Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Heaven-Swaby.
Hi Paula, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey into the event industry started as something I did for friends and family. It was never my intention to make a career out of it, even though my family had been pushing me to do it for quite some time. I was comfortable working in my nursing career and was not interested in struggling to start a business.
My daughter decided to open a storefront for her bakery, and she found a location she fell in love with. There was another space available next to it, and she mentioned that it would make a great event space. I thought she was insane at first, but before I knew it, we were signing the lease for both spaces!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A smooth road? Hardly! We signed our lease, made big plans, and half way through our buildout… COVID!!! Our timing could not have been worse. Things were placed on the back burner for a while, and when we finally opened, we were literally in the middle of the shutdown. How were we going to operate a brand-new event space and bakery when we couldn’t have events? It was and is still a nightmare that we can’t seem to wake up from. It has been one thing after another. I honestly couldn’t tell anyone how we have managed to survive for the last two years when other larger, established businesses were closing their doors.
Adding to that are staffing issues and increases in the cost of every single thing associated with running a business. It’s been a real struggle.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Sweet Space at Sweet Realities. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
The Sweet Space is an intimate boutique event venue perfect for parties, small weddings, classes, and business meetings. We wanted a unique space that was also a blank canvas. It can be very difficult to decorate some venues due to the way they look. The walls and carpet are colorful and don’t blend with the event décor. The Sweet Space is a black and white industrial-style space with open ceilings. No other color was added to allow our clients to transform the space in any way they choose to.
We specialize in intimacy. People are now choosing to celebrate with the ones closest to them. We strive to bring our client’s vision to life. The Sweet Space is a literal one-stop shop for all things events!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Definitely! COVID has taught us all so many lessons. Besides the obvious appreciation for life in general, it has also taught us how to survive. We’ve had to find so many creative ways to keep our heads above water.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sweetspaceevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetspacevenue/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesweetspacevenue/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCSq4YCidCEIMGJ7RVRL2ZMw
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesweetspacevenue
