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Simona Quispe, owner of Celmas Dry Cleaners, has been working in Miami Beach since the 80’s. A Bolivia native, Simona moved to South Florida and found her first job working at a dry cleaner located at Collins Avenue and 27th Street. With little or no experience in the dry cleaner industry, Simona found her passion and worked to develop her operational and management skills on the job. After a few years, Simona’s boss approached her with the news that he was moving abroad and offered her an opportunity to take over the dry cleaner. The self-described risktaker and proud and determined immigrant, jumped at the proposal, borrowed the money to buy the business and didn’t look back.

Celmas Dry Cleaners, currently located on 4111 Sheridan Avenue, has been serving the community for over 25 years. Offering several services including, but not limited to, professional dry cleaning and laundry, tailoring and alterations, and accessory and shoe repair. With a unique and creative vision and mission Celmas consciously strives for excellence, quality customer service, and delivering value to the community.

Celmas Dry Cleaner, like many, did not escape the negative impact of the global pandemic. Fortunately, Simona found relief via the City of Miami Beach Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus Emergency Small Business Reimbursement Grant Program, an initiative designed to assist businesses affected by the pandemic. Thankfully, Celmas Dry Cleaners remained open as an essential business although sales dropped significantly. The grant enabled Simona to cover a portion of her rent and upgrade to more efficient equipment.

In addition, as a participant in the Miami Beach program, Simona received business assistance from Prospera, a non-for-profit organization focused on providing capacity building support for businesses seeking to survive and thrive by learning how to focus and prioritize their goals and operations. With customized one-on-one assistance from a Prospera business consultant, Simona discovered the importance of having a digital marketing strategy to promote her business online and attract new clients while also engaging existing patrons. Simona attended the Spanish-language webinars, presented by the City of Miami Beach and Prospera on Business Continuity, helping develop business resiliency strategies that will allow her to be better prepared for future unforeseeable surprises.

Prospera worked with Simona to navigate and identify services such as educational training sessions, business advanced consulting, and access to capital. The strategy is strengthening Celmas Dry Cleaners’ ability to grow, prosper and contribute to Miami Beach’s small business ecosystem.