The graduating class of The $1,000 Start-Ups Consortium’s Entrepreneur and Financial Management Course and Grant Program welcomed area small businesses and area residents to their first Small Business Fair at Macedonia AME Church on Saturday, August 28, 2020.

The purpose of the three small business fairs is to allow the entrepreneurs, who’ve completed the didactic portion of the program and whose businesses and products are ready, to market test their products and services, test their order to cash process, meet and learn from established area small business owners and give back by promoting the importance of small business to a local community.

Leah Ward-Lee of $1,000 Start-Ups

Leah Ward-Lee, author of $1,000 Start-Ups and Managing Director of The $1,000 Start-Ups Consortium, welcomed the Vendors and Visitors to the Small Business Fair.  She brought books published by her company, including her son, Tony Lee’s book, The Bartender’s Guide to Financial Freedom that provided the Financial Management curriculum for the course. 

Chef Xylina at the S1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Chef Xylina, owner of Island Personal Chefs brought her hard-working family out.  They worked together to provide the tasty food for the fair. 

Keshia Kimbrough, Integrity Solutions and Demika Jackson of ReinVentU, LLC took time during the fair to network.  Both have businesses have that help other businesses.  Kesha, whose background is marketing. is also a self-published author.  Demika, of ReinVentU, is a veteran whose business helps veteran owned and non-profit businesses prepare for and attract investors and grants. 

Dana Binette of Top Secrets Sweets at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Dana Binette, a graduate the $1,000 Start-Up program, and Zeke Binette work together in their family business, Top Secret Sweets.   Their Whoopie Pies were a hit at the fair, as were their newly introduced chocolate chip cookies. 

Pastor Daniel, John Carver, Mike Lee, & Francis Mbenna at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Reverend Anthony Daniel, Pastor of Macedonia AME and Director, The $1,000 Start-Ups Consortium; John Carver, The Helpers; Mike Lee, Honey Do’s by Lee; and Francis Mbenna, career diplomat, who just returned from postings in Afghanistan and Iraq, observed social distancing protocols as they enjoyed catching up at the fair.

McKenna Heibel & Casstian Mote of Each Heart Matters at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

McKenna Heibel and Casstian Mote of Each Heart Matters, the $1,000 Start-Ups Youth Entrepreneur Group, show off their “Heart of the Matter” T-shirts.  Their mission statement says:  “We are on a mission to learn leaderships and collaboration skills through entrepreneurship and peer to peer discussions of socio-economic challenges.” 

Jemesha Moment of Essentially Me and Veronica Jennings of Glory Coverings, LLC

Jamesha Moment of Essentially Me brought her amazing natural beauty products, including her Mango Butter.  She’s shown here talking with Veronica Jennings of Glory Covering, LLC who’ll be at the next Small Business Fair on September 19, 2020.

      

Kim Murray, Herbabilities telling visitors to the $1,000 Start-Ups Business Fair about her Elderberry Syrup

Kim Murray, a certified Herbalist and Chocolatier, of HerbAbilities sharing her knowledge with two visitors about her Elderberry Syrup.  Her natural peanut butter cups sold out in minutes!

Simone Forest of Hair by Maria Simone at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Hair by Maria Simone owner, Simone Forest, who does  many of the business owner’s hair, talking with a fair visitor.

Ethesis Scents business owner Tkeyia Williams showing her beautiful defusers to visitors o the $1,000 Start-Ups Business Fair

Esthesis Scents business owner, Tkeyia Williams, showing her wonderfully scented products that come in beautiful diffusers.  My car smells like a tropical breeze!

Amelia Island Microgreens at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Amelia Island Microgreens’ owners Christine and McKenna Hiebel, graduates of the $1,000 Start-Ups program, brought their latest crop of microgreen.  McKenna’s dad, Kurt Heibel, owner of AF Solar, LLC, came along to help.

Nichol Kelly of Nicole Isadora at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Nicole Kelly of Nicole Isadora modeling her custom eyewear.  Check out that fabulous T-Shirt!

John Carver of The Helpers showing a visitor to the $1,000 Start-Ups Fair Zen Water's Earth Healing Products

John Carver, of The Helper’s, showing a fair visitor, his wife, Zen Waters, Thieve’s Oil and Garden Flowers salve. 

Sabrina Friday of the Friday Mgmt Group

Sabrina Friday of The Friday Management Group brought a wide array of masks with topical themes.  Many of us added at least one to our collections. 

Janet Michea of Amelia Pet Portraits at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Janet Michea of Amelia Pet Portraits was there with treats to take home to four legged friends.  She uses a pet owner’s favorite picture of a beloved companion to do absolutely gorgeous paintings.

Robyn Nemes of Robyn’s Garden brought her Kanzashi flowers to show at the fair.  They’re hand created, just as the Japanese have made them for hundreds of years.

Serena Floyd of Jewls by Serena at the $1,000 Start-Ups Business Fair

Serena Floyd of Jewels by Serena brought a wide array of Paparazzi jewelry at a fabulously low price!  Most of the ladies at the fair couldn’t resist adding to their current collection.

Sam Lane, $1,000 Start-Up Director at the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Sam Lane, board member of The $1,000 Start-Ups Consortium, was instrumental in setting up and running the Small Business Fair.

Bridging the Gap - Cracking the Code sponsored the $1,000 Start-Ups Small Business Fair

Many thanks to Bridging the Gap – Cracking the Code for their sponsorship of The $1,000 Small Business Program and the Fair. 

The next Small Business Fair will be held September 19th from 10-2 at Macedonia AME Church, 202  S 9th Street.  For additional information email Lwardlee@1000dollarstartups.com.

Published by Leah Ward-Lee

Leah Ward-Lee, the author of "$1,000 Start-Ups", is a serial micro-entrepreneur. She opened her first business at ten after lobbying for and receiving a shoe shine kit for Christmas. She pulled her wagon through the neighborhood, going door-to-door, offering to shine her neighbor’s shoes for twenty-five cents a pair. Once her wagon was full, she took the shoes home and polished them. Unfortunately that business was short-lived. She hadn’t tagged the shoes and couldn’t remember whose shoes were whose, so her dad went with her to retrace the route until every pair was returned. Since then she’s had businesses developing and teaching college courses, instructing aerobic classes, owning half a plane that was rented to a flight and maintenance school, and renting homes. She’s also owned a consignment store, a gift shop, a gift basket business, a consulting firm, hosted The Executive Toolbox (a weekly radio show), and a publishing company. She also spent twenty years in the US Army, served as the Chief Information and Technical Officer for two major insurance companies, and has a second career as a management consultant. Leah resides in Dallas, TX and on Amelia Island with Sammy and Goliath, her two rescue dogs.

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