The owner of the first Latina-owned florist shop in Reading has received the Eastern Pennsylvania Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year Award for 2024.
Steve Dixel, U.S. Small Business Administration Eastern Pennsylvania District director presented the award to Lourdes Peralta, owner of Sarai Variety Flower Shop, 12 N. 9 th St., Monday.
Peralta immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. She settled in New York and began working for a flower shop. Her passion for floral design bloomed and she ultimately purchased the business.
Peralta relocated to Reading in 2015 and started the florist shop which provides many services in addition to custom floral arrangements and deliveries.
SBA said the shop sells event decorations and curated gifts, provides event planning and decoration services, and will be adding a dedicated creator space for photo and video shoots.
With three employees, the business serves Reading and the greater Berks County area.
Peralta received SBA microloan financing through Community First Fund and completed several workshops through Kutztown University’s Small Business Development Center, according to SBA.
When the pandemic struck, the shop was required to close for three months. Peralta received two Paycheck Protection Program loans that were fully forgiven and a COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan to meet operational expenses and payroll through SBA’s emergency capital programs, SBA said.
“ It’s a privilege to recognize the achievements of leading Latina woman-owned Pennsylvania small businesses like Sarai Variety Flower Shop, ” Dixel said . “ Lourdes overcame many challenges to make her entrepreneurial dream a reality, including being an immigrant with limited English skills. I’m proud of the role SBA’s microloans played in helping to start and grow her business and of the COVID-19 relief programs that helped sustain her business during the pandemic .”
Alba Fernandez, senior vice president, Community First Fund, who nominated Peralta, said, “Lourdes has been a client since 2015, receiving both microloans and business advisory services. Over the years she has successfully grown her business and is now recognized as a role model for women in Reading and the Latina business community.”
Fernandez said although the company struggled through the pandemic, the business was able to recover and return to a positive cash flow with SBA’s emergency capital programs.
“It’s an honor to be named SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year,” said Peralta. “I arrived in the U.S. with nothing, and now I am living the American dream as a businessowner and creator of floral magic. I am very thankful for SBA’s microloan and pandemic funding as well as the courses from Kutztown SBDC that helped me become a better entrepreneur. I am grateful to Community First Fund for their assistance over the years and for the nomination.”
Peralta is a member of the Dominican Association of Pennsylvania, Berks Latino Chamber of Commerce, and the Women2Women program of the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce.
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