There is no better testament to the vital role small businesses play in America's economy than the stories — and voices — of entrepreneurs who are operating viable enterprises in communities across the land. Ever mindful that the "bottom line" in our research is helping to create a climate in which small businesses can flourish, we occasionally profile entrepreneurs who have benefited from services provided by microenterprise-development programs and are now living their dream of business ownership.

Inspired by nature …
Long before Laura Buckner started Happy Woman Jewelry in 1995 in Redwood, Calif. she was an accomplished weaver, printmaker, doll maker and basket weaver. But “something magical happened,” she says, when she started fashioning jewelry that was inspired by nature and featured gemstones. In our profile, Buckner talks about the business that has given her a satisfying creative outlet, flexibility while child-rearing and earnings that significantly boost her household’s income.

Mother of Invention …
If Cindy Twomey had given birth to a boy instead of a girl, she might never have started No Slippy Hair Clippy™, the business she founded in 2000 in Pleasanton, Calif. But a series of "bad hair days" involving her 10-month-old baby led her to develop a barrette that would stay put in baby fine hair. Today her fancy hair clips, which come in a vast array of styles and colors, are available from hundreds of upscale retailers nationwide. Find out how this former welfare recipient took a simple product and created a business that is now moving along at a good clip.

A Mushrooming Business …
Owned by Candice and Dan Heydon, Oyster Creek Farm & Mushroom Co. has operated since 1989 in Damariscotta, Maine. The Heydons not only grow and sell fresh exotic mushrooms, they also dry some varieties, package them for sale, test new recipes, create mushroom oils and powders and manage a mail-order business. Our profile of the Heydons and their business includes access to the Oyster Creek Web site (where product orders can be placed) and an Oyster Creek recipe that calls for one of their products, of course!

Building a Dream …
Manuela Barraza and her husband, Jose Arevalo opened their first retail store in Minneapolis, Minn. in 1996. Today the couple operate four stores selling a range of goods — from men's and women's clothing to gifts, party favors and special occasion clothing. Theirs is an interesting story of hard work, perseverance - and finding that special market niche.

Recipe for Success …
A genuine love of food led Jackie Tucker to establish Eternal Pleasures Catering in Detroit, Mich. in 1990. By mixing together a life-long interest in food with heaping amounts of vision and adaptability, she's created a thriving business that was named the 2001 Chicago Region winner of Working Woman magazine's "Entrepreneurial Excellence Award." Find out what drives her in our profile, which includes a link to one of her special recipes.