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Many people start a business in their home, but Lisa Bateman launched her jewelry business at a friend’s garage sale.

On Saturday, Nov. 7, she and her husband, Mark, will celebrate their business’s one-year anniversary with an open house at their store, Blingz-N-Thingz, 8310 N. North Oak Trafficway in Kansas City North.

Over the last year, she has expanded her business into a lot more than jewelry.

Bateman said the idea for her business started in 2006 when she accompanied her husband to Las Vegas on a furniture-buying trip. Mark Bateman’s family owns Bargain Barn.

“I came across this booth with jewelry from Florida that I thought it was really cool,” Bateman said. “I thought I could sell it.”

She was right.

After receiving her order, Lisa Bateman set up a table in a corner of her friend Kim Offenbacker’s garage sale in Liberty, selling necklace and earring sets.

Offenbacker said since then, her friend had added handbags, clothing and gifts, all with a lot of bling.

“It’s a dream come true for her,” Offenbacker said. “Everywhere I go, people want to know where I got my jewelry, purse or wallet, and her prices are so reasonable.”

With Offenbacker’s encouragement, Bateman said the garage sale was a good way for her to test the market without investing a lot of money.

“We did well,” she said. “Next I tried to have friends have home parties.”

Soon Bateman was traveling all around the area, from St Joseph to Lee’s Summit selling jewelry at private parties, festivals, church and hospital bazaars and car shows.

After a couple of years, all that packing and unpacking, lugging products around and setting up displays got to be too physically exhausting for the husband-and-wife team, so when she got the opportunity to open a retail shop in a building owned by her father-in-law, she jumped at the chance.

She now shares space with a Bargain Barn outlet.

The time she spent selling jewelry at different events, though, set the foundation for her success today, she said.

“I gained a following,” she said. “I had clientele built up, and they followed me to the store. Vendors also buy stuff from each other. It’s a great way to network.”

Bateman said while she no longer has time to travel, she now offers in-store parties as fundraisers for local organizations and women’s groups.

Among the products she carries are gift items for bridal parties, children’s jewelry, hats and bows, some stainless steel jewelry and T-shirts for men, tiaras, bling-embellished T-shirts and hats, crystal encrusted flip-flops, unique handbags, handmade greeting cards, jeans and more.

“The more blingy, the better,” she said. “And I may only buy one of something, so women don’t go somewhere and see four other people with the same thing.”

Bateman said she planned to expand her clothing line to include more selections for plus size women.

“Plus-size women want to be stylish and fashionable, too; 60 percent of women wear a size 12 or larger,” Bateman said.

Liberty Editor Angie Anaya Borgedalen can be reached at 781-4941 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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