When Grand Junction’s only quilting store closed it’s doors in the Fall of 2013, the local quilting community was devastated. With the closest quilting venue hundreds of miles away, avid quilter, Bea Root, and long time quilting buddy, Tracy Miller, decided that something needed to be done. The idea began forming late last year, and Bea, after being referred to the Small Business Development Center by a close friend, signed up for the Pumping up the Dream: Starting a Business in Western Colorado class. After taking all of the follow up classes, Bea decided it was time to move forward with her goal of opening the store. It was truly a leap of faith for both women, who are both successful in their current careers. But their passion for quilting is undeniable.

The two spent months researching, looking at buildings, and planning. Once they found the perfect building, they decided to pull the trigger and Busy Bea Quilters opened their doors on September 13, 2014. In the three short months that they have been open, they have already established an amazing client base of 1,300 fellow quilters, sewers, and crafters. They created a 22 person classroom, one of the largest in the state, and host classes, events, workshops, and open sewing. They are also the only Authorized Brother Sewing Machine Dealer on the Western Slope

In addition to the Starting a Business class and follow up sessions, Bea continues to meet with SBDC staff for Quickbooks training. Although Tracy runs a successful practice as an eye doctor, retail business was new to her. Bea, on the other hand, owned a successful catering and baking business in Denver 20 years ago. The entrepreneurial spirit is in her blood, but as she pointed out, laws change tremendously in that amount of time, and the SBDC was integral in making sure that nothing was forgotten. The SBDC “gave me the steps to take, and because of that, nothing has fallen through the cracks”. Bea also added that anyone who has the desire to turn their passion into a business should “take all the classes offered through the SBDC and use them as a resource. If you are unsure or have more questions, keep asking!”