Small-business owner Samaela Cannonier-Darrell spent $10,000 on shipping alone last year. By the end of this month the owner of hair-care business Certified Crowned Experience anticipates that figure will be “far higher”.

Besides rent and electricity, skyrocketing shipping was one of her biggest financial challenges.

“These types of costs are just heartbreaking,” she said. “I don’t want to raise my prices for my clients, because then they start to feel the pinch, too. I don’t think a lot of people really understand at all how expensive it is to run a business in Bermuda.”

She showed The Royal Gazette one medium-sized, lightweight bag of hair extensions she had just received through a local courier company.

“This cost me $165 in shipping,” she said. “When I started the business three years ago that would have probably cost me $80. We are paying hundreds and hundreds. We cannot buy the extensions locally because they do not come in fast enough.”

Increasing shipping costs were also pushing up the price of the supplies bought on the island. Shampoo, a necessity for her business, increased from $30 to $50.

“I use that on a daily basis,” she said.

To cope, she has had to be strategic.

Despite these challenges, she is doing well. A month ago, she moved from a 500 square foot shop in St George to an 800 square foot space on the outside balcony of the Washington Mall in Hamilton.

“We now have a spa room and staff room, which we did not have in St George,” she said.

Her new business partner, Infanta Grant Robinson, will be doing some hair extension work, but, for the most part will handle their new aesthetic services, such as facials.

“I am in the process of installing three more staff members,” Ms Cannonier-Darrell said.

During her time as an entrepreneur, she has learnt to seize opportunities.

“I was comfortable for a long time in St George, because it was my home base,” she said. “But it really did not suit my clients.”

The majority were from further west and found it a hardship to trek to the Olde Towne for their hair appointments.

In Hamilton, Ms Cannonier-Darrell is seeing more foot traffic.

“We have this beautiful window space that people stare into all day, every day,” she said. “Sometimes they come in and ask us questions. They want to know who we are. Sometimes they sit down in the chair for a consultation, right there and then.”

She anticipates the number of people popping in will increase even more when they start advertising the move.