TWIN FALLS, Idaho β Small businesses in Idaho face increasing challenges as they work to draw customers away from online alternatives through unique, handmade offerings.
At the Magic Valley Mall in Twin Falls, Laura Godfrey and her daughter, Alicia, run The Paper Crane (@papercraneshop on Instagram), a stationery store where they create almost everything by hand. One of their best-selling items is what they call a "blind date with a book."
MADE IN IDAHO: See bonus content of the crafty mother/daughter duo take flight with Paper Crane Shopβ
"So this is a great way to fall in love with a book without judging the book by its cover," Laura Godfrey said.
The mother-daughter duo works at breakneck pace, churning out items like cuddly crocheted critters that have become customer favorites.
"I'm crocheting one of my pink froggies. They're one of our most popular things in both green and pink," Alicia said.
The idea for the business came naturally to the family of crafters.
"We were already crafters, we were already DIYers, and we were already, like, stationary type girly, and I just went to my daughter and I said, 'Do you want to start a stationary business with me' and she said, 'Absolutely, I do'," Laura Godfrey said.
The store stocks all kinds of paper goods and stickers, everything needed for journaling, organizing, reading, and gifting. All items are designed and most are made by hand at the store.
"You can get a card anywhere you can get a bookmark anywhere; what makes us different our stuff is super cute, colorful vibrant," Laura Godfrey said.
The Paper Crane has been solving the riddle small businesses everywhere face: how to draw customers in the age of shopping while scrolling your phone.
"I just think it's very different than what you find a box store because they're ordering billions at a time, where we can make something really cool and try it out, and even if it only touches, you know, a small audience, those five people are gonna appreciate it," Laura Godfrey said.
Laura Godfrey's work ethic stems from her childhood as a second-generation Mexican American who spent much of her early years in Mexico, where her family faced significant financial hardships.
"Unfortunately, we were in a situation where you know you woke up every morning figuring out you know we're gonna eat today and everybody had to do their part," Laura Godfrey said.
From age 4, she was working to help provide the family's daily meal. That work ethic has carried through to today, along with a culture that honors family and cultivates friendships.
"I think our ability to make connections with people and really care about the kind of experience that they have with us is what kind of set us apart," Laura Godfrey said.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
