FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio — Like many small business owners Tanya Foose opened Grade Power Learning in Fairview Park with high expectations. It was March of 2019.
"So our one year anniversary was when everything fell apart," Foose recalled.
Like many her business, which provides additional educational services to children K-through-12, ground to a halt. "We didn't know if we were going to make it, truly," she said.
It was a challenging time that her business has come out of in good shape thanks to government help and CARES Act dollars to aid students who maybe have fallen behind in grade level.
And so it was when Secretary of State Frank LaRose posted on Facebook two weeks ago about the state's record new business filings and spoke of the sacrifice and struggles of those new business owners, Foose immediately responded.
"He was talking about how much grit it takes to be a business owner and it truly is, it's exhausting," she said. "He was speaking to me for sure."
Well on this day he was truly speaking to her, LaRose impressed by the comment and the work Foose does, not only with Grade Power, but in helping others to start their own businesses, came up from Columbus to see for himself.
"What Tanya has done is taken her lifelong passion for learning and her skill for teaching and turned it into this great business here where she's helping prepare young Ohioans for their future education," LaRose said.
And that extends to future business owners like herself through her work as a teacher at the Ohio Business College.
"To me it's a community," said Foose. "It's a community effort to have a small business and the more collaboration we can do to help each other that's what it's all about."
LaRose adding "that's that kind of positive, can do spirit that really drives Ohio's entrepreneurs."
