Like many others in Southwestern Ontario, Ana Costa, a Brazilian-born English teacher and early childhood educator, found herself facing a wave of change during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Costa and her husband, a software engineer, decided to move with their young son to Stratford in November 2020 after his employer in Kitchener announced a full-time shift to remote work. Stratford was on their list, Costa said, because she and her husband planned to one day retire in the “cute little town” they would often visit with family and friends.
“That was a time when we needed more space; we have two dogs, too, so we needed a backyard,” Costa said. “We were super happy that we didn’t have to wait until retirement. It was the house of our dreams at a price we could actually afford.”
After the move, Costa had more decisions to make, including whether or not to send her son back to daycare in the middle of a pandemic. Once she settled on keeping him at home, Costa, a Conestoga College graduate, began wondering about the future of her career as an educator and whether she should use the opportunity to pursue one of her other passions.
In her spare time, Costa designs and creates felt and cotton dolls, a side hustle that occasionally helped her make a little extra money while she was studying. There was only one problem. She didn’t know anything about starting a small business.
Encouraged by a friend, Costa set up a meeting at the Stratford Perth Center for Business in March. Eight months later, she’s among six entrepreneurs who are sharing $30,000 in Starter Company Plus grants, funding the business center offers graduates of its program for promising start-ups in Stratford, St. Marys, and Perth County.
“It was amazing. It just changed everything,” Costa said about her experience founding her company, Sambelina Workshop. “I started seeing my hobby as a business. When the grant opportunity came, I applied because I was confident enough. That was really, really exciting.”
The government-funded Starter Company Plus program graduates two cohorts of entrepreneurs per year. The most recent cohort recently completed a six-week training program that included one-on-one coaching and professional mentorship.
“Aside from the structured learning, the Starter Company Plus program offers, the unique shared experience is also extremely important,” said Holly Mortimer, an adviser at the Stratford Perth Center for Business. “Becoming an entrepreneur can be a lonely experience and the sense of support and community created lasts long after the program concludes.”
Other graduates from the latest cohort include Jonathan Sipple, a photographer and graphic designer who specializes in creating eye-catching thumbnails for content creators on YouTube, and Gabrielle Arkett, a herbalist who plans to offer educational workshops about locally grown medicinal plants.
Costa began creating her dolls in 2009. Originally, they were gifts for a family she lived with in the United States while on an au pair-style exchange program. She still remembers crafting the first one to look like the family’s oldest daughter, who was about three-and-a-half years old at the time.
“She looked at her mom and looked at me and said, “She looks just like me!” That was the best feeling,” Costa said. “It was very touching.”
When Costa children noticed were interested in dolls that looked like them, she realized her creations could also help teach them about diversity.
“That always felt like it would be my mission,” she said. “I made a batch of dolls that had different skin colors and different hairstyles and I think that’s what caught the attention of people.”
Costa has previously sold her dolls through commissions as well as at markets in Kitchener and Stratford. She’s still making them herself by hand in her basement, but she has plans next year to expand her business by partnering with other artisans and establishing an online shop.
“I’m getting a little more attention, which has been great because I’ve been able to meet with a lot of people that share the same goals,” She said. “We’ll try to represent as many children as we can.”
Recent graduates from the Stratford Perth Business Centre’s Starter Company Plus program
Jonathan Sippel, The Thumbnail Guy: With a background in photography and digital design, Jonathan began creating thumbnails for friends publishing YouTube videos. The more he created, the more requests he got to create more. His business offers services that include thumbnail creation, consultations and coming in 2023, courses to learn how to create your own thumbnail. Learn more at www.thumbnailguy.com
Amanda Hohner, Hollyhock Hair Studio: Amanda opened Hollyhock Hair when she realized that her life as a busy mom required a more flexible work schedule. She wanted control over her hours and income, so she created Hollyhock Hair in downtown Stratford Also, as an environmentally conscious business, she has introduced systems and products that allow her clients to contribute to saving the planet. Contact her via 519-301-7055 or follow on Instagram @hollyhockhairstudio
Jamie Gibbings, 519 Safety: Jamie is a certified Ministry of Labor trainer who has spent years in the training space and is taking all his experience and knowledge to create a customized program designed for small business owners. Specializing in workplace safety, HR, and policy creation, Jamie’s company can help employers and employees come to work in a safe and legal workspace every single day. Contact via [email protected].
Gabrielle Arkett, Singing Nettles Herbs: Singing Nettles Herbs is about connecting people to the plants that grow where they live, and inspiring people to work with local plants in sustainable, creative ways. Through growing and selling dried herbs and herbal products, and through educational workshops, SNH hopes to give people the tools they need to support their own personal growth and healing and get excited about medicinal plants. Contact [email protected] or @garkles on Instagram.
Christianna Strahan, Cricket Care: As a certified personal support worker who was coming off maternity leave, Christianna knew she wanted to be in control of her days and income, so she created Cricket Care, a support service for the ill, elderly or those in need of daily assistance. She is already growing her team and plans to specialize in various areas of care. Contact via 289-251-0137 or [email protected].