By: Jhanae Winter
Blaire Percentie, owner of Lulu’s Sugar Rush is determined to become a market leader in the confectionery industry, for the entire Bahamas.
The 28 year old has big visions for her small business. She offers party machine rentals for Hawaiian shaved ice, cotton candy and popcorn. She also provides balloonery services for special occasions.
Blaire started her business in 2017 as another source of income apart from her profession as a teacher. She credits her sister for giving her a reason to this business.
“I found the urge to start LSR in honor of my late sister London Percentie. She was always fond of confectionery items which helped me to form my niche for my business in terms of snow cones and cotton candy rentals”, she said.
Since operation she has expanded her business to providing balloonery services because she developed a love for such decor and arrangements, she said.
The business owner is secure in the progression and growth of her business, but to get where she is now, took time and development. In the infancy stages of her business she expressed feelings of uncertainty, lack of clarity and brand identity, and reached out to others to guide her with their expertise.
“I struggled tremendously with finding the direction I wanted my business to go in. It took a lot of mistakes, research and discourse with persons in the field and business experts to help guide me on the right path,” she said.
However, she has achieved success because of her ability to learn from mistakes and recognize her flaws in business, one of them being time management. For Blaire, having to juggle both her main and side careers was something she had to adjust to; “I had to improve my time management skills colossally”, she said.
Determined for success, Blaire has completed two out of three business goals she set for this year. She told Bahamaslocal.com her three goals are, training and developing her skills, better marketing for her business and time management skills.
“I received training regarding my balloon decor and arrangements and my marketing skills have improved immensely. Before, I was a very lazy marketer, but over the past months I gained an understanding of the importance of marketing and I was able to use strategies that helped me gain new customers and most importantly maintain customer retention,” she said.
She’s joined social media platforms as well, including Instagram and Tiktok to promote her services.
Consistency has been Blaire’s key tool in keeping her business afloat even when the pandemic hit the country. Sales dropped drastically at the beginning, but as time went on things picked back up for her again, remaining at a steady pace.
What she calls a “blessing in disguise” was being featured on two of the nation’s media outlets, ZNS and The Tribune during the pandemic.
Blaire's focus for the future is building her brand and continually improving her skills. She wants to be knowledgeable about all areas of her industry that are constantly changing.
“I would love to receive more training as it relates to the balloonery that I offer. Just like other industries, the balloon industry is ever changing and through research, I find that there are myriads of techniques that I need to learn to help towards the betterment of the services that I provide,” she said.
The pandemic shifted some trends in the confectionery world which allowed Blaire to explore other creative aspects of her business and provide customers with the best experience. She is currently working on developing packages to offer specific intimate decor for homes, restaurants and private events, she said.
This leaves her with no time to reflect on negativity or competition from others in the field. Her focus is her brand and balancing both career paths she's chosen for herself.
“I live by a personal adage that says ‘My focus is to remain focused’. While I do experience some negativity, I try not to internalize it.. Moreover, my aim is to be more peaceful and I find that if I focus on the negativity, it interferes with the peace I want to foster in my life,” she said.
Through all of the changes and learning curves, Blaire has stayed grounded because of her spiritual life. She adheres to one scripture, Deuteronomy 31:6, to guide her in operating her business.
“While it is quite natural for a person to be fearful, especially when I am about to embark on a new task. I must never allow my fear to overshadow my abilities because God will allow things to see through. It also teaches me about trusting the process. Sometimes the process is set a certain way to test my strength and my faith in Him,” she said.
On her journey an aspect Blaire finds easy is researching. Her love for information has given her access to an unlimited amount of knowledge at her fingertips, disclosing various techniques and other related content connected to balloonery.
Because of this she admonishes other millennials wanting to embark upon a journey of entrepreneurship, to research their field of interest. She also believes, having a mentor of such and financial management are of equal importance.
“Industries are ever changing. Through research, one is able to stay abreast with the current trends which can help with customer retention. In addition, it is imperative to find someone in the field that can help with guidance. In having a business, your goal is to maximize profit so that the business can sustain itself. Without proper financial management, this puts your business at serious risk and to a point where one can experience financial loss,” she said.
Find Blaire on Facebook; Lulu’s Sugar Rush and on Instagram @bpercentie
Lulu’s Sugar Rush
