GROWING A BUSINESS IN A SMALL AREA HAS ITS ADVANTAGES

BY TINA HENNIGAR
Feeling trapped and like there was no room for change, Amanda Rhyno left Lunenburg County after graduating high school. Amanda traveled the world and came back to Lunenburg County occasionally to visit her parents who still lived here. While she always considered this home, it was later, when in her 30’s,
she felt an undercurrent of change happening. There was an excitement you could feel in the air.
“There was a new vibe happening. It still felt familiar, but it was the perfect blend of home and the town entering the cusp of being recreated, and I wanted to be part of it,” Amanda said from her Bridgewater home that she shares with her daughter . and where she grows her home-based business. Amanda creates, markets and exports a full-line of natural products called Nourished Natural Self-Care.
“Being pregnant made me more aware of what I put on my body. Everything I make is what I use. Turning it into a business was a natural step,” she said, noting that once her daughter was born, working at a job that was someone else’s dream was not appealing to her. “Growing a business in a small area has some advantages,” Amanda believes. Lunenburg County is packed with a full spectrum of supports. From top quality branding to … support from Acadian Centre for Small Business. We’re really fortunate because in smaller communities these services are easier to find, and we don’t have to wait like you might have to do in larger cities.” While Amanda credits Lunenburg County for its ease of doing business, and the ability to get where you need to go in just a few minutes, she does caution that the business hours are limited. “It’s hard to do business after 5 pm here.” “This is a great place to be, with an influx of multicultural events and an emerging music scene.” Amanda insists. And she should know. She’s traveled all around the UK, Asia, and South America.
“I’ve never met friendlier people. People want to make you comfortable here. Why wouldn’t you want to live in a place like that?”