Shelbi Wescott began working for Merchant Maverick in 2019 after 17 years as a journalism educator and publications advisor, where she has extensive knowledge of newsroom systems and editorial workflows. She has overseen multiple print and online publications and mentored hundreds of emerging writers. Shelbi is also an award-winning journalist, published author, and former small business owner with a Master of Arts in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
Newks Hot Sauce is a pandemic-born business that has found unusual success in tough times. Read more about the Newks story and how owner Jake Newcomb turned a side hustle into a growing business.
Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant winner Robin Holmes of Deddle’s Mini Donuts opened her big pink food truck, as she says, just on faith and research. The big pink Deddle’s food truck is a welcome sight in the Baltimore area, bringing mini donut creations, fried chicken, and a whole lotta heart. Learn how Robin started her business and where it’s going.
Merchant Maverick Opportunity Grant winner Jennifer Greer of Jane Deaux Investigations offers services for defendants in court cases in Tennessee. Read more about her, why she got into the private investigation business, what motivates her, and how she’s working to affect the criminal justice system for the better.
The motto of Bri’s Dance Place in Merrillville, Indiana is “We don’t just teach dance, we teach life!” And owner Brianna Hairlson, winner of one of Merchant Maverick’s Opportunity Grants, knows a lot about both topics. Read our full interview with Brianna.
Despite COVID restrictions, rent hikes, a changing market, and unforseen legal battles, Bibi Pirayesh of California Kabob is determined to fight to sustain her father’s legacy. The LA-based Persian restaurant has served up food and community for over 20 years, but is now struggling to survive the pandemic. Read on for more details about California Kabob.
Nonprofits have plenty to teach small business owners about managing money and people, communicating a mission, carving out a needed niche, writing a business plan, and using social media to tell their story. Learn more about North by Northeast Community Health Center, the only free health clinic in Oregon dedicated to African American/Black health, and see how following the pattern of a successful nonprofit can change your business ethics and efficacy.
Online reviews about anything and everything is so prevalent in today’s culture that most of us fancy ourselves not only as connoisseurs of the best goods and services out there but as consummate experts on reviews themselves. Most importantly, we can all spot a fake review a mile away, right? Turns out, it’s not as simple as we might think, and in this post, we tell you what signs to look for to determine if a review is fake.
After Black Friday comes Small Business Saturday, followed by Giving Tuesday. Learn what Giving Tuesday is, why your company should get involved, and some fun and thoughtful ways to pay it forward.
Is this American Express holiday worth the hype? We tell you why, and, give you 10 tips that won’t break the bank to maximize your small business success this season.
In recent years, charitable contributions online and crowdfunding have become extremely popular. At the heart of online donations is a way to take money, which means payment cards, ACH/bank transfers, and similar. We’ve gathered a few highly-rated tools that can help you design and manage a fundraising campaign.
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
