businessneutral

Smart Moves for Small Businesses to Thrive in 2026

USAThursday, December 25, 2025
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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.

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