Kari Smith

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell 

Published in the Financial Post

 July 28, 2008

Kari Smith owns and operates Elite Party Rentals (www.elitepartyrentals.ca), a company that supplies cake and provides other services for every type of wedding. Elite Party Rentals is located in Moonstone, Ontario . Kari Smith tells the Financial Post what motivated her to become an entrepreneur.

Early start: "I grew up in farming country, in a close-knit community. My father runs his own furniture shop in Paris , Ontario . Our next-door neighbors started a printing shop, and as a teen, I worked there. " 

Fun baking: "After my last child was old enough, I could have returned to my corporate bank job. Since I enjoyed baking and decorating cakes so much, my husband suggested I start selling them."

Opportunities: "Word spread about my cakes for weddings, showers, birthdays. My husband urged me to invest in supplies and equipment for transport. Now, we offer everything to stage a wedding -  consulting, rentals, or we provide the services ourselves."

Far-flung reputation: "Small weddings start at $2,000. Large ones (up to four-hundred people) run between $30,000 and $80,000. I get a lot of referrals. Brides as far away as Japan and Australia contact me to handle their weddings here." 

Happy marriage: "As the business grew, my husband Ken quit his job as a long-haul truck driver and now works with me. Together sixteen years, we make a good team."  

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