ASBTDC client Emily Young is what you might call a serial entrepreneur. After founding a graphic design business called The Brainstorm Agency in 2014, it didn’t take her long to catch the business bug.
In 2016 she teamed up with her parents on her second business, a bookstore that hosts live music, open mic nights, and other events. Located in downtown Russellville, Dog Ear Books recently received the 2018 Best New Downtown Retail award from Main Street Arkansas.
Young is now working on her next project, an arcade, also in the city’s downtown. “The Garage Arcade will be a place where old-school nostalgia meets new-school experiences. We’ll have a wide range of ’80s and ’90s arcade games, snacks, and an all-around cool place to hang out. You can come spend your lunch break with us or hang out all day. There will always be something new to play and cool people to hang out with,” said Young.
Young is very active in the community, and the community has reciprocated. For the arcade project, Young recently raised nearly $5,700 from 39 backers on an Indiegogo campaign. The money she raised allowed her to purchase her first two video game consoles, which contain about 150 games.
For each business start, Young came to the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at Arkansas Tech University.
About her experiences, she said, “ASBTDC has helped me think about aspects of my businesses that I would have thought of way too late, if at all, on my own. They’ve helped guide me through parts of starting up a business that either I knew nothing about or didn’t even know how to approach.
“Their guidance has saved me from a lot of stress, and starting a business is inherently stressful; they just make it a little bit less so. From business plan adjustments to who to contact about possible food preparation, they are knowledgeable and helpful the whole way.”
Visit Dog Ear Books and The Brainstorm Agency at 301 W. Main Street in Russellville or online at www.ilovedogear.com and www.thebrainstormagency.com. Watch for more about The Garage Arcade on Facebook at www.facebook.com/garagearcade.