Business Begins with Community

Business with Heart, Close to Home

— by Zélia

Looking for where to sell or share what you create?
Think simple. Think local.
Think community.

Serving your community is a great way to share your work — and invite others to be part of it. Whether it’s a team, a school, a group, or an event, the people you already connect with might be the perfect place to start.

Why? Because you know them (and their needs), and they know you. They trust you. They often want to support you — and many enjoy working with local, independent creators.
Trust, connection, and staying close to home — these are powerful values to build on.

For us, one of our favorite ways to share our greeting cards is simply with the people around us. We often do markets and pop-ups — but this month, we found a new opportunity: our dance show.

Every year, my dance school hosts a big end-of-year performance.
Last year, for the first time, I reached out to the school director and asked if I could sell a few custom cards at the show — something small for parents who wanted to congratulate their favorite dancer.
She said yes right away!

I hoped the cards would make the dancers feel seen and celebrated — and they really did.
All of the mini cards I made were hand-drawn. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed drawing each one — and everyone loved them.

This year, the director asked me if I wanted to sell cards again!
So I created a new set of custom cards, this time printed — and here’s a story I love:

One of the dance teachers heard I was making cards for the performance and placed a special order — she wanted one for each of her students.
She told me she’d been looking for congratulation cards in stores and even on Amazon, but couldn’t find anything that really fit what she had in mind.
My cards were just what she was looking for.

To create the design, I got inspired by the flyer and the theme of the show. I used the primary colors — red, blue and yellow — and used props that matched.
On each card, I included a different text like “Bravo” or “Congrats.” I even wrote a few in French, like “Félicitations,” since many of the dancers, the teachers and the director are French.

This felt like a success, not just because I got to share my creations with friends, but because something even more special happened:
Dancers received personal, handwritten words of encouragement from their teachers and families.
(My sister got one of the cards — and she was so happy.)

Now, here’s a question for you:
Where could you offer your products or services in your own community?

Don’t wait for someone to come ask you — they might not even know what you do!
Be proactive.

Your idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be useful and connected to the people around you.
A few examples:
– Make custom T-shirts for your summer camp
– Sell handmade keychains at a soccer tournament
– Offer decorations or a photo booth for a school or neighborhood event
– Create posters or decorations for your homeschool group or youth club

Just look around — and don’t be afraid to ask. That’s where it starts.

A special thank you to Julien Schleret for the beautiful photos at the theater — we’re so grateful!

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Want to read more?

Here’s a great example of a business that started with a strong need in the community — and turned into something much bigger.

🧺 Hyacinth Tucker’s Laundry Basket
What began as one load of laundry for a friend became a business that now processes 7,000 pounds a month. Even more inspiring? Hyacinth launched a training program to help foster youth and the formerly incarcerated build job skills and confidence.
👉 Read the story

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