“I’m taking a very, very big risk opening another retail location,” says Annie Lang Hartman, owner of the Michigan retail brand Wild Lettie.

“It’s a bit like pushing a boulder up a hill,” says London store owner Samantha Wallace.

“There were days when I didn’t even make enough money to cover my labor costs, but we made it,” says Angeli Rodriguez, owner of The Witty Whisker.

“We have to do this,” says Dr. Scott Anzalone, former president of the local school board in Logan, Ohio.

Larry Groves and Ricky Barosa met during the pandemic. Two years later, they’re taking a chance on starting a business together.

The Small Business Administration recently announced changes to its small business size standards, which govern whether a business is eligible for small business contracts and aid. That could help businesses that were near the old size threshold.

Business is up at a North Carolina shop, but managing inventory and costs are headaches.

For Lester Gouvia, chef-owner of Norma G’s Detroit, business in the pandemic economy has been a “rollercoaster.”

In the words of one business owner: “Why would I want to go into any type of expansion?”

Olivia Atwood’s venture was inspired by a Netflix reality show. Now it serves about 2,000 people and has led to several yearslong relationships.