Women Owned Businesses Around the Heritage Corridor Spotlight: Anna Aimaro

Around the Heritage Corridor, we have several amazing antique and boutique shops to explore. In Downtown Morris, Betty’s is a clothing and home décor boutique. This shop specializes in clothing and accessories, as well as vintage home décor and vinyl record albums.

The owner, Anna Aimaro, grew up with parents who owned an antique shop, and would spend her summers and vacations working there. Once she received her bachelor’s degree in Fashion Marketing and Management, she found herself owning her own shop years later.

Betty’s has been open for almost 8 years. Although she grew up in Minooka, IL, she always enjoyed downtown Morris and knew this was where she wanted her shop to be.

“I love having the freedom to make my own hours and close for holidays,” Anna says. “But I really love my customers that come in often and hearing about their lives and their day, and having those conversations with them.”

However, owning your own business isn’t always easy. Anna expresses that there’s many variables that you have to take into considerations during slow days.

2020 was a challenging year for most. Many businesses struggled day by day to stay open. I asked Anna about her struggles when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how she has been able to manage her shop during these times.

“Well, we were closed for a while and things have definitely slowed down day to day. But we are just pushing through and happy to still be here downtown. We wear our masks and have hand sanitizer out as you walk in,” Anna says. “From a sales point, we have had to try to focus on putting more online, so that customers can ship from home. We will always ship out for our customers.”

Betty’s is one of the many women owned businesses in the area, allowing her to build bonds with the other women. Anna points out that being unique is the way to stand out. “I really try to do something different in my store than anyone else does. There is something for everyone in here for sure,” says Anna.

For the future of Betty’s, Anna plans to start working on a website, and hopefully start incorporating live videos.

To learn more about Betty’s, visit www.hcdestinations.com/Shopping/Bettys