Advisors program.
From October 2021 to June 2022, Kieran and Erin took a deep dive into their finances, business strategy and leadership approach. One of the biggest lessons? Their pricing model was out of date.
‘With suppliers raising prices and retail sales gone, we were at risk of falling behind,”
says Kieran. “The coaches had me go through our profit and loss statements and margins line by line. It was humbling, but it opened my eyes; without changes, we could have out of business in a year or two.”
With guidance, they retooled their pricing model, adopted shop management software,
and developed a spreadsheet that automatically sets pricing to meet their margins. The results were immediate: their first full year in the new production space showed stronger margins and improved efficiency, validating the move to a production-focused model.
The program also helped them look beyond the numbers to long-term growth. They identified the roles they needed on their team, promoted a staff member to production manager, and freed Kieran from the production floor to focus on business development.
Erin expanded her role into HR, creating clear job descriptions, refining the hiring process, and introducing cross training so “production all-rounders” can adapt to changing needs. “Dialing in our org chart was a massive win,” says Kieran. “Now we have a stronger, more versatile team and the capacity to keep moving forward.”
Looking ahead, Kieran and Erin see a clear path for growth—one that balances creativity with solid business planning. “The support we received gave us tools we’ll use for years,” says Erin. “It’s made all the difference.”
