– A Glowforge Pro laser cutter
– Two Creality 3-D printers
– A Cricut station
– A computerized sewing and embroidery machine
– A computer station and digital camera
Makerspace aims to help entrepreneurs in the Co.Starters and Business Planning programs develop ideas into prototypes and create materials for company branding, signage, and promotions. Since graduating from Co. Starters in 2019, Ed has owned a laser-cutting and game design business called MetaDreams LLC. For inquiries about using the maker space, he can be reached at ebond@incworks.org. Congratulations, Ed, and welcome to the team! This space is made possible through New Energy New York grant funding.
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Watkins Glen resident, Erin McMurrough started her business Little Clover Wine, which she primarily operates online and at select retail and restaurant locations, after dreaming about it for what she said was far too many years to count. Operations began in 2018 with her first harvest.
“Sparkling wine made me fall in love with wine,” Erin said. “In fact, I fell so hard I ended up switching careers in 2011–I went from being a producer on Broadway to selling wine for a French distributor in the city.” Wanting to know more about production, Erin worked as a harvest intern in the Finger Lakes in 2012 and fell in love with the quality of the wine and the beauty of the region. “I ended up moving here permanently and have worked in the wine industry ever since.” She added, “Now I’m back to what sparked the love affair in the beginning. I want to share that experience with others and introduce more people to the beauty of sparkling wine made in the Finger Lakes.”
Erin reached out to IncubatorWorks before she disgorged her first set of wines and felt stuck on finding the right name for her project. She said, “A friend of mine, Connor Evans, went through the program and I saw his success at Solera Tap House,” adding, “I also needed help crafting my business plan. I wasn’t looking for a community of entrepreneurs but I realized quickly that I needed that too.”
When Erin joined the IncubatorWorks Business Plan cohort, she had a rough idea of how she would approach the market. She found that by laying out her business plan on paper, she was able to fine-tune her pricing and channels of distribution. “The most impactful aspect of working with IncubatorWorks was the support I received from the instructors as well as my peers. Their enthusiasm doubled mine and it helped move me forward.”
Erin has completed two classes and even poured Little Clover Wine samples at one of IW’s summer events. “They’re a great group of people,” Erin said.
When it comes to advice for other entrepreneurs Erin said, “Starting a business as a new entrepreneur can be intimidating and lonely at times but it is so helpful to have a community going through the same thing.” She added, “It’s a roller coaster! The highs are amazing and the lows are real but I am glad I took the leap. I love how my process has inspired my 8-year-old daughter to start thinking like an entrepreneur too! But the best advice I can give to someone about to launch is to connect with another entrepreneur who you admire.”
We can expect to see more local partnerships with Little Clover Wine, including in-store tastings and wine dinners. “I cannot wait to share these wines with you!”
We wish Erin continued success in the growth of her business and look forward to seeing Little Clover Wine in shops near us soon!
]]>Brian connected with Incubator Works during what he calls “the growth stage” of his business after some online research. “I was in Corning looking for opportunities to network and expand my business, and after some research, I showed up at their doorsteps in Painted Post. Though they weren’t available to chat too much right away, they gave me a flier to the accelerator cohort.” Though Brian felt confident in doing his work, he felt he needed more knowledge on how to run a business properly. “I just love Nancy (Kirby), she is the best,” he said. “If she was teaching a class, I couldn’t miss it. I was concerned that my business didn’t have a full underlying business plan, it was wholly reliant on me and what was in my head.”
Brian found the that Business Plan course provided him with the validation he felt he needed that his business idea was viable and that he had a good chance to succeed while also giving him a better understanding of the market and his place in it. “From the moment the class finished to the current date my revenue has increased by at least a third.” Though distance to some of the classes is a challenge, Brian says he would like to do more classes offered through IW. “I recommend that any small business near IW go for it,” he said, adding, “IW has a number of incredible people doing incredible things.”
As a small business owner, Brian said he has learned that no one does anything alone and that there is no such thing as a failure – only a learning experience. He added, “Comfort with ambiguity is key, and love your neighbor – their uncle may be your next client – but for real, people just need love in their life, and if you are willing to be there for someone when they need it, it will pay dividends in ways you could never imagine.”
IncubatorWorks wishes Brian continued success! For more information about our CoStarters program, as well as our Business Plan Development program, please email us at lobrien@incworks.org.
In this series of Small Business, Big Thinkers, we are highlighting the entrepreneurs we have worked with through our Accelerator cohort called CoStarters cohort, who later moved on to graduate from our Business Plan course, the first of which took place earlier this year. The participating small business owners developed their small business plan, and then later presented it to a committee made up of local community and business leaders. Participants received a participant support stipend made possible by a New Energy New York (NENY) grant to support them in their next small business goals. These are their stories.
Maria Anderson is passionate about holistic health. She spent 10 years living in Oregon where she had a thriving holistic health business. But then in 2020, her family made the decision to move back to the Southern Tier and purchase their first home. “The Southern Tier has little to no holistic health resources,” Maria said, “and I wanted to give my community access to holistic health services.”
Check out the photos from our most recent Business Plan graduation celebration!
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