 photo credit: www.scrappapersocial.com For as long as they can remember, Tucker and Colin Ray have wanted to start their own business.
The brothers grew up working for their Grandfather in his furniture and floor covering business located in Hamilton, NY. There they saw the great impact a small business can have on the community it belongs to, and how that community can rise up and support the small business in return.
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 As a business advisor for the Onondaga Small Business Development Center (SBDC), I frequently encounter entrepreneurs with great ideas for new businesses.
Most often, they are convinced that they have a business model that will be successful in the marketplace. Whether it is high-tech or low, product, service, or a combination of both, they are convinced that it is a winner.  The owner of Natural Solutions, Erica Spencer, M.S. L.Ac., is a very motivated, hard working, and uniquely qualified entrepreneur.
A graduate of Finger Lakes School of Acupuncture at NYCC, Erica received a Master’s Degree in Science and Acupuncture (MSA). She is a Licensed Acupuncturist certified by the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and Erica is also a United States Marine Corps (USMC) Veteran with over four years of experience working in the Mental Health and Chemical Dependency fields.  Terry Powers lives with her best friend - a Golden Chow mix named Shadow - that she rescued from the shelter. Dogs have always been an important part of her family. That is why she decided to open 'Stay and Play Doggie Daycare' in 2014.
Terry opened her business not only to help pet owners while they were away from their dogs during the day, but also because she wanted to surround herself with these loving animals.  Sometimes start-ups take some time to pull together both technically and mentally, as was the case with Sarah Curtis who is now operating Syracuse Mom’s Blog, LLC as a home-based business.
In Sarah’s own words from the website at https://syracuse.citymomsblog.com/ – “Syracuse Moms Blog is a collaborative blog, parenting resource and community that strives to inform, empower and connect families in Central New York.”  So much these days is written about entrepreneurship, but perhaps too little is written about the entrepreneur. What is an entrepreneur exactly?
In fact the word itself has seen dramatically increasing popularity in recent years, probably due, in large part, to colleges adopting entrepreneurship programs of study. But how do we define entrepreneur in dictionary terms?  Stephanie McCall began her journey filling homes and businesses with custom, high-quality, quilts and art pieces, in 2006. An award-winning Master Quilter, Stephanie brought her creativity and skills to each residential or commercial installation.
She has her own dedicated studio, and she also teaches private lessons and project classes at her home studio in Auburn, NY and at Cayuga Community College.  Raise your hand if you can’t stop looking at your email when you are supposed to be on vacation.
As we all become addicted to our electronic devices and constant need for instant information, are we making things better or worse? There is no doubt that being a small-business owner you probably put in more hours than the average 9-to-5 worker, but that is exactly why it is more important to be aware of the benefits of striking a work-life balance.  Brooks Mullahy started beekeeping in 1984 as a backyard beekeeper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with only 2 hives.
Life took many turns from there, including a 13-year stint in East Africa working in International Aid and Development. Upon returning to the United States in 2012, she embarked on an apprenticeship with a master beekeeper in Moravia, New York. After 4 years as an apprentice, Mary set out on her own to turn beekeeping into her livelihood and Sunswick Farm began to take form.  Bill Smith, owner of Universal Step, Inc., has been in business for over 50 years.
As a self-proclaimed "grunt," he says he is more of a builder/inventor than a business man. It is the inventor in him, as well as a need to transition his business to be less labor-intensive, that inspired Bill to create a new modular step product. |
Mulroy Hall l Fourth Floor l 4926 Onondaga Rd l Syracuse, NY 13215
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Onondaga Small Business Development Center. Partnership Program with the SBA, administered by the State University of New York. Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. All SBA funded programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
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