It took a little bit of arm-twisting to persuade Marynel Palalay Valenzuela to buy the Ink Spot Quality Printing business on Kaua'i four years ago. But it took a whole lot of persuading to get her to even work at the Lihu'e print shop back in 1997 and then to return after quitting a few years later.

Valenzuela had a background in sales, marketing and business management and was a shoe buyer for Nordstrom when it ran the shoe departments at Liberty House. Her dream was to become a fashion designer, not a graphic designer.

But former Ink Spot owner Thomas Brown was able to encourage Valenzuela to work for him 11 years ago and later buy the company. Valenzuela said she still isn't sure how he was able to do that, but is glad he did.

"I used to look at him and laugh about it. 'Yeah, right. I won't be able to do this,' " she recalled. "But as far as the responsibility and working hard, there's not a question on my part. It's just a matter of do I have enough knowledge, will I have enough help, will the the customers still come to Ink Spot even if they know Tom Brown is no longer the owner?"

But the 38-year-old mother of two has been able to keep the company profitable and expand its services. Since purchasing Ink Spot in 2004, annual sales have increased 20 percent each year and the staff has nearly doubled to 10 full-time and two part-time workers.

Ink Spot is one of the top off-set printers on Kaua'i and Valenzuela's efforts recently were recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, which named her the Small Business Person of the Year for Kaua'i.

Not bad for Valenzuela, who was a customer at Ink Spot when Brown asked her to work for him. She said she was at the store to get some printing done when Brown "out of the blue" offered her a job.

Valenzuela said she wasn't interested in starting a new job because she was busy planning her wedding. But Brown persisted.

"He looked at me and laughed and said, 'You might want to give it a thought. Think about it,' " she said. "I don't know what he did or what made me take it, but I did come in, just to watch. A few days later I was taking home work and pretty much learning on my own."

With no printing experience, Valenzuela had to learn on the run. She was hired as a typesetter and graphic designer, but was taught everything about the business.

Valenzuela credited Brown as a good mentor, but also said her work ethic helped her get to where she is now. She often works well past the store's 4:30 p.m. closing time and often comes in on weekends.

"If you really want to get ahead in life you have to do extra work on your end and that's what I do," she said. "We learn every day. There's never an end to learning about the business."

Valenzuela was born in the Philippines and her family moved to Kaua'i in 1986 to join their father, who was working on a sugar plantation. She graduated from Kaua'i High and focused on business while in college.

After joining Ink Spot, Valenzuela said Brown would often talk to her about eventually taking over the business.

Again, Valenzuela didn't take him seriously until 2004 when he sat her down and told her he was considering selling the business to someone on the Mainland.

Brown asked her whether she wanted to work for somebody else the rest of her life. He also expressed his confidence in her ability to run the business.

"He used to tell me if anything, he wanted to give it to someone that he knows and he can trust," Valenzuela said.

After much thought, Valenzuela agreed to buy the company. She immediately expanded the graphic design space in the store, bought new equipment and hired more staff.

Valenzuela said she has no regrets about her move. She's her own boss, sets her own hours, and has been able to hire several relatives, including husband Rommel, to ensure their employment.

Business is brisk and she expects an influx of jobs as the election season nears. She said there is enough work on the island for all the printing companies, which she said have also been supportive.

"There's a healthy competition on Kaua'i. All the print shops here, we're always helping each other out. If I can't finish a job, I go to another print shop, or we share paper," Valenzuela said.

As for the future, she said she hopes to find a larger shop than her current 1,200-square-foot space and she also wants to increase sales.

For now, she's just happy she listened to her mentor and got involved in the business.

"It's the feeling of having your own business. It's the accomplishment that comes with it," Valenzuela said. "It's fulfilling and at the same time achieving this much is not just a fulfillment for myself, but I wanted to prove this person who entrusted me the business that I did not fail him."