COLUMBIA - Some mid-Missouri businesses had their first opportunity to participate in a Small Business Saturday event.
As of Saturday, most of the stands at the market began their businesses within the last two years.
A handful of business owners at a market in downtown Columbia said they felt the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic was the right time to start their shops.
The owner of Simply Sally Jo, Sally Barnes, started the business with her niece a little over a year ago. She said starting their business was the next step.
“I’m approaching retirement age,” Sally Barnes said. “This is something that might keep me out of trouble when I retire.”
For other vendors, starting their business wasn’t a luxury but rather a necessity. For Megan Fritz, the owner of Shoot Dang Silver, the pandemic forced her hand.
“I lost both of my jobs, and I was like now I can focus on doing what I love,” Fritz said.
However, the timing has caused challenges for some business owners. The organizer of the market and founder of Curations 573, Denise, has seen those struggles first hand.
“Supply shortages are definitely a painful thing that all businesses and vendors are feeling right now,” Denise said.
While some of the businesses at the market sold home goods, jewelry, and clothing, one business had a unique service it offered to patrons.
“The biggest thing with the Small Business Saturday is letting people know there’s this local processor that they can go to and actually know where the animal came from,” Samuel Rothove said.
He and his wife co-own Red Barn Butchering, a butchery located in Osage County, less than a year ago. While his business has many buyers from Jefferson City, he felt it was time to expand his customer base to Columbia.
“What brought me here today was just to get my word out in the Columbia area,” Rothove said. “We’re trying to grow our customer base so that we can offer more variety to everyone by hitting different demographics across the board.”
Rothove said he prides himself on doing what national company chains can’t do for the community. He said unlike corporations, every purchase makes a difference, and customer matters to his butchery.
“For us, as a small business owner, you go to a big box store they aren’t going to celebrate,” Rothove said. “You go to my shop and we make a good sale, we celebrate. I get to sponsor my kid’s tee ball team because of people who support these small businesses.”
He said his goal is to always give back to the community because the Mid-Missouri economy is very important.
“To me, community is king,” Rothove said. “If we can keep our money within the community we live in and just the general area, we’re so much better off.”
Rothove said he was happy to network at the market. Curations573 is hosting more small business events on Dec. 3, 11, and 12 with different vendors, including Living Windows. Some of the events will be winter wonderland themed.
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November 28, 2021 at 10:40AM
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Mid-Missouri businesses gather on Small Business Saturday - KOMU 8
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