Small and Mighty: Entrepreneurs Thrive In the Nashville Region

Courtesy of Lauren Morales

It’s not just large companies that call the Nashville Region home. Small businesses thrive here, as well, in no small part due to the vast network of resources and support available. Ahead, two small-business owners offer their perspectives on doing business in the Nashville Region.

Lauren Morales is COO of TomKats Hospitality in Nashville, which manages The Southern Steak & Oyster, Acme Feed & Seed, Saffire Restaurant and the iconic Loveless Cafe.

Yvonne Pierson owns a screen-printing shop called Ink’n Screens in White House, along with Honey Run Boutique and Pier 31 Décor.

What inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship?

Morales: My parents started our family catering and hospitality business in Nashville when I was just 2 years old. Serving teas and lemonades to touring musicians and crews was my first “job.” After college, I was drawn back to hospitality, first as a hostess at The Loveless Cafe, which my dad had recently saved from demolition with a group of local investors, then as the manager of Saffire, our first family restaurant.

I later became the leader of our movie catering division and am now COO. Being an owner in hospitality in Nashville is especially rewarding. I get to work with some amazingly talented and creative folks every day. Another reason owning a business is so rewarding is you get to choose how to foster a healthy company culture. One way we take steps to accomplish this is by offering health benefits to our entire part-time and full-time team. I’m very proud of that.

Pierson: My husband and I started Ink’n Screens LLC, a screen printing and embroidery company, 10 years ago, which is still going strong. A fellow entrepreneur who specialized in personalized gifts took us to Atlanta to the Market. We saw the potential to serve more local customers through Honey Run Boutique, and we grew and changed our offerings every year. We consider it our ministry.

What partner organizations do you find supportive for small-business owners in the Nashville Region?

Morales: Nashville’s a growing city, but it’s still a small town at heart with hospitality at its core. This makes the city approachable, and needs can be communicated and heard. I’ve joined as many groups and associations as possible over the past decade and leaned on the resources they provide.

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce offers great legislative support, and its Intro Nashville program, which helps community members connect with the city, is wonderful. We also work closely with the Nashville Downtown Partnership, which has done tremendous work maintaining a clean and safe environment in the bustling downtown core. The Music Venue Alliance Nashville focuses on preserving and proliferating independent venues, like our venue Acme Feed & Seed.

Courtesy of Lauren Morales

Pierson: The White House Area Chamber of Commerce has been instrumental these last 10 years, supporting our business. We are also a member of the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce, which is a cheerleader for our small business. They understand the importance of small business in our community. The City of White House helped us with our permits and approval of signage. It was an easy process. I do want to mention that both of the landlords we have had have been amazing. They offered us fair rental pricing, which allowed us to keep our prices very reasonable.

Why would you recommend the region to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Morales: One thing that makes Nashville unique is the spirit of collaboration here. It’s something I hear from colleagues visiting from other cities often.

I imagine this is partly attributable to the city’s songwriting and musical core. It’s like being in a writers’ room; it creates an environment primed for collaboration. The creative, diverse talent here that spans multiple industries makes it an inspiring location.

©Journal Communications/Nathan Lambrecht

Pierson: We feel very blessed to own and operate our businesses in White House. Fellow business owners are always very helpful and supportive. The chambers assist in advertising all year and offer sponsorships for special events.

But the key is to be involved and give back. Local schools, churches, teams, etc., depend on small businesses for donations every year. If the community doesn’t support the local stores, restaurants and services, then we can’t help the community when asked. Luckily, we have a very loyal customer base with new customers coming to us weekly.