The first week of May is Small Business Week. At Exit Planning Institute we educate the advisors who assist small business owners to accelerate business value and complete successful exit plans. According to LawnStarter, as of 2021, there were 32.5 million small businesses in the United States, making up 99.9% of all businesses! Out of these 32.5 million small businesses, 78.4% are micro-businesses that employ between 1 to nine people. In honor of Small Business Week, our Team is sharing some of the small businesses we love to support.
Jocelyn Bires: Salad Kraze, located in Avon, Ohio, is one of my favorite small businesses to support. This is currently their one and only location (although I think they should have more) and they offer salads, subs, wraps, soups, and smoothies. They always find ways to give back and support their community and I love that they have so many options. Not only are you able to pick from options they have already put together, but everything is customizable, so if you don’t like a topping, want to add extra toppings, or want to build something from scratch with all the items you like, you can do that as well!
William Detki: A small business that I support is Peach Fuzz Waxing and Threading in Lakewood, Ohio. Peach Fuzz is a Black Female-owned business that offers a variety of services like eyebrow threading, which I love to get.
Alex Hooker: A small business I love to support is Lakewood Plant Co. I love plants and Lakewood Plant Co. carries some of the cooler, boutique plants not necessarily found at your big brand companies. This shop has a whole section of pet friendly plants, which is nice for me since my cat likes to chew on all the plants that she can reach. They have a fun inviting atmosphere and offer to re-pot your plants for you if you buy both the plant and the pot in store, which I love because I am always afraid the plant will not survive my re-potting.
Jesse Hudson: I like Martin’s Deli. They are a local chain of three deli’s and one of them is in my hometown. They have good food and low prices.
Max Humphrey: A small business I like to support is 3-19 Coffee. 3-19 is a small business located in Cleveland and in San Francisco who prides itself on ethically sourcing its coffee from the farmers themselves rather than buying from a middle-man. They also support the surrounding communities, such as when they sponsored local Cleveland artists to do designs for their coffee tin cans.
Joe Klauer: One of my favorite small businesses is Fitness First Ultimate Sports Supplements. The owner, Angelo, is a friend of mine. He is a young entrepreneur, and the company is all about fitness and health. I am a big health and fitness junkie, so supporting a small business in this space and supporting a friend awesome.
Colleen Kowalski: A small business I support is Giavanna Rosa Designs. The owner, Giavanna Rosa, is one of my best friends and is Cleveland native. Gia creates beautiful floral artwork and designs Cleveland Sports themed pieces for Emily Roggenburk Studios.
Josh Koza:A favorite small business of mine is Lake Erie Pet Food Co. They offer fresh, all natural dog food subscriptions with free delivery to Northeast Ohio locations.
Scott Lang: I love to shop at Once Upon a Time Toys in Rocky River. The business has been a staple in downtown rocky river for years and the ownership tries to keep unique and quality items for kids. I try and buy at least one of my kids presents here each birthday and Christmas.
Joshua Lewis: A small business I like to support is The Grateful Dog Bakery. I like that all the ingredients are sourced from local farms or grown themselves.
Chase Ross: One of my favorite small businesses is the Cleveland based, Lil Buff Protein. They make easily the best high protein desserts I have ever had.
John Weishar: One of my favorite small businesses is GV Artwork. As a Cleveland Sports fan, and sports fan in general, I love their shirts and how creative they are with the design themes. Whether it be teaming up with Browns, Indians, or Cavaliers players for their own shirt release or just Cleveland in general.
Paige Wysocki: A small business I love is The Foggy Dog. I support them because for each purchase they donate half a pound of food to shelter dogs. Our dogs are both rescues, so that is always a cause I am actively looking to support. They also are environmentally conscience. Their dog beds and toys are stuffed with 100% recycled fiber spun from plastic bottles that would otherwise be landfill.
What are some of your favorite small businesses to support?
