Mrs. Smith shares plan for start-up business

The Reelfoot Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution met recently for its annual Christmas Tea. The event was held at the home of Penny Hepler, which was beautifully bedecked for the holidays. A delightful array of sweets and savories were served along with punch and coffee. Hostesses were Ms. Hepler and Mary Coleman.  
LeEllen Smith presented the program and spoke to the chapter about the Entrepreneur Center Northwest Tennessee Inc. in Martin. This center is one of nine established across the state because of Gov. Bill Haslam’s INCITE initiative and designed to support local entrepreneurs to create economic prosperity for all Tennesseans. ECNT works with individuals who have a good idea for a new business; and are ready, willing and able to advance from simply having an idea to actually becoming an entrepreneur. ENCT helps connect promising new entrepreneurs with needed and available resources and provides an intensive, mentor-led program about best business practices. ECNT also helps new and existing companies develop, refine or expand their business by providing the resources needed to create an “investable story.”
Mrs. Smith participates in the program as a potential entrepreneur. She described her business venture as a group of women who want to make a difference in the community and in the lives of those who’ve been marginalized in the mainstream workplace by lack of education, struggles with addiction or involvement with the court system. The business is to bring the outsiders into a workplace where they will be mentored, learn better attitudes and behaviors and gain confidence to carry them forward to better jobs and a more stable life. Therefore, the name of the business is, appropriately, OutsideIN. The employees start with clean, donated T-shirts. With scissors and thread, an OutsideIN worker transforms the shirts into a new garment:  a dress for a tween girl. When a dress is sold, the buyers receive a free companion garment and a request to choose one dress to wear and the other dress to share with someone the customer wants to bless. The new business can be supported by the community by collecting and donating T-shirts, monetary donations toward the start-up and on-going operation and employee mentors who have more time than money. Mrs. Smith can be contacted at 536-6536.
Following the program, a number of members were recognized for several years of active membership in NSDAR. The next regular meeting will be in March.

Published in The Messenger 12.18.12

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