By: Nicole Babauta
Center Director/Certified Small Business Adviser
CNMI SBDC
Mrs. Diana Benavente Hocog was born and raised in
Saipan and moved to Rota in January 2017 as her husband’s career progressed.
Since her younger years, Diana had always loved fashion. She traveled to many
different cities and enjoyed shopping. Her love for boutiques grew more and
more as she was able to find quality clothing that were both affordable and
fashionable for years to come. After moving to Rota and falling in love with
the island, Diana quickly realized how challenging it was to find clothing. Diana
asked herself, “Why not share my love for quality and affordable clothing with
the people of Rota?” And so she decided to start her business – JD’s Boutique.
JD’s Boutique is located in Sinapalo II (the former Rainbow Store) and is
opened from Monday through Friday from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. The boutique
offers a wide range of clothing and accessories for men, women, and children of
all ages and sizes. Additionally, JD’s Boutique seeks to bring creative
experiences to the families of Rota to include our most recent Mother’s Day Tea
and Cupcake Event and Ship, Shop & Style.
When asked, “What was the start up process like?” Mrs.
Hocog shares, “The start-up process was the most fun because it was a time for
me to begin shopping for what I was going to sell in the boutique. Everything
was falling into place faster than anticipated.” Mrs. Hocog shares that one of
her biggest challenges was learning and understanding the tax payments and
procedures; however, after working with the Rota Tax and Revenue Division she
was able to get her questions answered.
The CNMI SBDC assisted Mrs. Hocog by providing
resources and one-to-one business advising. Mrs. Hocog has following advice for
others who want to start their business, “Visit your CNMI SBDC and share your
ideas. They will be able to guide you in the right direction in making your
dream of opening up your own business become a reality!”
Diana shares that her most memorable triumph includes
the endless smiles and positive feedback that customers have on their faces as
they visit JD’s Boutique with the ability to try on clothing before purchasing.
Her long term goal is to host a fashion show that will be fun and unique for
the people of Rota.
