In 2004 Alisa Roth had a dream to start and run her own floral business so she stopped into the Iowa Western SBDC (SBDC) to see how they could help her. She was in her early twenties then with two very young children. However, within six months Alisa and her key employee, Susan Enewald, were working out of a storefront in the historic 100 block of downtown Council Bluffs.
The SBDC helped Alisa with her initial business plan and helped her obtain her first business loan to start her business. Bloom Works Floral quickly became a household name in the community and a main stay presence in downtown Council Bluffs. The business grew so much it moved twice within its first five years, into bigger store fronts, still located on the historic 100 block. The SBDC helped Alisa with both expansions, new business plans, two new websites, marketing plans, and several other management issues. Within three years the business reported annual sales of $150,000.
In July 2009, Alisa increased her company’s employees from two to five, and increased sales another $90,000. By August of 2013, the company’s annual sales topped $350,000.
Alisa is a respected entrepreneur in the Council Bluffs community and is a top influencer in her region in the industry. She has participated in many mentoring activities through the SBDC and other local organizations, to help and support other businesses as well as future entrepreneurs. She is not only passionate about her industry but is passionate about sharing her love for owning a small business with others.
Alisa is extremely involved in her community and uses her business as a means to raise awareness and dollars for issues important to her. One example of this is the Bloom Works Annual Good Neighbor Day event. Every year on the designated National Good Neighbor Day, Bloom Works Floral gives away 10,000 free roses. The company opens its doors at 8 a.m. and, while supplies last, gives away 12 roses to each person who wants them. Alisa asks each person to keep one rose and give 11 roses away to 11 other people, to create many random acts of kindness in Council Bluffs.
Alisa has been through many trying times with her business and in her personal life but has worked through it all and has never stopped developing her business and putting her heart and soul into making Council Bluffs the best place it can be. In May of 2016, Alisa lost her husband, Lieutenant Ben Roth, to a very short and devastating battle with cancer. The loss was mourned by the entire community and Alisa has been a crusader ever since on raising awareness and dollars for cancer and for the community’s police force.
For more information on Bloom Works Floral, visit https://www.facebook.com/bloomworksfloral, www.ebloomworks.com, or https://www.pinterest.com/bloomworksflora/.