02/24/2005
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Karen Deklinski |
Karen Deklinski knows Pennsylvania inside and out. As the owner of Perfectly Pennsylvania, a specialty gift shop in the new Harrisburg International Airport, she has developed an intimate familiarity with the broad range of products produced in the state. As a former governor-appointed state employee, she also has an in-depth knowledge of government operations and the legislative process.
"I spent 25 years in state government. I never thought I would own my own business," she says. But when Governor Tom Ridge left office, she decided to quit her government post and look for something new. She considered doing health-care lobbying, but instead she and a friend opted to open a small gourmet deli outpost. "I needed to make money, and opening a business seemed like it would be fun."
In 2002 the pair opened the Patti-O, which sells 28 varieties of olives and assorted gourmet food items. A year and a half later, Deklinski went solo and opened The Wine Shoppe, a kiosk selling Pennsylvania wines that she runs on weekends. In August 2004 she expanded her operations further with the establishment of Perfectly Pennsylvania, a full-time retail outlet at the Harrisburg airport.
"I'm a person who keeps moving," Deklinski notes. "When plans were underway for the new airport, I told the Chamber of Commerce, 'You should have a shop in there devoted to selling Pennsylvania products.' Next thing I knew, they came back to me and said, 'OK, we'd like to see your proposal.' "
A mother of two young children, Deklinski relishes the flexibility business ownership affords. "At 3:25 every afternoon I am home to meet my kids' bus," she says, adding that she also is able to attend their school programs and to take the children to work with her if she has to cover for one of her eight employees while her children are home.
Being a business owner has presented more than the expected number of challenges, too, she notes. "I had been in government most of my professional life; I didn't know a thing about running a business, let alone three of them!" she explains. Shortly after opening Perfectly Pennsylvania, she joined a number of business organizations to help her learn about specific small-business responsibilities and meet people like herself.
She was familiar with NFIB/Pennsylvania from her time in government. "I had worked in the legislature and knew who was professional and responsible," she says. "I had no hesitation in joining NFIB." Already she has proved herself a valuable addition to the organization, participating in a round table discussion with Vice President Dick Cheney last fall and representing small business at a National Institutes of Health-hosted program with President Bush.
"I wasn't shy," she says about her vocal participation in the discussions. "I spent my whole life on the other end. Now I'm in a different position, and I feel totally naive." Deklinski told both Vice President Cheney and President Bush about the difficulty she had getting health insurance for her employees, and about its necessity to ensure employee retention and the health of her business.
"My kids' education is in my business. I can't afford not to succeed," she notes.
The need to provide for her family is not the only reason Deklinski stays so dedicated, however. "I really, truly enjoy this – it's fun," she says. "I have people who work for me, and I get to promote products I believe in. There's a lot of pride and satisfaction in making something yourself, and my children are learning a lot from being around my business."
Deklinski continues, "Once you get into it, it's like being bit by a bug, and that bug is called owning your own business."
