When Bob and Jane Bloom established INK & TONER USA in 2004 there wasn’t any other retail store in South Florida that provided printer, copier and fax supplies. The Blooms sensed the store was a good idea, and within the nine months of opening, they saw that good idea blossom into $128,000 in sales. Since then, INK & TONER USA hasn’t slowed down. The West Palm Beach store hit $401,000 in 2005, and grew 11 percent last year to its 2007 sales figure of $558,000. What makes the Blooms’ success more impressive is that the Blooms run the store with only themselves and one other employee, Steve Arnold, who joined the team in 2005.
Prior to opening INK & TONER USA, both Blooms had successful careers in other areas. Jane was (and still is) a teacher and accountant; Bob was a manufacturing software consultant in the 1990s. As a result of the manufacturing sector slowdown in the early 2000s, he sought a transition into a different line of work.

...
Full articles are available online six months after their original print date to online subscribers. This article is available in its entirety only in print to RECHARGER Magazine subscribers. Subscribe today to start your print subscription.
This article will be available online on 01/01/2009