Category: Business Owner Stories

As PR Manager at Nav, I regularly get asked what exactly it is that I do for the company. Depending on who I’m talking to, the answer slightly varies, but there’s one part of my job that I never fail to mention – overseeing Nav’s Small Business Grant. Since it launched in 2018, I’ve had the honor of reviewing hundreds of applications and surprising nearly 20 passionate business owners with news that they’ve been selected as a winner. Earlier this… Read More

Susan Fife is a veterinarian and the owner and operator of Animal Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care in Brookville, Ohio. She started the business in 2011 with the desire to bring preventative care to clients and their pets, integrating holistic medicine with conventional practices. Animal Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care is the second-place winner in Nav’s latest Business Grant round, here’s a bit more about the business and what makes them tick.  About the Business What makes your business unique? I don’t… Read More

Bryce DeLay began Sawtooth Services, a tree trimming and removal service in Nampa, Idaho, in June 2018. The small team at Sawtooth serves the Boise area, specializing in hazardous tree removal. To save on costs and make the work more efficient, they fabricate their own equipment while they pick up state and federal contracts throughout the State of Idaho. Bryce and his team have been heralded by their customers for their kind attitude and thorough work whenever they’re called in… Read More

Diana Kirkpatrick opened Center Stage Clothiers in 2018 to honor the life of a late local costumer designer. Based in Vancouver, Washington and with just one part-time employee to help run the show, Diana provides costume rentals to local schools for theatrical productions, to business and individuals for themed parties and fundraisers, and even offers private dress-up parties and other events.  Center Stage Clothiers took home third prize in the latest Nav Small Business Grant round, here’s their story.  Why… Read More

Many small businesses are rooted in family traditions, and Russo’s Ravioli is no exception. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, this mother-son operation has been churning out homemade ravioli for the masses since 2014. But, the recipe is anything but new. Armed with a decades-old family recipe and a bevy of knowledge from other Russo restaurateurs, Diane and Garrison Russo are keeping the tradition alive.  They’ve experienced great growth since opening up shop five years ago, including getting their product into a… Read More

It’s that time of year when special events abound – weddings, graduations, baby showers, and bar mitzvahs. With those events comes a tedious but necessary obligation: thank you notes! Taryn Singer has created WithThanks, a business that lets busy people outsource the task of thank you notes following special events. Singer says WithThanks is a one-stop shop for thank you notes; the business handles creating the note content, handwriting it, addressing envelopes, stamping them, and mailing them out.  Why did… Read More