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Owners of a Vermont trolley tour company are committed to the city that "accepted us"

Mar 12, 2024
"We want to add something good to Burlington, Vermont," says co-owner Hannington Kasagga.
"When we went to the manufacturer's warehouse and we saw our trolley, I think that was the happiest moment in my entire life," says Burlington Trolley Tours co-owner Hannington Kasagga.
Courtesy Hannington Kasagga.

A South Dakota mother-daughter duo bring both business savvy and love to their quilting studio

Dec 27, 2023
"For me, quilting is about our relationship in a lot of ways," said co-owner Jacqueline Economo about her mother.
A quilting bundle at the Jacqueline Joyce Stitch Studio.
Courtesy Jacqueline Joyce Stitch Studio

For a Wyoming family, opening a distillery was about facing "uncertain financial times" head on

Dec 26, 2023
"There was a romantic ideal about being in control of your own destiny," says Backwards Distilling co-founder Amber Pollock.
Amber Pollock behind the bar at the distillery's tasting room in Casper, Wyoming.
Courtesy Pollock

The story behind layoffs at one small business

Dec 7, 2023
Small businesses have been riding a demand rollercoaster since the start of the pandemic. Here's how one music store in Seattle is coping as the rollercoaster heads downward for now.
Patchwerks is a music store specializing in synthesizers and electronic instruments in Seattle.
Getty Images

How smaller companies are dealing with rising insurance costs for their workers

Oct 18, 2023
Annual family premiums for employer coverage went up an average of 7% this year, according to a survey out today from KFF.
Family premiums went up an average of 7% this year, to around $24,000, according to a survey from KFF.
Thicha Satapitanon/Getty Images

Mom concierge services are springing up on college campuses

Oct 12, 2023
No need to miss mom while you're away at college when you can rent one for $49 per month.
Mindy Horwitz, founder of MindyKNOWS, and friends get the word out about the business.
Courtesy Mindy Horwitz

How an urban hiker in Kansas City turned her side hustle full-time

Oct 9, 2023
"After having my urban hikes for about a year, I realized that if I wanted my business to grow, that I would need to focus full time on it, and that was a scary leap," said Lisa Peña, owner of Urban Hikes Kansas City.
Urban Hikes Kansas City owner Lisa Peña shows off a mural by artist Fem_nine on a hike.
Courtesy Lisa Peña, mural by artist Fem_nine

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Inside Houston’s "vibrant but chaotic" strip mall economy

Oct 2, 2023
The centers are home to small businesses selling niche products, foods and services that represent the city’s increasingly diverse population.
Houston's diversity is "partially because of the affordability and availability of spaces such as strip malls," says architect Jesús Vassallo.
Elizabeth Trovall/Marketplace

Typewriter salesman says creative types in L.A. help grow his business

Oct 2, 2023
Aaron Therol says he's saving a piece of history while he's saving people from distractions.
Aaron Therol sells typewriters — machines you don't see very often nowadays. He says Los Angeles' creative community keeps his business afloat.

Trying to squeeze through the pass-through loophole

Apr 5, 2018
Small businesses known as pass-throughs get a new deduction under the tax bill.
The deadline for filing taxes is approaching, but some people are already thinking the 2018 tax year.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images