Entrepreneurship

Zach Martinucci sees bread as much more than the bookends to a sandwich—he views it as a way to connect with his neighbors, friends and family. Before opening Rebel Bread in Denver two years ago, Zach used his unique recipes to make loaves based on his friends’ personalities. One friend, who he describes as “sweet, spicy and a bit nutty,” was delighted to receive a sourdough loaf made with cayenne pepper and candied pecans.

As any small business owner knows, the holiday season is the perfect time to boost your bottom line. But figuring out the best way to market your business or product and how to stand out from the crowd can feel overwhelming. But, there's no need to get your stockings in a twist. Whether you’re an online vendor, a restauranteur or even an accounting firm, there are some easy ways that you can connect with your community and your clients during this busy time of the year.

Fran Bonner is not your average small business owner: She has been a caregiver for more than 67 years. When she was just 11 years old, her grandmother and great aunt both suffered from strokes, and Fran would spend her days going back and forth from school to home in order to make sure her loved ones were fed and taken care of.

Since opening his market 10 years ago, Alap Vora is proud to say 80% of his employees from his opening day are still working for him, and his business boasts an overall employee retention rate of more than 70%. These numbers are virtually unheard of for hourly-wage jobs in Brooklyn, N.Y., but Alap’s personal approach to business may have something to do with it.

In celebration of National Women’s Small Business Month, we co-hosted a Twitter chat with Women's Business Development Center (WBDC), Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF) and CDC Small Business Finance to share resources and advice with women small business owners. 

While many 13-year-olds dream of becoming firefighters or football players, 13-year-old Johnathon Bush not only dreamed of being an entrepreneur but was already becoming one. While growing up in Toledo, Ohio, he realized the only way he could make money at a young age was through entrepreneurship, so he started baking cookies and selling them to friends and family. But, his bake sales evolved into something bigger than his middle school self could have expected. 

In October we celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month by sharing resources for small business owners and women’s stories of entrepreneurship. This year, we asked a panel of experts about their personal and professional experiences with women’s entrepreneurship. 

When her brother was first deployed to Iraq, Candy Alford embroidered every piece of clothing he owned, from his socks to his washcloths, with his name so his things wouldn’t get misplaced in the group laundry. Not only were the name tags practical, but they garnered quite a few compliments from her brother’s fellow pilots, and he suggested she turn her hobby into a business.

When Andrew McDowell set out to open his small business, he wanted to address a prominent issue he was seeing in his community—food deserts.

South Los Angeles is riddled with food deserts, meaning that many neighborhoods do not have access to healthy, affordable food within a reasonable distance from their homes, leading to high rates of diabetes and other health problems. 

This post originally appeared on Venturize.org

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate the contributions of Hispanic small business owners to our nation’s economy and discuss how we can help them thrive and grow their businesses.