Entrepreneurship funding empowers NSCC grad to craft her future

Name: Sarah Marlin

Funding: Entrepreneurship in the Making (EITM), funding and mentorship program available to NSCC students and recent grads
Program: Practical Nursing, 2024 graduate

NSCC Campus: Lunenburg 

What is your new business idea or expansion plan?

I was already running a hobby business on Etsy called bunmobil and had been selling a popular handmade cat toy to customers across North America for about 3 years. 

I planned to keep this business as a side project while pursuing a nursing career and applied for Entrepreneurship in the Making (EITM) funds to scale up production and start experimenting with advertising. Over the course of the EITM program, I realized a lifelong dream by launching a new venture – a doll business. I hand-knit teddy bears using 100% wool sourced from New Brunswick, dressed in Nova Scotia tartan with matching sou’wester and boots. I named them 'Bear of Fundy.' 

How are you using the funding from the EITM program?
I truly thought there was no way a practical nursing student would be awarded any funding for a cat toy business, but here I am. I decided to request a smaller portion of the funds to be more in-line with my business goals at the beginning of the program. This allowed for a second recipient of the grant at my campus, who got to pursue their own business idea which made me happy. 

My main investment was a lovely Baby Lock sewing machine from one of my favourite stores, Atlantic Fabrics. This investment enabled me to significantly increase my production, as I was previously hand-sewing everything. I had the highest holiday sales over 3 seasons of running my shop, despite being overwhelmingly busy in my final clinical placement.

I also put together a fun project recruiting NSCC students and alumni cat owners on Reddit to sample my products in exchange for photos and videos that I could use for product promotion. I got to involve the NSCC community from other areas of the province, the feedback was great, and it fell perfectly in line with National Pet Day in April. 

Can you share an experience where the mentorship and guidance you received through the program significantly influenced a business decision or outcome? 
The EITM program ended up being a much-needed fallback to have during a life crisis and pushed me to make major changes in how I was living my life. My business centers around my creativity, which is undoubtedly an integral part of who I am. When I had to step away from my new nursing career, I wanted to focus on only doing the things I enjoy, which led me directly back to my crafting business and completing the final components of mentorship within the program.

A book recommendation from my business advisor on our third meeting ‘The Way of Integrity’ – Martha Beck was the exact push I needed to change my ways of thinking. A huge thank you to Nicole Osmond for making me aware of this gem.

How has being a recipient of the EITM funding and mentorship network contributed to your business’s long-term success and sustainability?
Halfway through the EITM program, I almost left because I felt I did not have enough time to devote to it while finishing my nursing diploma. Fortunately, everyone was kind and accommodating, allowing me to crunch as much as possible into the last quarter. As a result, I feel I am just in the beginning stages of something new for my business. Staying connected and accessing resources as an alum has been invaluable.

Reflecting on my experience, I wish I had attended all the optional seminars and networking opportunities and put all my effort into my passions. Looking ahead, I hope to be eligible for the EITM Growth Grant next year, which would provide the opportunity to grow into the next phase of my business. I have much bigger goals in mind.

What would you say to someone considering applying to the Scotiabank Entrepreneur in the Making and how has this experience contributed to your success as a small business owner? 
Don’t let your dreams die. We all have our own unique passions and desires for a reason – because that’s what our soul truly wants for us. You can make those dreams happen if you really want to, and it might work out unusually well. This is a program that anyone could truly benefit from. It offers the chance to put an idea into action, with creative freedom, professional educational support, and the removal of financial barriers. What could be better? 

I never imagined the program would encompass everything it did, it went far beyond just funding. At the final wrap-up session, I announced that I delivered my first order of teddy bears to The Whale’s Back store near Peggy’s Cove. Now, I plan to start selling locally at markets. I am genuinely happy this opportunity came into my life.