- Words by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Lia Crowe

Buying not just one, but two businesses, and moving countries during a pandemic might seem like a lot to take on, but for Peter and Lori Stofko, it91裸聊视频檚 a dream come true.

91裸聊视频淭he whole thing just feels like it was meant to be,91裸聊视频� says Peter of their January purchase of and the July 2020 acquisition of .

The couple, who lived in Denver with their two young children and ran a successful real estate business, fell in love with Victoria on a visit several years ago.

91裸聊视频淲e came back from that first trip and we booked our flights to come back, and we were coming here on basically every break that we got,91裸聊视频� laughs Peter, who91裸聊视频檚 originally from Slovakia. 91裸聊视频淲e couldn91裸聊视频檛 get enough!91裸聊视频�

After deciding to move to Victoria so they could have a better life for their family, Peter and Lori started looking for a business to buy. Pacific Rollshutters was for sale and when they came to see it for the first time, they didn91裸聊视频檛 realize it shared a showroom with Ruffell & Brown91裸聊视频攂ut that turned out to be a selling feature.

91裸聊视频淚 walked in and saw Ruffell & Brown and Hunter Douglas blinds everywhere and Lori had been working for Hunter Douglas for six years at that point,91裸聊视频� Peter explains. 91裸聊视频淚t just seemed like a sign.91裸聊视频�

They91裸聊视频檇 done their due diligence, agreed on a price, and were about to move ahead with the purchase when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

91裸聊视频淓arly on, it was scary because people didn91裸聊视频檛 know if a business was still going to exist, so we kind of put everything on hold and everyone was locked at home,91裸聊视频� Peter says. 91裸聊视频淏ut they were busy and they were able to work through it. Customers kept calling and basically, the business grew because of the pandemic and that91裸聊视频檚 really been the trend the last two years. It91裸聊视频檚 just been continuous.91裸聊视频�

In addition to the pandemic bump, they91裸聊视频檝e successfully grown the business by expanding product lines and set down roots, so when Debra Ruffell and Nigel Brown recently approached them to see if they91裸聊视频檇 be interested in buying their well-known Victoria business so that they could retire, it was a no-brainer.

91裸聊视频淚t was one of those 91裸聊视频榓ha moments,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� says Lori, who was an IT director for Hunter Douglas until this year and consulted for Ruffell & Brown after moving to Victoria. 91裸聊视频淣ot only was it Hunter Douglas, and I have a lot of familiarity with the products and customers, but the whole process flow is very similar and complementary in many ways.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淟ori91裸聊视频檚 background really drove part of the interest from Debra and Nigel,91裸聊视频� adds Peter. 91裸聊视频淪he91裸聊视频檚 very experienced in process improvements and technology implementation, and that91裸聊视频檚 one of the aspects where Ruffell & Brown has been really struggling in, so it was meant to be and a perfect fit.91裸聊视频�

But taking over two businesses during a pandemic hasn91裸聊视频檛 been easy. In addition to the supply chain issues plaguing companies everywhere, COVID restrictions have made it harder to bond with staff.

91裸聊视频淲hen we bought Pacific, we couldn91裸聊视频檛 even get the employees together for a lunch,91裸聊视频� Lori points out.

91裸聊视频淭he human connection and building relationships is really important and it helps make it more enjoyable for people to come to work,91裸聊视频� Peter adds. 91裸聊视频淲hen it91裸聊视频檚 always work, I think it strains the relationship.91裸聊视频�

Recognizing employees are their biggest asset, Peter and Lori say they91裸聊视频檙e always open to hearing about opportunities for improvement.

91裸聊视频淲e very much encourage that,91裸聊视频� says Lori. 91裸聊视频淲e can91裸聊视频檛 fix things we don91裸聊视频檛 know about and it might take us time to even realize what91裸聊视频檚 going on, so someone coming and telling us is so important. We91裸聊视频檝e spent a lot of time just learning a great deal from everybody.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚f you treat people right, they will do a good job for you,91裸聊视频� adds Peter. 91裸聊视频淲e also believe in paying people [well]. If you offer a higher wage, people will show up. It91裸聊视频檚 what you have to do (in this tight labour market), but I also feel like it91裸聊视频檚 the right thing to do. We believe in sharing the success.91裸聊视频�

The couple isn91裸聊视频檛 afraid of hard work but when you work with your spouse, Lori and Peter agree, finding the right work-life balance can be the biggest challenge.

91裸聊视频淲e basically talk about the business 24 hours a day,91裸聊视频� Peter says, only half-jokingly. 91裸聊视频淵ou could be having breakfast on Sunday morning and you think of something and you can basically have a senior management meeting and make a decision. But at the same time, the kids look at us and ask, 91裸聊视频楧o you ever not talk about work?91裸聊视频� so we91裸聊视频檙e very conscious of that and it91裸聊视频檚 something we91裸聊视频檙e going to work on. We want to have our business, we want to do well, but we don91裸聊视频檛 want to work around the clock. Work-life balance is what it91裸聊视频檚 all about.91裸聊视频�

For Lori, the best advice she91裸聊视频檚 received is to not sweat the small things.

91裸聊视频淭here will always be problems and you have to kind of put things in perspective and prioritize,91裸聊视频� she says. 91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e not going to solve all the problems in a day or in a week or even in a year. You just have to keep working towards a goal and chipping away at what you need to do to get to that place. It91裸聊视频檚 never perfect91裸聊视频攖hat91裸聊视频檚 just not the way it is.91裸聊视频�

As long-time entrepreneurs, they also see mistakes as learning experiences and try to break down what went wrong so they can fix it going forward.

91裸聊视频淥ur first real estate property was a giant failure, but instead of scaring us, and making us decide not to do it anymore, we learned from it, moved forward and we were very successful. Looking back, if we91裸聊视频檇 given up at step one, we wouldn91裸聊视频檛 have seen the success that came afterwards.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚 think that91裸聊视频檚 something that91裸聊视频檚 really important in entrepreneurship91裸聊视频攜ou don91裸聊视频檛 just give up,91裸聊视频� adds Lori. 91裸聊视频淵ou try different things to make it work. There91裸聊视频檚 always a different way to do it.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 clear what they91裸聊视频檙e doing is working and even taking on a home reno at the same time hasn91裸聊视频檛 fazed this busy couple.

91裸聊视频淚 think people look at us and think we91裸聊视频檙e crazy!91裸聊视频� Lori laughs. 91裸聊视频淏ut this has been our goal for so long. This is where we want to be and everything just fell into place.91裸聊视频�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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