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Business & Tech

Local Woman Sleeping Easier After Launching a Home-Based Business

Tired of a job that didn't pay for childcare and gas, Kelly Saiya-Cork went into business for herself.

Kelly Saiya-Cork sleeps better at night these days—and it's not just because of the great pillows and linens she sells in her home-based business, Private Quarters.

Saiya-Cork, a Saline resident and mother of two, ditched her old job that barely paid for daycare and gas, and in March launched a business of her own that allows her to stay at home with her kids and work on her own schedule.

Saiya-Cork, who has a Masters of Science in Biology from University of Toledo, spent years looking into microscopes in testing labs, determining whether or not household materials were made from asbestos or whether they contained toxic mold. In 2010, she left the field to become a stay-at-home mom for her two children, who are now in first and fifth grade.

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"The testing industry isn't profitable for those doing the actual testing. We were losing money on childcare and gas," said Saiya-Cork, whose husband Kamlai researches lymphoma cancers at the University of Michigan Cancer Center. "Now we are doing better. I'm also much happier since I make my own hours. It is much easier now that the kiddos are full day at school."

Saiya-Cork knew she wanted to go into a home-based business, and had no trouble picking Private Quarters, founded in 2004 by Jeff Stroud, whose family has spent a lifetime perfecting its trade in the textile industry. The company sells high-quality comfort in the form of bed and bath linens, and super-comfy wearables, according to Saiya-Cork.

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"This was the first (business) I truly considered. I needed a product that people needed, but that also brought joy to their lives. Having a beautiful home is something many people desire. Private Quarters allows me to bring quality linens to people. I get to help them with allergy needs and sleep problems," she said. "It is very rewarding when someone can solve their sleep problems with the right pillow."

How does make the transition from cold, hard clinical data to soft and comfy linens? Very comfortably, said Saiya-Cork.

"Seriously, I have always loved linens. As I am much more social than the average science person, this is a much better fit," she said. "This is allowing me to be home with my children. Nothing could be better than that."

Starting a business isn't something she would have imagined a few years ago.

"I never thought of myself as a business woman. However, after being a part of the Saline Jaycees, I found it was a good fit for my personality," she said. "I love interacting with people and getting to know what they need and what they want."

Without a store, interaction with customers isn't frequent. But she tasted it at the Saline Community Fair, where she had a booth in the Merchant Building. She found 40 leads at the fair allone, showing off a product line consisting of everything from sheets and comforters, to yoga pants and fashionable scarves, to capes and sweaters.

While at the fair, Saiya-Cork took home the grand champion ribbon for her booth display. It was not only for the way her booth looked, but  the way she dealt with passers-by, and her genuine enthusiasm for the product.

She says business is catching on.

“I’ve been working with Private Quarters since March, and though it started out slow, things are really starting to pick up,” Saiya-Cork said.

When she's not expanding on her business, she's spending more time with her family in a home that's become more and more comfortable.

To find out more about Private Quarters, request a catalog or host a party, contact Kelly Saiya-Cork at 734-223-8435. Email her at pqicKelly@gmail.com, or visit the website www.privatequartersd.net/8018. Find her on facebook here.

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