Amarillo area families now have a local option for special keepsakes to memorialize their loved ones - Heart of Gold Keepsakes. Owner Angelina Rendon is delighted to bring joy and healing to an otherwise difficult situation for her customers.

 

Angelina was no stranger to dealing with grief. While working in the funeral home business, she watched families struggle as they navigated the loss of their loved ones and the expenses involved with saying their goodbyes. She met many people who had a loved one cremated and wanted a piece of jewelry made that included the ashes. There were no local businesses providing that service and it was expensive and limited.

 

Angelina decided to provide more affordable options and set out to learn how to make jewelry and figurines with cremains, photos, or other items people want to keep close to their heart in remembrance. She also makes pet memorials.

 

Gina Woodward at America’s SBDC at West Texas A&M University assisted Angelina with registering her business, getting her sales tax and use permit, and marketing. Angelina now has a website and takes direct orders from her homebased business.

 

To learn more about Heart of Gold Keepsakes, call (806) 206-8992 or visit their website.

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Get to know Angelina and hear her advice for other small business owners in her Q&A!

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1. When did you start your business? I started my business in 2024.

2. Why did you decide to start your business? I wanted people to be able to get a piece of jewelry, or keepsake memorial, of their loved one at a price they could afford.

3. What is your favorite memory in the business? The reaction of my first customer when they came to pick up their Heart of Gold Keepsakes memorial jewelry! We cried together and they shared good memories of their loved one. That makes it all worthwhile.

4. What is the most rewarding part of running a small business? I get to know my clientele on a personal basis.

5. What is the hardest part of running a small business? The hardest part is getting people to know my business is here. The best marketing tool has been word of mouth from friends and social media, but that is slow. I have also tried to make my business more convenient and personal for my customers, but since the pandemic, people prefer to interact less face-to-face. I’m working on better options to accommodate that trend but still maintain the personal.

6. How does the business get to positively impact your community? I get to help people navigate grief and preserve their most treasured memories. The community likes having a local option because a lot of people don't feel comfortable mailing the ashes of their loved ones to another state.

7. Biggest challenge in the business? The biggest challenge is a lot of the funeral homes in town refer their customers to other well-known businesses, which makes it hard to compete with. However, the customer experience is less personal.

8. What makes your business different from your competition? My customers are able to speak directly with me as both the owner and the person who is going to create their keepsakes. My keepsakes are more affordable, and I make it easier for customers to add items or customizations.

9. Best tip for others in business? Be ready to put your “all” into your business.  Then, accept there will be good days and bad days. Take them both… that's what makes a business successful.

10. What’s something you wish someone had told you or that you wish you had learned earlier? One thing I wished I knew beforehand was that it would be a struggle to get it off the ground. Next is to be ready to spend money. Then, also expect there will be both happy and unhappy customers, so be prepared to deal with both. 

11. The “just for fun” question - What is the “best” scar you earned as a kid and how did you earn it? I smashed my index finger in a car door at the age of 5. Lesson learned - don't stick your fingers where they don't belong!