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...
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....
What makes a strong board of directors? At Hannah Grimes, we believe it’s a group of diverse individuals with different skill sets. From fundraising to facility management, we need individuals with passion and experience to make things happen. With a staff as small as...
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...
At Hannah Grimes, we’re always eager to learn. That’s why Deputy Executive Director, Julianna Dodson, started a staff book club! This is not only an opportunity for staff development, but also a great exercise in understanding our colleagues and which aspects of...
“Entrepreneur” is a broad term that many of our clients at Hannah Grimes struggle to relate to. We find that folks prefer to self identify with works like “small business owner,” “freelancer,” “artisan,” or some other word that specifies the kind of work they do. This...
Whether you’ve stopped into our Main Street marketplace or our center for entrepreneurship, you’ve probably wondered where we got the name “Hannah Grimes.” Who was Hannah Grimes? An ordinary woman born in 1776, Hannah Grimes lived on a farmstead with her family in...
By Program Coordinator, Lillian Chase The 2023 Fall Business Lab Program is coming to a close, so I thought I would share the deliverables we ask our entrepreneurs for. The first is the business pitch, which those of you in our community get to see live and in person...
Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship (HGC) provides support and resources for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs. In 1997, Hannah Grimes Marketplace (HGM) was founded as a place for local artisans to sell their products with little overhead costs. It was this innate...
I sat down with one of our pro-bono coaches, Wendy Walter, owner of The Voice of Clay in Brookline, NH, to discuss work/life balance and mindfulness. Wendy has worked with clay for over 25 years. One of the reasons she loves pottery so much is because of the relaxed...
