Progreso Latino Fund Small Business Spotlight: Paola’s Flower Shop
The following profile is the first of a series of spotlights by the Progreso Latino Fund on small businesses in the Greater New Haven Latine community. It is based on an interview conducted with Paola Ortiz in Spanish.
Paola Ortiz was born in Mexico and now lives in New Haven where she runs a flower shop from her home. She created the gorgeous flower arrangements for the Progreso Latino Fund’s 20th Anniversary Campaign Kick Off event at Bregamos Community Theater.
Ortiz started Paola’s Flower Shop in 2013 after seeing the need for a florist in her community. She has always loved making crafts with her hands, and arranging flowers came naturally for her. She sees flower arrangements as being an art form. The majority of her designs come straight from her imagination, a talent, she explains, that was given to her by God.
Ortiz made her first sales to friends and neighbors seeking flowers on Valentine’s Day, and has maintained her business for a decade through word of mouth and connections. At the beginning, her motivation came entirely from within herself. Seeing the final arrangements would bring her a sense of pride in her work. That sense, and the feeling of surprise after creating an original arrangement, continue to motivate her to this day. Now, she has the added appreciation of her regular and new clients. Ortiz loves seeing their reactions and receiving their thank you notes. Her clients say she makes different flower arrangements than anyone they know in the United States.
Paola’s Flower Shop creates flower arrangements for parties, churches, funerals, weddings, quinceaneras, Valentine's day, and any other occasion that need flowers. Most clients are within Connecticut, however, Ortiz recently got a new client that’s paying for her trip to California!
Paola’s Flower Shop Facebook page and phone number, 203-645-3366, are the best methods of contact. Ortiz speaks only Spanish. For clients who speak only English, call 203-214-1385.
