Within a short time frame, twin sisters Paula Arruda and Pamela McCann-Lopez have established themselves as successful entrepreneurs, as well as, being committed to giving back to the Brantford community.
Paula Arruda, who initially started 123 Supplies five years ago, talked about getting inspiration from her parents.
“My parents had a cleaning business [and] had contracts all over Brantford. One of the biggest challenges for them was that they had to travel a long way out of town to get their supplies. So that’s how the idea of the 123 Supplies came about…I then did some research [and] there weren’t really any local supply companies in Brantford other than the Wholesale Club…which is our biggest competitor…so that’s where most of my customers were going before our business was set up, “Arruda said. “Two of the major challenges was where I could import the products from, and gaining capital…I actually started with a very small inventory. It was more [of] getting a customer and waiting for an order to come through, and then having to rush and go get the supplies through a warehouse, because I imported everything.”
However, Arruda made a call that would change the course of the business.
“I was doing everything alone. I had to manage the sales and social media along with operating the store. I decided to call my sister Pamela, who, at the time, had been living in Ottawa…I had told her that I needed help running the story and trying to expand the business. She took that risk, and she sold her house in Ottawa [and] came to Brantford…and we have been working as a team ever since,” explained Arruda.
Pamela McCann-Lopez discussed her experience coming back to Brantford to share her sister’s business vision.
“Paula called me [and] gave me an idea where she was with the business. She pitched me on being her business partner and to help take 123 Supplies to the next level. I was a bit hesitant at first because I didn’t have an entrepreneurial background as my experience has been in social work,” McCann-Lopez explained. “I knew she was really passionate…so I just took the chance, and I wanted to take this journey with her. And I then decided to come back to Brantford and help her in 2023.”
The sisters, who came to Canada from Colombia at a young age with their family, lived in Mississauga for a short time before moving to Brantford in 2013. However, Arruda discussed how she leveraged her sales background as well as motherhood to develop 123 Supplies.
“My background has always been in sales and I worked for a wireless company at the Lynden Park Mall for about five years. I’ve always been really good at selling, but I’ve never had the chance to be an entrepreneur [so] I took that chance when I decided to embark on this venture…Also, I’m a young parent. I got pregnant at the age of 19, so that really helped me excel in my career because I believe moms have superpowers,” Arruda said. “When I had my child…I found that one of the pros was that I could take my child to work [and] that I could make my own hours…which definitely influenced my desire to become an entrepreneur.”
Nevertheless, Arruda quickly found support from friends and family early on.
“When I came up with the idea everyone was very supportive [as] they agreed that Brantford needed a place where people can go and get industrial or household supplies…I wanted to make an impact in Brantford, because the city has made a big impact on my family and my children. It’s such a loving community here in Brantford, so I definitely wanted to help the community,” Arruda stated. “I remember starting the business at the beginning of the pandemic when everybody was fighting over toilet paper. That’s when I wasn’t actually open to the public at the time [and] when I got the idea of allowing people to come shop, whether they have a business or not.”
The sisters have also been committed to giving back to the community.
“We really like to focus on giving back to the community [and] one thing that we do is partnering with a lot of the churches here in Brantford, just because we see the need…[especially with] homelessness that our city is experiencing. We decided to partner up with some churches and we donate half while they purchase the other half [and] we give exclusive prices to these churches and programs. The Blessing Centre is a great program that feeds the homeless [along with] St. Andrews United Church [and] we want to continue to recognize what the churches are doing for the Brantford community,” said McCann-Lopez.
However, the sisters have been working diligently to grow their enterprise and shared some exciting news via social media.
“Our current location is downtown Brantford. However, we have struggled because we are located in the courthouse [and] many of our customers have had a little trouble finding our store. We recently closed on a deal on a building in Brantford, so we’re actually going to be able to do a storefront to all our customers who are shopping with us in the community,” Arruda said. “Now, there’s no problem finding our location, and we have a bigger space, which means we can carry more inventory as well too. And so, we’re expanding, which is amazing.”
And now with a new property, the twin sisters are looking to make good on their business goals.
“With the purchase of the new building, we’re able to be a retail store and appeal to not only commercial clients but the general consumer. In the future, we want to be able to expand to another location…and to be able to continue providing the best product and with the best price for the customer,” McCann-Lopez said.
