Ohio Woman Merges Farming With Bridal Retail — Generates Over $313,000 In Yearly Sales

Penny Bowers-Schebal, 55, begins her mornings amid the pastoral settings of her goat dairy farm in Austinburg, Ohio. This small rural town, home to fewer than 600 residents, serves as the starting point for her day before she heads to her bridal shop, Formality Bridal, just a short drive away in Geneva.

Discover how she balances the challenges of farm life with running her bridal shop, and find out how she built a thriving business from scratch, despite initially having "no experience."

Blending Farm Life And Bridal Fashion

Bowers-Schebal tends to her goats and peacocks at sunrise, embracing the farm life. Post farm duties, she shifts her focus to her thriving wedding gown business. Formality Bridal, situated in an expansive 4,000-square-foot space that once housed a church, reflects her entrepreneurial pivot from farming to fashion. "I call it an expensive hobby farm. I suspect it will be a work in progress until the day we leave or die," she told CNBC.

Formality Bridal's Unique Business Model

The bridal shop stands out with its unique business model. Bowers-Schebal purchases discounted, last-season sample gowns from major retailers, offering them to local brides for up to $999. This pricing strategy significantly undercuts the average wedding dress cost. "Slow growth, to me, especially when you’re starting out, is a success," she said. Formality Bridal has already amassed over $313,000 in revenue in the current fiscal year.

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Expansion And Diversification

Bowers-Schebal's entrepreneurial journey includes various business ventures. Before diving into the bridal industry, she and her husband managed a Lake County, Ohio wine shop. Their transition to the bridal shop business was funded by the sale of the wine shop, along with personal savings from a dividend reinvestment plan.

This financial foresight enabled the opening of Formality Bridal's first location in June 2018, CNBC reported. The business's success led to the inauguration of a second branch in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Sustainable Success In Business

Bowers-Schebal defines her success not solely in monetary terms, but also in achieving work-life balance and fulfillment. "We’ve always been able to pay our bills, pay our employees, and then there’s some left for me in my pocket, too," she said.

The growth and profitability of Formality Bridal stand as a testament to her innovative approach and commitment to sustainable entrepreneurship.

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This story is part of a series of features on the subject of success, Benzinga Inspire.

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