December 12, 2022
This paid production is sponsored by the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.
I found Paul and Desiree Osborne to be a perfect match, both in life and in business.
“There are a lot of things that we really believe in,” said Paul. “We love to laugh and are really goofy most of the time, but also very serious. We love doing business together.”
Together, “Entrepreneurship is in our blood,” added Desiree.
While living in Michigan where we both grew up, we’ve launched multiple businesses over the past few years. One is Help You Advance, which focuses on website development, graphic design, and social media management. Another is a handmade tea business called Tea Soulution.
“In 2020, everything shut down and we were strictly doing all of this,” Desiree says. There are many.”
Their research took them to South Dakota, where they learned about the state’s culture and the size of its various towns, so they headed west to pack up an old ambulance and truck they use for their tea business at the event.
“We looked into everything and it wasn’t that the state was shut down, just the idea that it was a safe place and we liked the cost of living and taxes. Everything made sense to us,” Paul said. said. “We didn’t have a lot of tie-downs, so we didn’t have to stay there. We can run the business and do whatever we want, so we did it.”
They sold almost all of their belongings before leaving Michigan about a year ago.
“We just wanted a fresh start,” says Desiree. “We thought, what’s the worst that could happen, do we come here and hate it? Or start over and start a new adventure.”
Reality was somewhere in between at first. Initially they found a place to live in Bridgewater. I liked the size of the community and its location between Mitchell and Sioux Falls.
However, the house they planned to rent did not work out.
“We were here one day and had to find another place,” said Paul. “It was either going back to Michigan.”
They were invited to stay at someone’s house until they finally found a place to live which happened in Colton.
“The most pleasant surprise was how warm and welcoming everyone was,” said Desiree. “I am in a women’s Bible study group.
Their business is also in the spotlight in the Sioux Falls metropolitan area. Help You Advance got off to a good start with help from local clients. “Just want to help us, order, share, help us grow. It’s been amazing.”
She and other local handmade business owners launched their first farmers market in Colton this summer. Tea Soulution does business online, but it’s important to talk one-on-one with a customer.
“It’s heat for your body and soul,” Desiree explained. It’s a crystal.”
Now they’re taking the next step as business owners in South Dakota. We opened a store in downtown Dell Rapids and named it “Meeting Nook.”
“We plan to have a lot of small events. Of course, we want to sell tea, have tea parties, Bible studies, and so on,” Paul said.
They hope to open soon while they finalize plans.
Desiree says she discovered the benefits of tea after giving birth to her now 14-year-old son and nearly dying.
“We haven’t been sick in 14 years,” she said. “God has given us medicinal herbs and we have no choice but to utilize them. So we put together a blend for sleep and stress so that when we start getting sick it doesn’t turn into a full-blown scenario.” , we have something called Rapid Recovery, and we want it to be a business that people come in and breathe out of, like a hideout.”
They also determined how teas were blended to address specific ailments and create custom products.
As for his son, “He likes it here more than it does in Michigan,” Paul said. “He said he doesn’t want to go back. He likes people. He played football for the first time. He has several jobs.
It was great, Desiree agreed. “I think there are more opportunities for younger kids. I got the.”
Jesse Fonkert, president and CEO of the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance, said the family’s experience is a strong example of the opportunities that exist in the Sioux Falls metropolitan area.
“I am very happy that the Osborne family has discovered the benefits of living and doing business in our metro community,” he said.
“They are already making positive changes as new residents.
According to the Osbornes, that was the most rewarding part of the transfer.
“This is a good story about us, but we also have a good story to tell about the people of South Dakota,” said Paul. “They were great.”
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