There is SO much to the story at The Sweet Spot Highland! This is a second store for owners Dylan Richter and Ryan Kirby. Dylan was a college basketball player at Wash U and then worked for a while for the Globetrotters. He learned how their business was organized and well thought out after almost 100 years. Dylan then worked in Chicago, helping to launch DoorDash in the Chicago market. He learned so much in working with both of these organizations.

When he decided to open his original store after landing in Hillsboro, IL, he recruited his friend Ryan to help him. Ryan had been working as a corrections officer and wanted something more. After success in Hillsboro, Ryan and Dylan made the decision to expand to the Highland Market. One of their marketing plans to draw business includes doing a golden ticket program with the Highland Bulldogs. They actually found that they sold more of these bars outside of the store than what was sold inside.

The Sweet Spot has a broad market catering to many moms with smaller children and lots of older folks who enjoy the nostalgia of a candy store. Whether its the latest TIkTok sensation, bulk candy, specailty cheesecake and truffles or vintage candy, it really is a destination.

They are finding success with a few key ways they manage their store:
- The full time employees get a 1% bonus for sales. This helps them with buy in and engagement. They welcome feedback from any part time staff.
- Most of their marketing is done through social media. They watch for trends to know what new items might sell well. They typically launch new products in the Hillsboro location and then bring it to Highland.
- Inventory was a huge challenge in the beginning. They started without barcodes and realized quickly those had to be added.
- They would love to expand in the future with a potential opportunity to franchise in the future. They are looking for smaller towns to keep that small town feel.

Thank you so much for making this a great morning with our students!!!

-