Anna Merritt, owner of Anna’s House of Flowers, located in downtown Albion, said when she opened her store over 40 years ago, there were fewer women business owners than there are today.
In the ‘80s, Merritt added, women couldn’t borrow money from a bank because a man’s presence was necessary for them to do so. Merritt said she was only able to take out her loan because she had a connection with a man who had some status at the bank.
In 2024, the National Women’s Business Council reported that there are 14.5 million women-owned businesses throughout the U.S. Some of those women-owned businesses, like Merritt’s, have made their home in the city of Albion.
Gaining Inspiration
Albion has its roots in the manufacturing industry, but over time that industry relocated to other areas. With businesses moving and workers following, the Washington Gardner middle school and hospital went with it. This led to a decline in general business within Albion, Merritt said.
Jenny Risner-Wade, owner of YellowBird Chocolate Shop and co-owner of the Albion Malleable Brewing Company, said she noticed a “resurgence of energy and inspiration to revitalize Albion” in recent years.
Risner-Wade said she first opened the Malleable with her husband to be a part of this movement for more downtown businesses. Then, her desire for an “alternative, allergen-free treat” led her to open YellowBird Chocolate Shop in 2020.
For co-owner of Urban Blue Development LLC, a business primarily focused on lead abatement, Staci Stuart, she gained inspiration from the TV show “Flip This House” in 2006. Stuart said she thought, “I could do that,” and later opened the business with her husband in 2015.
Merritt’s inspiration came from a phone call with a “good friend” before the revitalization of Albion and before the 1988 Women’s Business Ownership Act, which allowed women to take out a loan without a male cosigner. This friend asked Merritt if she would like to open a business, and while she initially said no, she changed her mind a few weeks later.
Merritt said she called him and said, “I can do flowers, and I know I’m good at that. I think I wanna do a flower shop.”
Support from the Albion Community
When it comes to creating trust, Merritt said, business owners need community members “more than they need us.”
“The community gets to know you and trusts you, and so we cannot let that trust ever decline, never,” Merritt said.
In addition to the general population, which Risner-Wade deems as “super supportive of bringing a business to Albion,” organizations such as the Albion Economic Development Corporation (EDC) exist to aid small businesses within Albion.
YellowBird Chocolate Shop received an award in 2021 from the Michigan EDC, which would not have been possible if not for the Albion EDC’s sponsorship, Risner-Wade said. “As history has it,” Risner-Wade added, the Albion EDC has “pretty much always” been led by women. She said she believes that they are “always cognizant and looking for opportunities” for Albion’s women business owners.
On a day-to-day level, Risner-Wade said she makes the occasional chocolate sample delivery – a short conversation and some fresh-made chocolate – to Kids ‘N’ Stuff, a children’s museum directed by Katie Gigliotti, across the street.
To Aspiring Women Business Owners
According to Risner-Wade, there are several online communities for women business owners seeking advice.
“There are lots of resources, there are lots of online pocket communities that you can search out and get help and get inspiration from,” Risner-Wade said.
For Stuart, there are existing businesses out there that can serve as real-world examples. Stuart said she and her husband visited many bookstores before opening Stirling Books & Brew.
Stuart also said she encourages researching both the “good” and “harder” parts of the process, to ensure the experience “meshes well with your personality.”
“Is it okay if you go a few months without a paycheck?” Stuart said. “Is it okay if you’re the one that the buck stops at?”
In her experience, Merritt said she finds it important never to make a “quick decision,” adding that after over 40 years in business, she’s still learning.
Ultimately, to anyone with a business idea that sparks a passion, Risner-Wade said her advice is to “go for it:”
“Go for it and learn as much as you can.”
Bonnie Lord also contributed reporting to this story.
Great Article, go Abby!