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Profiles In Business Excellence: bukaTwo business women have returned to their hometown and are working together to bring the Wyoming Valley some of the exclusivity and classiness usually reserved for big cities. Friends since high school, Joanna Siegel, owner of buka, and Sarah Roberts, owner of Bathologie, have been crossing paths even when away from NEPA. They both worked for the same woman at separate times, a successful business owner herself to whom both Siegel and Roberts attribute much of their business and retail experience. Upon returning to the Valley around the same time two-and-a-half years ago, the entrepreneurs decided to utilize this friendship to maximize their individual business efforts. They even share their location, a simple and stylish building, nestled on a road just off Route 309 in Shavertown. They advertise and brainstorm together and agree that it is easier to combine efforts. With education at Susquehanna University, Syracuse University, and the Fashion Institute of Technology and experience in New York City and Cape May, Siegel and Roberts have much to offer the Back Mountain. Buka, a high-end womenÕs clothing boutique, offers exclusive designer brands and specializes in denim and unique accessories such as handbags and jewelry. Bathologie carries a large selection of bath and body products, including international brands. It features handmade soaps, skin-care products, and a variety of gifts. Buka and Bathologie customers are primarily women of all ages, looking for elegant, quality products. Personal customer service, unique lines, special ordering, and a bright, upbeat atmosphere combine to create two retail experiences that are difficult to find elsewhere. The latest developments for both stores are their updated websites through which customerscan order products. It is evident that the two women love what they do, and both agree that owning and operating their own business is rewarding. I worked so hard for other people for so long, that waking up every morning and being your own boss is just incredible, said Roberts. To be able to make your own decisions, as scary as it is, is definitely worth the risk, and so is really being able to do what you love, every day, said Siegel. I don't ever wake up and dread coming to work. I think that's one of the nicest things in the world. I feel like I'm going where I'm supposed to be. |
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