Selwyn Marketing & Splinters-N-Rust Receives Small Business Award

The November Small Business Award goes to Selwyn Marketing & Splinters–N-Rust. Both businesses owned and operated by Janice Richardson

Selwyn Marketing, LLC was started in North Carolina in 2010, and then moved to Kansas in 2018 (with the owner – Janice Richardson). Selwyn Marketing started as a side-gig to Janice’s full time job in 2010. She was working in Commercial Real Estate management and discovered a need from her service vendors for assistance with their online social media presence. Janice was already doing this for her commercial properties at work, so it became a natural extension into a side business. When Janice and her husband Jon relocated to Kansas in 2014 she stayed home full time with two children solely working remote on social media accounts. In 2018, she opened her first office space here in Hutchinson and expanded my services. While retaining clients from the east coast, Janice slowly built relationships locally and built a portfolio of local businesses and non­profits. Her services now include: Website design, Branding services and social media marketing.

Splinters-N-Rust was started in 2016 as an at home art business focused on selling upcycled materials at Vintage Market events. In 2017 she began selling items in local consignment stores and was asked to teach art classes for one of those local Downtown stores. She quickly realized in 2019 that Hutchinson was lacking the DIV wood- makerspace concept that was becoming so popular nationwide. After teaching for a few years in other people's stores she opened her own studio space in Downtown Hutchinson. After much success she outgrew that space and decided to expand and purchase 125 Main Street. They renovated the space and reopened to the pubic in April of 2021. The store and studio tripled in square footage which allows to expand offerings. They currently offer shared space to another local artist who offers Fine Arts classes within our space, as well as a retail area for local makers.

Selwyn Marketing is unique because they cater to the small start-up business, local mom & pop shops, and non-profits in our community. Being a business owner in our Downtown, Janice has a vested interest in helping her fellow businesses succeed so they are involved in helping several of the Downtown organizations (i.e. The Antique District, The Wiley District, Downtown Hutch, and the Chamber) 

Splinters-N-Rust is a unique, locally owned business, offering a wide variety of creative options. They have classes for children as young as 3, with pre-k creative events, birthday party options for young children- adults. They operate as not only an event venue, but also as an educational hub for Fine Arts in our community offering oil, acrylic and watercolor instruction on both a one-on-one basis and group settings. Splinters-N-Rust also offers custom handmade options for gifts as well as a small retail section of our store dedicated to local makers.

Other ways that Janice gives back with both companies include: Selwyn Marketing has been a career shadow day host for Haven High School. Janice serves on the Arts Council for the City of Hutchinson. She also supports several organizations in the community including: United Way of Reno County, Cancer Council of Reno County, Interfaith Housing Services, Local schools, Open Door Pregnancy Center, Salvation Army, Third Thursday/Hutch Rec, TECH, First Nazarene summer art camp, Victory Village, Early Education Center, Trinity Catholic auction, and Our Church of Guadalupe.
 

Speaking for both businesses, Janice has found that having these businesses is a way for her to give back to her community. Offering marketing services for our local non-profits and small businesses, serving on committees that work towards improving our Downtown, assisting her Downtown neighbors with their social media or website needs to make them more successful, and offering a place for the public to gather together and be creative are all ways she strives to make Hutchinson better through her business ventures.