Businesswomen in Stettler got together to hear Coffee Tree owner Nevzeta Frljak talk about how she got into business and what her challenges were as a newcomer to Canada.
The luncheon, which was organized by the Stettler Regional Board of Trade and Alberta Works, was put together to give businesswomen in the area a chance to ask questions and socialize.
“Women are also really willing to share some of their success stories, what worked for them,” said Gail Peterson from Alberta Works. “I think that women have a whole different philosophy on the way they do things and the way they think, and we thought that if we could have a collaborative group of women, we could have a very strong female business community.
She added that women are willing to mentor other women as well.
“That piece might be helpful to the success of businesses as well, and the health of business in Stettler,” Peterson said.
Frljak spoke about what she looks for in an employee, what she does to have a successful business, and answered questions from Peterson and from other attendees.
When she first moved to Stettler, she said she would drive around town to see how many parked vehicles there were. When she was choosing a space to buy, she thought about choosing a bigger place, but she wanted to have the patio. And thus, Coffee Tree was born.
Frljak talked about how it is important to give customers what they want.
“You give a bit of your heart to other people; there’s nothing wrong with that,” she said.
Stacey Benjamin from the Stettler Board of Trade said that female business owners often have different challenges, and it benefits them to discuss problems and concerns with other women.
“I surprised myself,” Peterson said. “I walked up and down the street and I could not believe… it seemed like 9 out of ten businesses on Main Street were owned, managed, or run by women.”
Peterson and Benjamin asked Frljak to speak because she had more challenges in business, as both a woman and a newcomer to Canada.
“She had kind of a double whammy as far as her special needs and setting something up,” Peterson said. “She would be someone that everybody would be attracted to, because I think everybody has been in her coffee shop.”