As a busy working mother of five, Mayra Nicolas was always on the go. Being in banking management meant Nicolas was working long hours six days a week. She thought to herself, “Why am I working so hard for someone else when I can work as hard for myself?” Being her own boss meant Nicolas would have more flexibility in her schedule and be more present in her family’s life.
When not working, Nicolas was busy attending birthday parties, baptisms, and other family events. She learned many in her community were shopping in downtown Los Angeles for party supplies for these celebrations, and saw the opportunity to bring DTLA shopping to the east side of Los Angeles County. Party For Less was conceived, but Nicholas knew she needed more than a good idea to achieve success as an entrepreneur.
Nicolas sought help from SBDC Business Advisor Claudia Shah for help integrating business planning and organization into her business idea. Shah helped Nicolas focus on supplying her inventory levels at the best possible price points and creating additional avenues of revenue online.
Currently, Party For Less is seeing measurable success. Nicolas has purchase accounts at the same price point as wholesale vendors to compete more effectively. She expanded into the online retail marketplace to connect with more customers through her e-commerce platform, which the SBDC helped implement. Party For Less has also increased their product line offerings and is now answering the need for customized items.
Mayra Nicolas strongly recommends working with Claudia Shah and the SBDC, “It’s a great relationship. They help with everything. Any question. It’s not just a business relationship, it’s help on a personal level too.”
