Ethyria

In the wake of the 2008 economic crash Anna Bjornsdotter saw her employment as a costume designer come to an end, as the opera company she worked for went under. Not an uncommon story, there are many Americans who find their employment abruptly ended by no fault of their own. It can be a scary time for anyone to navigate, but Anna decided to keep doing what she knew, designing clothing.

In 2014 her son was born, and her life was overtaken by new responsibilities and a move to a different state. But with an entrepreneurial spirit, Anna persevered and reopened Ethyria after her home life stabilized. “Right now my business is starting up again very slowly, which is great, as I want to grow my business intentionally this time,” she says.

“I make clothing designed to lift your spirits up, to add a bit of fairy dust to your day”, says Anna of her clothing company Ethyria. “Also, I design for women over 50, a generally overlooked demographic.” While Anna has a great grasp on who her customer is, she was acutely aware that she needed support in finding the clients who would help her grow her business. “I came to the Lane SBDC to take Roger’s Business Plan Accelerator class, which was fantastic. And now I have just started year two of the Small Business Management Program,” says Anna.

If you’re interested in learning more about Anna’s company Ethyria, visit www.ethyria.com. If you have a small business and are in need of support, come see us at the Lane SBDC.