About the business: Special Events, 1101 W. Main St., Blue Springs, 816-220-1233.
About the owners Donna Hainen and Tonya Busker: Tonya’s mother, Donna, once had a store in Blue Springs: The Flower Box was a staple business for about 20 years.
When she sold it, she took a break, taking care of her grandchildren and enjoying life. But a business venture beckoned, and the two teamed up to create what has become a popular destination on Main Street.
Nearing its second year in operation, Special Events has become the place to go for an eclectic array of domestic items and straight-out fun novelties.
“The two of us decided to form a little store, something that would be fun to tango with,” Busker said. “Now it’s amplified into a center for everything.”
What’s unique about the business: First, the business is located on Main Street.
“We considered locating somewhere else, maybe on (Missouri 7) or into one of the strip plazas,” Busker said. “But we kinda like the old style of Main Street.”
And the lower cost of doing business.
“It was lower than opening on Missouri 7 and much, much lower than if we located in some of the strip plazas,” she said. “That was an incentive.”
The business started with basic party staples: balloons and minor party items.
“There were some filler items,” she said.
But their world began to expand as they shopped for new items to include in the inventory: personalized water bottles and clothing; those “ginormous” watches made popular by the actress Sandra Bullock; sunglasses of such exaggeration that they’re both absurd to look at and wear; jewelry, purses, balloons and flip-flops with “bling.”
Lots of stuff, Busker said, with “bling.”
The business found itself satisfying a corner of the market – in part because of their donation efforts to local events. That’s their way of bypassing the traditional means of advertising: they get the word out by “doing.”
While the school district is one of their main focuses, the business also helps private businesses, but only on a revolving basis.
“If we help with one event one year, we typically change it and focus on another the next,” Busker said. “That’s fair.”
Busker and her mother aren’t particularly concerned with the economy, either. They said they’ve been weathering the economic storm well.
“I doesn’t matter what the economy is doing, women still carry purses and a 2-year-old is always going to have a birthday party.”
