Remember the FedEx Small Business Grant that Nicole went to Nashville earlier this year to promote? She was there because through the support of all of you Darn Good Yarners, we won the Grand Prize last year! Now this year's contest is almost over, and the top hundred finalists have been chosen.
Want to check out the top 100? Click here.
In a fun article about one of the top 100 finalists - the entrepreneurs at Spin Chill - FedEx writer Daniela Mencos wrote some lovely things about Darn Good Yarn. She writes: "Nicole Snow, founder of Darn Good Yarn, a company dedicated to producing recycled-silk yarn products, won the grant contest in 2013. Snow said the money enabled her to expand. Before the grant, she was able to provide 250 colors of yarn, and now she has 1,700.
“It’s conscientious capitalism at its finest,” Snow said.
Darn Good Yarn, which is based in Maine, helps women in Nepal and India become financially independent by employing them as yarn spinners. The company created jobs for more than 300 families, she said.
Snow said she had people reach out to her during the contest process who said her company inspired them to start their own business. She said she attributes this to the exposure companies receive through their Facebook pages during the contest voting process.
“People want to see you succeed,” Snow said. “People root for small businesses.”
And guess who else is a top 100 finalist? Our friends over at Fiber Arts Now! If you have been following us on Facebook, you may remember a contest give-away we did with them a while ago. It's a great magazine with lots of fiber inspiration.
Check out all of the awesome inspiration and read about their goals if they win the FedEx grant.
Thanks to FedEx for saying such nice things! And thanks, as always, to all of the Darn Good Yarners who support us! We couldn't be where we are without you!
Happy Crafting!
Marissa