Emory Park Boutique LLC dba Southern Daughter Boutique

Emory Park Boutique LLC dba Southern Daughter Boutique is a women’s apparel, accessories, and gift shop in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. When you walk into the boutique, you’re greeted with various styles, including athleisure, game day, dressy, casual apparel, and timeless accessories and items for your home. Southern Daughter Boutique opened in 2021 to bring trendy, curated collections of apparel, accessories, and gifts to the Oak Ridge community. The heart behind the launch was to ensure the community had its own unique boutique destination for women, eliminating the need to commute to Knoxville to shop for the same brands and products.

The Southern Daughter Boutique team is made up of owner, Maria Skipper, and associates Liza Williams and Laura Warrington. Maria first came to the TSBDC in mid-2021 to understand business forms and the ins and outs of owning a business. Maria was a first-time business owner who wanted to ensure she had proper guidance when it came to the backend business. Throughout the first year of business, Maria sought the TSBDC at Roane State for guidance, training, and resources such as QuickBooks and accounting services. As her business began to grow, she collaborated with the TSBDC on marketing strategy, social media, and website design.

The TSBDC has assisted Maria Skipper with strategic business planning and sales and marketing strategy, resulting in substantial reductions in debt and overhead costs due to her successful plan to reduce overhead. Maria opened her second location after 24 months of operating her flagship location due to the success of the business. She offers the same quality clothing, accessories, and décor.

Maria told us, “TSBDC has been there for me from the beginning when I needed to learn about tax reporting and make connections with other professionals to make a supportive team.  I was able to connect with a QuickBooks professional and CPA as well as have the support of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce from the start.  I know that as I grow I can rely on TSBDC to guide me through new endeavors.”