Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Bonilla.
Hi Cynthia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started in June 2018 in a little corner in my mom’s house. I started making paper flowers in May 2018 and I just fell in love with the craft. I decided to open my business in June 2018 and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I started selling locally on Facebook marketplace Offer up and all the other small apps where you can sell. I was only selling locally and was making a few sets a week. I was still in the learning process. Learning how to price, learning how to ship and learning different ways how to make my craft. In November 2019, when I had less than 1000 followers on Instagram I started getting really busy all the time. That’s when I started doing live videos on Instagram and Facebook and start exposing my work a little bit more and my face. It wasn’t until April 2020, in the middle of a pandemic is when I opened my website and started shipping all over the United States I have over 12,000 followers and I am busier than ever.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been easy whatsoever in every business. There are ups and downs my frustration was pricing my products. I had no idea what to price when I started. One special person helped me out so much when I started and I’m very thankful for her. I would watch her live and she would answer each and every question that I asked. It’s so hard to expose your work to a different audience especially when you’re still learning everything about social media.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am making paper flowers. They are used for party decor, home decor. You can display the paper flowers in your kitchen, your restroom, your vanity, your living room, your Room, but they are most common in nursery rooms. Everything is handmade made to the clients liking. They pick the colors they want and the set they want and I make it come to life. I love going live on my Instagram and talking to the people who watch me. Sometimes they ask me questions. I talk about my life and talk about my work. I feel like what sets me apart is that a lot of people do different type of crafts and I only do paper flowers literally that’s all I do I started making a lot of stuff when I started but then when I saw what was my best seller and the reason of me opening my business paper flowers was a start and that’s what I do. I am proud of where I am I have not done everything by myself God has given me, my business and I know he is a reason why I’m always busy. I have worked hard to be where I am and I always strive to have my clients happy. I have shipped out so many orders and I have shipped out to most of the states in the United States.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Yes, I have. Before the pandemic, I would ship with my paper flower orders. I would just put them in the box, put a little bit of cushion and That’s it. I started noticing that my items were getting damaged and I had to look into my packaging. I started adding more stuff to my packaging to keep my flowers safe. The pandemic made a lot of People shop online and I guess the carriers weren’t taking care of the packages so I had to step my game up. Now I never get ruined packages.
Contact Info:
- Email: Cyyn1994@gmail.com
- Website: Cynpf.com
- Instagram: Cynpf
- Facebook: Cynpf
