Woman: Flower business started from selling scones

 MANY successful businesses start  small – such as a flower and clothing shop at the Vision City megamall which started from the sale of scones and ice-block. 

Cathy Tumba, 53, from Kabiufa in Goroka tells of how her older sister Margret Mangae, now a businesswoman, started off the family business.

“We started off from selling scones and ice-block on the streets. We are now running a flower and clothing business,” Tumba said.

After selling scones and ice-block for some time and saving enough money, they established a flower farm and started to sell flowers. 

They sold flowers to individuals and business houses and saved enough to expand into a clothing business, now trading as PNG Meri-blouse. 

They rent a booth at the Vision City Mall in Port Moresby for K5000 a month to run the business.

They have other outlets in the city. They sell meri-blouse, shoes, caps, shirts and shorts. 

All the clothing are brought from overseas by Mangae – except for the meri-blouses which they sew on their small embroidery warehouse at Bomana Police College. 

Mangae registered their business with the Investment Promotion Authority under Unami (U na mi) Flowers, from which PNG meri-blouse operates. 

She is happy with where they are currently and their daily earnings depend on how many customers they get daily. 

Business is okay but sometimes they make less than the rent they pay. 

But the flower business supports them.

Tumba urges women to get out of their homes and pursue such small businesses to support themselves and their families.