SBDC Consultant:
Amber Guerrero
SBDC Assistance:
Financial Projections
Social Media Assistance
Market Research
Ribbon Cutting Planning
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Tracey Ahearn and Kathy Signorelli have been friends for 35 years. They have supported each other through just about everything: relationships, marriages, jobs, kids, divorces, moves. Now they own a business together.
“When I had the opportunity to chase my dream of working with horses and help improve the health of horses with growing fodder hydroponically, Tracey was all in,” said Signorelli. “She has always been interested in hydroponics and growing sprouts, and we both have a love for animals, so we decided to give it our best shot.”
They started Red Barn Harvest in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 2021. Red Barn Harvest produces fresh, hydroponically grown barley sprouts, known as fodder, as feed for performance horses and other grass-fed animals. They serve the immediate Hot
Springs area, home of Oaklawn race track.
As small business owners navigate an ever-changing landscape, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) continue to support and elevate their clients through innovative at-cost training programs and free advising strategies. Nearly 1,000 SBDCs can be found across the United States and its territories, serving clients virtually and from their centers in host institutions like universities and chambers. Whether SBDCs are serving rural America, addressing a solution in fintech, or helping a millennial woman-owned business expand to global exporting, SBDCs are at the forefront, assisting their clients at every step. Don’t miss the new America’s SBDC Annual Report to read about hundreds of small businesses and how their small businesses thrived with the help of their local SBDC.
Want to grow your business? Think outside the cash box.
Freedom, work satisfaction and flexibility are just a few of the many reasons small business owners take the leap to follow a dream. Rachelle Gonzalez, founder of Taco Shelly’s in Bethlehem, PA, had reached a turning point in her restaurant career. Her role in management left her feeling dissatisfied, often frustrated. She missed the camaraderie of the bar and being responsible for her own work ethic vs. that of others.
By Ken So
Though Silicon Valley startups are often treated as separate from Main Street small businesses, the basic tenets of starting and growing a business are the same no matter what you’re building. As the founder of a business that serves both enterprise and everyday businesses, plus a mentor to new startups, it’s been a special privilege to be able to observe and learn from business owners from all backgrounds and walks of life. Here’s advice I find myself giving a lot to new founders that I think all entrepreneurs can learn from.