A crafty approach

It's like going to a foreign country and not knowing the language. That's how Jenny Gunter describes starting a business for the first time. Luckily, her partner, Jenn Bade, has done this before, having run a fundraising business several years ago.

“I probably would have fallen on my face,” says Gunter. “I'm following Jenn's lead, and thankfully she has that experience.”

As the friends, crafters and former dental assistants saw things like Pinterest and painting parties grow in popularity, they saw an opportunity in their hometown of Bradenton. They came up with the idea for the Makers Market and Workshops last May and have been running with it ever since. They plan an Oct. 29 grand opening.