Staying in business for 32 years is no small feat, said Elaine Oulsey-Nevarez, owner of Elaine’s Florist and Gift Baskets in Meyerland, but she accomplished it through her ability to build meaningful connections.

What they offer

The boutique floral shop, which sells “high-end” floral arrangements, houses plants and gift baskets comprised of gourmet and holiday-themed treats, candies and balloons, was established in 1992.Since then, Oulsey-Nevarez has bought out seven local florists and secured contracts with organizations such as MD Anderson and University of Houston. She credits her shop’s continued success to networking and community investment.

“We have a lot of schools in our community and a lot of churches, and we donate to all of them because that is my clientele,” she said. “I also belong to several networking groups. People want to work with people they know.”Diving in deeper

In addition to her professional network and emphasis on face-to-face interactions, what makes Elaine’s Florist a Meyerland mainstay is its state and national certification as a woman-owned business, Oulsey-Nevarez said. She said it’s helped her secure some of her largest clients.“To my knowledge, [I’m] the only nationally-certified, woman-owned ... florist in the city of Houston,” Oulsey-Nevarez said. “I look at it as a win-win for the [companies]. We do great work with high-quality flowers and they work with a woman-owned business.”

• 4782 Beechnut St., Houston
• www.elainesflorist.com