Aloha+Fronds is Growing Plants and Growing Followers

The past two years are often described as a rollercoaster due to the pandemic, but for Shelby Cormane, founder and owner of Aloha+Fronds (A+F), the most accurate part of that rollercoaster was a “steep drop.”

“A+F started in the summer of 2020. When the shutdowns occurred during the pandemic, I unfortunately had to stop my full-time massage therapy practice due to my kids doing full-time distance learning,” Shelby said, explaining how massage therapy was difficult to do while still being available to help her kids with school.

Aloha+Fronds began as Shelby’s part-time hobby-turned-business to supplement the lost income. Since then, both the plants and the business have grown immensely.

“The Sacramento community started to become more appreciative of houseplants due to the state of restrictions,” Shelby said. “People wanted to make their home a more enjoyable place both aesthetically/visually and by improving the air quality by adding houseplants. I believe the bonus was this also gave people a hobby to enjoy while spending most of their time at home.”

What began as plant sales through Shelby’s Instagram stories grew into high demand for leafy friends from A+F. Shelby knew most Instagram users are active throughout the day, and the pandemic increased the need for safe online shopping. Through story sales and happy customers tagging A+F in their photos, the small business took off. Shelby frequently engages with her social media audience, asking customers what they like and making the shopping experience as fun as possible.

Although the small business owner does everything on her own – from marketing, sourcing and managing inventory, and scheduling – she said happy customers make it worth the work. Shelby also noted the strengths of being a small shop, as opposed to a large business. Like many small businesses, Shelby can prioritize quality and relationship building with her customers.

“A common compliment I receive about our plant inventory is that the plants are always healthy, lush, full, and beautiful. This happens because unlike other big shops that sell plants, I personally hand-pick and source every plant that is sold,” Shelby said. “This ensures the best quality, versus other businesses who order plants in bulk without ensuring the health and quality of the stock.”

A+F now offers custom plant designs and installations for residential homes and commercial businesses. As the small business shares plant life with Sacramento, Shelby hopes to grow into a brick-and-mortar.

“I’d love a safe space for people of the plant community to come spend their time, whether to shop, eat, drink, or even attend a plant-related class,” Shelby shared. “Ideally, the space would be big enough to host small pop-up events to give a platform to other small businesses as well.”

The small business owner frequently shares about other local small businesses on her social media accounts, and she knows that shopping small has a big impact.

“Any time someone purchases from A+F, they are directly supporting a mother and her family,” she said. “Most of the funds go back to the business to keep it going, but shopping small ensures you are supporting a person’s dream and livelihood.”

Here’s where you can support Aloha+Fronds:
Website: alohafronds.com
Instagram: @alohafronds
Facebook: @alohafronds
Twitter: @alohafronds

Read more stories about AAPI-owned small businesses in Sacramento:
Why This Small Business is So Frond of Sacramento
Every Purchase Has Purpose at Sama Tayo
How Well Rooted Clothing Keeps Branching Out