Kim Bolufé, stylist and owner of Bolufé, South Florida’s premier independent fashion house carrying the latest in high-end brand names for men and women, specializing in denim, dresses, shirts and accessories, was recently featured in Monday’s Business section of the Sun Sentinel.

In the Small Business Profile, Kim discussed her passion for fashion and the importance of staying on top of what the celebrities are wearing and staying even closer with her customers.  She also provided her recipe for success in running her three-store operation at Boca Town Center Mall, East Boca’s Mizner Park and at CityPlace in West Palm Beach. 

“In a bad economy, people still want to look good,” said Bolufé. “They’ve got to be smarter about their shopping, so I have to be smarter too.”

Here are some of the lessons she has learned over the past 17 years since she opened her first store:

(1) Select locations with vibrant dining and entertainment traffic.

(2) Be flexible with store hours to take advantage of concerts and special events.
(3) Optimize customer service. Blend the shopping experience with education, patience and respect. Understand the customer’s desire for wanting to be fashionable. A customer’s self-perception drives their buying decisions.

(4) Build a team of skilled workers. Offer them full-time employment to get the employee invested in the success of the business.

(5) Achieving a pattern of consistency and responsiveness creates trust. Bolufé develops and maintains vendor and manufacturer relationships at tradeshows and fashion industry events and strives to gain their respect so they will listen to what her customers want and need.

 (6) Each aspect of your business is important. Don’t allow distractions. Persevere. 
At Boardroom Communications, we share many of the same values as Kim Bolufé in conducting our Florida public relations and integrated marketing agency.  We salute her for her success and perseverance.

Click here to read the article