Wichita teen uses extra time to launch a ‘box business’ that delivers local goods
For some Wichitans with entrepreneurial spirits, the coronavirus shutdown has provided the inspiration and time to get new businesses started.
One of them is Devon Creasman, a 19-year-old college student who has just launched an online business called ICT Box.
The business, now about a month old and already selling out some of its stock, allows people to order custom boxes curated and designed by Creasman and featuring products from her favorite local businesses. The Voltage Box, for example, features a 12 ounce bag of coffee beans from Reverie Coffee Roasters, a 4 ounce bag of espresso drip coffee from Local Roasters, tea from Leaf Logic and a mug featuring one of Creasman’s graphic designs.
People order the boxes online at ictbox.squarespace.com, either as a gift or for themselves, and Creasman drops it off at the customer’s doorstep.
Creasman, a Butler Community College student, said that the idea came to her after school was canceled for the semester.
“I was sitting in my house and I was very bored,” she said. “I missed all my favorite local places, and I missed going to coffee shops like Leslie and Reverie to do my homework. I figured most people were doing the same thing.”
During normal times, Creasman works at Clifton Collective, a local gift store offering products from Midwestern makers, so she also had first-hand knowledge of how local businesses were suffering. She realized her idea could help them out, too.
So far, Creasman has signed up more than 10 of her favorite local businesses to participate, including Little Lion Ice Cream, Elderslie Farm, Cocoa Dolce and Nectar Republic. She’s come up with four different boxes, and her most recent one has become a big Mother’s Day seller. It’s The Muse box, and it includes a six-pack of macrons from Cocoa Dolce, a candle from Black Label Candle Co., whipped soap from Zeep, and a vegan lip balm from Poppy & Pout, sold at Clifton Collective.
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Creasman, who also has her own graphic design business called Lazy Bones Co., is designing all the packaging and logos herself. She also built her website.
She’s having some trouble keeping her products in stock since local businesses are operating with bare bones staff, but she’s coming up with new box ideas now, including a birthday box and a housewarming box.
It’s going so well, she’ll likely try to keep the business going even after coronavirus fears end.
“It started out as kind of like a fun thing, kind of a short-term solution and a quick way to support other businesses,” she said. “But now that I’ve seen a lot of good response from it, I’ll keep doing it and expand into the community a little more.”
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 12:01 PM.
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