Kari Lane Johnson, 42, owns My Viola-Floral Studio.

She’s from Great Falls and stayed for family and the central location of Great Falls to many other cities.

Why did you open/acquire a business here?

“I wanted to have my own floral shop since I worked at the greenhouse/flower shop in Fort Benton…since I was 19.”

What are the top 3 advantages to operating a business in Great Falls?

“The great, loyal customer base of people in Great Falls, the help and support from local banks/credit unions and organizations in Great Falls and meeting new people that become your customers and sometimes friends.”

What are the top 3 challenges?

Finding people who want to have a position for longer than six months (employee retention), sourcing fresh local flowers and taxes.

If there was one thing you could change to existing regulations to remove barriers to business, what would it be?

Better tax breaks for small business.

What advice would you give to someone considering starting a business in Great Falls?

With starting any business, know your market and your industry…do research on the field you are going into.