Kate's Ice Cream Company Ltd.
Marilynn Zisserson operates Kate's homemade ice cream shop in Sydney River, Nova Scotia. Married with two sons, she saw entrepreneurship as the most creative way to get back into the work force full time. "I knew there weren't any jobs out there that I really wanted to do and I was tired of working for other people. Tired of a structured work place where people passed the buck, and where the status quo remained because no one would challenge it." The idea of opening a homemade ice cream shop had been with her for about 13 years; she first tasted the concept while vacationing in Boston. Family responsibilities and lack of money prevented her from pursuing it in a formal sense at that time, but she continued to research the business and was convinced it could be a huge success. In May of 1988, with her sons more independent (aged 11 and 13) and her family more financially secure, Marilynn's long time dream became a reality.
    Start-up costs for this business were approximately $150,000. Thirty percent was supplied from personal financing and the rest came from government programs and funding agencies established to assist new entrepreneurs in the area. She employs six full time staff members and each day she prepares sixteen flavors of ice cream made with only the finest quality dairy products. In addition, milkshakes, floats, sundaes, banana splits and malts are available and the bakery produces fresh brownies, cookies and pies.
    Customer response has been very favorable and income figures for May and June are above all projections. Marilynn attributes this success to strict adherence to projected limits as well as confident and quick common sense decision making. Her family is very supportive; both her sons and her husband help out on a part time basis. Being a women in business has not hindered Marilynn but she says, "Women generally have to try harder to gain a certain level of competence (in others' eyes) so that people give you the respect you need." Kate's Ice Cream, named for Marilynn's golden retriever Kate, has many options for expansion but at this stage producing quality ice cream is the number one priority. The true test will be to make it through the winter when ice cream sales are normally low but, for now, it appears that one of Sydney's newest entrepreneurs has turned a unique concept into a very successful business.

Greenhouse Co-op Ltd.
Lori Hough, Connie Stewart, and Cathleen MacNearney operate the Greenhouse Co-op Ltd. in St. Peter's, Cape Breton. Their business opened in January of 1988 with a product line consisting of bedding plants, vegetables, herbs, perennials, patio plants, planters, hanging baskets, potting soils and conditioners. Lori has been successfully producing and selling bedding plants since 1983 and after hiring Connie, who holds a technical degree in plant science, in 1987 the two of them decided to open a worker co-op. Cathleen joined the team shortly after moving to St. Peter's with her husband.
     Being women in business has presented problems for these entrepreneurs. Balancing home and family responsibilities is the biggest challenge; all three are married and Cathleen and Connie have young children. Access to financing was difficult during start-up despite Lori's track record. While loan requirements were modest (start-up costs were $12,000) the bank manager wanted their husbands to co-sign. When the women adamantly refused this request the loan was finally granted.
    Cathleen, Lori and Connie feel their success is dependent on their ability to maintain a good quality product, keep goals realistic and give their full commitment to the business. "We strive for a high quality plant because they are lacking in the local area. People ask why we don't have strawberries and shrubs but we want to expand slowly so we can maintain quality and understand what we are doing," says Connie. Having supportive husbands allows them to make the necessary commitment to the business without neglecting home and family responsibilities.

These women had no previous formal business training but they sought professional advice and attended a seminar on worker co-ops offered by the local university. "We are all interested in the business and need a job, we keep each other going when times get tough," comments Cathleen. Sales this season are anticipated to amount to $18,000.

The co-op presently operates on a seasonal basis and future plans include opening year round with an additional greenhouse. Product line expansion and/or product specialization will also be a consideration.

Sylvia Ho, Art Plus Advertising