The big businesses of the world tend to monopolize the headlines and TV ads but small businesses are a huge part of most people’s daily lives. According to the United States Small Business Administration, more than 50% of Americans either own or work for a small business.
From the deli where you buy your coffee to the Etsy shop where you shop for holiday gifts to the solo photographer who shot your holiday card photos, you probably shop from small businesses on a regular basis.
We love small businesses here at MeetEdgar because, well, we help them market themselves on social media every day but we’re also a small business ourselves!
As part of our Small Business Saturday celebration this, we wanted to share our favorite small businesses. Team Edgar is a remote team and we love our small businesses in our respective communities. Here are some of our favorites and what you can learn for your small business!
East Pole Coffee Co.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Website
East Pole was built by coffee lover, Jared Karr. East Pole started as a roasting company in 2014 but open opened a beautiful coffee bar in 2017, which is quickly becoming one of Atlanta’s favorite coffee shops.
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
East Pole is run by a few folks who really love coffee and love Atlanta. I love when people’s passion comes through their business
– Nancy, Marketing Advocate
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Passion can take you places. Don’t be afraid to start something that you are truly passionate about, even if you don’t know the ins and outs of the business yet!
TurF
Location: Vancouver, BC
Website
TurF is a community space where members can work out, dine on delicious food and connect with others. Co-founded by sisters Deanne and Delaney Schweitzer, TurF inspires people to live full, healthy lives within their community-driven space.
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
TurF is all about creating community, kindness, and value for everyone they come into contact with.
– Tyra, People Ops Manager
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Build a business with strong values. A value-driven company will attract customers who will stay with your business and promote it for you.
Powder7
Location: Golden, CO
Website
Powder7 was born in their owner, Jordan’s, mother’s basement where they sold their first pair of skis and used the profits to buy two more pairs. In ten years, Powder7 have built an e-commerce website and a retail store where they aim to match skiers to their perfect gear for the mountain.
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
They are so helpful and knowledgeable and kind. they have one store here but are mostly online, but if you go to their in-person store, they are so friendly and tell you EVERYTHING you need to know.
– Megan, Customer Onboarding Specialist
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Find a problem to solve with your product or service. Powder7 wanted a place that would perfectly match skis to each skier and when they couldn’t find it, they decided to create it themselves!
Posh Totty Designs
Location: Brighton, UK
Website
Posh Totty began when Alice River Cripps learned how to make unique jewelry from a group of Mayan jewelers while traveling in Mexico. Posh Totty creates unique and personal jewelry that is of deep significance to each of their customers.
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
It’s a female-founded business that creates beautiful personalized jewelry right here in Brighton. I’ve bought really cute rings with my children’s initials on it.
-Laura, Founder
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Find the bigger reason or story behind your product or service. People don’t often buy because of features or price. They buy because of the story behind a product or service and how they connect to it.
The Goulet Pen Company
Location: Online
Website
The Goulet Pen Company began as a hobby in 2007 when owner Brian Goulet expanded his lifelong interest in woodworking into pen making. They focus on providing a personal level of service through an online format by providing fantastic customer experience and unique knowledge of their products.
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
They include small touches like a nice note and some candy in your package. I also really appreciate the videos and blog posts they create to demo their products and share general care instructions. It would have been easy for Goulet to be “just an online pen shop” but they have gone above and beyond to enrich their audience and also to make a big rippling impact in their hometown and for their employees and employees’ families.
-Sarah, Operations Advocate
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Personal touches and care matter to customers. Your customers will notice all the little extras you do to take care of them!
Omaha Dog Bar
Location: Omaha, NE
Website
Leah Thrasher wanted to make Omaha a more dog-friendly place and create fun and safe spaces for dogs and humans to exist. She created a web-based community, Omaha.dog, to connect dog owners with dog-friendly businesses, services and events and will be opening Nebraska’s first indoor/outdoor off-leash dog park and bar soon!
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
Leah is creating a community for dog owners! It’s starting as “Pup-Ups” at different locations and parks but is growing it into a permanent, full-fledged space soon!
-Tanya, Finance Director
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Create a community around something you love. Great businesses are built by strong, passionate communities. Find your community and they will help you drive the business forward.
Goat Milk Stuff
Location: Scottsburg, IN
Website
Goat Milk Stuff is a family owned business that sells, you guessed it, products made out of goat milk! Their main product is Goat Milk Soap, which they originally created because they wanted to find a safe, chemical-free soap for their own children. Their experiment in soap making soon showed them that natural goat milk soap is a perfect product for people with dry or sensitive skin and their business was born.
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
This is a family-owned company who provides a fantastic product that you can order from the comfort of your own home! The entire family is involved in the operation and they have strong values behind their brand.
-Sarah B, QA Lead
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Niche down. Your product doesn’t have to be for everyone, in fact, it shouldn’t be for everyone. Creating something niche will make it easier to find the right audience and wow them!
Mikko Nordic Fine Food
Location: Washington, DC
Website
Mikko Nordic Fine Food is owned by Chef Mikko Kosonenr, who opened his charming cafe after spending 15 years as the Executive Chef for the Finnish Ambassador to the United States. He wanted to bring fantastic Nordic food to everyone in DC and is frequently seen greeting guests and chatting with them about Nordic delicacies in the cafe.
Why Team Edgar Loves It:
I love Mikko because everyone is so personable and Chef Mikko is a delight! Even though he is head chef and owner, he always comes to chat with tables and it has a community feel.
-Maura, Digital Content Manager
The Lesson for Other Entrepreneurs:
Your business is you so don’t hide behind it! Share your passion with your customers and fans by being open and available to them.
The small businesses we love differ in their products, locations, marketing, and goals but they each were built by hardworking, innovative individuals who found something they loved and worked hard to build a business around it.
No matter your industry or your unique passion, if you’re interested in starting a business or taking yours to the next level, then we hope you are a little bit more inspired to take action after reading about our favorite local small businesses!
We support small businesses all year long but we’re so proud to be able to do so this month! We’re celebrating Small Business Saturday with a special offer! If you are a small business, you can enjoy your first month of Edgar free with the code smallbiz18. Sign up here!
The post Small Business Saturday Spotlight: Team Edgar’s Favorites appeared first on MeetEdgar.