this is recognition of local small businesses and their importance to henpen County and this is offered by commissioner connley commissioner would you like to move this I will move this item I'll second thank you um so last the last week of April is National Small Business Week and it's a week to celebrate the small businesses that are essential to our local economy these small businesses and business owners provide great jobs to our residents and great products and services that we need locally today I'm bringing forward a proc a a proclamation to recognize Small Business Week 2024 here in hanpen county and highlighting a few of the entrepreneurs that make the hopen county economy so exciting so first if I'll have the I'll have the clerk read the resolution whereas henpen County C celebrates all of our 40,000 businesses but recognizes small small businesses are the engine of our County economy as employers and providers of products and services and whereas whereas the small business administration has celebrated National Small Business Week for more than 50 years to recognize the hard work and Ingenuity of Everyday People Who start and grow businesses in their Community for their Community mrss hennipin County supports these entrepreneurs all year long in many ways including through our Elevate henpen initiative and its recently refreshed online resources Hub at Elevate henpen dorg which offers expert Consultants training and a library of resources at no cost for every resident with an idea and every business poised to be the next major Enterprise be it resolved the henpen County Board of Commissioners does hereby Proclaim April 28th to May 4th 2024 Small Business Week in henpen county and encourages all those who live and work here to support our local small businesses and business owners throughout the year thank you Miss Rose so as stated in the proclamation small businesses really are the lifeblood of our henpen County economy and according to the United States census most of the 40,000 businesses in hanpen County employ fewer than 100 employees that's amazing and that represents more than 96% of all local employers and more than half of hennipen County businesses employ fewer than five employees that's also awesome so on behalf of the Board of Commissioners I'd like to thank our small business Community for everything that they do every single day uh to support our economy and all that they do to bring their local businesses districts and the broader Community together so thank you what I'd like to do is call out two of these local businesses specifically who joined us today first Janita flowers the founder of Janita jar a cookie business sold in more than 350 Boutique shops cafes breweries and coffee shops you can also find janina's Cookie Jar or jar cookies in Target locations in 25 States across the entire country um Janita I would love to welcome you up to the microphone and uh tell us about your experience with Elevate henpen for uh for the board up here and then just we just would love to hear your story welcome and thank you thank you commissioner Conley I am Janita hours CEO and founder of Jan's jar we are a cookie company that's all about satisfying your taste buds the taste of cookies reminiscent favorite childhood treats while infusing a message of Hope in 2020 my business was 2 years old and during that time covid hit and I was faced with the real possibility of having to shut down operations I remember during that time I felt alone I was anxious I was afraid and many days I felt lost and it was through that time I had to keep going because it was covid and there weren't very many other options and on one particular day when I was delivering some cookies to connect up which is a local nonprofit um in the small business ecosystem I began talking to their CEO Elaine and telling her about just some of the struggles I was feeling and she talked about some of the initiatives they were developing within connectup and through that relationship I walked in Connect UPS doors in 2020 as a solo preneur I was the only staff person and just kind of figuring out if I was going to be able to have my business go beyond but through that relationship and the services that she introduced me to through Elevate hennipin I was able to get Consulting on building my profit and loss statements I was able to um have legal support reviewing contracts as we scaled and I went from being this solo entrepreneur during that time to Bringing on 10 employees ultimately Outsourcing our production completely um and expanding our business operations nationally and so now we're a growing thriving cpg company that is providing cookies to companies like Caribou Target Boutique shops local breweries um and to families so it was because of the the support that I was able to receive through um Elevate hennipen because normally as small business owners we can't invest in the expertise to elevate our businesses to the where we need to go but it was through Elaine's introduction to elevate hennipen Not only was I able to get that support but through that to be able to step into some of those opportunities I was able to qualify for and receive a $50,000 loan with a 2% interest rate may I tell you um which was very affordable um and so we're continue to grow and evolve this year I just found out actually last month we're adding 30 more Target stores and we're launching into 17 of our local Cub Food stores within the next month so we continue to grow but it's because henpen County Elevate program believes in entrepreneurs like myself and allocates funds to support us to lift to raise so that we can be that vibrant economy that we know that we have the capacity to be so thank you for everything that you do to support Elevate hennipen wow wow wonder what a great Testament what a great Testament that is incredible I have a hard time holding in my facial expressions when I hear that much joy so thank you so much Janita and next I want to highlight Heidi Mueller Who is the founder of exceler candle company which you can now find in Walmart stores online and in your favorite HomeGoods retailers Heidi joined CEO now a group learning opportunity in Elevate henpen where establish businesses build systems and processes so Heidi it sounds like you also had a great experience with CEO now and I would love if you would come up and tell us about your experience in your Cod welcome thank you so much for having me here it's an honor so a year ago before the program I was really considering closing my business down it gotten to the point with covid and everything my mother passed away and then I was taking care of my dad full-time and I just lost all the drive and the will to just keep going on and it was just me doing this and being an entrepreneur is so isolating anyways and the email came through and it was from Elevate henpen and I said this is my chance if I get into this program this is going to be I'm GNA take this serious and this will be it and so I went through the interview process and everything and like a week later I got an email and says sorry um you didn't make this um please try again and I'm like lights off and then like seriously and then a week later like oh no we have a spot for you and I'm like lights are back on yeah so it was so huge because at the time it was just me running all of this and so fast forward through this program because it's so instrumental and just the connections from everybody there and the instructors instructors and the just the program and the support um business planning marketing everything all the tools I needed now um I can say I've hired 18 people I've gotten into Walmart I went down there last year to do a presentation and I would never had the tools unless I had this program and I got to present and I got a golden ticket down at Walmart so it's a huge thing and so it's just changed my life and I've actually bought two more companies this year and so we're really expanding we're looking at buying a building so if anybody wants to help me um so anyway so I just want to say thank you so much it's just been huge and I just I have no words and just a lot of gratitude and so thank you [Applause] well with that I want to say what oh go ahead one more com thank you so much Heidi for sharing your story and I wanted to also just say thank you both um for growing your businesses in henpen County um businesses like yours truly deserve our appreciation and support uh one for the hard work that you do every single day to keep our economy vibrant but to also keep your employees um wellfed and taken care of we um just at haning County are super proud to be just a small part of your entrepreneurial Journeys and I just encourage um all of the entrepreneurs out there if you are a small business owner also stand up we want to just highlight you any yeah yes all right all right um really want to encourage you all to take advantage of the resources um that are available to you as challenges or opportunities arise and emerge um for your businesses and I think um we'll make some comments and then I would love it if Janita and I'd like to vote join us toot and then we'll vote first and then we'll have a nice photo okay all those in favor signify by I I I oppose motion carries please go ahead if you have do my colleagues have other comments NOP nothing to be said after what was just shared I know their stories are the ones that tell it all isn't it yes yes if everybody wants want to do a picture all right let's do a picture come on we'd like those small business owners back up here thank youal go first you go first love