ECDI Blog

When SBA Regional Administrator Everett M. Woodel, Jr. selected our small rural center as the spotlight location for Small Business Saturday, we were honored and excited. This was our chance to shine a light on the talented entrepreneurs who make our Appalachian communities so special.    From left: Thalia Amador Lastra, Economic Development Specialist; Kelly Gordon, Director of the WBC of Central Appalachia ; Terry Bolden, District Director of the Cleveland/Columbus District

Discover unique, meaningful gifts from Ohio small businesses. Explore ECDI’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide and shop local to support entrepreneurs in your community.

Click to watch Shawnte's spotlight video. Shawnte Barker’s mother thought it was silly that her 8-year-old daughter asked for a sewing machine for her birthday. Little did she know that Shawnte would follow her dream to New York City to be a fashion designer, working at major retailers for 15 years. When her company downsized, she decided to move back home to Cincinnati to pursue her dream of opening her own boutique. Stylish LéNese Boutique launched online and once Shawnte

Tetiana Saeed, Owner of Tati Studio in Broadview Heights, OH Tetiana Saeed didn’t expect to start over — not at this stage in her life,...

Ali Hull of Align Massage Therapy in Portsmouth, OH Ali Hull wasn’t sure how Portsmouth would react to Align Massage Therapy. She knew...

Chris and Lorieal Kimball of LadyFish Aquatics in Dayton, OH Lorieal Kimball got her first fish tank when she was nine. She filled it...

Kai Lewars of Kaiker Development & Construction in Cincinnati, OH There’s no blueprint for breaking into an industry that wasn’t built...

Andres De Arco, Nora Graciela, and Edy Soraya of Café Graciela in Columbus, OH The line formed before they even set up. Word had...

Selena Barabino of Amaryllis Beaute Haven in Toledo, OH These hands have saved lives. I've fought for patients, challenged doctors, and...

Click here to watch Full Grip Games' spotlight video “I never knew how much my banking experience was going to come in handy when owning...

Amanda Dunfield of Astra Studios in Columbus, OH A social enterprise (SE) is an organization – either for-profit or nonprofit – committed...

Kendra Northgard of All In Cinci Fitness, a Pure Barre Studio Within her first year of teaching fitness classes at a Pure Barre studio...

Lucia Herrera of Underworld Feast For some families, a nightly dinner table discussion about engravings from the 1800s, where in India to source the best tamarinds, or the seventh level of hell might seem unusual. For Underworld Feast proprietors Lucia Herrera, Ciro Rodriguez, and their son, Carlos, it’s the family business — salsa.  “People want something unique. They gravitate towards combinations they haven’t tasted before, like the smoky flavor of a chipotle blended with

Kim Baker of KB Flower Farm Just Northwest of Portsmouth, Ohio, in Otway, you’ll find fields full of tulips, dahlias and sunflowers. This...

Christopher Harris of Black Frog Brewery “Any home brewer will tell you that they’ve wondered what it would be like to open a brewery.”...

Running a food truck or a similar mobile food business is not as simple as setting up shop in a parking lot. There are several steps that mobile food vendors must take to obtain their official license to operate in the City of Columbus. The guide below contains all the information you need to get your mobile food operation up and running.  Step 1: Get your Application Documents Together  To apply for your Mobile Food Vendor License, you’ll need to bring the following items to

While it is the framework of your business, your business plan isn't carved in stone. It should be re-examined, amended, or sometimes altered altogether. As challenges arise, your business may need to pivot to another strategy to continue. This isn't a failure of your original business idea — it's the necessary evolution of what you’ve built.    The COVID-19 pandemic tested small businesses’ adaptability and presented owners with unforeseen complications. Small businesses had

As a small business owner in an era of staffing shortages, finding good workers quickly is more difficult than ever. You may have to keep...

Really, what is it? Does the whole prospect feel overwhelming? Do you not have much money to start a business? Are you unsure your idea...

“There's nothing that humbles you like running a company,” Gazelle Mechanical and Logistics Proprietor Trey Ellington said. Although...

Click to watch AJL Group's spotlight video AJL Group started with an $8,000 contract to fix rain gutters. Only two years later, the...

“I've wanted to own a bakery since I was 12 years old,” said Selena Hunt, proprietor of Flour Girls Baking Company, a Gallipolis, Ohio...

Click to watch Karate Work's spotlight video “Karate isn’t about fighting,” said David Anders, Sensei and Owner of Karate Works, A...

Click to watch Ortiz Art Drafts Design's spotlight video Hermes Ortiz is not just a drafting engineer and graphic designer — the man is a...

Click to watch Barbara's Fiber Art's spotlight video If you're looking for an art quilt to hang on your wall instead of your bed, Barbara's Fiber Art has you covered. Barbara Huff makes story quilts and teaches classes in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Since she retired, Huff has had more time to devote to quilting. In 2020, she treated herself to a quilting conference, excited to take in-depth classes and see quilters and vendors from all over the country. But throughout the conf

Click to watch Service!'s spotlight video On the 16th floor of the Franklin County Municipal Court sits Café Overlook, a restaurant-to-be...

Click to watch Krazzy Comic's spotlight video “When I say I’ve got people who come in and we talk for hours, that’s not an exaggeration,”...

Click to watch Deeply Rooted's spotlight video If you are in Frankfort, Ohio and would like to meet a friend for coffee, there is only one place in town: Deeply Rooted Café. When Kennedy Moss opened in 2021, she fulfilled her family’s dream. “My grandpa had the vision of a coffee shop and talked about it for years, but never took the step,” said Moss, for whom coffee evokes fond memories. “When I was a little girl, my grandpa used to always give coffee to me on a spoon…that’s

Click to watch Little Arrow's spotlight video “My daughter attends [Little Arrows Childcare Center] and we love it! I enjoy getting...

Check out this list of free tools and applications that every small business owner should know about.

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Click to watch Nurturing Excellence's spotlight video After 35 years working in childcare centers, Michelle Madison was prepared to lead...