Melissa Clouser-Missett moved to Mt. Airy in 2020, participated in the Philly iHub program in April/May 2021, and opened her store on Germantown Ave. a year later in May of 2022. With a background in art education, she had previously taught art in schools and also made and sold quilts and wall hangings at markets and on Etsy. Her idea with opening a brick-and-mortar business was to create a community around sewing and quilting, which in our modern era can be isolating hobbies. She wanted to build a space that would bring people together.

Through the Philly iHub, Melissa was able to refine her business plan: She decided she wanted to create a small retail space that would support her primary focus on classes and workshops as well as equipment (such as the long-arm sewing machine on an 8-foot frame that currently sits on the lower level of her shop…and is the only one available in a 60-mile radius!). 

“I would highly recommend the Philly iHub. It’s great to have a formal setting where you can really dig deep and flesh out your idea alongside a like-minded group of motivated people who can help each other bring their ideas to life.”

She says the iHub coursework helped her think about her business in a more critical way and to look at the “nitty gritty” of revenue streams, target audience etc, rather than just the big picture. For instance, she knew she wanted to cater to children but hadn’t thought about the fact that she would actually be advertising to parents and needing to understand their needs first and foremost. 

Melissa says she was challenged to think very specifically about what she wanted to do, and what problems she could solve for her potential customers. PhillyiHub made her aware of her unique value proposition, which helped her overcome the “imposter syndrome” that can come along with taking the leap to open a new business. In addition to the confidence boost, she found it helpful to hear from other aspiring and current business owners and to talk through their ideas in a group discussion format.

Prior to attending PhillyiHub she says she “didn’t know enough to open a brick and mortar.” The fact that the program was free helped tremendously. Following her cohort, PhillyiHub helped Melissa get connected to an attorney who helped set up her LLC pro bono, another great resource.

Back to Positive Impact