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Carrollwood: Almost on a whim, store owners expand
By SHERYL KAY CARROLLWOOD -- In the past 18 months, Melissa Helms and Veronica Bermudez have learned that the old adage is indeed very true: Give a person an inch and she will surely take a yard. But this is about business, not greed. The two owners of Keep Me In Stitches, the sewing accessories and educational center at 14833 N Dale Mabry Highway, have watched their business skyrocket since its opening in June of 2000. When they last spoke with the St. Petersburg Times in March, the women reported great success, but said they wished to grow the business only at the Carrollwood store. To quote another adage: Never say never. Helms and Bermudez wound up opening a store in the Westshore area. "We had people driving to Carrollwood from Apollo Beach, Riverview, St. Pete, and they almost demanded it," Helms said. "Then two competitors down (in south Tampa) decided to retire and go out of business, so we thought gosh, this is a perfect time. We didn't really do any market study. We just went on instinct." The decision to expand came in August, and less than two months later the new store opened at 4237 W Kennedy Blvd. "We had a wonderful contractor who turned the place around in 30 days, and our suppliers were very happy with us and worked with us to make it happen very quickly," said Helms. While a few of the teachers are unique to the new location, the inventory and class offerings are similar to those in Carrollwood. Sales and class registration have exceeded her and Bermudez's expectations. "The support has been overwhelming," Helms said. "It's been stronger down there in the beginning than it was up here in the beginning, but that's probably because we were starting fresh up here." Nor has business suffered in Carrollwood, Helms said. "We still have continued growth in north Tampa. Sewers love what they do, and they drive from Lutz, and Brooksville, and Spring Hill, to be with other sewers, to get ideas, see new products and take classes." Understandably, she will not commit to growth plans down the road. "We're keeping very busy with the two stores now, so we'll have to figure it out as time goes on."
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From the Times |
