Press Releases

National Association Awards $28K in Growth Grants Supporting America’s Record-Setting Growth in the Small Business Community

National Association for the Self-Employed, in Collaboration with AARP and DELL Small Business, Provides Financial Grants to Support Small Businesses in Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin

DALLAS, TX – As our nation’s small business community continues its record-breaking surge of new business openings for a third-consecutive year, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), the nation’s leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-business community, announced today $28,000 in Growth Grants to seven local small businesses for the fourth quarter of 2023.  Today’s announcement also includes three Growth Grant awards sponsored by AARP and one by DELL Small Business.

“Our nation’s small business community, including self-employed and micro-businesses, are the essential fuel for America’s economic engine.  Over the course of the last few years, the American small business community has experienced a surge of new small businesses opening and expanding.  These new entrepreneurs represent the true spirit of America’s resilience and determination. We are proud to do our part in supporting our community’s  expansion and growth,” said John Hearrell, NASE Vice President of Membership and Affiliate Programs.  “From each side of Main Street to every corner of America, small businesses are delivering unique goods and services to their customers. Since 1989, our mission is built on the cornerstone of supporting these businesses to grow and succeed. With support from AARP and DELL Small Business, it’s an honor to make an investment of $4,000 in each of these Growth Grant recipients, bringing our total grant awards to over $1 million since the program’s inception.”

In 2023 with the support of AARP, DELL Small Business and Payanywhere, NASE awarded $112,000 in total grants to 28 small businesses to support their efforts to improve, grow and expand business operations.  This year, NASE will continue to award grants throughout the year hoping to increase them even more.

The recipients of the fourth quarter 2023 NASE Growth Grants are:

• Barrington Motor Works, located in Barrington, NH, owned by NASE member Andrew Kahora, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2023. Barrington Motor Works specializes in restoring and servicing vintage BMW motorcycles. Andrew plans to use these funds to purchase new equipment and train new employees on that new equipment.
• Nursetech, located in Lehi, UT, owned by NASE member David Usevitch, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2023. Nursetech offers an organization product that saves time and money for nurses and hospitals while also contributes to less errors and more patient care. David plans to use these funds for the production of molds for their first groundbreaking product, the Cordflex device. The Cordflex device is a medical cord and tube management clip designed specifically for use in intensive care units (ICUs) and other hospital bedside units, which provides an efficient and secure solution for managing multiple cords and tubes, enhancing patient safety, improving workflow efficiency, and reducing the risk of medical errors.
• Nordic Night, located in Stevens Point, WI, owned by NASE member Nicole Terrill, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2023. Nordic Night is a wood fired sauna facility providing both community and private sauna sessions for relaxing and wellbeing. Nicole plans to use these funds to purchase new equipment, such as a small, aesthetically pleasing, wood fired yurt, which would help keep staff and customers warm during private sauna sessions and protect the water dispensers from freezing.

The following Growth Grants are sponsored by AARP.

•  Mt. Pleasant Growers, located in Amherst, VA owned by NASE member Steven Bailey, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2023. Mt. Pleasant Growers is located on a 35 acre farm and produces fresh, high quality hydroponic microgreens, lettuce, greens, and herbs year-round. Steven plans to use these funds to invest in expanding its greenhouse, increasing its NFT channels and production capacity, which will help increase the number of schools and those in the community it currently serves.
• Kreyòl Spirits, located in New York, NY owned by NASE member Hardy Hyppolite, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2023. Founded in February 2020, Kreyòl Spirits is an award-winning bourbon brand producing a smooth-tasting straight bourbon whiskey and a premium Manhattan cocktail. Hardy plans to use these funds for targeted online advertising, developing new product labels, and increasing inventory to help bolster the company’s visibility, image and overall expansion.
• E. Quinn Consulting, located in Rochester Hills, MI, owned by NASE member Bill Quinn, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2023. Bill Quinn is the CEO/Managing Coach of E. Quinn Consulting, LLC and The Quinn Quantum Academy, a 14-year small business coaching consultancy. Bill plans to use these funds for knowledge expansion, digital makeover, market research, and to launch a new program intended to energize local entrepreneurs.  

  
  The following Growth Grant is sponsored by DELL Small Business.
  

• Three Keys Coffee, located in Houston, TX owned by NASE member Kenzel Fallen, was awarded a fourth quarter Growth Grant in 2023. Founded in 2019, Three Keys Coffee is a craft coffee roastery and café as well as an event space. Kenzel plans to use these funds for packaging and labeling expenses, 3^rd party safety testing, and new equipment & infrastructure to support production of bottled/canned coffee, which is one of the fastest growing segments of the industry.

For the last 40 years, NASE’s focus has been on finding the most effective way to bolster success for small business and self-employed members in communities across the country.  NASE’s Growth Grant Program is intended for businesses planning to take the next step in their venture.  It provides available capital for small businesses and sole proprietors to be able to hire and train additional employees, market their business in new and existing ways or invest in new equipment or software.

Applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year and winning small businesses will be awarded $4,000 grants each quarter throughout 2024.  Visit the Growth Grant page for more information.

NASE members also enjoy a comprehensive list of benefits designed to help small business owners and sole proprietors start and grow their business.  A complete listing of benefits available to NASE members is available, here.  NASE members are offered a host of resources designed to help support entrepreneurs and small employers including access to professional “Ask the Experts” services in tax, health care and marketing, a navigational assistant health care portal, scholarships and grants, discounts on shipping rates and office supplies, and affordable email marketing systems and webhosting services. NASE’s newest member benefits continue the tradition of providing real-world, bottom-line assistance to small business owners.  To become a member of NASE, apply online here.

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The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offering a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.

The NASE NextBizThing helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. Need small business help? Check out NASE’s Ask the Experts for advice or the NASE Minute for small business support.

The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org