When Kim Gibson had to pick a name for her new business in the Marina Village on Paradise Island, she decided to honor the two people she most admires - her parents. Hard work, perseverance and consistency made them role models for her latest foray into the business world.

"My parents, William and Ivis, built their first business - Carey Fabric and Department Store on Mackey Street - about 50 years ago," she told Guardian Business. "They will come out every day to the store and display a strong work ethic, so I wanted to pay tribute to them."

Last weekend, Gibson held a launch party for Will & Ives, a boutique clothing shop that is now the exclusive distributor of designer brands Diesel and Juicy Couture. Complete with music, magicians, balloons and models, the Marina Village store offered discounts and catered to Bahamians and tourists alike.  What makes the store unique, she said, apart from her drive to keep prices low, is the fact no other store in Nassau sells these particular brands.

She hopes the introduction of Will & Ives will mean more diversification on the current retial landscape, and particularly for Marina Village and Atlantis. At the moment, she added, the area is mostly populated with jewelry stores and clothing and accessory stores that are very high end. While designer in their own right, Diesel and Juicy Couture are on the more affordable end - an offering she hopes the public will respond to.

"If you compare with Gucci or Cartier, you're looking at $1,000 a bag," she said.

"I think our niche has helped us. It's easier to spend $250 than $1,000. It's refreshing and people are excited to see something different in Marina Village."

Likewise, Gibson has also observed a different kind of customer. With the rise of Copa Airlines and direct flights to Panama, she told Guardian Business there has been a noticeable surge in Spanish-speaking customers. She noted there has been a "tremendous change in the tourist", and fortunately, one of her eight employees speaks Spanish.

In terms of business, while last weekend marked the grand opening, Gibson pointed out the store has been open since the end of September. "Things were slow," she admitted.

"But we were surprised we were still holding our own, as it's a slow time for the tourism market. We didn't do any marketing locally."

That is now set to change, however, beginning with the recent launch party and continuing into the busy winter season. Since September, she called sales "quite good" and the business is looking forward to Thanksgiving Weekend, with Atlantis expecting high occupancy and as locals and tourists up their spending before Christmas.

As the major shareholder in the business, Gibson explained there are other investors and securing financing from the bank was necessary. She explained this process, like for so many aspiring entrepreneurs, is "a bit of a challenge".

Without security, obtaining the needed capital in this current marketplace is very difficult, she said, as financial institutions need to know they can recoup the funds if the project goes belly up. But in tackling this problem, she referred once more to diligence and perseverance - both traits that will continue to live on through her parents.

"Even with security, you must be diligent and stay the course," she said.
"You can't get discouraged. Stay focused and be determined to see the project through to the end."

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