The challenges of starting a new business can be overwhelming for some - whether in the beginning when coming up with a new product idea, or months down the road when trying to make a profit – hard work is always a necessity. For two business owners in Great Falls, it’s the support between each other that makes those difficult times a bit easier.
When Jessica Martindale isn’t painting nails and running the Be-you-tiful salon in Great Falls, she’s devoting her time to her kids at home.
What started out as an effort to limit food waste in her home turned into Jessica buying a freeze-drier. She eventually found an idea on Tik-Tok of freeze-dried candy and began making batches with her kids, and Sugar Britches Freeze Dried Candy was born.
When telling the story, Jessica laughed, “My kids decided that they wanted to do candy and run their own business and here we are.”
In an adjacent room in the salon located in the Times Square building in downtown Great Falls sits the home of Mile High Seed Permanent Jewelry.
Owner Jordy Glick described the ideas behind creating the business of permanent jewelry, tying it all back to her roots of living on a ranch near Monarch.
“I just feel that everyone has the right to feel beautiful, even if it’s just having the peace of mind knowing that you can look stylish while working and riding a horse.”
When you think of businesses living in the same space, the first thought to come to mind might be competition.
While businesses, no matter what kind, are often competitive, sometimes mutual uplifting is vital, and this is the case for Jessica and Jordy.
“It’s a lot of fun having someone there to go to events with,” Jessica explained. “It’s nice to not feel so nervous or alone in the adventure of adding a new business.”
In an effort to reach more customers in the community, the duo began the summer setting up booths in events around the state.
So far, they’ve dived into the Downtown Night Market and the Belt Rodeo to name a few, and plan to work more events this summer.
They’ve coined this collaboration, “Permanently Sweet."
Jordy noted, “It’s nice doing this with your friend. She always knows what I need and it makes dealing with some of the challenges of owning a small business easier. It’s challenging but we’re going to be okay because we’ll just keep spreading the positive word and keep getting out there.”
Click here to visit the Sugar Britches page on Facebook. Click here to visit the Montana Mile High Seed page on Facebook.
Questions or comments about this article/video? Click here to contact Brianna.
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