MILLER Case Study: Blossom & Basket Boutique

When mother and daughter business owners, Ellie Bonde and Rene Bonde Shiffler, opened Blossom & Basket Boutique in April 2001, they were following their passion for flower design. “My daughter took a flower design class,” Ellie explains, “and decided that’s what she wanted to do for a living. Neither one of us had a good handle on business, just a love of working with flowers. We knew we had to hire a third person to handle the business end.”

Almost 14 years later, Blossom & Basket Boutique is now a cornerstone of the Mount Airy Community, specializing in floral arrangements and gift baskets. Being a small business owner in downtown Mount Airy is something Bonde really enjoys. “Mount Airy is a very quaint, historic town. It’s a great place, with lots of little shops and restaurants. We’ve gotten to know a lot of our repeat customers!”

Bonde credits numerous local business resources that are provided in Carroll County. “I took lots of business classes at the Miller Center for Small Business and I’ve worked with Doug Howard’s Start Up Carroll, a program created by Carroll Entrepreneurial Services aimed at giving new and potential new businesses the opportunity to get up and running. I’ve also worked with the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce to create educational opportunities for the local businesses that are chamber members. I would definitely recommend all the local business resources. So many people are willing to help; you just have to ask for it!”