Tejas Beads Year In Review 2022
2022 was an eventful year for Tejas Beads. We moved across the country, launched our mobile app, started carbon-neutral shipping,.... and had fun while doing it all! Below we've captured some of the highlights in greater detail and threw in a few fun tidbits of website data as well. Enjoy!
Relocating Across The Country
After years of living in the bustling city of Houston, we decided to make a drastic change and move to a rural area of western Massachusetts. With beautiful rivers, mountains, wildlife, and prolific seasons, we were ready for something different â something that would allow us to be more connected with nature and raise our family away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
In July 2022, we loaded up two semitrucks â one truck full of all our beads and another truck carrying all our racks, warehousing, and office equipment. The truck full of beads broke down in Virginia, and the truck that was supposed to take all of our other equipment didn't show up.... so we had to improvise last minute and find another. But in the end, everything worked out and in just 10 days time we were back up and running again. Thankfully, our Houston team was able to come along for the move and help us get setup in our new location.
History Behind Our New Location
Our new warehouse is located inside an old rustic mill building built in 1814 by the West Boylston Company, a large cotton textile manufacturer in the town of West Boylston, MA. This, however, is not where the building is located today. In 1899 the building was dismantled piece by piece and moved by train, and re-erected in Easthampton, MA. The building's original location is now submerged by the Wachusett Reservoir that was flooded in 1908.
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New Mobile App Launched in 2022
In July 2022 we launched our mobile app! The mobile app brings an alternate way to shop, with a wish-listâ€ïžÂ for your favorites, enhanced search, and back-in-stock notifications, all in a sleek and speedy interface. The app is available in Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Some Interesting 2022 Data
Top 5 Best Selling Stones
- Black Onyx
- Lava
- Tiger's Eye
- Red Garnet
- Amethyst
Top 5 Online Store Search Terms
- Moonstone
- Amethyst
- Citrine
- Jade
- Rose Quartz
Top 5 Busiest Sale Weeks
- Black Friday
- Memorial Day
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
- Easter
Website Visits By Device
Carbon Neutral Shipping
This is our small way of giving back, we hope others will follow suit.
On A More Personal Note
Many of you know about Tejas Beads from 10 years of trade shows. Kelly traveled the USA in a Chevy Express work van full of gemstone beads and set up the most spectacular trade show booths all around the country, it was a sight to see!
In 2020 trade shows shutdown and Kelly along her significant other Chris, started building the website and moving the business online.... sort of as a way to entertain ourselves during covid. The website launched in June 2020, and little did we know that it would turn into much more than just a hobby.
While we have the appearance of being a larger company, we are really just a small family owned business consisting of five hard working people with a knack for gemstones, technology, and lots of grit. Thank you to our old Houston crew, Linda and Awa! And to our new team, Kathy, Terry, and Eliza, for all of your dedication and hard work!
Most off all, thank you to all of our loyal customers, we truly appreciate all of your support over that last couple of years. We hope that you've enjoyed your experience with us as much as we have with you!
And in case you're wondering, the photo is of Chris & Kelly with baby Aaron in the backpack, he'll be big 1 in January! We were walking the winter lights display in our new hometown in Western Massachusetts.
Stay tuned! If all the pieces fall into place, 2023 will be another eventful year!
Happy Beading!
Comments on this post (26)
Welcome to Massachusetts! Here I am in Boston, waiting to retire to move southward to get away from the cold, New England winters. I remember you mentioning you were moving to western MA, and thinkingâŠWhy??? But your blog says it beautifully, and the western part of Massachusetts is, indeed, beautifulâŠespecially in the winter! I started my business last year and Iâm so glad I found you! The beads are absolutely high quality and your service is exceptional. I havenât made a purchase in a while. Iâm trying to use up what I have (actually get some pieces sold) to pay off my first big investment in my business. But, hopefully, Iâll be back soon! Thanks so much for all you do for the crafters! You are the best!!!
â Susan MacKay
Hola
PerdĂłn por escribirle en Español,pero no querĂa dejar de Felicitarlos por compartirnos sus aventuras.Estoy muy contenta de haber encontrado su sitio web. Padezco de ataques de pĂĄnico y no saben cĂłmo me ha ayudado a entretenerme en hacer mis manualidades aprecio mucho la sinceridad con que trabajan .Que este 2023 les colme de cosas buenas y prosperidad
Atentamente
Olga
â Olga Ventura
Congratulations on your new location & a successful transition. I love your site, I can navigate it so easily, & makes it so simple to add to my beading supplies. Enjoy your Holiday break, see you on the other side of 2022 & welcome to a whole new year of 2023.
â Helen
Welcome to the joy and possibilities of western Mass hill town beauty and mill town activities.
â Mary Louise
Thank you for sharing and I love family business. May Creator gift you a beautiful year filled with abundance of love, health, joy and prosperity đ
Many Blessings
Trina
Native American Healer, that loves your beads!
â Trina Vega
Congratulations on a great move, a great year and having a great company. Iâd love to do the same thing myself. Iâll settle for buying from you and making my jewelry.
â Elizabeth Atwell
Oh Kelly, how mama y me miss you in Houston. Especially, seeing you at the bead shows. Showing us your new beads + treating us like family. Congratulations on being a mommy too. Who wouldâve known. Wish you many more blessings. It was a pleasure knowing you. And thanks for always responding to my texts when I need to know a name of a stone. LolâŠXOXO
â Michele Hopkins & Norma Tays
Congratulations!!!! Best wishes in your new life journey for you and familyâŠ.great decision to move where nature is more accessible than Texas, and you can see beautiful mountains⊠God Bless all of you!!!!
â Patricia
Thank you for sharing about your year and congrats on your success. I enjoyed reading this so much and it all makes me want to support your small business even more! Love your bead selection, descriptions, quality, sales, and super speedy shipping! Iâve never been disappointed with an order and look forward to placing another one soon :) Happy Holidays!!
â Sara
So happy for you Kelly and family! Enjoy your little guy, they are the best! My grandson just turned 2!
I love your beads and your customer service and fast shipping is the best! I enjoyed working with you at market and your on line has truly made my life easier!
Continue to live the dream!!
Julene
â Julene Warren
Congratulations on a great year! đ I pray that you and your family have a PEACEFUL, HEALTHY, and PROSPEROUS 2023. đ I love your beads and I only buy from you and will continue to, as I grow my business. The QUALITY is AMAZING and gemstone beads are GENUINE. Thank you for great customer service and transparency. đđđŒâ€
â Amethyst Queen
Reading this made me so happy! My goal is to support as many small businesses as possible through my business and I am SO happy (and a âlil shocked đ) to find out that youâre such a small, family owned business! And I say shocked because I definitely thought you were much bigger than you are! Well done with your biz and thank you for the top notch customer service!! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Heather B.
B â All Natural Products LLC
â Heather
†Thank you for taking the time to share your adventurous journey! Iâm glad you are settled into your new h ok me.
I am so glad I found you and I feel so blessed by your team every time I order from you. Not only do I value the quality of your products, but I am also extremely appreciative of the ethics & diligence you have displayed in your descriptions, the quality of your stones and your prompt and courteous delivery. Wishing you continued success! Sincerely, Kiki â€đ
â Kiki Marshall
Thank you for the informative update. I really appreciate the selection of beads that you stock. Sometimes, I just get overwhelmed at the Trade shows and appreciate being able to order online at my leisure.
Good luck in your new site. Saving for the next order.
â Sally
Thank you, TejasBeads!
So happy to have you on the North Eastern shores. Welcome!
As a not-so-new customer, I have been so pleased with my purchases from TejasBeads. I take pleasure and pride in my work and the ability to share with my customers beautiful, great quality beads means so much to me.
A Faithful Customer
Lynda Gaskins, New Bern, NC
â Lynda Gaskins
Thank you for sharing your story. I love buying my beads from you guys. Website is very neat, user friendly and description of each bead is very transparent. I love that!! Tejas beads will always be my supplier as I grow my business. It is wonderful to see the owners and their little family.
Thanks!!
â Nisha Gautam
I am amazed at what you accomplished this past year! Congratulations.
I want to let you know that I appreciate your business and stock. I only buy my stone beads from you. Thank you so much!
May the coming year be gentle and prosperous for you and your family.
Rain
â Rain Rawl
Good luck in your new venture, from Bailey, Colorado.
â Bobbi Siems
Wow! Busy year! This was also the year that I launched my jewelry business and your products were my go tos. Hereâs hoping that 2023 is a productive year for your business and for mine! Thanks for everything! Carol Ritter, House of Jasper Jewelry.
â Carol Ritter
Happy Holidays to you all!
I moved from San Francisco to Grinnell, IA a year ago. After remodeling my new house, I am getting the studio back up and running.
Tejas beads are superior in quality as is your customer service!
Thank you!
Lisa
â Lisa
I miss your being in Houston but you must follow your heart. I will be with you on line because I love your quality beadsâŠ.Thanks, b
â Bonnie
Tejaâs Beads allowed me to learn how to make my own jewelry and learn so much about gems and stones. When I started off I was very skeptical about any and all suppliers and along came this beautiful website that gave me confidence that Iâll get genuine stones, and Chris was so kind and dedicated in his communication with me and answered all my questions always. I havenât purchased much in a while because I went in other directions after my original enthusiasm for making jewelry â but I follow your newsletter and how lovely to see this post and learn about your adventures and the new pages you are opening in your journey! Happy holidays and god bless!
â Donika
Really enjoyed meeting and working with you while you were in Houston. Wishing you great success in your new home. Be blessed!
â Jeff
First I want to say I love your beads. And second I come from Boston, Massachusetts. Currently living in Maine. I live in a historical building. It was originally a Convent for the Sisters of Mercy built in 1909. The nuns who lived here taught girls at the Catherine McCauley school next door. Well the building was empty for many years so the Bishop sold the building and all the land to a developer who renovated 88 apartments in the Convent. That is where I live 55 and older. He is building condos on the rest of the land.
â Julie Doherty
Thank you for this beautiful story of your company and family. Iâm excited to get my order in, always just need to pare down my wish list a little. Look forward to doing business!
â Deborah Martin