Minority Business Development Agency - U.S. Department of Commerce’s Post

Some entrepreneurial stories just grab you right from the start. What started as a creative outlet in rural Missouri has grown into an internationally renowned quilting community called Missouri Star Quilt Company.  As Jenny celebrates 15 years in business in 2024, her story shares some wise lessons: 1. Follow your heart – Jenny's business came from genuinely loving quilting and nurturing a community around it. This authenticity keeps customers coming back.  2. Embrace limitations – Despite financial hardship early on, Jenny leveraged constraints to drive creativity. Limits can bring opportunities. 3. Persist through challenges – From a son's cancer to near bankruptcy, Jenny has confronted obstacles without losing passion. Entrepreneurs need that grit. 4. Remember your roots – Jenny kept operating from small-town Missouri. She maintains the personal touch that defined the early days. Jenny built a quilting empire by staying grounded in her values. As we celebrate her anniversary, may her journey inspire yours. Here's to 15 more years of Missouri Star's success!

#ShopLocal, #SmallBusiness, #Lansing Shop small, dream big—because Amazon doesn’t know your coffee order! Supporting small businesses means uplifting the dreams and hard work of our neighbors, friends, and fellow community members. Every time you step into a local shop, enjoy a meal at a nearby café, or choose a neighborhood service provider, you’re backing someone’s vision and years of dedication. It’s about more than just commerce—it’s about community. Small business owners pour their heart and soul into creating something special, often facing long hours, obstacles, and uncertainty. Yet, they persevere because they believe in their mission and in the value they bring to the community. When you choose to buy local, you’re not just getting a product or service—you’re helping someone’s dream thrive. So, next time you’re about to click “Add to Cart,” take a stroll down Main Street instead. Let’s keep our communities buzzing and help these dreamers keep dreaming—one purchase at a time!

At age 27, this entrepreneur took over her family’s collapse-nearing roofing business. After leading the company to profitability, she sold it just a few years later to a private equity firm.    This entrepreneur is none other than Babson College’s very own Lauri Union, founding executive director of the Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship. She shares the story of how she did it, and her top tips for turning around a #FamilyBusiness, in an article for Business Insider. https://lnkd.in/e7fNAfij

It is always a great time to talk about my ventures as a student entrepreneur.

In the driver's seat of our legacy Bentley sits my grandson, Isaiah - a beacon of our family's journey towards entrepreneurship and legacy building. This Bentley isn't just a luxury vehicle; it’s a CLASSROOM on wheels, teaching lessons in perseverance, financial wisdom, and the essence of leaving a LEGACY. Hailing from Cleveland with aspirations of becoming a multimillionaire, I've learned that success is not just in earning, but in passing down wisdom. Let's drive towards a future where legacy and learning go hand-in-hand. #Entrepreneurship #FamilyLegacy #bentley

Excited to share another chapter in my son David's journey in business education! Last month, David raised and auctioned two pigs through 4-H, grossing almost $750. Though expenses ate into his profits, the learning continued—some costs were investments in assets he can reuse, proving the initial outlay was worth every penny. Fast forward to today, and our efforts to prepare for our kunekune sow paid off faster than expected—she blessed us with four adorable piglets the day after the auction and they are now 2 weeks old and thriving. Just like that, David's "inventory" got a quick boost. With another sow due soon, his venture is expanding. And I’m learning right along side him. At just 14, David’s hands-on experience managing and growing a business that includes inventory is impressive. These lessons in resilience, investment, and growth are invaluable. I'm a proud dad and can't wait to see how these experiences shape his future. 🌟🐖 #YouthInBusiness #4H #Agribusiness #FutureLeaders #Entrepreneurship #FarmLife #BusinessGrowth #InventoryManagement

Are you bold, brave, and brash enough to change the world with your entrepreneurial spirit? In 2008, I started a travel organization with three of my friends to take students around the world. While fundraising, we came up $70,000 short of our goal. Instead of giving up, my business partner, Garrett, told us, 🌟“If entrepreneurship were easy, everyone would do it.” 🌟 Here are three tips that helped us power through and achieve our goal: ✅Believe in What You Do: Believing in your mission will carry you through tough times. ✅Stand Out: What makes you different? Your venture should solve a problem or meet a need in a new or enjoyable way. ✅Don’t Quit: The most successful individuals aren’t always the smartest- they’re the ones who refuse to give up. Persistence is key! Remember💡: the most extraordinary journeys begin with a single, audacious step. Are you bold enough to start?

My University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business class and I had the pleasure of hearing Ryan McDonough, Co-Founder of Accompany, speak last week about his entrepreneurial journey. He had so many great nuggets of advice and interesting perspectives. Here were some of my favorites: "Make sure your assumptions are still valid. There are things that you assume about how your business is going to work... Over time, make sure that is still the case and that you aren't continuing to make decisions on data that is no longer valid." "As a founding team we decided to sit down and determine what our values were. This was before we had a name for the company or knew exactly what we were going to build. It was about establishing what was going to be important to us and what would be our guiding light as we scaled the business." "It's important for you as founders to either have first-hand experience with the pain you are trying to solve or have direct access to people who are experiencing that pain." "As you progress to later stages of funding you go from raising money based on belief to raising money based on math." "Going public is a funding event, it's not an end state - and the job for the executive team fundamentally changes." "As an entrepreneur every day is challenging. You have to want to build the thing you're building versus wanting to be an entrepreneur." Thanks again Ryan!

Just as raising a child requires significant time, effort, and emotional investment, building a business demands similar dedication. Both endeavors require nurturing and guidance to grow and develop successfully. It is the parallels between parenthood and entrepreneurship. Yes scary, yet exciting! I'm officially starting my own small business “CrownsUp”. I’ll post more details and updates in the coming weeks.

From Lockdown to Launch: Richard's Journey with Hardie Property Discover how Richard Hardie transitioned from corporate life to starting his own real estate venture during lockdown. In this video, Richard shares his motivation, the creative freedom he found, and how he kicked off Hardie Property. Join him on this entrepreneurial adventure! #EntrepreneurJourney #LockdownLife #RealEstateSuccess #StartupStory #CreativeFreedom #BusinessInnovation #MarketingStrategy #SmallBusinessTips #HardyProperty #GuernseyBusiness