The early days of the pandemic, starting in April, squeezed Kimberly Martinez like nothing else in nearly 20 years of running her own business.
‘We seem to shine when the worst odds are against us.’ Kimberly Martinez, Bondy
The Sarasota-based entrepreneur, behind a line of fashion-forward lanyards, necklaces and accessories for holding ID badges, under the brand name BooJee Beads, estimated she had enough cash to last about 90 days. The company, with some 15 employees and a 15,000-square-foot facility and operations center outside Cleveland, received some federal Paycheck Protection Program funds. But by July, Martinez thought the company, which sells products at trade shows and in thousands of boutiques nationwide, would be out of money.