(KNSI) – The U.S. Small Business Administration has named Baby’s on Broadway the Woman-owned Small Business of the Year for the Minnesota District.
The retailer has been around for about a decade, based in Little Falls. Last year, the store opened a second location in downtown St. Cloud on W. St. Germain Street. Owner Adelle Starin says the new shop has added patrons from a different demographic for the company.
“We draw customers to our Little Falls store [from] far and wide, but we always noticed there was kind of this area that was closer to us that weren’t really coming up. Sartell, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, maybe even like Clear Lake, Becker, Monticello. And just by putting that presence in St. Cloud, I think they’ve started to realize they don’t have to drive south to The Cities.”
Starin says over 10 years, she has seen just about everything, including a ton of situations she never expected. She says the customers are like family and what were new parents when they first walked in the door now have two, three, even six children in some cases, and they continue to use Baby’s on Broadway. Referrals are a common way to get new business. Happy customers recommend the store to their friends, cousins, and other family.
Starin says her business has expanded well beyond just services for parents with young children.
“We also do medical equipment. So, we started doing it in the field of breast pumps and then that has really expanded, so we actually have a very elderly community, where we’re servicing lift chairs, walkers, canes…We even do oxygen. We are a full-service medical supply store.”
Starin says they had to get certifications from Medicare and private insurance companies to sell durable breast pumps. It just made sense to take advantage of that designation to help out in other areas. The Little Falls site also has a toy store, so Starin says it has something for people at every stage of life.
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