Two's the Charm

Vital Stats: Gina Catan-Eckstein, 36, Ivette Catan-Helfend, 35, founders and presidents of Linx & More . . .

Company: Customizable Italian charm bracelets; founded in 1999

2002 Sales Projections: $8.5 million

When In Rome: "My sister was in Italy and saw bracelets with charms on very chic women," explains Catan-Eckstein. "She loved them and realized there's nothing like this in the United States. She called me immediately and said, 'Gina, we just found our next business.' Her vacation turned into a business trip."

Following Father: "My dad used to be in the jewelry business, owned an electrical company and was also in real estate," says Catan-Eckstein. "We learned from him how to be entrepreneurs and work different businesses."

Endless Possibilities: "We're sort of like a department store of charms--www.linxandmore.com has more than 350 from five different factories," says Catan-Eckstein. "We're also developing our own line of bracelets, necklaces and charms we can't get from anyone else."

Sans Sibling Rivalry: "It's a dream come true," Catan-Eckstein says. "We're best friends and can spend all day together. We even had our kids at the same time!"

Catan-Helfend echoes: "It's the best. I'm not only working with someone I trust, but I truly like her as a person and what she stands for. I'm creative, while Gina is very focused. We complete each other."

This article was originally published in the September 2002 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Two's the Charm.