People Feature
Karlene Blair
Entrepreneur
"Doing Business The Right Way "
In 1991, Karlene Campbell-Blair quit her job as a cook at a fast food restaurant to start her own business. At the time she had only $3,500, which she used to buy items of clothing, toiletries and other accessories to put in her shop in the May Pen Market. Now almost 24 years later, Mrs. Campbell-Blair operates three small businesses at separate locations in May Pen.
The 50-year-old mother of three admits that her time as a small business operator has been anything but easy. She expressed that between her clothing store in the market, the flower store in Newcastle Plaza, or her bridal shop in Bargain Village, she has been able to survive due to the fact that she keeps her businesses separate and apart from each other.
Click here to read more
“I have three distinct businesses. Angels Bridal store at Bargain Village deals with weddings. Then, there is the clothing store in the market; and the Flower Superstore, which wholesales flowers and wreaths. I differentiate between these businesses,” she said, as she made herself comfortable on a couch under a gazebo in her flower shop. “If I borrow from the Flower Superstore for Angels Bridal, then Angel Bridal will have to pay back Floral Superstore,” she stipulated.
Mrs. Blair’s businesses currently employ five sales persons; and, she is actively trying to hire a sixth person. The sluggish economy has also forced her to become savvy when it comes to gauging her customers’ needs.
“You have to be smart,”
“You have to work with the changing seasons. I work with graduation season in order to get money to pay my bills and buy back goods. I have to work with Valentine’s Day in order to catch up with stiff January. So, you need to work with the seasons to survive.”
The 50-year-old mother of three started out in the floral business in 2006, after visiting Los Angeles, California in the USA; and decided to arrange left-over flower cuts from a store to imitate a centre piece she had seen. After a close friend died, she decided to make a wreath for him. From there, she entered into the floral business; and since then has supplied weddings, funerals and various events across the island.
Mrs. Campbell-Blair's ventures, however, would not have been possible had it not been for a decision to seek loans to grow her business. She was introduced to JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL) in 2000 and from then on, she has been a beneficiary who used the loans wisely to expand her businesses. One loan from JNSBL allowed her to open her floral shop. Again in 2011, when she wanted to branch out into the bridal shop, it was JNSBL that she sought for assistance.