Ashland Birth Center WI

2021 was a demanding year but full of creativity and new opportunities. As a small business, providing maternity and newborn health care services, we are grateful for our ability to adapt in a timely manner. The Ashland Birth Center worked directly within our community, and surrounding communities, to meet new challenges. Expecting a baby is considered one of the most special moments a person can experience. The toll of the pandemic, sickness, and loss of family members, created stress and anxiety for pregnant people. Our business was charged with being a place of comfort and trust. There is evidence that mothers who experience significant stress during pregnancy have poorer outcomes and their babies are slower to meet milestones. The more health care providers involve family members in pregnancy, and support the individual, the more they become attached to their baby and their family's ongoing health. With this in mind, we found the extra stamina, during difficult times, to greet all pregnant people who entered with understanding and careful attention. Our patient appointments lasted an hour instead of the typical 15-30 minutes; even if not billable. We provided availability to our team 24/7. We provided a safe place to receive maternity and newborn care, out of hospital, with midwives. In 2021 we recognized how important it is not to take for granted our ability to receive health care. As hospitals were filled with sickness, lacking hospital beds, short staffed, and unable to welcome visitors, we were able to adapt quickly and provide safe and appropriate care. The number of people we served grew in 2021; it was our best year. This has brought about an excited opportunity for us to take new steps in addressing our community's unique health care needs and our long term sustainability as a valued business. We are centrally located in a rural region; the second poorest county in our state. We have several Native American communities that access our services and our provider networks. Meeting the needs of typically underserved people is a commitment we have always shown. Pictured are Ashland Birth Center's Indigenous midwife students, and a few mothers, whom we highlighted for their cultural approach to breastfeeding. Our full scope prenatal care, labor, delivery and postpartum services are based on a prevention model; with close attention to cultural preferences. The Ashland Birth Center is integrated into its community and provides a service that attracts people to travel here. The highlight of 2021 are the simple things that brought great joy and moments we offered to improve health outcomes for pregnant people. We recently learned our facility is for sale and we are short of having the financial ability to purchase it. Just over three hundred babies have been born here since we opened. As I stay late, to take every effort, the community is coming together to keep us here with donations. If Ashland Birth Center won money we would use it to purchase the facility our community has grown to love and need.

Nordic-Knot VA

It all began with a pretzel and a note in a brown bag on the doorstep of a small brewery, a match made in "Malt & Salt" heaven. For my business partner, Eric Lundberg, and myself (Melissa Romano), opening NORDIC-KNOT (Malt& Salt, LLC), a small pretzel bakery in our home community, was an opportunity to create connections between and support other small and local businesses, and to provide unique and delicious pretzels for both direct retail to the local community and wholesale resale throughout the region. Less than three years later, just as our small business was establishing itself as the premier manufacturer and distributor of hand made soft pretzels for wholesale resale, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, causing most of our reseller partners to shutter doors, either temporarily or permanently. While devastating to wholesale sales, Eric and I worked swiftly to establish an online presence and to provide direct retail sales to individual consumers so that, even though their favorite pretzel resellers may have closed, our pretzels were still available to them. In addition, thanks to our own established ingredients supply chain, in addition to our pretzels, Nordic-Knot was able to provide flour and yeast in bulk to our customers for home baking when those ingredients were scarce or unavailable in supermarkets.

During 2021, Nordic-Knot saw the reopening and reestablishment of some, but not all, of our wholesale accounts, but continued to focus on direct to consumer retail sales, providing "pretzels to the people" in unique and creative ways. Owner Eric hand-built a beautiful vending cart which became a wildly popular attraction on Saturday mornings in front of the wholesale bakery (which does not operate a retail storefront). In addition, he built a custom pick-up cabinet where customers could safely, and without direct contact, pick up their pre-ordered pretzels, pretzel dogs and pretzel croissants. By providing safe, sanitary and convenient ordering and pick up options for their customers, Nordic-Knot was able to grow its customer base in a way that the community embraced and supported.

Throughout 2021, Nordic-Knot also continued our practice of giving back to our community by providing below wholesale pricing to non-profits, schools, booster clubs, and other organizations in order for them to be able to fundraise, and by supporting local charitable organizations with donations both financial and in-kind.

"NORDIC-KNOT was born from a love of pretzels, and as a way of twisting together family, friends, and community" is our motto, and we stand by it every day as we hand mill our flour, proof our dough, then hand shape, roll, twist and bake our pretzels.

We appreciate your consideration for the Barclays Small Business Big Wins award. If chosen, Nordic-Knot would use the funds towards marketing, e-commerce upgrades, and to purchase upgraded equipment to streamline our processes to allow us to provide our products more economically to our community, which would, in turn, allow us to increase our charitable giving, support our local food pantry, and better serve our customers.

Superfit Hero CA

I’m the founder of Superfit Hero, an independent plus size activewear brand based in the Los Angeles area. I was inspired to create Superfit Hero in 2015 by my experience playing roller derby. After years of constant dieting and exercise in an effort to change my body, roller derby taught me that fitness doesn’t have to be about looking a certain way. I wanted to create a new kind of fitness brand - one that celebrates bodies as they are, not as they should be.

Over 68% of American women wear plus sizes but fewer than 8% of activewear brands serve them. We offer the most inclusive size range (L-7X), unparalleled customer service, and the best plus size fit on the planet. We are a small team of four and pride ourselves on working closely with our community in every aspect of our business.

2021 has been our most challenging year yet, but we got creative and found ways to ensure our survival, and to set us up for growth in 2022 and beyond.

The business closures of 2020 forced our local factory out of business and supply chain disruptions made it impossible for us to access the fabric we needed for our most popular products. By early 2021, we found ourselves out of inventory and without a reliable supply chain. If we were going to survive, we had to diversify our offerings and build a new, solid manufacturing base. I had to take a risk and invest in our future.

I used our emergency grant and loan funding to hire a new product manager and invest in new product development. We onboarded four new factories, designed new products with new fabrics, and created a collection for our first major wholesale partnership. What began as a year of desperation ended with a groundbreaking partnership with Kohl’s. By carrying our entire size range in store, Kohl’s became the first national retailer to offer sizes up to 7X in store. For many of our customers, this is the first time they’ve had the opportunity to try on their size at a national retailer.

Making these investments in 2021 was hard on our cash flow but enabled us to set the stage for growth moving forward. Going into 2022, we now have several factories working for us, a solid and diversified product plan, and a new swim collection coming soon! I’m so optimistic about our future, that it almost feels like 2019 again. If we are lucky enough to win this grant from Barclays, we will invest those dollars directly into creating more styles that our community has asked for with the amazing fit and customer service they have grown to expect from us. We thank you for your vote!

Advanced & Innovative Multifunctional Materials LLC OH

I started my company AIMM in 2019, though I was still working at my “regular job” as a scientist until January 2021 when I left to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. Thus, last year was a unique year indeed! 2021 involved transitioning from my career, that I carefully developed over many years, to taking a huge leap of faith by commercializing the scientific technology I had been developing for over a decade. At AIMM we are able to take porous materials and make them antimicrobial, killing bacteria and eliminating other harmful pathogens like viruses.

I started AIMM after realizing there are over 2 BILLION people in this world that don’t have access to local water that is safe to drink (World Health Organization). The fact that I could literally fill a thermos from a water fountain spout with clean, cold, good tasting water, out of the wall… while 2 billion fellow humans struggled, was a call to action for me.

Of course, deciding to found a startup company in the middle of a once-in-century pandemic added to the degree of difficulty, but provided inspiration as well. At AIMM we decided to pivot after realizing our technology could be applied to the porous materials that make up an N95 respirator mask! Thus, we have spent 2021 developing two primary thrusts with our underlying technology: 1) water purification that can be gravity powered and 2) a “self-disinfecting” layer that can be added to the outside of an existing N95 mask. 2021 resulted in AIMM successfully securing funding to take both projects from the lab scale, to actual minimally viable prototypes; currently ongoing.

We have found that the unique demands of growing an early-stage startup without any “safety net” of additional income when combined with Covid, was difficult, but not insurmountable. We actually found it easier for people to understand the need for antimicrobial technology. In fact, many of our employees, interns and advisors joined us because they heard our story and also cared about what we are trying to accomplish. We found that the wonderful people that have joined or helped AIMM in various capacities, felt inspired to do so and felt called to our mission to use science to make the biggest positive impact on the world we possibly can.

So, while 2021 was indeed trying and at times overwhelmingly difficult, we found that when such a tough year occurs, it inspires people to see how they can help better the situation. Mentors have donated time to help AIMM navigate the arduous path of an early-stage startup. Former colleagues connected us with funding opportunities, while others have pitched in, helping to set up a scientific laboratory—in exchange for lunch! A laboratory that could be outfitted with needed equipment by winning this award. At AIMM, we’ve found that trying to change the world is not easy, but when a year like 2021 happens, it sure can inspire people to try and do just that—ourselves included!

BoCa Flavor MD

In 2020, restaurant delivery orders grew tremendously, while many of us headed to the kitchen to make try out new recipes. Food websites saw a rise in page views for comfort food, vegan and vegetarian recipes, and alcoholic beverages. It became apparent that being stuck at home was the new normal, our health was on the line, and eating became both a necessity and comfort for many.
Unfortunately for us, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are real threats in our family. Being mindful of what we eat has a significant impact on decreasing our odds of chronic disease diagnosis. As Caribbean-Americans, food is an integral part of our culture that inspires creativity, cultivates community, and propels tradition. We’re foodies through and through, yet health advocates first and foremost.
BoCa Flavor was born out of our quest to share our love for food and the islands with the world by fusing staple ingredients from the Caribbean to produce everyday blends that liven up our kitchen. According to NPD Group’s research, 82 percent of the meals Americans eat are prepared at home. This statistic was further exacerbated by the pandemic. We wanted to give people something bold, flavorful, convenient, and healthy to nourish their bodies. Our signature product, Taíno Spice, allowed people a chance to escape to the islands from the comfort of their homes and explore the breadth of the Caribbean flavor profile beyond jerk and curry.
While we cooked up convenient, healthy recipes and worked alongside great partners to share the versatility of our redefined all-purpose seasoning, we faced challenges in 2021 that impacted our ability to respond to the increasing demand for our product. The supply chain issues between suppliers and logistics providers strained customer relations. With limited access to funds due to bank closures and increased competition for grants with the rise in e-commerce startups, we were forced to stretch our capital injections to sustain business operations. Despite these challenges, we captured a committed and patient customer base that showed the desire and need for not only our product but also our core message that healthy food doesn’t have to be boring.
Throughout 2021, we worked with our grassroots farmers and kept jobs alive during a tumultuous time in the economy. In addition, we never stopped giving back because we understand that our community exists both where we are and where we are from. We partnered with The What If Foundation and Food For The Poor to give our customers an opportunity to support food programs that work to eliminate food insecurity in the Caribbean. We have remained committed to bringing light to child hunger issues and addressing these issues with our partner organizations.
As a black-women-owned self-funded business, we have been scrappy since launching BoCa Flavor and are now seeking to scale our impact. With increased funding, we will be able to create new products, automate production, grow our team, put our products on more shelves, and continue investing in authentic marketing strategies to acquire our targeted customers.

Flagstaff Doulas AZ

2021 was a hard year for everyone, especially small businesses, especially small businesses in the healthcare industry. Our business, Flagstaff Doulas, provides support to families during pregnancy, labor and birth, and postpartum. During Covid our local hospital, like many hospitals changed their visitor policy to only allow one support person. In our hospital doulas are considered visitors, despite the evidence showing how important doulas are in reducing cesarean rates, reducing intervention rates and increasing breastfeeding rates and improving the satisfaction of families in their birth experience.

We felt heartbroken for families that wanted us there in the hospital for our support but we were unable to provide that. We pivoted hard and changed the way we supported these families. We shifted to educating the partners to be the main support person, giving them the education, confidence and tools they needed to be the only person supporting them in the hospital. We invested in birth support kits, full of comfort measures tools and taught partners how to use the tools and gave them to families to use while in the hospital. We invested in better computers, lighting, and zoom subscriptions so we could move our education classes online to keep people safe. We also offered virtual support once families entered the hospital where we were not allowed to go.

Many families were also struggling with postpartum because they were more isolated, families and friends were sometimes unable to come and visit because of travel restrictions or fears of getting their baby sick. Our business stepped up to help these families with postpartum support in those first few weeks we made sure we were all vaccinated and boosted so that families felt safe having us come into their home to help them during that critical time of bonding and breastfeeding. For some families they were more comfortable with virtual support so we accommodated them and change the type of support we could offer them virtually.

We don't know when things will change in our community, but right now families are still struggling with feeling less supported during pregnancy, during labor and during postpartum. We continue to find ways to help them such as offering support groups online for people to come together and talk about their fears and worries and struggles. We are continuing to offer virtual support until hopefully one day we will be able to be in person once again.

If our business were to win this contest, we would invest that money into continuing to support our community. Specifically we would use the money to start a dads support group that is desperately needed to give new dads an outlet for meeting other people, a safe place to talk about their worries and struggles, and a time just for them.

Nudi Wear HI

Nudi Wear is an eco-conscious activewear and accessory company that creates high quality products inspired by the ocean with limited impact on the environment. Nudi Wear was born as a result of two dive instructors wanting to be a part of a positive change for our oceans. Over the years as divers, we have seen firsthand the negative effects of humans on our watery world. Nudi Wear became the platform for us to bring awareness and change to the waters we love. We strive for our products to evoke a love for the ocean and the animals found within it, as well as foster a desire to protect them. Our goal is to create original, ocean inspired, high quality products that will live a long life and in return, decrease landfill waste. We limit plastics in every way possible and use recycled and/or recyclable items when packaging, shipping, displaying, and advertising. Our line of activewear is even made from recycled plastic bottles!

We donate ten percent of all profits towards ocean conservation in a few different ways. Five percent of every sale is donated directly to the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), a non-profit aimed at saving our coral reefs. We also use a small portion of this money to organize beach and underwater cleanups around Hawaii. Then if we have any money remaining, we choose organizations we believe in to donate the remainder. During our first 2 years as a business, we have removed over 16,000 pounds of garbage from the oceans and beaches of Hawaii. We adopted a dive site where we host an underwater cleanup each month. During these cleanups, we not only remove garbage directly from the reef, but we also educate others on the importance of preserving our oceans. We have even certified 78 divers in ocean conservation!

During 2021, Hawaii was severely impacted by Covid-19 due to the decreased number of tourists and by the strict safety guidelines implemented by the government. To meet the unique demands of 2021, Nudi Wear dropped our minimum order quantities to meet dive shop needs. We understood that all businesses had to work together to survive during such challenging times. We began offering our ocean conservation courses online, instead of in person, and were able to reach people worldwide from the safety of their own homes! We also continued to host our underwater and beach cleanups, but with increased safety measures. For the divers of Oahu, our cleanups became a safe outlet for stress relief and exercise while providing the opportunity to help our island and ocean in the process.

If we won, we would use the grant to pay for our rashguards that are currently in production. Like our leggings, they are made from recycled plastic bottles. The production of our rashguards will divert 16,000 plastic bottles from our landfills and oceans!

Secret Blessings NC

My name is Wendy and I am a wife, mother, school teacher and a NaeNae. I live in a small town in far Western North Carolina called Robbinsville. I love helping and being an inspiration to others. When my children were younger I made them clothes for different events. That being said, I am familiar and comfortable with the sewing process. I began to see if there were other things I could do that allowed me to share my ability to sew with others. I was speaking with a friend who had a grandmother that was diagnosed with cancer. Her grandmother had to go to treatments and as my heart was touch by the struggle she was having I began thinking of what I could do to be a blessing or a help to this person. As I was pondering what to do I came upon a quote by Manin Morrissey “Don’t wait for something big to occur. Start where you are, with what you have, and that will always lead to something greater”. I finally applied the quote to my life and began where I was and with what I had. I had a dream of making children’s clothing with hidden inspirational messages and quotes. Since I did not know how to proceed with that just exactly, I began making other items for children and adults. I made tote bags, zipper pouches, blankets, bibs, etc. All of these items were lined with words of encouragement, inspiration, and motivation. Research has shown that quotes have the power to motivate, encourage and inspire. I began purchasing more fabric and making more of these type items with hidden inspirational quotes and words of encouragement. As word got out into the community people began asking for the totes with the hidden “blessing”. Just like my friend who gave her grandmother a tote bag to take with her to her cancer treatments. She would take her tote and look inside and it would make her smile every time she saw the inspirational quotes and/or words of encouragement. As word got out people started responding so overwhelmingly that it became a challenge to meet the demand. I teamed up with my daughter and daughter-n-law to start a family owned business “Secret Blessings”. We love working together to spread words of kindness, encouragement and inspiration to others. ALL of our items include hidden quotes to inspire others. 2021 did prove to be challenging and the challenges remain. People are stressed and the demand for some inspiration and encouragement continues to grow. We have been blessed to help others that have been in need in our local community. As our business as grown, we are forever grateful for this opportunity to help and inspire others. If awarded the grant we will buy more sewing machines, sergers and a small “she shed” type building in which to work. Thank you for the opportunity and consideration of our small business for this grant.

Sock It To Em Sock Campaign CO

Sock It To Em Sock Campaign is a 501C3 Public Charity that provides new socks to men, women and children experiencing homelessness. As a nonprofit we were hit hard in 2020 and 2021, but not as hard as those that we provide socks to. Those people experiencing homelessness don't have a sock drawer and socks are the #1 clothing need of those experiencing homelessness. In addition to that, one of the main reasons a person experiencing homelessness goes to the ER is a foot ailment and the #1 way to prevent that is to have clean dry socks to wear on a regular basis. Seeing how we obtain our socks from businesses, organizations, places of worship etc. that hold Sock Drives for new socks and with COVID still being prevalent, we were concerned we would not be obtaining socks as we normally would. In addition to that, due to COVID we could not in 2020 and 2021 hold our first big fund raisers, for who would come and we couldn't risk exposing people to the virus, yet we persevered to obtain what little funds we could by having online auctions. We are a nonprofit, but we have operational expenses like any for profit business and we were just hanging on. Amazingly, there were people who did collect socks and we were able to collect over 62,000 pair which then went out to those in need. To our amazement we had some funds donated, yet we have much more we can and will do. We are in capacity development and ready to grow and do more. Since our conception in 2012 and becoming a 501C3 in 2015 we have given away 830,720 pair of new socks to men, women and children in 41 states. We can do more, yet we require funds to expand. We're not only helping people to feel good, helping them keep their feet warm, we are literally helping to keep people out of the hospital and that saves money. According to Point In Time it is estimated that on any given night 553,742 people are homeless in America and their number one clothing need is socks. We don't know if you've ever provided funds to a nonprofit, but we are a business, we just a not for profit one. One example of what we do, is that we have been putting Sock Drawers, which are the small plastic storage bins with three drawers into Title 1 schools. Title 1 schools are where 70% of the families are living at poverty level or below, the children attending those schools need socks. Whether an adult or a child, socks might seem like a simple thing to those of who have them and put them on everyday, but to someone who doesn't have them, it's an item that can save their lives. We would appreciate being chosen, so we can continue to make a social impact one pair of socks at a time.

Stitchwitch Alterations CA

I had just celebrated my 10th year in business when California went into lockdown over covid restrictions. The day the news came in I sat in my beautiful, successful sewing shop totally devastated by the news. Scrambling to figure out how I was going to continue to provide for my family with restrictions that wouldn't allow people to come into my sewing shop for alterations and fittings. News had been coming in about a nation wide shortage of PPE and mask mandates were popping up in every county across the state. I received a message on social media from a friend asking if was sewing masks and at that point I got to work! I found a pattern on line and sat down to sew. Working through all the elastic I had in stock figuring out an easy streamlined pattern and design. Because I already had a successful sewing business, my phone started ringing . It was established clients calling to Inquire if I was making masks, and the rest is history! I started getting orders for 100s of masks. People in my community were donating any elastic and fabric they could find, and I put my recently out of work husband and his co worker to work cutting fabric, taking phone orders and dropping off orders at the post office. My business went from a lovely paced alterations shop to a full scale mask production studio in the matter of weeks.
I provided over 1000 masks to anyone in my community that couldn't afford to purchase, including rest homes and shelters. We stopped counting the number of masks that we sewed when we hit 7000!!
I was featured in 4 newspaper articles and had a brief segment on our local news. I was one of the very first people in my community sewing masks with intention of keeping my community safe. I stopped making masks on the day that the vaccine became available, feeling that my Intentions of helping to protect my community had come full circle. If I win prize money, I will upgrade my sewing machines, and update the flooring in my sewing shop. It would help me realize a Dream of expanding my business. I would love to have employees and to be able to offer a paid apprenticeship to ensure that my business and the incredible service I provide can keep growing and moving forward.
Thank you for offering a way for other to see that not everything was doom and gloom through the pandemic. I am proud of myself that I sought a silver lining and am encouraged by our resilience and determination as a nation to get back our livelihoods and to go forward in business. With gratitude
Ellen sztuk
Owner of Stitch Witch Alterations
Santa Barbara CA

A B Swanny Catering LLC MI

We started a catering business at a bad time for food service. Despite covid we have managed to grow out catering company and have purchased a small commercial building to remodel for use as our own kitchen, rather than renting the space we are currently in. When we could not cater large events because of covid we began to offer carry out individually packaged meals. This strategy carried us through the worst of the pandemic. We specialize in comfort foods and offer a 2 Meat Package at $16 per plate. We were able to buy the building but still need resources for the remodel. Half the money could come from this award.
I dedicated myself to getting an education from Mott Community College in Flint MI. I AM 55 years old..work full time M-F for a communications company. M,T and W morning's I have taken classes..Then went to work. I cater on weekend. I WILL Graduate in April with a Dual Degree in Food Service Management and Culinary Arts from Mott. I worked on the degree to make my self better qualified to run a food service business.
My wife and son help me when and where they can. We have three children and six grand children. I hope to leave a thriving business to them when I have finished building this company
2020 was our third year in business and we posted a net profit after all expenses...The profitability doubled in 2021.....It was not a tremendous amount but it shows growth in a difficult environmentmlm Please consider us for this award!

Thank You,
Archie Swanson Jr
A B Swanny Catering LLC

Able Small Batch Organics IL

As covid spread worldwide, my maiden voyage goal of working events and sharing my eczema journey in my Mobile Healing Pantry (a self-rehabbed 1973 Airstream Argosy named Annabelle) was looking grim and online sales had slowed to a halt. I lost customers that I'd had for years. My hope, and my guiding light rested in the hands and hearts of my still loyal clientele.

On the road I made friends along the way and shared my story around the campfire and in campground offices and laundry rooms. On Instagram and Facebook I shared my successes and failures with my followers. And when my puppy and I were involved in a seven car pile up in Georgia I shared my heartache.

After four years of hardwork on Annabelle she was declared totalled by insurance. My plans were shot and my home was compromised. I headed back to Illinois with my puppy to brave the winter in a travel trailer that was far from weather tight since the accident.

Again, I shared my story with my customers--my family. Just as before they responded with love and light and with the much needed purchases that helped my puppy and I stay warm until we could get Annabelle parked safely out West.

Sales still haven't gone back to the way they were before and the thousands I used to gain from events is an occurrence of the past.

But things are looking up. I'm hopeful that we'll conquer Covid. People are starting to trust small businesses again, events are opening up and I can see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

Honestly I'm crazy grateful for the storm, I trust that the Universe has a plan...plus, I'm really enjoying the rainbow.

Academy of Scholars Inc FL

My private school, Academy of Scholars, Inc., met the unique demands of 2021 head on.

Being that many parents opted to keep their students home due to the COVID pandemic, we became more nontraditional as a school.

Truthfully, the nontraditional approach has been a blessing and a curse. The curse is not having a building any longer due to not being able to afford rent, and not having a building means that our school can no longer receive scholarships. Yet, the blessing is that there is no rent due and no overhead.

Moreover, our school now offers a program of study for homeschooled students instead of students being taught in school.

The program of study is now on a hybrid level which is our most unique demand.

Each of our students received their own individual Lesson Plans at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year that were designed just for them. The Lesson Plans include their textbooks to be used for the year, their specific schedules to include their Zoom meetings, their one-on-one meetings, their special needs techniques, and their unique curriculum.

Our students still receive their Progress Reports and Report Cards throughout the year, but they have the flexibility to basically talk to their instructors within a 24-hour, stress-free day/everyday to include weekends.

To conclude, our school has always pushed our students to think outside the box and being able to demonstrate just what "meeting unique demands" look like during a time like this is definitely the epitome of pushing forward even when it seems impossible.

We are Academy of Scholars, Inc. and we will continue to be determined to be more than what they say we will be, motivated enough to push for what we want to be, and destined to be what we were born to be ... A TESTIMONY!

All Indoor Farm store VA

In 2019 we were struggling, the economy wasn't doing good in our area and things got real tight. Then comes March 2020 and the lockdown. Farm and feed stores were declared a necessary store to stay open. Then people decided to grow their own food, people decided to support local. 2020 was a good year, we didn't know what to expect in 2021. Sales Increased in 2021 and we had a record sales year. But our record growth didn't go unnoticed by the big box stores and now Rural King has decided to move to our area. So now come March of 2022, we a small mom and pop business will go head to head with a billion dollar business 1 mile from our store. So we've made changed and are going to take the giant on, wish us luck.

Angel Wing Sauce NC

Angel Wing Sauce was able to meet the demands of 2021 by sustaining financially from orders of sauce from friends, family and the community.In 2020 when the pandemic first hit people were forced to be home more and cook and online ordering went up.The Angel Wing Sauce sells went up because people wanted to try my hot wing sauce on their homemade wings.I was able to expand the business and offer private catering to customers for orders of hot wings. The goal is to get Angel Wing sauce in grocery stores and other commercial venues.

Cakes by Liz Sweets and Treats FL

My business met the unique demands of 2021 by first cohering to the restrictions of COVID. During a stressful time of shut down during the pandemic cakes by Liz Sweets and Treats continued to provide cottage food and Treats to customers in the community. Customers where able to order via my website, phone, text email and at pop-ups. We delivered and provided contact free safe service. Customers where still able to enjoy my homemade cakes, pies, cookies, candy and all that Cakes by Liz Sweets and Treats had to offer. Every item was package individually for sale, delivery or pick up. We take pride in our products and enjoy serving our customers and community.

cXTRAINING MN

I began my personal training business because it was the only thing that my heart was drawn towards. I have worked in a variety of professions but helping individuals reach their goals in health and fitness gave me meaning.

I started my business out from my garage. That was an expensive start but the results I was able to help my clients achieve meant a lot more than the cost I put in. Once the mandates were lifted, I was able to move into a local gym and rent space for my clients to train. From here, I was really able to help my clients achieve their goals on another level. The access to more gym equipment and space allowed me to help my clients practice a wider range of techniques. This space also gave me more success in bringing more clients to my business. I am finally working towards my own business goals in achieving better financial stability all the while helping clients become healthier versions of themselves.

Eg3 Designz CA

Growing up, I believed in the things that I had yet to achieve. At the age of 5, I started playing basketball. But as I got older, I began to fall in love with art as well. Drawing, writing, music, designing, I wanted to do it all. I began my college basketball career, and knew right away that I was on the right path. But was it MY right path? The answer to that question came about sooner than I thought.
In 2018, I had a major setback, partially tearing my ACL in my right knee. At that moment, I had no idea where I was going to go from there. My faith was tested in a major way. However, I realized that I was more than what I was limiting myself to being. If I had given up on myself, I would not have developed my brand, Eg3 Designz. Eg3 Designz is a creative design business that specializes but not limited to customizing shoes, providing freehand sketches for tattoos, as well as creating designs for logos, and flyers. During my recovery, I discovered that my purpose for my brand was to use my passion for art to make someone’s life better. My goal is to expand one’s knowledge of the arts, provide the necessary resources and platform of self expression, and encourage everyone to never stop dreaming.
Just like other small businesses, Covid forced me to take a new look at my business. I was forced to re-evaluate my marketing strategies and business plan, all while taking a financial hit. So yes, 2021 was pretty hard.
But in this life, as you continue to chase after what you desire most, all of it is on the other side of hard. For me, my dreams are there. So, you ask me what I would do with the prize money? I would further invest in my dreams.
My dream unfolds like this..
I'm standing outside a studio, staring at my brand’s name on the building. I hear the basketball rim rattle, while sneakers are screeching along the concrete. I walk in, to the sounds of C Major, lightly strumming from acoustic guitars. I move to the next room, walking into silence, which happens to be the Art Room; my favorite room. Next door is where my computer techs are, and I can hear Beethoven’s Symphony blasting through the Dance room walls.
This building, my building, my “Studio of the Arts”, would be located in the inner city, where underserved kids would use their skill and creativity to express themselves, free of charge. That is my dream. So in conclusion, if awarded this prize, I will continue to expand “Eg3 Designz”, by bringing my passion to life, as well as igniting that same passion in kids who never had the opportunity to do the same.

Fresh Print Media CA

Even though I started my business in 2018, March of 2021 is when I decided it was time to go all in and leave my full time job. I guess there is never truly a "right" time for anything and after months of waiting for a good time and the world to settle down, I felt ready. As a creative agency who provides photo and video to other businesses it was an unsteady time for my business. Many of my client's are in the food and beverage realm and between covid spikes, lack of in-person events, and ever-shifting marketing strategies; bookings were intermittent and hesitant. To make matters worse, I realized that I had a lack of systems in my business and a paralyzing fear of selling. A recipe for chaos even in the best of times! I had been fortunate that most of my clients in the past had been referrals and had clear project needs. Now, everyone was redefining how they did their job, how they reached their own clients, and where the budget was being allocated. Although, I definitely did spend a few months floating around and not booking much of anything... I eventually admitted to my business coach that I was terrified of selling! We started to dive in and work on this. I got uncomfortable everyday, except for the weeks where I just avoided the topic altogether. I hired a virtual assistant to help me stay on track with marketing and outreach. I started to define who I serve. I started to define how I can help those ideal clients, taking into account the new strategies I saw them employing. I got specific, I niched... Something I had always hesitated to do because it felt like I would be defacto turning away potential clients. The opposite started to happen. As I worked on the fear, got comfortable being uncomfortable, and focused on service; I got better at sales. (There is still room to go, but I no longer take up the fetal position at the thought!) When I started pitching well defined offers that clearly stated what the process looked like, what the deliverables are, and included samples I got bookings that felt effortless! In short, 2021 taught me to lean in to discomfort and to get specific. When everything is in chaos and my target clients have uncertainty regarding their own strategy, giving vague and unclear pitches only give them more stress. I learned to pitch them clear ideas that don't create more work for them so that they can simply say "yes", "no", or "maybe, what if it was more like this"? Crazy enough, as I have gotten more clear on my offers and more specific on who I present to, the bookings have not stopped to have diversity in project and client type. In 2021 I learned how to make it easy to say yes.

Good-Vibes.TV NC

You would have thought that the unique challenges of 2021 in my business would have something to do with the “pandemic” but it was actually related to an unscrupulous person.

I started my business, a streaming TV talk show called Good-Vibes.TV, on 12/21/20. I was approached with this opportunity to have my own TV talk show on a streaming TV network by a person who claimed to have a streaming TV platform and charged to help onboard the show. She had 19 other people paying her $300/month for her services.

I got my Barclay card after using Priceline to buy an airline ticket to get to a marketing photo shoot in Arizona. That photo shoot turned into the revelation that we were all being conned! This lady’s company was actually “voluntarily terminated” two years earlier so the contract she signed with me/us was invalid and the streaming TV platform she said she owned was actually owned by someone else!

I had shot several interviews for my show with guests who paid for their appearances and I was in the process of editing them. They paid me to gain exposure on a global network. I felt an obligation to make it right. Plus, I had been promoting that my show would be airing soon.

So, I and four other show producers who were on her “advisory” board decided to start our own streaming TV company, called Legrity (combination of Legacy and Integrity). Legrity is not only available online at Legrity.TV but also available as an app on Google Play, Apple, Roku and Amazon as well as on three Smart TVs (Philips, LG and Samsung). We started that company on April 18, 2021 and launched our network on June 1, 2021! The first episode of Good-Vibes.TV aired in June 2021 and I have since uploaded the rest of the first Season. I am so grateful to have been able to partner with my Co-Founders to provide a solution to our dilemma. This is a testament to the power of perseverance.

If I am blessed to win, I will invest the money into my show by paying for the marketing of it so more people know about it and raise their vibration! I would also use some of it to upgrade my camera and computer equipment.

H5 Healthy Hair VA

This was the beginning. In this moment more than ever businesses owned by African Americans are needed to fuel hope. In the wake of civil rights movement having a minority owned product is not just about a quailty product it is also about being resilant in the dream of ownership. It is about leaning in to demonstrate the power of family working together to give everyone. After a year of perfecting H5 Healthy Hair for all hair types we launched a quailty essential oil for healthy hair.

Hebrews 11:1 AR

Hebrews 11:1 is a Coffee Shop but not any coffee shop we have Coffee,
Tea, Smoothies and FAITH. This coffee shop represents my heart and my love
and faith in God. You see I opened this shop with no money, no help from banks or any savings, I opened this shop by having full assurance in My God providing.

Let me testify, from the rug on the floor to the signs on the door, GOD PROVIDED! I had people walking in and leaving me a check here and there because they said God sent them. So the question was how did I survive in 2021? , it has been ALL GOD! The struggle has been there because at times I would take my eyes off of what God told me, and began to doubt His promises but God would always send someone in the community to bless me or the school administrator that would purchase drinks for the entire district or my attorney and friend to hire me to cater an event, whatever I have needed to survive has been simply because of my community. They have all went above and beyond to help us succeed. That’s how we have met the demands, by pulling together in unity and helping one another when one went lacking.

We also offered curbside assistance and added more menu items to better serve our community.

House of Loving Hand CA

My name is Deneshia Clemons and I am a proud mother of 3 kids and a survivor of domestic violence. I am the founder of House of Loving Hands. I was one of those young girls who dreamt of being married, having children, a dog and a home surrounded by a white picket fence. However, my dreams became nightmares when I got married to sadist man. I was abused for 7 consecutive years and when I stood up and said, enough I won't continue to live like this my ex husband in a rage cut my throat. BUT, I didn't let that stop me from excelling in life, I obtained my AS in Early Childhood Development and my BS in Human Development for Women. There is life after Abuse.

HOLH mission is to establish a safe haven for abused women and their children, through counseling, therapy, group sessions, job training, love and support. We work diligently to get our participants back on their feet. We work to build their self-esteem and celebrate their accomplishments so that they can stand on their own platform of success. It is our prayer that the families we serve are healed from the inside out.

Due to the chaotic rise of Covid-19 domestic violence rose 33% according the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NACDV) and HOLH met the demands of 2021 by keeping women that were fleeing their abusers with the ability to obtain emergency shelter, food, clothing and resources as needed. Also, HOLH feeds the homeless hot soup and sandwiches with hygiene packs quarterly under the Purple Bag Giveaway. Another program that was implemented during 2021was the Covid-19 Food Relief Program that provides groceries contactless to the front door of families that have lost their jobs, had their hours or wages due to the pandemic free of charge.

Domestic Violence, Trauma and assistance impacts all races, religion, economic and education levels and HOLH is here for you. Our motto is: You're Not Alone, It's Not Ok and It's Not Your Fault, I AM MY SISTER'S KEEPER!

Jagrbombs LLC AZ

With COVID restrictions seemingly changing by the minute, it was hard to organize team events and tournaments. The team was able to stay safe and healthy by wearing masks in the locker rooms and getting vaccinated as early as possible. We also implemented COVID rules stating if you missed games due to a case of COVID affecting a team member or team member's household, they would be refunded for the two games missed. This took the financial pressure of missing games due to COVID off the table. While we didn't participate in any travel tournaments, we took the time to reset, order new jerseys and plan for tournaments in 2022. We were able to rent private ice for practice and continued to play in a local league.

JC Building Design, LLC TX

JC BUILDING DESIGN, LLC

My husband and I run our building design company providing clients throughout Texas with services to design their dream homes, their investment homes, offices or any type of commercial buildings. As partners in life and partners in business we have endured many obstacles life has thrown at us and forsee ourselves fulfilling our passion to design homes for families for many decades to come. Our objective is get more exposure for everyone to know our brand and who we are. We enjoy this business because at times we can give back to the community that supports us. We would like to expand into broader areas to succeed beyond our imagination!

king Salama safaris NY

Hello, My name is Karoline I am the Founder and CEO of king Salama Safaris. I create itineraries for guests taking them to some of the most wildlife-rich destinations and cultural experiences. I focus on crowd-free places and include a diverse choice of unique activities.
My mission is to provide guests with a fully immersive and exciting, African safari and cultural experience, that exceeds their expectations. While everything is also designed to also empower the local community, safeguard wildlife, and wilderness for future generations. My company Salama means safety, peace in Swahili.

I had just started my travel company when the Covid Pandemic happened, I lost my job as a server, and like everyone else uncertainty and worry set in. I had to decide whether to continue with my travel business when no one was traveling or pause. I decided to go full speed and continue. I had no previous business experience and suffer from dyslexia. so I learned everything from scratch.

As a child I grew up watching wildlife documentaries, as I got older I became increasingly concerned with how wildlife was being pushed towards extinction, how our habitat was being destroyed, and what future are we leaving for future generations. I spent more than a decade traveling across Africa and volunteering in wildlife conservation.

On one of my Safari trips, I was enjoying the spectacular wildlife and rejuvenating in the wilderness, away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, and I thought to myself everyone deserves to experience this. This is when my idea for King Salama Safaris started.

Kr3ative Creations NC

Hello, my name is Linn. I am originally from Providence, Rhode Island. My business was originated in Greensboro, North Carolina from my home. I started messing around with making shirts and etc in 2017. I mastered making shirts in 2018 and moved on to creating other company logos, decals for cars, business cards, clothing and much more. I lost a significant amount of money within the first 2 years, because I had to keep up with supplies and learning how to operate a US cutter machine. My children chose the name of my business because they said that I am always creative and finding new things to do. I am a single mother of 3 children. During 2021 the pandemic started and business went down hill at the start. I continued to keep pushing and never gave up. I took a major loss on my business, I was unable to get any business loans or help, but I didn't give up. I now have my LLC for Kr3ative Creation's. The 3 in Kr3ative signifies my 3 lovely children. They are now 14, 12 and 10. I am very motivated to continue on my journey with my business as I loss my job due to COVID-19 policies in 2021. I would like to one day have a big business and pass it along to my children, so they don't have to work for anyone else when they grow older in life. I have taught my daughter's the basics of the business and well my son, we are just going to make him a marketer, because he is not the sit still to learn type of child lol. Within my Kr3ative Creation's business I started a clothing line called "Plugg'd In" Re$pect My Hu$tle with tshirts, sweat suits and hoodies. Meaning anyone can have ties and be Plugg'd in to anything, the hustle does not have to be illegal to survive and maintain in life. I am trying to get my brand spreaded throughout the country itself. I have a good deal of customers in the south area, North Carolina and South Carolina. Business is now gradually picking up as COVID-19 is dying down, thank you. I also purchased a storage unit or she shed as some people may call it to maintain my business. I have decorated it and moved my business into it as an upgrade and also was able to bless one of my daughter's with her own room in the house. I'm also the first lady of a non profit organization for Crown Vic Boys & Girls of the Triad, to which we upkeep Crown Vic's and give back to the community, such as; back to school giveaways, Christmas and Thanksgiving help, stop the violence events and so much more. The reason I mentioned the organization I am in, is because I've had allot of support with making decals for everyone's cars since I joined. I'd also like to thank Barclay's for thinking about us small business owners.

Landi & Ledi Inc IL

We are a family owned small business, opened our doors and 2018 and began serve a humble community. Business was gaining traction and getting better and then COVID-19 hit and turned everything upside down. We had lost all of our employees and we had to go at it ourselves to keep things a float. The year of 2020 presented major challenges and we experienced many hardships. But we stayed the course, refused to give up and kept working harder to reach our success. Through our work ethic and relentless pursue of better times we were able to survive 2020 and turn things around in 2021. Now that we have momentum we want to keep it going. We want to innovate our small business with new ideas that increase our business and notoriety. With this grant we would use it to hire new staffing, increase our social appeal and bring new, unique product to our market that our community is craving. I believe we are on the right track but we all could use a little to making our dreams into a reality. This is why we are applying for this grant and it would really help us to write a new chapter in our small business adventure.

Las Vegas Sewing Studio and Manufactory LLC NV

The year of 2011, my husband and I started a clothing line company called NU ORIGIN APPAREL, LLC. With little knowledge of sewing experience, we tried hiring local seamstresses to help with production. Numerous interviews and no-shows, our demand with help did not succeed. So I took the initiative to teach myself how to sew. Working full-time for my employer, I dedicated long hours of my time to educate myself through YouTube on how to sew. Three years was a long journey to master what I learn today and still going. I definitely found a passion for this profession. With all the frustration and patience that I encountered, I learn to love the industry. With every paycheck, I would purchase one industrial machine every month until I was completely operable. With rising job opportunities, my company became official on November 30, 2016 with the state of Nevada ( EIN# 81-4513471). I am looking in the future to expand from the comfort of my home to a industrial sewing facility in the city. With this opportunity, we will help other companies such as start-ups create products financially affordable. Creating jobs and marketing will be an important factor for success as well. This concludes my presentation. My name is Mai Jones and I AM A PROUD PROFESSIONAL SEAMSTRESS and CEO founder of Las Vegas Sewing Studio and Manufactory.

MyFondi FL

According to CNBC, “63%, say they’ve been living paycheck to paycheck since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States. About 44% of respondents say they were living beyond their means before the pandemic started.” MyFondi realizes that a majority of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck we need to work directly to that point by budgeting One Paycheck at a Time. We meet our users where they are with support, advisement, and a tool to take their finances to the next level.

Our competitors only allow their users to see their budget in a monthly view. MyFondi provides a real time analysis of their budget that matches their bank account and pay frequency, equipping our users for better future planning. They know how much they are spending and how much they have in their bank account at the same time, which is invaluable information for our customers.

MyPeachTot/ Livinfinity LLC NY

Who are We?
My name is Crystal Huang, a former financial advisor, and data analyst. Now, I'm an aspiring woman entrepreneur currently living with my husband and two kids in beautiful Hudson Valley, NY. Our DBA name is MyPeachTot; it is dedicated to my kids because they will forever be my inspirations and peach tots.
What's the Book?
My book is for educators, parents, and kids to learn Chinese without a language background. The purpose is to raise awareness and break cultural barriers to build a more inclusive and accepting community to raise more confident and happier children.
Why Imagine World?
Our Imagine World book project started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I came up with the name Imagine World in an attempt to foster understanding and acceptance of different cultures. A stressful period like this deepens cultural misunderstandings. However, I am hopeful and confident as a parent that we can do a better job teaching our kids to love unconditionally. Our true mission is to set examples and create a better world for generations to come. Even if this book is not for everyone, I sincerely hope we can still pass on the message: I imagine my world is yours, and yours is mine!
What's in the Book
Our book is electronic that comes with batteries, and it's the size of a laptop. It includes 22 pages of Chinese phrases and songs relatable to everyday life. It has 16 songs with over 200 buttons to learn Chinese at your own pace. Audio and text are in both Chinese and English to make learning easy and enjoyable. It is designed for non-native speakers and with bilingual families in mind. Non-Chinese-speaking caregivers can effortlessly learn alongside their kids.
Giving Back
The COVID-19 Pandemic has dramatically impacted our lives, and we are all struggling to adjust to this new norm. Many struggles simply to provide for their basic needs. If everyone can lend a helping hand at this challenging time, we can improve many lives. This revelation comes from my own experience growing up as an immigrant from a traditional Chinese family. However, I was fortunate to receive much support from family and friends, and I would like to thank those who guided me throughout my journey to adulthood. I want to give back to the community and invest in our future, as others did for me.
We donate $5 to a selected/local non-profit organization with every book sold via our website platform. Please follow us to get updates. We will appreciate any inputs on any local and small charity recommendations. Please help us get the words out and support small businesses like us.

Needville Equestrian Farm TX

Needville Equestrian Farm was a dream that came true. My passion was always horses, and I loved teaching others the joys of riding and connecting with these amazing animals. 2021 was at first scary, because I don't think anyone was comfortable with the unknown. I was terrified all my hard work and dreams could potentially be lost during the pandemic. The business did slow down for about 3 months, and I was worried. But then clients returned, new clients began to immerge. The business slowly returned to it's normal schedule but then got even bigger than before cvoid. Because horseback riding is primarily a socially distanced sport and does occur outside I think people felt safe doing this sport. I sometimes find myself teaching lessons 12 hours a day. I have wonderful new clients that want to purchase horses of their own. Clients that want to compete at horse shows so their hard work comes to fruition. I even had my interscholastic equestrian team become region champions 2 years in a row. I have had several parents tell me through the years the barn is like a second home for their child, a safe place if you will. I wanted the barn to be a family. I'm so thankful and blessed that my barn family has become like a real family. I see the kids lift one another up when one had a hard day. I see old and young people connect, different backgrounds, and cultures united because of the love for the animal. If needville equestrian farm were to win this award it would enable us to expand the business more. Update and buy new farm equipment, and pay off some business debt. Please consider us as a small business with big dreams. Thank you
Jacqueline Mccroskey

Out Of The Ashes LLC DE

Our mission at Out Of The Ashes LLC is to heal families through addressing issues of family dysfunction and family fragmentation in an authentic manner. Our primary service is a drama therapy play based on our real-life story of being separated for 14 years. In 2021 we were forced to completely change how we approached our work.

Since we were limited in our ability to offer live presentations, we had to pivot and begin doing everything virtually. Although it was a huge change, the children we help remain engaged in our video group sessions. We also persevered during these difficult times by creating a new product line to help empower women who've faced extreme adversity in their lives. We held a hybrid (virtual and in-person but socially distanced) writing workshop to help women on the path to becoming an author. After that event, we successfully helped 15 women share their stories in a group book project and become authors.

If we won the money we'd use it to lease space in Wilmington, DE to help increase our impact in the community. We'd also use the funds to help build capacity in our organization. We'd do things like invest in digital advertising, content creation, and begin hiring staff.

Physic Juice Company LL/ DBA is Fresh Coast Kombucha MI

Hi! My name is Meredith, and my business partners name is Danielle. Together, we created Fresh Coast Kombucha in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We sell and distribute canned kombucha to wholesalers across Michigan. Kombucha is a fermented, probiotic tea is infused with cold-pressed juices that promotes a healthy GI tract, crucial for immune support, energy, mood and much more! (Our top seller kombucha is Lavender + Lemonade and is made with fresh squeezed lemons.)
During the start of the pandemic in 2020 we made the immediate switch to home deliveries. Several of our wholesalers such as fitness studios and coffee shops had to close shop, so our distribution was almost cut in half! We made the decision to hand deliver 12-packs of kombucha and 32 ounce kombucha growlers to individuals across Michigan. We were able to sustain a sufficient cash flow as we charged ‘direct-to-consumer’ prices instead of our lower margin wholesale price.

This pivot in our business model not only helped sustain cash flow, but also helped individuals lead a healthier lifestyle! With the rise of COVID-19, our customers were very aware of supporting their immune system. Kombucha is a wonderful alternative to sugar laden beverages that promote inflammation and actually decrease immune response.

At Fresh Coast Kombucha we want to make the healthy choice, the easy choice. We are tempted by sweetened coffee drinks, sodas, and sugary alcoholic beverages everywhere we go! We want Fresh Coast Kombucha to be JUST as accessible as beverages like soda pop. With any prize money we receive, it would be used to purchase a vehicle to help us with distribution. We need a small transit van to help assist with deliveries that are 3+ hours away. Please help us make health and wellness at the forefront of YOUR grocery shopping purchases. Thank you!

Meredith & Danielle

Pineapples Sisters Llc GA

2021 tested the innate design passion out of me! I’m still recovering from the financial loss levied upon me and my business. As a small renovation and design business, the shipping delays of furnishing and materials made deadlines impossible to keep. Every project was delayed 3 months due to logistics nightmares, from ships being stuck at the ports, and suppliers being unable to fulfill orders.
In addition to several supplier short falls, skilled labor remains a stern challenge to navigate, even with increased wages of $25 per hour.
The cost of wood and basic renovation raw materials ballooned, causing our initial material quotes to our customers to triple in some cases. This affected our contracts as we absorbed a $23,788 loss, trying to honor our contracted price.
Unfortunately, being such a small team, we have not been able to remain staffed with consistent employees, because of payroll inconsistencies. While this infusion of capital would enable us to employ 2 full time staff members, we would be more thrilled to deliver our smaller projects on time as cash flow has been a challenge to complete projects whenever we have a 50/50 deposit. I’ve had to change the mode of business, as now I have the customers buying their materials and furnishings and paying labor separate. This has cut our opportunity for mark up/ profit on our “in trade discount ” purchases. Since clients are now having to pay for their projects 70% in materials coats, we are only able to charge basic labor rates. Most weeks after paying the contractors, my assistant and I are personally left without a salary.
Capital infusion is pivotal to our growth! Our vision to scale would require a social media content creation expert, to posts and engage with brands to partner / sponsor branding deals. Being able to make passive income to subsidize custom jobs, would help our cash flow.
The demand for our business is proven. With more people working from home and digital creators, more clients are willing to stage/ decorate their space for filming. Having the payroll confidence with 2 more team members employed, will double our turnover ratio in completing projects. Thank you for the opportunity to grow !

prs cleaning concepts LLC FL

In 2018 I purchased a commercial cleaning franchise. my intention was to supplement my household income because my husband who had suffered and survived cardiac arrest was no longer able to work his job as a maintenance technician. On December of 2020 I accepted a severance package from my job of 33 years with plans to fully grow our business. with the onset of covid I began to wonder if I made the right decision. some of our contracts were suspended because people were working from home or not working at all. It was a scary time but with faith in God we kept pressing on. Eventually our contracts were restored and now thankfully we can finally see growth and progress. It is such a satisfying feeling to have a client thank you for keeping their office "so nice and clean" - our hope is that we can help our clients to stay healthy by maintaining a clean and sanitized environment!

RubyVon Specialty Services LLC TN

In 2016, a dear friend and colleague and I founded a non-profit organization called Priority Teachers University, Inc. that focuses on providing adult education and workforce development to community members living with a serious mental illness. Over the years we have successfully worked with hundreds of participants and partnered with local vocational rehabilitation programs as well as small local businesses to place those students who receive supplemental income with job opportunities in both hospitality, customer service and administrative support. Although, we received many positive reviews from employers regarding those the job placement we also received some negative evaluations. We discovered that our participants thrived in an environment where they were among their peers understanding during the training courses that all those in attendance were living with a serious mental illness and could personally relate to their challenges. Once they were out in the workforce, they felt that their mental disability had to be kept secret. Our goal was never to diminish what they were living with, and our mission was to help them strive.
In 2020, during the Pandemic most of our students experienced anxiety like they never had before. Many reached out to us wanting to know how the program would continue and how they would be safe and fear of returning to the workforce. During that time we discussed with the Board of Directors how to establish an organization known as RubyVon Specialty Services LLC. They name represented the mothers of the two founders Ruby and Yvonne, woman that were hardworking and dedicate and the goal was to pass what was instilled in them to other participants. During this time when people were laid, working remotely, and at home they started establishing small businesses. As trained administrators with over 20 years of experience we were confident we had a pool of talented professionals. We didn’t want them to lose the core training that they had received. RubyVon Specialty Services provides virtual assistance and call center customer service in a micro call center setting. Over the last year we have worked with various local small businesses in Shelby County, TN providing scheduling meetings, creating documents, bookkeeping, and responding to phone calls. In addition, students have had the opportunity earn wages through the micro call center offering a flexible schedule as well as work from home opportunities. This opportunity needs to expand more now than ever before. We believe our program will not only bring employment opportunities to our community but also help small businesses to stay afloat.

S&S Barber Shop TX

We at S&S Barber Clique strive to provide excellent services to our customers. We are located in Eastwood Village in San Antonio TX. Where most of our customers are located at. Covid -19 was a challenge but we are still taking it day by day. Our customers is why we stand strong and and give back to the community. I’ve been in business at this location since 2017.

Sam's Pressure Washing LLC WV

Starting the business was rough as a 19 year old girl that grew up poor, I started by washing trailers in my trailer park for $50 and slowly built up until I was able to buy a nice set up and even bought a home and garage. It has been challenging but so worth it, I had such a hard time finding a job in the construction field and now I can do what I love and be my own boss but when Covid19 took a hit it was devastating, between that and winter I found myself selling equipment and lost my truck to repossession and I went bankrupt, I almost gave up but God opened a door in 2020 with the SBA loan and I was able to buy a nice pressure washing setup and put a down payment on my dream truck. That year I made more money than ever but at the end of the year winter started doing damage. I made it through it but now with spring of 2021 approaching I am trying to recover and prepare myself for the rising inflation. I know it will be hard but this business is my dream. I'm here to show not just other women but anyone that you can do anything you set your mind to no matter what gender. It just takes hard work and dedication. I am prepared to take on anything 2021 may bring and no matter the circumstances I will continue to push and accommodate to whatever may come.

Serenity Wine Bar MD

Serenity opened about 8 months before the pandemic hit. We were still just trying to get our name out there when we were forced to shut down. Our niche is the self serve wine machines but with no one coming in, they had to be shut off. So first we turned to our food trying to create new items and doing a lot of different specials to try and get people's attention. Then we focused on our wine and did specials on wine bottles and partnered with one of our distributors to get inexpensive wine to sell and split the proceeds with the Maryland food bank so we could help out others in a time of need. I had to let my staff go for the time being because there wasn't enough business to pay them. There were several months when I thought of closing the doors, but we were able to make it through the worst. We are still playing catch up but are not as bad off as before. Through tragedy came the exposure of Black owned businesses and people tried us out for that reason and we are now building a customer base. Thank you.

Shut My Mouth Bakery AZ

Picture it…the United States….2020….a pandemic is sweeping the world…people are locked up in their homes, getting on each others’ nerves, online shopping, buying all the toilet paper…and in my case, panic eating cookies. So many cookies. Resulting is weight gain for me and a diabetes diagnosis for my husband- with me not too far behind him, to be honest. True story, actually.
What is a girl to do who has a sweet tooth and yet has to limit carbs?
I LEARNED TO BAKE.
Well, I knew how to bake. So this should read…
I LEARNED TO BAKE HEALTHIER CHOICES.
I was ecstatic. My husband could stop looking at me with those begging eyes when he mentioned chocolate chip cookies. Not gonna lie, I was pretty happy too! After all, they are pretty amazingly delicious.
And then I went down the low-carb, sugar-free rabbit hole in the world of the internet.
And now I run a bakery.
I believe in ingredients I can pronounce that will not screw up my body chemistry (or have to make me run to the bathroom at inconvenient moments).
I believe that low-carb and sugar-free (and keto-friendly) baked goods should NOT taste like the packaging that they come in.
I also believe that everyone needs a cookie. So why not make it a healthier choice?
People now more than ever are paying attention to what they put into their bodies, so I want to help them make a healthier choice when it comes to sweets.

Smart Homes of East Tennessee TN

Smart Homes started in August of 2019 as an attempt at something new. Many people needed alarm services, but so many predatory sales practices pushed people away. In addition, companies only sold cookie cutter solutions or marketed only to certain demographics.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, we chose to take parts of several business models and combine them into a one stop solution for almost any customer. We offer installation of consumer products like Ring, monitored alarm systems through ADT, and traditional camera systems. The pandemic actually allowed us to evolve and serve our customers in new ways that grew our market share.

We were already experts in cable running, so we turned that into a new market offering. We now retrofit homes with ethernet ports to allow Zoom meetings to be more stable. This keeps workers safe and productive. We expanded to become EERO certified and create mesh networks that allow people to enjoy entertainment more effectively at home.

This let our business grow exponentially in 2021 and blossom. We added new employees, increased wages, and expanded into new markets. We were able to donate to schools and offer services to charities in our community. We partnered with Spark to educate the local community on how home automation can aid people with disabilities live more independently. We hope to continue to do more in 2022.

Stewarts' Cheesecake IL

Stewarts' Cheesecakes started in 2019, but really it started for Cameron (Mr. Stewart) as a dream 19 years ago. He always loved his father's cheesecakes and went out in search of his own recipe. Susan (Mrs. Stewart) has loved cheesecake since a child and it was the dessert of choice for her and her older brother's birthday celebrations. Mrs. Stewart became vegan 6 years ago and knew they would have to provide vegan (and gluten free) options, so she and others could enjoy delicious cheesecakes as well!

As everyone knows, 2021 was a difficult year for many people, as well as small businesses. With the pandemic raging for the 2nd year, small business owners had to continue to pivot and be creative in their business efforts. Stewarts' Cheesecakes was no different. While we were still a new business, we knew if we wanted to continue to survive we would not only have to make sure we were making the best cheesecake, we also needed to help people. We accomplished this in many ways including sponsoring a little league team, donating cheesecakes for raffles, volunteering at our local food pantry, partnering with other small businesses, and so much more.

The relationships we built with other small businesses was strategic to our goal of helping people. Not only did our partnering help other small businesses to increase their sales and customer base, it helped customers access comfort food and other quality products; and in the end it helped our sales and customer base as well.

In June of 2021, Mr. Stewart quit his job of 20 years (he was a mechanic for 30 years including his 10 years in the Unite States Air Force) to focus on Stewarts' Cheesecakes full time. With Mr. Stewart being the sole baker, this allowed for him to increase the volume of cheesecakes we were able to produce. Mrs. Stewart continued to work full time to maintain a steady income and insurance for them both; as well as Stewarts' Cheesecakes part time, handling the social media, bookkeeping, events, etc.

With Mr. Stewart able to produce a higher volume of cheesecakes, we were able to bring more comfort food to our customers through small business partnerships, wholesale partners, farmers markets, events, etc. We believe our cheesecakes elevate any celebration, whether it's for a wedding, birthday party, or even Tuesday night.

Sunny Paws Rescue MA

During my decades working with people at the end of their lives and their families, I’ve seen a wide range of emotions and reactions—good, bad, and every shade in between. What I’ve discovered is that while there is a capacity for humans to hurt or harm, there also seems to be an even stronger pull to connect, comfort, and help. People can amaze you with their courage, dignity, and love.

This has been reinforced in the last few years but especially this past year, as I’ve worked to open Sunny Paws Rescue, a nonprofit rescue organization whose mission is to save dogs abandoned, neglected, and abused. It is horrific what some people can do to animals in their care. But I’ve also witnessed a deep capacity for love and caring.

Our rescue, Sunny Paws Rescue, is dedicated to provide medical care for abandoned, neglected and stray dogs and puppies & find them forever homes. We work mostly with partners in southern states, who alert us when dogs are in need of homes. Each rescue is labor-intensive and an expensive endeavor. We must follow strict regulations from several agencies, including those set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state of Massachusetts. The rescue pays for the animals’ veterinarian bills, health certificates, and transportation to New England, where they are isolated for two days. Our big-hearted volunteers help drive them all over the region to people who foster them for a few weeks while their forever homes are found. During foster, we cover all costs of food & vet bills which often more money than we take in during the month.

Although we are an animal rescue, we are rescuing people too!! Studies have shown that pets offer a variety of health benefits to their owners including decreased blood pressure, lowered cholesterol levels, decreased body fat, reduced feelings of loneliness, increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities as well as improved opportunities for social connection.

During the past year the need for animal companionship has sky rocketed due to the global pandemic and everything associated with it. Winning this contest would have TREMENDOUS impact on the work we do and the lives we save. Thank you for your consideration.

Swift Tax Associates TX

Swift Tax Associates is a credit repair company that helps clients build, repair and maintain their credit. During Covid we took a hit and our business was in jeopardy. We lost lots of clients to illness and our revenue decreased drastically. We overcame that hurdle and now clients are seeking our services again. We’ve been getting an abundance of inquiries and new clients. However, I have a very small team and I need more employees to help us be successful. I’m also looking to relocate as well. I would love to be able to hire an Human Resource Manager to help foster in leads. Having a larger space will help us to be able to continue offering our services to the community. Financial literacy is something that’s not taught to many minority Americans until it’s too late. Our company takes pride in teaching financial literacy to teens so that they can understand how important credit is. This grant would not only help us to expand and grow as a business but it will help us to keep educating our community.

The Elite Traveling Tutors GA

EliteTravelingTutors is a company formed in 2014 and is comprised of educators, all of whom collectively have over 80 years of educational teaching experience. This four (4) member family staff works with diligence to address academic deficiencies many regular and special education students face in the educational arena.

Each of the staff members has played the role of teaching, managing administrative duties, and fulfilling curriculum development obligations. In addition, each has a documented track of assisting students beyond the doors of the school room. Elite Traveling Tutors realize many parents desire better educations for their children but are not in positions to assist them academically; however, there some parents who are in financial positions to enlist the services of tutors to help “fill in the education gaps” that cause their children to fall behind in school. Elite Traveling Tutors have the responsibility to go to the homes of children and work with them on an individual basis. Many of special education students, like regular education students, are in dire need of modified instruction that can be given at slower pace, with time for questions and additional supplements.

The track record of the Elite Traveling Tutors clearly demonstrates that our company addresses the academic needs of students who have the ability to make measurable education gains as long as they get academic support. This speaks to the fact that educational issues with most of our students can be solved with tutoring and esteem building. As most are aware, esteem building not only affects students in school ,but it affects society as a whole. Fortunately, more and more parents are realizing this and desire additional educational assistance for their children. Elite Traveling Tutors have each, at various times, developed programs, garnered partnerships with various organizations, and or work directly with special needs students.

Ayomide worked for Kilmer South High School and was responsible for starting an additional site or extension site on the opposite side of the town. Dr. Penny has been a program curriculum developer for two elementary schools Milwaukee Wisconsin and for Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Nataly is a special education teacher for Cobb County schools, who specializes in working with deaf and hard of hearing students. Karima is a civil and sustainable engineer and former math teacher for the Milwaukee Public School System.
We are one of the only tutoring companies that help students go from special ed, individual education plan (IEP), to honor roll.

The Lash Beauty Parlour FL

As a Black woman owner and operator of The Lash Beauty Parlour LLC, I endured many hardships as a result of the Pandemic. I had to adapt my business model and plan to met the unique demands however all were not successful especially with local, state, and federal laws surrounding Covid-19 business operations. As a small business owner I unable to receive financial support, loans, and grants due to the decline in my own personal credit rating since I was unable to attend to clients when my business closed in 2020. I began looking for ways to meet the demands of my clients and started to offer virtual consultations until I contracted Covid-19 myself. It was a very difficult time and since then I have worked endlessly to provide mobile services to clients who were looking for the services I provided. I also took the time to begin to taking additional educational courses to strengthen my skills. I am now able to offer one on one trainings for beauty professionals to learn and grow their business during difficult times. I am now equipped to hold workshops and seminars about personal beauty regimens, beauty coaching, beauty and tech, business finance and product development. I believe that being versatile and knowing how to grow and sustain your business is essential. Soon I will be able to reopen my studio so that I can have a place where my clients can receive their beauty treatments and personal beauty & finance development. I have hope that this upcoming Spring/Summer I will be able to grow my business and finally hire an employee so that I can extend my reach to my clients and teach others how to grow as well.

The Sanctuary For Mind, Body, & Spirit, LLC FL

I am a Reiki Master, Certified Crystal Healer, Breath Facilitator, and Meditation Guide. That wasn’t always the case. Most mornings getting up out of bed was a hell because I spent most of the night awake with worry and sadness. My anxiety that was so intense, it felt like my whole stomach vibrated.


I didn't know at the time why I felt anxious and depressed. Instead, I became the quintessential victim and blamed everyone and everything for my troubles. My body raged with tensed muscles that no amount of massages could soothe. Throw in nasal allergies and unloving behavior, and I was perfectly content to throw myself a pity party. The worst part is that I thought that was just how life went – hard and painful.


I knew something was off after a fit of rage one dark night that was not in proportion to what happened earlier. Months prior, I visited an Ear, Nose, Throat doctor to address my allergies, which were becoming more distracting, and I was scheduled for nasal surgery to help me breathe better.


It was time to finally face myself and my pain. That is when I began to investigate meditation, conscious connected breathing, sound healing, and experimenting with crystals on my body. Thank goodness for that dark night of anger. It was the beginning of a beautiful and freeing journey of personal growth and awareness. Even though I’m still a work in progress, I find myself randomly smiling, I’m learning to love me, I’ve taken responsibility for my life and my role in it, and I’ve forgiven my parents for their human-ness. Little by little, the layers of trauma and heaviness began to lift. It was subtle, but one day I realized – I finally feel peaceful and happy! I ended up cancelling the surgery because I could breathe considerably better.


That is when I decided to make my life’s mission helping others achieve harmony and balance in their lives. So, I started The Sanctuary for Mind, Body & Spirit to spread the teaching of love.


The Coronavirus pandemic exposed how much we hid behind hectic schedules and busy-ness to distract ourselves from meaningless work, functioning anxiety, and expired relationships. Mental health’s stigma of weakness makes it easy for people to power through burn out and high-level stress. Our healthcare system is quick to prescribe medication, but more people are shying away from pharmaceuticals.


The Sanctuary serves as a safe haven for people to find themselves, relax, and discover their purpose in a natural and healthy manner without medication. The most satisfying part about my business is witnessing people’s evolution over time. I love watching their layers of emotional turmoil, frustration, unforgiveness peel back little by little to reveal their purpose in life and an empowered part of themselves that was hiding underneath the drama, distractions and pain. It’s such an honor to hold space for them to love themselves again and make healthier decisions with their bodies, thoughts and relationships.

Under My Wings LLC SC

Although we've seen many challenges along the way, Under My Wings has been dedicated to making sure that we service our community through giveaways, community events, trainings, fundraising, and utilized local parks to ensure we continued our training programs. We identify the strengths of individuals and their families, and we maximize the opportunities within that strength to help that individual and/or their families. In 2021, Under My Wings has been able to partner with non-profit organizations, clear land for construction of a starter facility or a "Begin Again" transitional home, as well as enhance our advertising via social media, to continue building capital for our future youth activity center for the community and surrounding areas. We are grateful for the opportunity to help and enhance the lives of our students/chdren through educational tutorship, mentorship, scholarship, respite, and companionship for our elderly. We've networked with semi-professional teams as to give graduating students who haven't had the opportunity to obtain a scholarship, the option of playing semi professional basketball as they advance themselves to the G-league, arena football, and semi-professional leagues. We also have networked with physical education professional development companies to ensure interactive games play, cross-curriculum, as well as introducing esports to our community. We continue to seek to bring the world to the front door of our community as we raise our nation (youth) to a better quality of life. We are overcomers and we're taking others under our wings to overcome too. There's no greater endeavor I see to conquer. Thank you for your time.

Urbanized Move LLC IL

My small business met the unique demands of 2021 because my business thrives through, social interaction through relationship development and healthy economic stability. Between 2020 until the beginning of 2022, all 3 categories went into turmoil. The word of the last 2 years was Pivot; shifting your business approach so that you scale outside the norm. Well as a single Mom with a Small business, snowball effect and HODL (hold on for dear life) was my life. The pandemic, shutdown the world which meant, routines where crumbled, family assistance and visitation dismantled and my salary cut in half. Sigh

So I'm a firm believer that Visions are your prayers answered by God and creating a safe space for small business owners and an environment that would allow me to generate income, create art, help others and feel comfortable with my autistic son feeling welcomed is a vision that I have always had. So, I worked long hours, saved my money and bought a piece of real estate that would serve as the hub of this space. I mean everything lined up which pointed towards my Vision, the price, the location, the welcoming of the town... Now funding for the rehab is the last step.
I have sat on this rehab for over a year, I have built a sound plan, paid and sought out professional assistance and about a month ago finally found a bank that is willing to fund my project. My last step is paying for a structural engineer to draw out a plan, creating a spec sheet and providing an accurate bid sheet. Then, I'm one step closer to reaching my vision.

See a need, fill a need and your well will never dry has stuck with me.. I know the needs of the people, and I have prepared for this moment. I have endured the sleepless nights, the anxiety, the declines; however, my faith still remains.

This grant would serve as working capital for my business as I have invested everything that I have into this project.

I have almost a decade of experience in Facility Operations, so I understand the technical and business expectations in order to launch and sustain a business of this magnitude. What I don't know, I will outsource.

Urbanized Move dba OUR CITEE will be a modern business and event hub for the moms and pops, the tech professionals, and the artist. It will be an education center for aspiring and a safe haven for parents who have children with disabilities.

Barclay, your support of Urbanized Move does not just support my vision; it supports a need and a community. So, I thank you for creating this opportunity, and I look forward to being one of the selected finalists.

Peace and Love - Kalinda aka KP

Virtuoso Breadworks NC

My name is Lauren and my husband a I own Virtuoso Breadworks. Ben and I met in Ritz Carlton in GA. I was working for a strict French chef and Ben was hired on a couple years after. Chef taught us everything, quality technique and work ethic. I was overnight baker and it didn't take long for Ben to rise in the chain of command. We eventually became a couple in secret. When it was Chefs time to move to a new opportunity in the Middle East he asked us if we would like to transfer with him. We did, the deal was we had to keep our relationship private. We worked 60 hour weeks at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain in 2011. It was hard but being immersed in different cultures and learning was well worth it. It changed my connection with people forever. After our two years we transfered to Grand Cayman saying goodbye to my mentor of 7 years. We got married and had our first child there. Ben was executive pastry chef at the Ritz. I was Pastry chef at a couple restaurants then finally the Marriott. Island life was great until you have kids, it was time to head home. North Carolina had a opportunity for Ben at the Ballantyne and I decided to focus on being a mom, putting my career in hold for a bit. We bought a home and immediately grew out of our home with twins on the way After the twins were born I wanted to bake. I
While Ben continued his job, I opened a home bakery and sold bread out of my home with my three children 3 under 2. It grew too fast and was eventually recruited for a British based company. I took a corporate job developing factory breads in Charlotte. It was a amazing experience but it's not HANDmade bread Ben was laid off at Ballantyne due to new ownership. We decided time was right to open a bakery. We did so with another coffee business. Stuck it out for 2 very stressful years of not seeing eye to eye with our partner. After 2 years passed, it was time to opened Virtuoso Breadworks in 2020 of June. We opened outside, serve customers outside and literally push our pastry case outside to keep everyone safe. We did all of our baking in a old mill house 100 years old. We work on 4 hours of sleep, almost daily and committed on the highest quality possible. Food cost right now, is near breaking us. Paper goods are rising to the extreme. Staffing is constant issue, just as it takes the months to train, they leave shortly after, the work is too hard. Our guests that walk through our doors are our second family and why we have pushed for so long when others would bail. If not for them, we would be out. They have supported us in the worst of times. We will push through this