These Robertson County Businesses Are Thriving (and Yours Can, Too)

In this Tennessee region north of Nashville, area entrepreneurs receive the support and resources they need to excel.

By Rebecca Treon on June 4, 2022

Jeff Adkins

Robertson County is a place where you don’t have to be a large company to run a successful business. Entrepreneurs in Springfield, TN, and in the surrounding communities are welcomed with open arms. They receive the resources they need to launch or further grow a business, including advice and support, coworking places, makerspaces and more.

“The best thing about being a part of the business community in downtown Springfield is the tight-knit community of business owners and the very active, very helpful Robertson County Chamber of Commerce,” says Jenna Boykin, owner of Re:Defined Boutique in Springfield, which also has another location in nearby Clarksville. “Our customers are warm and friendly – there’s just something different about the people we encounter here on a daily basis. We couldn’t love it more.”

Jeff Adkins

Supporting Robertson County Businesses

Additionally, many area businesses have attributed their success to local chambers of commerce. Yvonne Pierson, owner of Ink’n Screens and Honey Run Boutique in White House, for example, credits her business’s growth to the support of the Robertson County and White House chambers of commerce. Ink’n Screens creates screen-printed apparel and custom embroidery projects, while Honey Run Boutique offers unique gifts and clothing items.

“We love it here,” Pierson says. “The gist of it is that we get really good support all the way around. White House is a really great community. Our customers are very loyal and have been supportive of us through COVID and beyond. It’s just a great place to own a business, period.”

Pierson’s success has allowed her to give back to the community, as well, including helping out local schools, churches and other organizations.

“We get to meet a lot of people through our business, and business owners here support other small businesses,” she says. “I’ve lived in other places, bigger cities, and it’s not like that.”

Small Town Startup

Launching Small Businesses in Robertson County

Not only are Robertson County residents known for supporting local businesses, but many have gone above and beyond to help. Take, for instance, Lisa Arnold, who founded Small Town Startup in 2018, the first entrepreneur center in the area.

Since then, the center has helped more than 1,000 local leaders and small businesses actualize their goals in topics like digital marketing, finance, business law and operations. Small Town Startup serves as a digital marketing agency and offers small-business classes, business consultations, a coworking space with resources like high-speed internet, meeting rooms, podcast and photography studios, and a pop-up retail incubator available to test ideas. They’ve helped small businesses in the area not only survive but thrive during a challenging pandemic economy.

Giving Back to the Community

Like Pierson, Colorado Grill owner Andy Rutherford also notes the great support of the community. He opened Colorado Grill in White House in 2014 after more than a decade of working in corporate restaurants (he has since opened a second location in Kentucky).

“Our guests are very loyal and willing to help each other out. Everyone isn’t out to compete with each other because we can all succeed as small businesses,” Rutherford says. “Restaurants are not so much about the food as it is about the relationship – it’s not just a transaction, it’s a friend who’s coming in to see you.”

Rutherford and his wife, RoseAnna, have used the restaurant as a platform to give back, as well, including hosting fundraisers. “We have been truly blessed with neighbors who help others in need,” Rutherford says. “We get far more than we give – that’s the true spirit of Robertson County.”