JNSBL client Karlene Campbell-Blair (right) adjusts a suit on a customer at her bridal store, Angels Bridal in May Pen, Clarendon. Campbell-Blair runs a bridal store, a flower shop and a clothes shop in the May Pen Market.
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 23 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. Whether it is her clothes store in the market, her flowers store on Newcastle Plaza or her bridal shop in Bargain Village, she has been able to survive because she keeps her businesses separate and apart from each other.
“Yes, I have three distinct businesses. Here (Angels Bridal store at Bargain Village) deal with weddings. I have the clothes store at the market; the flowers store has wholesale flowers and wreaths… I differentiate the businesses,” she said as she made herself comfortable on a couch under a gazebo in her store. “If I borrow from Flower Superstore for Angels Bridal, then Angel Bridal will have to pay back Floral Superstore.”
Mrs. Campbell-Blair’s businesses currently employ five people and she is actively trying to hire another person. The sluggish economy has also forced her to become savvy when it comes to gauging her customers’ needs.
“You have to be smart,” she explained as she changed position on the couch. “You have to work with the season. I have to work with graduation in order to get money to pay my bills and buy back goods. I have to work with Valentines in order to catch up with stiff January. So, you have to work with the seasons to survive.”
Mrs. Campbell-Blair’s claim of working with the seasons was evident during the interview as her store was packed with Valentine’s Day gift baskets as well as other items associated with the day. Although she has been working with the seasons to ensure she remains relevant, Mrs. Campbell-Blair forays into business was for her, realizing her God-given talents of managing money, doing floral arrangements and planning weddings.
“It is not me because I’m kinda in the streets, so is definitely not me. As I say, is a God given gift. I don’t even know what led me to, believe me. Because is not something that I get up and plan, is a total God-given gift because I don’t know anything about wedding,” she confessed.
The 50-year-old mother of three started out in the floral business in 2006 after visiting Los Angeles and decided to arrange pieces of left-over flower cuts from a store to imitate a centre piece she had seen in another store. When a close friend died, she decided to make a wreath for him. From there, she entered into the floral business and has supplied weddings, funerals and various events around the island with her products and services from inside her shop in the market. She later took that venture to a plaza on Main Street before moving to her current location. She was happy to display some of her floral arrangements and wreaths during the interview.
Campbell-Blair ventures, however, would not have been possible had it not been for several JN Small Business Loans. She said someone introduced her to JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL) in 2000 and from then on she has been a beneficiary and as used the loans wisely to fund her businesses. For example, it was another loan from JNSBL that allowed her to start her floral shop. Again in 2011 when she wanted to branch out into the bridal shop, it was similar loan from JNSBL that came to her aid.
Opening the bridal shop had its share of challenges as she was intimidated by the size of the store in the beginning. The small business owner shared that the store remained half-empty for four months after opening until another JN Small Business Loan helped her to buy additional items.
“For graduation you would call your Loan Officer and say I want $200,000 and they wouldn’t hesitate. Because when I make money in Christmas, I pay ahead of so when January reach and things gets sticky, I’m good. Then, I close it off and then you can get it to meet graduation again because that’s what I’m doing,” she said.
“I met JN from I was in the market and I’ve been with JN for 14 years now. JN Business has been good and given big benefits to me. You can reach just about anywhere and everywhere with JN. You just have to pay your loan on time.”
Mrs. Campbell-Blair’s Loan Officer, Tameka McDonald says the entrepreneur was a good client and they have a good working relationship.
“She is very disciplined and hardworking. She dreams big and because of this she is able to move ahead with her goals even when things don’t seem to be going well,” McDonald said. “You can live on her word. If she says she is going to do something she will do it. We’ve had a good relationship over the years and together we are always working to come up with solutions that benefit the both of us.”
Meanwhile, Philip Bernard, General Manager at JNSBL commended Mrs. Campbell-Blair for her hard work and dedication to entrepreneurship.
“Her spirit and desire to do well represent the type of vision and commitment to quality that we want to see. We have enjoyed a good relationship with her over the years and we look forward to continue working with her to growing her businesses,” Mr. Bernard added.
Since opening the store, she has planned weddings for many persons in May Pen as well as in other parts of the island. She has a pastor, a network of photographers and videographers and a gazebo in her store for small weddings. Her store is filled with different style wedding dresses, suits and comes with all outfits and accessories needed for a bridal party. She however goes out of town to do weddings as well. Campbell-Blair also attributes customer satisfaction and understanding her willingness to plan a wedding for them regardless of their budget as one of the reasons she has remained in business.
“Suppose somebody want to get married tomorrow morning? We have dress; we have jacket suit, and the pastor. You say to them alright give me $50,000 and you take your pay from it. You take pay for the dress; you pay the pastor and don’t even charge for the location because you are getting other income from it. So you make sure they are comfortable in whatever price you give to them. You can’t go overboard and then you don’t have them any at all. ,” she said.
Although possessing sound business acumen, Mrs. Campbell-Blair’s life has not been easy. She did not have formal education having gone through a total of 10 schools by the time she was 18. She also had to leave her mother’s house to live with her father’s side of family because of an abusive stepfather who beat her at every opportunity. But for her, going back to school to get certified for her skills would be a waste of time as she does not see herself being able to learn from anyone.
Outside of her businesses, the woman who offers the complete wedding package from her bridal store by offering catering services is passionate about children. She has raised several children outside of her own and continues to school several. For her, helping children is her way of giving God thanks.
“What I want to do is spend what I earn on Children. That is my goal. It nuh really matter who the child belongs to as long as what I earn goes to children,” she said. “If I die tomorrow morning part of my insurance money would have to go to children. Not my children, other people children ‘cause when I grow up it was so rough you would a never imagine.”
