Small Business Revolution Blog

Posted on October 22, 2019

Ann Kim Inspires Whilma’s Filipino Restaurant with Focused Menu, More Help, Wider Client Base

Is the 2019 winner of the James Beard Award for “Best Chef in the Midwest” too busy to volunteer a helping hand to a struggling restaurateur? Absolutely not. Ann Kim is featured in Episode 2 of Season 4 of Small Business Revolution. There she sits in a small strip mall in Searcy, Arkansas, tearfully holding hands with Whilma Frogoso, emotional over the potential her humble restaurant has.

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Posted on October 15, 2019

Whilma’s Filipino Restaurant gets the help it needs

This is the story of how I ended up taped to a wall in Searcy, Arkansas.

It starts with Whilma Frogoso. She is the charming owner of a Filipino restaurant that has been open in Searcy since 2009.

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Posted on October 10, 2019

The Shakes Seen ‘Round the World

It’s good to have friends with friends, as Jessie Hohenstein has learned in a big way.

Jessie owns the Cookie Basket restaurant in downtown Searcy, Arkansas. Her business neighbor, Mat Faulkner, owns Think Idea Studios across the street. On May 23, Mat hosted a small office birthday party for his colleague and ordered four of Jessie’s crazy shakes, a new item she was giving a try.

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Posted on October 7, 2019

Top 10 Reasons to Watch Small Business Revolution Season 4

By: Jenna Paulus, PR Manager, Deluxe Each year we invest $500,000 into one small town and six of its businesses as part of Deluxe’s Small Business Revolution. This season, the stories are amazing, heartfelt and sure to give you all the feels. Need more reasons to watch? Check out our Top 10 reasons to watch […]

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Posted on August 19, 2019

Small Business Stories: Hopkins Braces

Dr. Jonathan Hopkins’ best-laid plans went right out the window the year he opened his small business. It was August 2006 and he was finishing his residency when Hurricane Katrina threw seven feet of water into his house. At the same time, his plans to buy a practice in Searcy, Arkansas from an orthodontist fell through, when the other doctor suddenly changed his mind.

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Posted on August 13, 2019

Small Business Stories: Dafni Greek Gourmet

Melissa owns Dafni Greek Gourmet in Biddeford, Maine. She sells olive oil grown on her family’s farm in Greece and products made with it. A big part of growing her business has been going to area farmer’s markets and other events to meet new customers, tell her family story and help people understand the value family-grown products bring.

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Posted on August 7, 2019

Small Business Stories: Johnny’s Plumbing and Hydronics

Sometimes a terrible challenge produces a lot of learning. That was the experience of Johnny’s Plumbing and Hydronics in Canon City, Colorado.
John T. Fontecchio III started the business fresh out of high school with a new wife and a baby on the way. The business grew at a steady pace until a financial downturn stopped his forward progress.

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Posted on August 1, 2019

Small businesses love small towns, and vice versa

It sounds idyllic, opening a little shop of your own in a small town. You would serve your neighbors, choose your own path and be your own boss. The reality doesn’t always match those lovely words, and I would definitely miss the anonymity of city living, but the small business owners we talked to on the Top 10 Town Tour resoundingly loved the small-town life.

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Posted on July 29, 2019

Drees Electric: Maintain Customer Relationships After the Sale

Tom Drees says his customers start shopping before they even walk through his door. Gone are the days when a buyer might stroll into the shop with no idea what they need or what the going rate is.

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Posted on July 22, 2019

The Ball Theatre

Rodney Nicholson says opening a movie theatre has changed him. He wasn’t a huge fan of musicals before, but now? “I’ve started singing along with them,” he says with a grin.

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Posted on July 15, 2019

Bad Dog Distillery

Author: Jen Amundson, Deluxe Director of Social Media and Communications In our “Small Business Stories” series, we hit the road to interview small business owners about their unique journeys. Each story provides inspiration and insights, while shining a spotlight on the passionate small business owners who are so critical to our economies and our communities. […]

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Posted on July 8, 2019

Surprise! Small Business Owners Reflect on the Unexpected

You love them. You hate them. Surprises. Good or bad, they raise the heart rate and challenge our creativity.

As the Small Business Revolution team traveled across the country to the Top 10 towns for Season 4 of “Main Street,” there were plenty of surprises to manage. When bad weather canceled the flight between Boston and Charlotte, the team jumped in a rental and drove 15 hours so we could meet the fine folks in Washington, North Carolina.  That’s a lot of singing show tunes and eating at gas stations, but the team made it. Let’s call that surprise a “Team Bonding Opportunity.”

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