SelectOFALLON Business Spotlight: Vinyl Fun

Stephanie Gunn, the entrepreneurial force behind O’Fallon’s Vinyl Fun, radiates a steadfast belief in nurturing one’s endeavors for success. Her New Year’s resolution resonates with aspiring entrepreneurs: “The grass is only green where you water it.” Business owner Stephanie, along with her husband and two daughters, call O’Fallon home, but Vinyl Fun transcends the city’s borders. What originated as a Facebook group back in 2016, swiftly grew into a comprehensive crafting retail empire with two physical retail hubs – one nestled within O’Fallon and another in South St. Louis County. Collaborating with the SelectOFALLON team has charted a trajectory of growth and expansion for the upcoming year, illuminating the boundless possibilities of passionate entrepreneurship.

So, what made Stephanie such a successful business owner here in O’Fallon? She has quite literally crafted a retail business idea from her commitment to helping others pursue their hobbies of creating personalized vinyl products. Her knack for digital marketing and social media played a pivotal role in skyrocketing her brand’s visibility.

Seven years ago, Stephanie started a Facebook group to connect with other vinyl enthusiasts. She quickly realized a growing demand for heat-transfer vinyl materials used to personalize apparel, drinkware and more. After connecting with a national heat-treated vinyl company, she received exclusive rights as its only authorized reseller in St. Charles County. When Stephanie’s customer requests from her Facebook group doubled in 2016, she started offering porch pick-up from her home to cater to local crafters.

However, success outgrew the confines of Stephanie’s basement. In March 2018, she took a chance on Vinyl Fun’s growing reputation, selecting a brick-and-mortal operation with their inaugural 1,000-square-foot retail space in North O’Fallon. Stephanie’s solid website and social media presence helped her expand by 2,000 square feet, acquiring the neighboring business suite in 2018.

To accommodate burgeoning orders, this acquisition was swiftly followed six months later with the opening of a second location minutes outside of the bustling St. Louis metro in the suburbs of South County.

The turning point arrived in 2021 as online orders surged to nearly a hundred per day during the ongoing Pandemic. With support from the SelectOFALLON team, Stephanie replanted her initial North O’Fallon storefront to a sprawling 5,500-square-foot space along Highway K.

“We already had seeds planted here with our family, so we thought why not grow our business here,” says Stephanie.

The SelectOFALLON team adeptly guided Stephanie through the intricacies of business expansion, leveraging O’Fallon’s Open in the ‘O’ initiative to secure a prime location with direct access to Interstate 70, which was convenient for all her St. Louis-area customers. In fact, Stephanie is currently working with the team once again to utilize their resources and expertise as Vinyl Fun continues to grow its business in O’Fallon.

Stephanie’s acumen lies not only in selling heat-transfer vinyl (still one of her biggest sellers) but in listening to her customers, pivoting her strategies and aligning her business expertise with her customers’ evolving needs. O’Fallon’s Vinyl Fun showcases Stephanie’s unyielding commitment, strength and the endless possibilities that come from pursuing your dreams. As she treads the path of expansion once more, her methods remain unwavering: taking chances, trusting the process, and leaning on SelectOFALLON to assist in crafting success from her passion and persistence.