For Angela Johnson, vintage and thrift are in her bones. Her parents have owned small businesses, specifically antique malls, for decades. Her stepmother was the first to test the waters. She loved it so much that Angela’s dad, who had been an engineer traveling all...
Why We’re Devoted to Serving Entrepreneurs of All Kinds
In 1997, the Hannah Grimes Marketplace opened with a focus on serving artisans. While the store was open to local vendors of all kinds, it was home to mostly makers and growers in the beginning. Since then, Hannah Grimes has gone on to serve different kinds of...
Why Entrepreneur Affinity Programming is Important
In 2021, the SBA rolled out the Community Navigator Pilot Program, an American Rescue Plan initiative designed to reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs often face in accessing the programs they need to recover, grow, or start building a...
How Sola Grove Flowers Blossomed with New Business Resources
Buying a bouquet you’ll enjoy for a few days is one thing. But choosing a piece of art that looks garden-grown and lasts is entirely different. For Nicole French, that’s the sweet spot where her maker’s magic comes together. Crafting her eco-friendly floral...
What Do You Get with 9 Goats, 30 Sheep, and $10K? A Farming Business on Its Way
Meet Vincent VanGoat, Hermione Grazer, and Meryl Sheep, just a few of the cute and wildly efficient animals from Broken Boat Farm LLC. This livestock landscaping business was tailor-made for the Granite State, and it has seen unbelievable growth in a short time span....
When Creating a Stronger Business Plan Brews Up New Coffee Connections
Owen Miller grew up in East Alstead, a small, rural village in Southern New Hampshire that’s big on community. His story then took him around the globe on a remarkable exploration of food and drink. From Grenada, where he supported cacao growers for L.A. Burdick...
From Flames & Feathers to Setting Up a New Business with Burlesque
For Katherine Skipper (aka Cheri Flambé), the powerhouse producer and performer behind Flambé Cabaret, burlesque brings together a lifetime of passions. As a classically trained dancer in her youth, she took notice of the circus arts in high school and quickly began...
How One Mighty Small Business Is Changing Life in Small-Town NH
How many small business owners can say half their community lined up outside to welcome them on their opening day? Elisabeth Branch can because that’s exactly what happened in the quiet town of Stoddard, New Hampshire, when she took over ownership of Mill Village...
Hannah Grimes: A Rural Economic Development Model
The following case study was developed as a part of the Radically Rural project funded through a Northern Border Regional Commission grant. Early Origins: 1991–1997 Mary Ann Kristiansen, founder of Hannah Grimes, came to the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire in 1991....
Start a Business that Fills Important Gaps in the Community
Most people start a business because they are passionate about something, whether that’s candles, coffee, rock climbing, or something else. Small business owners love providing a specific product or service to their customers. I recently sat down with several...