My dream was to have my own gift shop, and to design floral arrangements that appealed to my customers,” says Linda Parrant, owner of Elegant Essentials in the Gallery Shopping Center. “Success is achieving my goal and to do it better than my competitors. I am motivated by my customers who have inspired me to climb higher. My husband, Steve, has been my rock 24/7. He is my balance that grounds me and we all need that balance to make it work.”

Linda is an example of not just talking the talk. She implements what she advocates.
Networking in retail is virtually a new concept. This is why you don’t see many small business retail owners networking and Linda realizes you need to change with the times by connecting with other businesses and customers on a relational basis.
“It’s not a hard sell,” says Linda. “We all require a little more than point and click. We need to identify our customers and their needs in order to build a bridge between business owner and customer. I didn’t wait for the customer to come to me but went out, networked and brought customers to me. I didn’t wait for it to happen; I made it happen.”

Linda has gained a loyal customer base in a very short time through networking and events that support her networking groups. Elegant Essentials was just named the best gift shop in Knoxville with Fox 43 WTNZ for 2009. That is huge when you consider her business has only been open for 1 • years.
“I believe the best is yet to come and eventually I see another Elegant Essentials opening so I can bring more events and artists to the Knoxville community.”

Currently Linda is working with several non-profits to support their causes with a percentage of her shop’s proceeds going back to the non-profit organizations. Linda realizes that cross-networking and calibrating with other businesses has been beneficial for everyone.
There are three organizations that Linda actively supports through relationship networking that have helped her to exceed her own expectations. The three are REO, E-Women of Knoxville and the Farragut West Knoxville Chamber of Commerce. Linda was recently awarded the only REO Gold Member Award, fulfilling above and beyond the requirements of the 4c’s which are Commitment, Character, Caliber and Connections.

“I am truly honored with this achievement and have decided to start my own REO group at Elegant Essentials,” says Linda. “I also was awarded the E-Women Matchmaker Award for Knoxville for my networking efforts with this national organization and am involved with the 30/50 Project keeping the bricks and mortar of small business in our community.”
The old mentality of “open the doors and they will come” are gone. There are too many businesses that come and go.

“What is going to make you stand out above the rest?” asks Linda. “I push a little harder, I advertise more, network more, and have more events—more, more, and more.”
With events and parties held in her store, Linda can typically work 6-7 days a week logging in 60-70 hours per week.
“I try to maintain balance yet sometimes it doesn’t work and I can’t make all the events but I try to attend as many as possible and I always manage to make a connection. I set appointments with my customers who live locally as well as my out-of-town clients so I am available to help them with their needs. Several of my customers travel from Ohio, Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and Georgia.”

Linda believes in giving first, and strives to always make your first, second or third visit to Elegant Essentials a positive shopping experience. Stop and visit Linda and let Elegant Essentials help you find a treasure, set a trend, make a tradition.