Two Haines business owners are among 12 finalists in a Southeast business development competition.
Sarah Jaymont of Sarah J’s Espresso Shop and Andrew Cardella and Marnie Hartman of Perma Food-Scaping applied for the Path to Prosperity Business Development Competition in hopes of expanding, networking and learning more about business entrepreneurship.
The contest is hosted by Spruce Root, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy, and sought businesses or ideas that involve the growing, harvesting, processing, aggregation, preparation or distribution of food.
According to the website, “The competition aims to grow local companies that will increase employment, have a positive social and economic impact on their communities, promote sustainable use of local resources, and increase entrepreneurial know-how and business leadership in Southeast Alaska.”
Two winners, announced in February, will receive up to $25,000 for consulting and technical assistance to develop their business concept and find investors. Haines’ Port Chilkoot Distillery and Fairweather Ski Works are former contest winners.
Jaymont opened Sarah J’s seven years ago after another business called the Local Catch fell through. She sells coffee, specialty drinks, breakfast and lunch and boasts the only drive-up window of restaurants in town.
She said business has been great at Sarah J’s, but she’s looking to expand out of her temporary food trailer on Second Avenue.
“(The expansion) is already in the works so I feel like this is fueling my fire,” Jaymont said. Although she said she didn’t want to reveal all her plans for what the new expanded Sarah J’s might look like, the trailer would go away and a new building would be constructed on the property.
All 12 Path to Prosperity finalists will participate in a business boot camp in Juneau this fall.
Jaymont said that if even she doesn’t win the money, she’ll enjoy the support from Spruce Root and meeting other business owners whose companies are in similar stages of development to hers.
“I think I’m going to learn a lot, and people will point me in the right direction,” Jaymont said.
Hartman said she helped Cardella develop his business idea for Perma Food-Scaping.
“The prime idea is to build raised garden beds for individual households and community organizations like churches or the senior center…any places that serve meals,” Hartman said. “If you can grow a little bit of food on your own, that is going to decrease your impact on the environment and boost nutritional value.”
Cardella said he’s had this business idea for years after seeing how far produce has to travel to make it to Haines, leaving a large carbon footprint on the earth for not-so-fresh food. But he was never sure how to get started.
“I have no idea how to turn an idea into a business,” Cardella said. “When this grant opportunity came up, I figured why not try it. It’s kind of nice to hear someone else thinks it’s a good idea. If nothing else happens, I get the opportunity to form the business.”
Cardella said after writing a business plan, he would use the prize money to start advertising, buy tools and construction materials for building garden beds, and possibly buy a trailer or a reliable truck to haul those materials.
“To figure out how to be my own boss would be a dream come true,” he said.
“I think it’s something that’s a great service to provide this community,” Hartman said of Cardella’s idea. “I believe people would garden at home if they knew the fundamentals. (Perma Food-Scaping) will do the hard labor and provide education on how to keep it rolling.”