PITTSFIELD, Maine — With commerce slow in Pittsfield and just about everywhere else, three residents have opted to try to make a living on their own by starting up sole-proprietor businesses.
A greenhouse and bakery company, a jewelry and craft maker, and a small-engine repair outfit all have set up shop within the past couple of months. According to Town Manager Kathryn Ruth, they’re just a few of more than 20 small businesses that have cropped up in Pittsfield since the beginning of the year.
“We’re very encouraged by that, especially in this economy,” said Ruth.
Sheena Farmer of Detroit Street said her business, Endine’s Garden, is designed to provide a little extra income while she takes classes at Kennebec County Community College in Fairfield toward a degree in aerospace engineering. With a husband who is a soldier serving in Afghanistan, Farmer said her business accomplishes something else she needs desperately: stress relief.
Farmer sells seedlings, herbs and baked goods at the Pittsfield Farmers Market and the Kennebec County Community College Book Store. She also meets people by appointment and can be reached by calling 776-4244 or by e-mail at endinesgarden@yahoo.com.
“It’s impossible to sit and watch seedlings and sprouting plants and feel bothered about anything,” said Farmer. “I just wanted to share with other people the beauty of having plants inside.”
Emma Lowe, a stay-at-home mom raising four children, said she launched her business, Kea’s Crafts, as a way to earn some extra money while maintaining a schedule that allows her to work when she has time.
Though she’s still launching the business, she expects that most of her sales will be through her website, www.keascrafts.com. Lowe, a longtime craft hobbyist, has been making jewelry for years, which caused her husband and some of her friends to urge her to try to sell it. Along with jewelry, Lowe also makes other beadwork accessories for women, such as handbags. The reaction so far has been positive, she said.
“I wouldn’t have started this if I didn’t feel I could do something with it,” she said. “I hope it will be a little profitable, and I’ll be producing things as long as I’m happy with what I’m doing.”
Lowe said she’s a prime example of how a hobby can turn into a moneymaker.
“If you can make money doing something you love, why not try?” she said.
Joseph Anderson Sr. recently moved to the Pittsfield area from the Maine coast. He’s only a few weeks into running Anderson Small Engine Repair at 1461 Main St. in Pittsfield, but he said he already has had a number of customers. Anderson, who has worked on all manner of engines and machinery in his 40-year career, said fixing small engines is more relaxing and less taxing than working on automobiles.
“I’ve done pretty much everything I’ve really wanted in my lifetime,” he said. “I’ve done small engine repair off and on pretty much since I could stand up, and I’ve always liked it.”
Anderson said he fixes just about any small engine, ranging from lawn mowers to all-terrain vehicles. He said he’s usually close to his shop on the outskirts of Pittsfield, but otherwise can be reached by calling 487-4376.
