National Women’s Small Business Month spotlights female entrepreneurs, local home decor shop continues growing

HARBESON, Del.- If you’ve bought wooden home decor from a local retailer or even Amazon, there’s a chance it came from JennyGems in Harbeson.

Owner Jennifer McMillan tells me the COVID-19 pandemic put a bump in their road, but they got creative. “We decided to go full force on the social media campaigns and put the word out there that we were taking a risk and making our products here. Our business just took off from there,” McMillian said.

This summer, McMillian was announced as the Delaware Women-Owned Business Person of the Year.

Tuesday, SBA officials and Senator Chris Coons got a behind the scenes look at the shops manufacturing facility from printing to boxing. “They’re going to grow out of being a small business and end up being a large business here in Delaware and for our region,” Delaware Senator Chris Coons said.

“It’s very important for other women entrepreneurs who may be thinking about opening a business to hear about the successes of others that have gone before them like Jenny here with JennyGems,” Delaware SBA District Director Michelle Harris said.

Jenny Gems has a goal of shipping out 3000 units a day. To do that, we’re told they’re going to need a helping hand from resources like the Small Business Association. “One of the biggest challenges of course is the supply chain issues. Finding your supplies and balancing that with the cost of those supplies because demand is up, and supplies are down. So costs are up,” Harris said.

“Our office is working directly with our resource partners and directly with small businesses to come up with strategies to mitigate those hurdles so that they stay cost effective.”

October also marks National Women’s Small Business Month, spotlighting women entrepreneurs just like Jenny.

She wants others to know that dreams don’t have to stay just dreams. “The challenges are going to keep coming every day, so you have to stay strong, keep working, and keep staying positive,” McMillian said.

McMillan tells us the secret behind her success is her hardworking staff.

We’re told plans are in the works to move the shop to a new location in Georgetown, where that facility will be twice the size of the current one to allow for more production.