When asked to name a retail store off the top of your head, you’d probably think of one of the big box giants we all frequent, such as Walmart. It’s hard to imagine that a chain like that was started by one man, Sam Walton, as one store in Rogers, Arkansas. Yet it grew to become the retail mammoth it is today.

The fact is that nearly every business starts with an entrepreneur who experiences both rewards and challenges along the way.

Rural entrepreneurs often require an extra measure of grit, as working outside an urban environment means being distanced from large pools of customers and resources and needing unique solutions to counter that.

Check out these first-hand stories of trials and triumphs from some of our Raystown Lake Region business owners.