Ellensburg Family-owned Preschool Pivots to E-commerce During Pandemic
Melissa Gillaspy, founder and lead teacher at Jack and Jill's House Preschool, opened the doors in 2008 with the help of her husband, Jacob. The school opened to provide a quality preschool experience for local children and, to date, has taught more than 500 students across academic programs during the school year and nature camps in the summer months.
In 2020, the Gillaspys launched Jack and Jill’s Kits 4 Kids as an innovative way to provide learning materials to families of children unable to attend school in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The themed kits helped reach students at home and were an effective adaptation that helped the family business stay afloat by creating new revenue streams.
Gillaspy shares the credit for the growth they have found in recent years with the assistance received from the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
The Washington SBDC, a part of the SBA Resource Partner Network, is a network of more than 40 advisors in more than two dozen communities across the state working to help owners and entrepreneurs who want to start, grow, buy, or sell a business. SBDC advisors provide one-on-one, confidential, no-cost advising on all phases of small business development and offer no-cost or low-cost workshops on various business topics and customized market research services.
When Gillaspy first met with her SBDC advisor, she had ideas for the new learning kits but no experience in marketing and selling retail products. Through one-on-one assistance, Gillaspy was able to strategize the financial aspects of the new venture, plan for the inventory of supplies, develop a social media presence, and create a website with e-commerce capabilities.
“I have received so much valuable help from the SBA by working with the SBDC on so many levels,” Gillaspy said. “There are so many challenges when you run a business and learn new things. The opportunity to speak with someone with the experience and the resources to help is a powerful asset for any small business.”
Since launching Jack and Jill’s Kits 4 Kids, what was initially a learning tool for local students has expanded to reach families nationwide, even some overseas, through a nonprofit organization in Ghana. The company has already outgrown the initial storage space for its Kits 4 Kids product line, and they are building a shop to accommodate the growth in consumer demand. Now with three children of their own, the Gillaspy’s Kits 4 Kids side of the business has become a true family-run operation, with all three children taking responsibility in different areas, including product design, testing, and quality control.
In addition to her work as a preschool educator, Gillaspy gives back to her community by donating free learning kits and educational materials to low-income families and offering free or reduced tuition to families facing financial hardship. Outside of her own classroom, Gillaspy works with the Ellensburg School District Early Learning Group to provide free training and materials for fellow early childhood educators.
In May 2023, Jack and Jill’s House was named the SBA Seattle District Rural Small Business of the Year.