By:
Mae Acain
Student
Intern
University
of Guam
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L-R : Kallen Perez, Laura Cepeda (Owner),
Father Edivaldo da Silva, Flora-Rose Weakley (Owner)
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Flora-Rose Weakley and
Laura Cepeda, proud owners of Neni & Me, attended college in Hawaii
together where they built a friendship that eventually led them to a business
partnership. As college students, they shared the same business courses and
participated in school organizations and business events that sparked their
interest in entrepreneurship. Weakley and Cepeda both managed to gain knowledge
about business through their education. Weakley has a Bachelor’s Degree in
Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education and Cepeda has
a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Professional Masters in Business
Administration. They both also have experience in the retail industry. Weakley
has worked in retail stores such as Gap Kids Inc., Fantastic Shots, and other
small retail outlets. Cepeda worked in the popular children’s store Gymboree
and also amongst other specialty shops in the busiest and most prominent
shopping center in Hawaii. Attending school and residing in Hawaii helped them find
inspiration and gain knowledge from well-known mainland companies and business
owners. When they returned to Guam, they decided to open up a business of their
own. Cepeda and Weakley stated, “We wanted to have a business that would serve
a need in the community, one that would foster growth and provide something for
mothers like us on island.”
Just like any other
business, starting Neni & Me had its obstacles. For the owners, their
biggest challenge was finding time to focus on the business. Weakley and Cepeda
stated, “We both had our hands full being mothers, working full-time, operating
the business, and working to fit our customers’ personal schedules. However,
everything came full circle and God had provided us with the means to juggle
our demands.” With the help of the Small Business Development Center, they
managed to make their vision come to life. Guam SBDC helped them understand
necessary avenues to take and precautions when opening a business on Guam. Neni
& Me was funded through personal investments. They started the business as
an online-based company for the convenience it provided for mothers and it was
both simple and cost-saving. Speaking from their personal experiences, they
gave those who want to venture into business simple, yet encouraging advice:
“Utilize your resources and do your research first before diving in. Also,
remember the mission of your business or your passion that drove it. This is
important because you will get caught up in the operations of the business that
you may forget why you started. Never lose focus and stay motivated even when
obstacles present themselves.”
As the business
flourished, Weakley and Cepeda see their biggest triumph to be the joy they
feel when mothers thank them for the help and service their business has
brought. They went on to say, “The most rewarding thing about our business is
serving our mommies. It truly is a joy.” Overtime, they hope to
reach more mothers who have not heard about their business and what it has to
offer. They want to continue to help educate mothers and provide them with
resources as they go through a precious time in their lives. They encourage mothers to continue to look out
for what they have to offer in the future and they guarantee to keep things
interesting.
To view Neni & Me’s product line, visit their
website at www.neniandme.com
or contact them at 671-777-1330 or 671-727-0070 or e-mail info@neniandme.com.
