Paula Sherwin most definitely has the crafty gene which runs through the female side of her family. Selling crafty products largely produced by her extended family, Paula’s Crafts and Jewellery is located in Tutakimoa, Rarotonga.
Among the women working hard to ensure a steady supply of products for Paula’s Craft and Jewellery are her mother and sister-in-law who make floral ‘ei katu and sew bags, while another sister-in-law manufactures a range of cosmetic skin products. Paula herself produces tie-dyed garments, flower combs and hair pieces, her younger daughter makes a range of resin jewellery, one auntie sews placemats, another is an artist creating playing cards and small canvas paintings!
Prior to starting her Rarotonga-based Cook Island craft business, Paula and her elder daughter managed her mother’s general store in remote Aitutaki where Paula learned retail business skills. Paula’s Crafts and Jewellery is a perfect blend of lifestyle and business – in her “downtime” she can indulge her creative crafts which she can later sell in her shop.
Business also runs in the family – one of Paula’s sons has a business in Aitutaki. A prior recipient of a Business Link Pacific Business Support Grant, he suggested to his mother that she apply for a grant to help with marketing tools to increase sales, and she took his advice.
Making use of BLP’s advisory network to guide her through the online application process and create a business plan was very helpful, particularly useful was help with the business plan. When applying for a Business Support Grant, businesses must select at least one category into which their project fits. With all her suppliers being women, Paula’s project clearly fell into the ‘Inclusion’ category which aims to improve outcomes for under-served sectors of society, like women. Growing her business facilitates Paula’s many suppliers to contribute to their family incomes; they are all women relying on Paula to sell their craft products.
The grant Paula received from BLP has been used for designing and printing brochures which are distributed every Saturday at the local market. As a result, Paula has noticed a marked increase in customers on Mondays and Tuesdays. She has also developed labels for the jewellery she sells, and improved signage for the store. Paula’s Crafts and Jewellery is located off the main road, so a sandwich board on the main road directing foot traffic is a huge help; also a huge help is the oversized sign above the shop entrance so there’s now no excuse for not being able to find her!
“I am really appreciative of the support from BLP. It has been a really big help for my small business and has helped Paula’s Craft and Jewellery to grow. Along the way, with the help of BLP’s representative and business advisor, I have also improved my business skills and developed my understanding of business.”
BLP facilitates access to business advisory services and financial support. To start your journey with BLP, you can self-assess your needs by using the free online tools available to help small- and medium-sized businesses diagnose areas in their businesses that an advisor could improve.
The first step can be the online Business Health Check. You can also check your business’s resilience to respond to crises or climate change challenges on the Business Continuity Planner and the Climate Action Sensor. If you prefer to meet a local BLP representative in person to discuss your business, get in touch with our local partners to arrange a face-to-face Diagnostic.