Camille Cerria refers to it simply as the “puppy sale.” In other words, one look at the puppy and the sale is in the bag.
Cerria, of Oak Ridge, views her job in a similar light. As sole proprietor of Smooth Sailing Celebrations, Cerria matches people arranging parties with the operators of a handful of yachts that ply the Hudson River and that double as banquet halls.
Cerria’s decision to go into business for herself and by herself had more to do with logistics than financial considerations.
For nearly 10 years she had worked as a cruise line employee, arranging events on ships. But in 2001, she moved and the drive to work took up to two hours because of traffic.
In 2004 she founded Smooth Sailing Celebrations. She prepared herself by taking several courses offered by the Small Business Administration that focused on law and accounting, two aspects of owning her own company that she found especially daunting.
Now entering her third year in business, Cerria brokers events for eight boats owned by five cruise lines.
Photo by Smooth Sailing Celebrations.
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