Natalie Orozco had such a good time dressing her children that she started a business to help other people dress theirs.
About 2 1/2 months ago, Orozco and her husband, Ramiro Orozco, opened Pollywogs resale children's apparel boutique at 3520 E. Grant Road.
In planning the business, Natalie drew upon experiences during her 10 years as a stay-at-home mother. Pollywogs buys and resells clothes, toys and accessories such as strollers and car seats.
Shopping for her children convinced Natalie that Tucson needed more stores for mothers who want to dress their children stylishly while staying within a budget.
"I loved name-brand clothes, name-brand equipment," Orozco said. "But because I was a stay-at-home mom, I couldn't afford them."
She opened Pollywogs to cater to parents like her. The store allows parents to be frugal while shopping for the pricier, well-known brands that Orozco favors, including Gymboree and BabyGap.
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The Orozcos also want their store to serve as a social oasis for stay-at-home moms looking for a stress-free opportunity to shop or hold a conversation with another grown-up.
"It's a sweet, bright store," said Nancy Barber, who owned a store that catered to Tucson children for about 20 years and helped advise the Orozcos. "They take really good quality merchandise."
The idea for Pollywogs began about seven years ago. Natalie Orozco was impressed by the number and quality of children's resale boutiques that she visited in San Diego and San Francisco. However, Tucson parents seemed to have only a couple of options, she said.
Natalie hunted for kids' clothing bargains on eBay, but shipping costs deterred her.
The couple's visits to stores in other states convinced them that their store must be friendly to both mothers and children.
Pollywogs keeps many of its toys at floor level, and children are encouraged to pick them up and play.
"The kids are what it's about," Natalie Orozco said.
Aisles are designed to be wide enough for parents with strollers. The Orozcos said parents sometimes shop to escape the isolation of being at home with the kids, and they look forward to socializing with adults.
Full of ideas for their store, last year the Orozcos sold their house, moved into an apartment and invested the proceeds from the home sale in Pollywogs.
When her courage ebbed, Ramiro pushed Natalie to move forward with her plan. He quit his job at a car dealership to help staff the store.
While the Orozcos believed they knew what customers would want, they were less certain about some of the behind-the-scenes details of opening a business.
The found it challenging to find a space to lease, and they've learned a lot about accounting and inventory, they said.
Among the people they counted on for advice was Barber, who owned Toy Traders-Stork's Nest in Tucson for about 20 years. Barber knew the Orozcos from when they were children and their parents shopped at her store.
Barber and the Orozcos talked about advertising, hiring employees, and how Barber started her business, Barber said. She called the Orozcos "wonderful" people and said she is impressed with their work.
The store also has allowed Natalie to indulge her love of shopping. Although the Orozcos' son and daughter are now ages 4 and 11, Natalie wanted to keep on buying baby clothes. Now she can.
"Business has been going very good," Ramiro Orozco said. "We've been really, really busy, and people have been treating us very well."
SEE on the job / D5
Names: Natalie and Ramiro Orozco
Ages: 30 and 29
Job: Owners, Pollywogs, 3250 E. Grant Road
Friday On the Job focuses on the people who make Tucson businesses run — those who are in charge, keep a business running, are just starting out or hire workers.