Smart Moves for Small Businesses to Thrive in 2026

Serenity Forge

• Focus: Games that evoke deep emotions like grief and relationships.
• Founder: Zhenghua Yang.
• Story: Yang's near-death experience changed his perspective, leading him to create games that challenge people's thoughts, even if it means turning down more profitable projects.

Blue Star Farm

• Focus: Growing over 130 types of vegetables and herbs.
• Location: New York.
• Co-founder: Sue Decker.
• Story: Decker switched from marketing to farming to make a positive impact. She focuses on soil health and flavor, guiding everything from seed selection to greenhouse investments.

Dividend Watch

• Focus: Helping retirees and income-focused investors track dividends.
• Tools: Dividend calendar that maps payouts against living expenses.
• Owner: Nathan Hamilton.
• Story: Hamilton targets a niche market often ignored by big brands.

Mother-in-Law's

• Focus: Premium kimchi and Korean condiments.
• Founder: Lauryn Chun.
• Story: Built around her family's recipes, catering to shoppers who want traditional flavors and cleaner ingredients. Chun constantly refines her products to fit her customers' needs.

Padel United Sports Club

• Focus: Bringing padel, a racket sport, to suburban markets.
• Founder: Jon Krieger.
• Story: Krieger expands carefully, ensuring each site is profitable before moving on to the next.

Murphy Door

• Focus: Custom doors that hide storage behind bookcases and mirrors.
• CEO: Jeremy Barker.
• Story: Barker kept his day job as a firefighter until the business was stable.

Key Takeaways

• Success comes from understanding your customers, staying focused, and being disciplined with money.
• Personal stories can guide a business to stand out.
• Constraints can help businesses stay focused and innovative.
• When faced with challenges, these businesses pivoted and adapted.
• They built teams that match their values and embrace failure as a learning opportunity.