National Entrepreneurship Week

About National Entrepreneurship Week 2025…

We’re thrilled to join organizations nationwide in celebrating National Entrepreneurship Week, February 15-22, 2025! Learn more about the movement and find events near you at www.natleshipweek.org.

Entrepreneurship drives our nation forward, and we’re proud to celebrate the innovators making it happen during #NatlEshipWeek, February 15-22, 2025! Entrepreneurs are the backbone of local economies, creating jobs and building futures. Let’s support and uplift them this week and beyond!

National Entrepreneurship Week

February 15-22, 2025

National
Entrepreneurship Week
Proclamation

National
Entrepreneurship Week
Proclamation Photo

National
Entrepreneurship Week
Press Release

Carroll Entrepreneur Spotlight:

(click on photos for larger image)

Craig & Ken Wright

Towne Pride Interiors

What is a general description of your business? Founded in 1968, Towne Pride Interiors offers full-service floor covering solutions for the residential, builder, and commercial marketplace servicing Carroll County, MD and the surrounding areas. We specialize in the sales and installation of carpet, vinyl, vinyl tile, hardwood, and ceramic tile as well as carpet & tile cleaning services.

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? In late 1967 two high school friends decided they wanted to work closer to home, so they opened a floor covering store on Main Street in Hampstead. One had experience selling and installing flooring and the other, having just been married, was excited to step into a new challenge.

What is your greatest business success to date? Our greatest success is our longevity. In 1980, Ken’s partner decided to move on to other business opportunities and Ken and his wife decided to continue in the flooring business. Now celebrating 57 years in business on Main Street in Hampstead Ken’s son, Craig, is now the Operating Manager and the majority owner of the business.  Our family believes that small businesses are the backbone of our great country.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? My advice to starting entrepreneurs would be to respect your customers and recognize excellent customer service is the key to success. Develop a quality group of advisors (insurance, accounting, financial advisors, and employees) to assist you. Surround yourself with people with a similar commitment to excellence and always put your customers first.

Kevin Brown

Quantum Internet Services (QIS)

What is a general description of your business? Quantum Internet and Telephone is Carroll County’s original Internet service.  We offer fiber optic Internet access as well as digital phone lines and cloud phone systems.  This year, Quantum celebrates is 30th year of business!

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? When I was 12 years old, I started the Quantum BBS, which was an early dial-up online “bulletin board” service that offered a precursor to Internet e-mail as well as freeware software downloads and text-based online games.  A few years later the World Wide Web was invented.  I met the owners of an early ISP, DC-area Digex, at a computer show in Timonium.  They showed me the Mosaic web browser, and I was blown away by the possibility of accessing information resources all over the world.  I signed up for an account to try it out, but all of the dial-in numbers were long distance.  During my senior year of high school I realized that there was a demand in the community for access to the Internet without having to make a long distance call, so I decided to evolve my BBS into Carroll County’s first local ISP.  I put a business plan together during independent study at school and pitched my parents on the idea.  They decided to help me get the company started and provided some initial seed capital.  A few months later we had a stack of modems connected to a bank of phone lines in our basement, and we were in business!

What is your greatest business success to date? Our greatest success is is our current rural fiber-optic broadband project. We were able to obtain nearly $40M in State and County grant funding to bring fiber-optic Internet to un-served locations within the County.  We have been building since May, and we are anticipating major construction should complete towards the end of this year.  At over 300 miles of underground conduit and fiber optic cable, this is by far the largest project we have ever taken on.  Once complete, over 3000 homes that previously struggled with poor or no Internet will have access to the fastest and highest-quality Internet anywhere in the State.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? My advice would be to find the intersection between one of your passions and a need within the community. If you can do that, then you’ll find your business gifted with longevity.

Ben Gue

Be Gue Antiques & Gifts

What is a general description of your business? Our store has a large selection of gifts and home decor to fun things to give as gifts.

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? My idea for our business first started as a furniture business and evolved over the years.

What is your greatest business success to date? Our greatest successes to date are the good friendships and repeat customers we have made through the years.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? Today I would first have a solid business plan. Most importantly make sure you have a secure lease/or own space and plenty of parking for your customers.

Erin Brothers

Brothers Ridge Cider

What is a general description of your business? Brothers Ridge Cider is Carroll County’s first hard cidery.  We own and operate two orchards in Carroll County and that is where we source most of the fruit that goes into our ciders.

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? I graduated college with a degree in biochemistry and a minor in viticulture, the study of grapes.  I spent the 5 years after college working in the wine industry, where I made wine in California, New Zealand and Maryland.  I have always wanted to grow grapes on our farm and start my own winery, but we already grow apples and press cider so I figured my first step would be to make hard cider and hopefully the grapes and wine will come in the future.

What is your greatest business success to date? My biggest success would be winning a bronze medal in a national wine competition with one of my ciders.  There were over 5,500 entries in this competition and there were a lot of good wines and ciders from all over the country.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? Make sure the business and work is something you love. Starting a business is a labor of love and you will definitely be working long days and late nights, so if the work isn’t something you love or are passionate about then those long hours are going to be rough.

Brian Wilbur & Dan Feehan

E. W. Becks

What is a general description of your business? For over 32 years, E. W. Beck’s Restaurant & Pub has been serving fine food to good friends and countless new friends as well.  Beck’s is proud to support local farms and markets and when available, we purchase our produce, meats, and seafood locally. We are known for large portions accompanied by affordable prices for the highest quality meats, seafood and poultry. Our menus are seasonally recreated to keep our customers satisfied. We are happy to say Beck’s is a place where the companionship & camaraderie of a local tavern seamlessly connect with kindness and the nourishment of plentiful portions found in a family restaurant.

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? Dan and I worked with the previous owners for years prior to us purchasing the restaurant.  Our idea was not to change the core of what makes Beck’s so special, consistency.  We wanted to keep the small, hometown restaurant feel while adding modern amenities.  When creating the next seasonal chef specialty food and drink menu, we allow our staff to push the envelope which keeps things fresh while at the same time keeping our core items.

What is your greatest business success to date? Our greatest success is surrounding ourselves with and keeping our excellent staff.  Without our staff, E. W. Beck’s wouldn’t be what it is today.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? Stay true to your ideals and keep things consistent!

Victoria Clausen

The Tannery Barn

What is a general description of your business? We are an event venue that hosts celebrations, meetings, and retreats. We offer a variety of spaces for rent and are passionate about supporting our clients throughout the entire event planning process. Whether it’s a wedding, shower, gala, or corporate retreat, we aim to help our clients enjoy the experience while we manage the logistics.

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? I have been in the event industry since 1997, starting with a love for flowers and event design. I dreamed of creating a venue that prioritized the experience of clients and vendors, ensuring they make the most of their investment. I believe in the Golden Rule and wanted to create an event space that I would love to attend and work at. The Tannery Barn was born from this vision, and we’re proud to be celebrating 5 years in business this year.

What is your greatest business success to date? My floral design company, Victoria Clausen Floral Events, started in 1999, and The Tannery Barn, a labor of love since 2018, have both thrived through challenging economic times. To me, this resilience is a testament to our success. I’m now focused on the future and how we can create positive change beyond our companies and teams.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, trust your instincts, and treat everyone with respect. Always seek opportunities to learn and grow. Surround yourself with positive and successful people, but stay grounded. Remember that success is a collaborative effort. Be kind, curious, and grateful.

Jerry & Beth Stambaugh

Flood Zone Brewery

What is a general description of your business? We are a brewery, restaurant, and marketplace, a venue for catered events and live music every weekend. What makes us unique is that we have a climate-controlled pavilion for music and other events, we have a marketplace for shopping as well as a large variety of food options and weekly specials from The Food Spot. We have over-21 areas on the property, and we are also dog friendly.

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? We acquired the building in late 2018. At that time (and the present) we had a construction business, and we used the building for additional storage space and considered adding a small Saturday marketplace or something similar to utilize the space. We have always enjoyed visiting small breweries and venues that provide a laid back and unique experience and decided to open a brewery and marketplace. The dream became a reality, and over time with a lot of hard work and consideration, we created one of the largest indoor/outdoor venues that all ages can visit to enjoy friends, food, drinks and music!

What is your greatest business success to date? Beth and I have always wanted to do something for the community to give back and we have huge respect for our military, police and first responders. We understand the importance of supporting these incredible men and women, and felt that this was a great venue to do what we can to promote and celebrate those who don’t think twice about helping us, and we feel very good about that.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? As a business, there are projects that you may start with the right amount of work ethic, passion and financial stability. You may think you have everything figured out, and in some cases your livelihood depends on it. For Beth and I, we worked over a year non-stop to get our building and business ready to open, and on February 29, 2020 we opened the doors to Flood Zone Marketplace & Brewery, and two weeks later we were shut down for COVID. No one, no matter how hard they try can manage that very easily. For us, we had other businesses to fall back on for our financial needs. We were able to retain our employees that started with us, and continued to build our business in a direction that could adapt to the changes that COVID placed on all of us. Lastly, employees are your most important aspect. They have needs that are required of you the same as you have needs required of them. Success is a two-way street.

Lynn Olexy / Jamie Schneeman

Downtown Yoga, Barre & Cycle

What is a general description of your business? Downtown Yoga, Barre & Cycle is a boutique studio offering a range of classes, including authentic yoga (with hot yoga options), barre (a ballet-inspired toning class that blends Pilates), and indoor cycling. We cater to all levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners, and also offer 200-hour and 300-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings. In addition, we host workshops throughout the year, such as Yoga Nidra, YIN & Acupuncture, sound bowl immersions, and more.

How did you get your idea for the business, or how did you develop the idea? Our goal was to bring authentic yoga to Carroll County, creating a space where people of all levels could practice and feel welcomed. We wanted to offer an alternative to the traditional gym environment, where individuals could experience yoga in a safe and supportive setting. The idea grew as we expanded into the downstairs space (the old Run Moore), adding barre and Pilates, and later cycling in 2021. When we saw the potential of the space in the heart of Downtown Westminster, we knew it needed to be a community hub.  Being downtown was important to us and once we walked up those stairs it was immediate that this needed to be a space for something good to help people feel better.

What is your greatest business success to date? Surviving the challenges of COVID-19. We had to pivot quickly, moving to virtual classes within a day, and we were amazed by the unwavering support from our members. Despite the challenges, we lost very few memberships during that time. When we reopened and saw members walking up the stairs again, it was an emotional moment for all of us. The loyalty of our community has been our biggest success.

What advice would you give other starting entrepreneurs? Just take the leap—don’t be afraid to start, even if you don’t have it all figured out. Falling is part of the journey, and you’ll learn from it. We never imagined our business would grow like this, but patience and perseverance are key. You won’t be able to please everyone, so focus on what’s best for your community and your business.