GREAT 83 IDEA: Turn Your Hobby into a Successful Business
Many hobbies evolve into successful small businesses. Even the most offbeat pastimes can prove profitable. For example, Roz Watnemo and Sue Meier turned their passion for an obscure form of Norwegian embroidery into a successful retail and mail- order business. Nordic Needle, based in Fargo, North Dakota, has grown from a 400-square-foot storefront to a 9,000-square-foot space with 24 employees.
The 35-year-old company has been honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration for boosting exports from North Dakota. Nordic Needle's 50,000 retail customers live in 600 countries. They can purchase about 19,000 items via mail order, in person, or online.
I met Roz and Sue a few years ago ...
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