After 12 years he left his job in the municipality: he opened his business just before the pandemic, and today he barely manages to overcome.

The name of the flower, handicraft and souvenir shop located in Raseiniai is “Curly Art”, only later its origin became clear. The journalists were greeted by the pleasant smell of flowers and the smiling curly hostess of the Dainora store.

Here you can not only see flowers. The shelves in the little shop are full of cute crafts, candles, toys, vases. On the walls – several paintings by artists, above the counter – and a portrait of the hostess of the “Curly Men”, donated by the client.

“When I opened, I wanted everything to be handmade, created by different artists. In addition to flowers, someone always needs gifts, trinkets, candles. I try to make all the products created with love, ”he says.

The business opened just before the pandemic.

The woman opened her business in 2019 in early December. Laughing at the same time. Three months later, the first quarantine was announced in Lithuania, so that the businesswoman could request help for freelancers.

“Since everything was closed, there were some contactless flower deliveries. It is good that it provides support, some support, because you also have to pay the rent, ”he says about the period of the pandemic.

Before starting her beloved activity, the woman worked for 12 years in the administration of the Raseiniai district municipality. After graduating from Kaunas University of Technology with a BA in economics, Dainora initially worked in the Accounting Department, then General Affairs, and was responsible for purchasing, representation, gifts, etc. Already at that time she loved to make crafts and make gifts for acquaintances.

After 12 years of “white” work, he went into his own business.

Dainora remembers being fascinated by flowers in her first job, in a small flower shop.

“I got my first job in a small flower shop in Raseiniai. He had two young children and needed to go to work. I worked for four years, I really liked the hostess, probably there and I got all the craving for flowers. After that I graduated, I really wanted a “white” job. I worked in the municipality for twelve years and decided that I needed to perform elsewhere, ”says Dainora.

When asked if it is possible to earn a living from such an individual activity, the woman humiliates herself to make ends meet.

“It just came to our knowledge then. My motto is that I quit my job to be happier, to be able to fulfill myself. I always say that I will always have enough of everything, let’s just be healthy and happy,” smiles the flower seller.

Dainora herself grew up in the Raseiniai district village, where she still lives, but has had to live in the city for many years. Dainora’s husband, Darius, works on the farm and raises three children together. The youngest son is four years old.

“My husband and I are rural dwellers, so we return to the village. The man is a farmer, we are black workers, but everything is enough.

The eldest daughter lives in Kaunas. And we raise the smallest member of the family with the help of older children and grandmothers, grandfathers. I would like the child to have more attention, but I try to cultivate it everywhere ”, he points out.

The store was built by itself, invested 4 thousand. EUR

Within the “Curly Men”, you can only see a bouquet of flowers waiting for the customer. The businesswoman mentions that such a flower arrangement costs about 35 euros. Here there are no more ready-made bouquets of flowers, because the woman only makes pre-individual orders. The Art of Curls flowers come from Holland.

Dainora took up residence in her shop: she painted a purchased section of used furniture four times with her own hands and recently changed the flower rack.

The businesswoman says that at the beginning she invested around 4 thousand. Eur, which were mainly needed to buy artist products.

“When I opened up, those around me asked me: ‘There are many competitors here, aren’t you afraid?’

Sometimes he barely manages to turn

A woman loves her job very much, although sometimes there are difficult moments.

“I get tired of many orders. I have a day off on Sundays and call someone from abroad or elsewhere, then I run. But the fatigue is redeemed by the joy, the gratitude, the smiles of the people who return to me. Always I think of a person, I get into each branch ”, he says.

Almost 10,000 people live in Raseiniai. persons. During the year, during which she opened her doors to clients for only a few months, the entrepreneur managed to create a circle of regular clients. The best advertising, as they say, is word of mouth. Still, he admits that the beginning was more difficult until he recommended a good name for the city.

“There are many different orders, on a Monday there are many orders, I barely manage to turn around, today I didn’t have much, I tried to do everything. But there was not a day when nobody needed a bouquet, ”says Dainora.

The largest influx of customers occurs during the most important holidays of the year: Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Women’s Day. So you also have to work at night. Usually a woman handles it alone, but also her sister, daughter and girlfriend help her a lot.