Small Business

A popular downtown business, the Cheese Corner was bought by the Vernon Area Rehabilitation Center, an organization dedicated to serving individuals with varying abilities through programs including job training and employment opportunities. Read More

Mag Rodriguez and Michelle Alfaro opened their store in a Bronzeville storefront as Milwaukee’s first black and brown-owned plant store and it quickly became an important part of the community. Read More

For Crystal Priebe, owning a candy store was a dream come true. For several years, she had been making hand-dipped chocolates and selling them at Valley Fish and Cheese, her family’s store in Prairie du Chien. Read More

When the owners of Upland Cheese pivoted from wholesale orders to online retail orders, they realized their extra work also benefited the greater community. Read More

Thanks to her initiative and networking, Loreen uncorked a new way to stay engaged with her loyal customer base during the pandemic through virtual wine tastings. Read More

A strong Wisconsin support system and recycled wine bottles helped Sascha pivot from wholesale to retail sales for her gourmet oils and vinegars business. Read More

For these tattoo shop owners, the pandemic gave them the opportunity to embrace changes and make improvements that would better their business. Read More

Chrishella, owner of Vibez Creative Arts Space, had to get creative during the pandemic when it came to finding an alternative to her in-person art sessions. Read More

German “Carlos” Vasquez Hernandez and his wife, Carolina Martinez, knew it would be a challenge to keep their two southwest Wisconsin Los Amigos Mexican restaurants operating when the pandemic hit—just months after one of the restaurants had moved to a bigger, remodeled location. Read More