EAGLE, IDAHO — With so many businesses and shops on State Street in Downtown Eagle, you may not realize that a very large portion of them are owned and run by women.
- 22% of small businesses in America are owned by women according to the US Census Bureau.
- A majority of the small shops and businesses in Downtown Eagle are owned and run by women.
- Shops range from antiques, framing, boutiques, botanical, clothing, and even novelty shops.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
Walking down State Street in Eagle, all sorts of shops may catch your eye. Antiques or Boutiques, custom picture framing, and even floral arrangements. I'm your Eagle neighborhood reporter Alexander Huddleston and what makes all these businesses even more unique is that most of them are owned and run by women!
"Because we have grit. We love what we do and we want to keep doing it," said Jamia Thompson Albright, owner of Wishing Well Botanicals.
About 22 percent of small businesses are owned and operated by women according to the US Census Bureau, but in downtown Eagle, it's a different story.
"The majority of the business owners down here are women. We often collaborate and get together to discuss how we can drive more people to downtown Eagle and experience all the great shopping that is happening down here," explained Meg Glasgow, owner of Finer Frames.
Her business is one of the longest-tenured out of the bunch, celebrating the store’s 25th anniversary in Eagle last week.
Glasgow went on to say, "I am extremely proud of this business, and the effort it has taken me to overcome the challenges, and still be here after 25 years. To support a staff of 4 all-women framers, and I think we are making a difference. We are making the world more beautiful one frame at a time."
I also went down a couple of blocks to Wishing Well Botanicals, and spoke to owner Jamia Thompson Albright, who says over the years, Eagle has been a great community for growing her business.
Thompson Albright smiled and said, "It feels good. It feels good to be an entrepreneur, to be a business owner, to be serving a wonderful community."
I talked to both women about overcoming challenges to grow their businesses.
"The challenges have been huge, and sometimes unpredictable," exclaimed Glasgow.
"Almost miraculously I would get some big job or big event that would keep me going. I work my business daily and I think the care you put into it really shows," said Thompson Albright.
Glasgow continued, "Because when people see that in you they naturally want to help you be more successful."
"I love being a part of this community because Eagle is a treasure," finished Thompson Albright.
Well, Rome wasn't built in a day and every business has to start somewhere. If this story has inspired you to start your own the US Small Business Administration has resources to help you get started. You can find them here.
