-Kidult Factory
How did you start this business?
I (Yang Yong-su: the first founder) opened a street stall and sold many accessories and figures in a small space in the Hanok Village. At first, I enjoyed running it and it gradually gained popularity among youth. I expanded my business with Choi Han-sol, the first co-worker. However, we recognized that we had many limitations like a poor location and lack of funds. We sometimes couldn’t sell items due to bad weather and faced harsh conditions. To overcome crisis, we decided to recruit more staff. Though we lacked professional knowledge about business and capital, we were very passionate and had various ideas. We worked on the street by day and discussed problems at night. This way, we could open the Kidult Factory in Hanok Village on January 1st, 2015. The second store is located near the CBNU’s old gate.
What is the meaning of “Kidult Factory” and its slogan?
Kidult Factory is all about our items, concept, and purpose. The items are bracelets made with Legos or figures. Our concept is that we make accessories using materials which customers choose. Also, we provide a DIY (“Do It Yourself”) program in which guests can make items themselves. We think that this program distinguishes us from others. The slogan “We are all Kidult” is a message that we want to share memories of childhood with visitors. Though we are all adults, we have sensibility as a child.
What do you think the features of Kidult Factory are?
We have two distinctive features. First, we have a discussion program on Sundays. We talk about our thoughts and the roles we took on for the week and discuss many projects to develop stores. This is an unconventional meeting. Second is workshopping. We close all stores and go to a workshop once a month. We have a party and talk deeply. Closing stores for a day isn’t easy, but it’s more about teamwork than money.
What are your future plans?
We would like to make places where all kidults can recall happy memories of childhood. Therefore, we recently opened an online store, which is our third store. Our future plan is to expand toward online and mobile business rather than offline. Although challenges are always faced with some danger and fear, we try to achieve our goals through our passion and ideas. We also put plans intopractice and don’t stop with just words.
Do you have anything to tell readers?
If you have a chance or an idea, don’t hesitate. Do what you want to do. If we had hesitated and delayed our actions due to complicated conditions, we would not be where we are today. Nobody can judge the value of your dreams. Do you worry about opportunity costs? If you have passion for your dream, you can do it! We hope that you are a person who can decide and pursue something ambitiously. We try to live like that. We cheer for you and believe that you can achieve the results you want.
Your beginnings will seem humble, but your future will be prosperous. This phrase is appropriate to express their concept. If we are complacent for a long time, we may be afraid of the “new.” How about attempting to take on a challenge like they did?