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How Grammy’s Town Created a New World of Play in Alexandria, MN

January 28, 2026

After 29 years of running a daycare, one Alexandria, Minnesota entrepreneur knew it was time for a new chapter—but Chris Svee wasn’t ready to leave behind the joy and creativity of working with children. Inspired by her granddaughter Skyla (and daughter Bri), she began dreaming up a place where kids could play, imagine, and explore freely. That dream became Grammy’s Town, an indoor imaginative play space and birthday party venue that officially opened its doors in June 2025.

The idea started modestly: a plan to build a small play space in her basement after closing her daycare. But her vision grew quickly, fueled by late-night research, online videos, and conversations with her family. “I told my husband I wanted to create Grammy’s Town,” she said. “And he told me to put together a business plan and take it to the bank. I don’t think he thought I was serious—but I was.”

She dove headfirst into research, gathering ideas from national indoor play café experts and shaping her concept. But when it came to the financial side, especially understanding spreadsheets, pricing models, and revenue projections, she hit a wall. That’s when Nicole Fernholz, Director for Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission referred her to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

“The numbers overwhelmed me,” she shared. “I had always just tallied receipts by hand when I did daycare, but now I needed to understand things like cash flow and pricing. The SBDC helped me make sense of it all.”

Chris worked closely with SBDC consultant Calvin Guyer who broke down the financials step-by-step and created custom spreadsheets she could understand and use. The no-fee support was a major help, especially as she was trying to be careful with startup costs. “It was such a relief,” she said. “I would get a spreadsheet and actually understand it. That gave me the confidence to move forward.”

Since opening, Grammy’s Town continues to grow and evolve. Chris watches how children use the space and makes thoughtful changes—like relocating a reading corner to a quieter area or adding a pretend police station. Her mission is simple: create a space where kids can be curious, playful, and imaginative.

One moment that stood out? A young girl walked in for the first time, looked around in awe, and said, “I have a place like this where I live, but yours is much better.” The child had visited a similar play café in The Cities—but preferred Grammy’s Town. “That just stuck with me,” Chris said. “We had actually visited that same place during our research. To hear that feedback meant the world.”

Though her husband still jokes that he doesn’t quite get how people will pay to play when there’s a free playground nearby, Chris knows the answer: community, creativity, and connection. And with the continued support of the SBDC, Chris knows she’s not on this journey alone. “Even now that I’m open, they’re still helping—offering ideas for marketing and growth. I would highly, highly recommend the SBDC to anyone starting a small business.”

To learn more about Grammy’s Town, click here.

To Learn more about West Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center, click here.

How Business Mentorship Sparked 300% Growth for Smugglers Cove Flagging

January 14, 2026

SPOKANE, Wash.—Vicki Hebert, owner of Smugglers Cove Flagging and a client of the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) since 2020, has been named the SBA Seattle District Rural Business of the Year. Hebert will be honored at the Small Business Gala on May 7 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Smugglers Cove Flagging, which opened in 2017, now employs nearly a dozen people and provides flaggers, traffic control supervisors, flagger trucks and signs, traffic control plans, permitting and emergency services. Hebert is also a certified flagging instructor.

“Vicki Hebert and Smugglers Cove Flagging are an extraordinary choice for the SBA Seattle District Rural Business of the Year,” said Sheryl McGrath, state director of the Washington SBDC. “Vicki truly exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that defies the odds and continues to fight for a better future for her family and her community.”

Hebert had more than a decade of experience as a flagger before she stepped back from that work to focus on raising her small children. In 2016, with her children older, Hebert got back into flagging, with a dream of opening her own small business.

Smugglers Cove Flagging was still in its early days when, in 2018, Hebert was injured on the job in a hit-and-run accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and nerve damage that made walking or even sitting unendurable. Her recovery, which included managing debilitating PTSD and depression, took precedence for the next several years, but she never gave up her dream of running her own small business.

Hebert said she used to believe that success meant having money, a college education, nice clothes and a big house. “Now,” she said, “I think success is just not giving up.”

When Hebert started working with the SBDC, she already had the experience, knowledge and certifications she needed to do flagging and traffic control, but she wasn’t an expert on starting and running a small business. That’s where the SBDC came in.

During COVID, while still unable to leave her home, she began attending online webinars presented by the Washington SBDC on topics such as website design and L&I compliance.

Then, in March 2023, she reached out to the SBDC for one-to-one advising and began meeting with SBDC advisor Janet Toth.

Hebert responded to a survey request after that first meeting by writing, “I cannot believe how hopeful I felt after my first meeting with my SBDC counselor. She had information and connections to resources and tools that are unimaginable. I can continue growing my business with more confidence and help. I believe she is the perfect counselor for me.”

Hebert met with Toth for more than a year before Toth left the SBDC and Hebert was matched with SBDC advisor SharonAnn Hamilton, who nominated Hebert for the SBA award.

Working with Hamilton, Hebert identified her strengths and weaknesses as a business owner and strategized the growth of the business.

“SharonAnn, she is such a blessing,” Hebert said. “They say the teachers come when the student’s ready, and I was ready.”

While the business originated in the San Juan Islands, Hebert has grown the company to serve Whatcom and Cowlitz counties, as well as the Olympic Peninsula. While staffing fluctuates depending on the contracts, she has about a dozen part-time employees. Company revenue has increased more than 300 percent.

“Having someone believe in me, to help me believe in myself, and guide me through this process has been amazing,” Hebert said.

As someone who first started flagging just out of high school, Hebert is committed to empowering workers in rural communities through training and education. As a Washington state certified flagger instructor, she has trained more than 700 flaggers. She believes that the training and lessons learned while flagging extend far beyond traffic control and can truly open up a world of opportunities.

“We are a second chance company,” she said. It’s not just that some of the people she hires have suffered setbacks, but that the work itself reinforces critical skills like being aware of your surroundings, setting boundaries and saying no. She often tells new employees, “I want you to leave here feeling better about yourself than when you came.”

The Washington SBDC is a network of more than 40 business advisors working in communities across the state to help small business owners and entrepreneurs start, grow or buy/sell a business. SBDC advisors assist clients in just about any industry and at any stage of business development. SBDC services are provided at no cost to the business owner and are completely confidential.

The Washington SBDC is part of a national SBDC program known as the America’s SBDC and is managed by a cooperative agreement between Washington State University and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). About half the funding for SBDC services is from the SBA and the other half is from multiple state and local funding partners, including the Washington State Department of Commerce, Washington State University, other institutions of higher education, economic development agencies and civic and business groups.

For more about Smugglers Cove Flagging, go here.

For more about the Washington SBDC, go to wsbdc.org.

Hand In Hand Secures Nearly $3M Grant to Expand Childcare Access Across Lewis County

December 3, 2025

Jenniffer Bleakley and her Hand In Hand Early Childhood Center applied for a NYS Office of Children and Family Services state grant, which was awarded to expand her childcare center. After receiving the grant award, it was rescinded and taken back after a technicality. At this time, she and her team had already started planning her business expansion and were working towards offering more childcare to Lewis County residents.

AnywhereCam Inc. From Pitch to Growth: A Success Story

November 12, 2025

Mike Blecha grew up and lives in a small rural area in northeastern Colorado. Most of his family, friends, customers and neighbors are hard-working people, many with property and belongings spread around the region. During the pandemic, theft and robbery exponentially increased, and Mike, known in his local community as the ‘tech guy’, was the go-to person for a surveillance solution.

After unsuccessfully trying to implement almost every option currently on the market, Mike decided to build a surveillance camera that anyone could use anywhere, regardless of their access to high-speed internet or power. He created AnywhereCam as a reliable and durable solution to help the people of rural communities have a sense of security regardless of circumstances.

When Mike Blecha launched AnywhereCam, he faced the classic startup dilemma: limited funds and limited reach. Marketing efforts generated brief spikes in sales, but without a steady budget, the momentum quickly faded. At the same time, raising a seed round proved equally difficult—few investors resonated with the vision or the scalability of AnywhereCam’s technology.

nTechQuity: How an Intergenerational Program is Closing the Digital Divide

October 8, 2025

In her former information technology roles, Todd Rennae Boone witnessed a wide digital divide. “I worked with young people in marginalized communities,” she explained. “What struck me was that the only difference in learning wasn’t their ability, but the resources to which they had access.”

Fueled by a desire to bridge this gap, Todd launched nTechQuity Community Learning, a unique initiative fostering intergenerational learning. At nTechQuity, she matches tech-savvy kids up with not-so-tech-savvy seniors, and the knowledge shared and the relationships forged are transformative.