In honor of Women’s History Month, the City of Tucker is proud to share and celebrate the stories of just a few of the women-owned businesses in our community.
According to the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), women-owned businesses account for 39 percent of all privately held firms, generate $1.7 trillion in sales and employ nearly 9 million people across the United States. The number of women-owned businesses is growing across the country, and Georgia is proudly leading the charge as the number two state in growth for women-owned firms. Women-owned businesses are diverse in age, race, ethnicity and industry.
Beauty by Bowers Day Spa, owned by Jamecia Bowers, has been a spa, esthetics and beauty destination in Tucker since its inception in 2012. Jamecia got her start in Tucker by leveraging space that existed in her father’s dental practice and has since grown her business into her beautiful location today, right in downtown Tucker. She had opportunities to move the business to other cities over the years, but shared that she stayed in Tucker because it felt like home. She adds that she hopes for the City and the community at large to continue to support and advocate for small businesses.
“Sometimes small businesses can get lost and just putting eyes and attention on smaller businesses in the area [is helpful],” she explained, adding that for other women-owned businesses or start-ups in Tucker, “keep going. In the beginning, especially, it is so super difficult….Get all the education you can, talk to people, shadow people and just give your all and don’t quit. You’re going to make mistakes and have things come up, but keep going!”
G2 Surfaces is a full-service floor covering company, which has been a part of the Tucker community since 2011. In fact, they just opened a brand-new facility in January 2020. Being a part of the community has always been important to owner Kristen Kametches, who serves as Secretary of the Tucker Business Association.
“[Community involvement] gets you out of the office and out of your circle to meet new people and to learn new things,” Kametches said. “It’s the best!”
For start-ups and women-owned businesses, she gave these tips for success: “Stay organized [and] have your goals in mind. Don’t let anything stand in your way. Don’t define yourself or limit yourself. Know you are capable. Opportunity exists at every turn.”
Mud Pie, the booming Georgia lifestyle, gift and celebration brand is a well-known and loved name in Tucker. Founded by CEO Marcia Miller in 1988, Mud Pie found its first location in Tucker in 1990 and has been at its current location since 2013. Today, they have about 200 employees and continue to grow.
“It wasn’t easy to build a business while raising two young kids, but those two children have grown and hold leadership roles at the company, making it all that much sweeter,” Marcia shared.
She added that female entrepreneurs who are joining the community need to “find your talent, identify your superpowers and believe in yourself and your mission. Failure is not an option. Don’t let the fear of failure rob your chances of success.”
If you are a woman-owned business in Tucker, there are resources in the region that may be able to help you find networks, mentorship and success. Through the State of Georgia, you can find technical resources, finance, certification assistance, networking opportunities and more through the Department of Economic Development’s Women-Owned Small Business portal. All Tucker small businesses can find additional support through the Small Business Development Center, which has its own DeKalb County location right outside of Tucker. You can also network and get connected through the Tucker Business Association and DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.
For more information about these businesses, and to learn about upcoming events and sales, you can head to their websites and social media pages – beautybybowers.com, g2surfaces.com and mudpie.com.
