Collaboration helps two Kamloops businesses grow
Two Kamloops businesses that are very different are sharing space and ideas on growing their businesses. Thanks to collaboration and the support they are giving each other, the two businesses are growing in ways that neither anticipated.
Based out of the same 12 Street location on The Shore, Team Approach Property Services (TAPS) and Kamloops Art Party (KAP) have worked side-by-side for the past year. Their respective owners help and support each other as they individually chart their own path through the business world. The two owners have created a dynamic space where everyone is welcome to share in the positive environment.
“I can’t imagine them not being here,” says Karri Loadman, owner of Team Approach, a full-service property management company, when talking about KAP owner and local artist Carly Schmidt and her team. Karri and Carly teamed up a year after Karri moved into the 12 Street space and found it was an instant match of shared goals, visions, and type of environment both owners wanted to create. Timing is everything. The day the ad was posted to share the space on 12 Street was the same day that Carly started to look for a permanent home to take her business to the next level. The two owners immediately hit it off and have never looked back.
COVID restrictions hit just after the grand opening of KAP. Instead of being defeated, the owners took the time to reinvent their businesses, diversify, adapt to the new face of business. Recently, KAP has expanded to include a boutique and two studio spaces. The need for growth was easily achieved as one needed more space and one wanted a cozy office to operate. Karri found she only required a single office to run her company because the bulk of TAPS work is done in the field.
Team Approach Property Services specializes in small and medium-sized strata and residential properties. Now in its third year in business, the growth of the company has exceeded its owner’s expectations. Karri’s business is family based, with her sister Lanette Nobel taking on the bulk of the site visits and rental maintenance. New additions to the team include two other sisters of the same family.
Karri says business is now booming through the support of referrals and reviews. Many of her customers get the added value of a magical experience that KAP creates as they pass through to her office. When she tells her customers how to find her, most know the Kamloops Art Party already, and the portal to her business becomes easy to find. She calls this the “Narnia effect.” Clients know how to find TAPS easily, and on the way through they often purchase paintings, art supplies, or either sign up for classes or take a card for a future connection to the Kamloops Art Party.
The core values of both businesses revolve around building community. Both TAPS and KAP practice support-local to many other local businesses. KAP supports the arts community, promotes local artists, provides space for youth to develop their artistic talents, and donates pieces of art for fundraising. “Supporting local is very important to us.”
As different as they are, there are many parallels: both women are long-time residents of the Kamloops area. Both are from families who owned small businesses. Both understand the commitment that it takes to be successful, and the importance to contribute back to their community. Another aspect of the collaboration is women supporting women in business. Both businesses are owned, staffed, and provide a safe space for women to come together to share ideas manifesting their own business dreams.
“When it comes right down to it, while the businesses may be different, the issues of operating a business are equally relevant. We are proving that differences make for good business. Ideas are always floating around the office. We grab onto the ones we need and take off,” says Karri. Team Approach Property Services has found a creativity-inspiring and stress-relief outlet just behind the door, and Kamloops Art Party has gained many beneficial and practical influences in return.
Kamloops Art Party offers painting lessons and fun art-oriented events to groups of all ages at various locations, including homeschooled Heritage Christian Online School children, workshops for School District 74 teachers, People in Motion, Early Psychosis Intervention program with Interior Health, as well as Zoom events with many outlying indigenous groups and supports. They will work with and host any corporate and non-corporate groups in person at their large inviting studio at the 12 Street location. When the pandemic restrictions posed challenges, the studio and showroom were available in smaller groups and offered take-home kits with online tutorials and Zoom events, which are still available. With some restrictions lifting, KAP offers a Summer Art Camp for ages 5 to 18. The creative art projects delivered by Carly Schmidt and Jennii Dyer create an environment where there is always laughter in the studio while a variety of art is produced. Carly has won Gold for best artist in Kamloops for the third year in a row as well as last year winning Visual Artist of the year. They are now sharing their amazing award-winning talents with everyone interested in trying anything art-related, and the possibilities are endless.
Although the two companies are from very different ends of the business spectrum, they have helped each other through the difficulties of the pandemic while creating a unique safe space where all can thrive. For more information about Team Approach Property Services find them at teamproperties.ca or call 250 376-8277. For more information about Kamloops Art Party, find them at kamloopsartparty.com or call 250 299-4342. Both are ideally located at 101-1121-12th Street in Kamloops. The Shore!
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