Ventura local, Wendy Wood, turned a family tradition into a successful business when she turned a rotating ornament into a Spin Shades light.

“Spin shades are an update of an antique Christmas ornament that has been in our family for over 60 years. We changed the design of it and the changes we made we patented,” said Wood, co-owner and creator of Spin Shades.

Their most popular and best product has been their night light. The light shades sit on top of a pin and the heat from the bulb make the shades rotate. The rotation and shade that have cut-out shapes make a unique decorative light.

Various artists create different shades based on new trends; more than 300 different shades make it easy for customers to find the perfect night light for themselves.

In business for over 16 years, Spin Shades has flourished, going from just a local business, to selling the lights to store nationwide.

Although the lights are sold all over the country, they are mainly sold to boutique stores.

“We do target boutique shops primarily because they will display the product properly,” said Wood. “If you don’t display the product lit and moving then people won’t understand what they do,” said Wood.

Wood had also stated that selling their product to boutique stores also targets a customer looking for a special gift.

Although the economic downturn was difficult for Spin Shades, inexpensive online marketing and creating custom shades helped the company stay afloat while other gift companies sank. Even though Wood has lost 40% of her stores, the company is still hanging on.

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