‘She Means Business’ Shop Crawl highlights women-owned businesses

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- An event organized by AR Workshop and the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce shines a light on local women-owned businesses in St. Joseph.

The “She Means Business” Shop Crawl will be held on Friday, October 24, from 5:00 to 9:30 p.m. Its mission is to raise awareness of small businesses in town owned by women, highlighting October as National Women’s Small Business Month.

Amy Brooks, owner of AR Workshop, said she is happy to take the mantle of her predecessor at AR Workshop in helping to organize this event.

“We partner with the Chamber and invite a few of the women-owned businesses in St. Joe to take part,” Brooks said. “We really want to highlight the gals who are in charge of these businesses.”

Participants can purchase passports to the event for $30 each. Then, each participating business on the tour will provide special gifts to participants and discounts on purchases in the stores. Participants will also receive a treat bag and the opportunity to win a grand prize in a drawing that will be held the following week.

Trina Clark, a participating business owner in this year’s crawl, said this event allows each store to demonstrate its individual contributions to the community, while also reminding the public of the diversity of businesses in the area.

 “We each have a unique take on things,” Clark said. “We’re all going to be doing a lot of special, fun things for participants in the shop crawl. Our overall message is to ‘shop local,’ and to realize that we have unique opportunities right here in our community.”

This year’s participating Show Crawl women-owned businesses are AR Workshop, Polished Pretty by Em, Hazel’s Coffee Company, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Juniper Lane, Garden Gate, Jamie’s Secret Garden, Narrative Home and Solace Market.

Passports for the “She Means Business” Shop Crawl can be purchased by going to www.arworkshop.com.