Cottage industries offer step up in down economy





	At work on their hobbies-turned-business ventures are East Northport residents Bob and Susan Kaffana and Cold Spring Harbor resident Marjorie Gursky. Courtesy photos (click for larger version)

October 28, 2009 | 04:45 PM
What if circumstances forced you take a second look at turning a hobby you love into a successful business?

Whether it is baking, gardening, decorating or some other interest, turning a hobby into a home-based business is referred to as a "cottage industry" and lately it seems that furloughs, forced retirements, salary freezes and limited jobs are making such independent ventures the logical next step to supporting one's self and family.

Two Long Island families have taken their own experience of economic hardship in stride and turned their one-time hobbies into small businesses, trying to make ends meet and — in one case — put not only bread, but also crackers on the table. Still, while their attempts as entrepreneurs are helping them financially, they haven't quit their day jobs just yet.

Freelance writer Marjorie Gursky, of Cold Spring Harbor, began making gluten-free crackers from her home about three years ago, after discovering her daughter Febe, 2, was diagnosed with celiac disease, which affects the small intestine. The only treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barely, rye and oats, which are ingredients in many foods, such as pasta, cereal and cakes.





(click for larger version)

Gursky saw that there weren't a lot of gluten-free products on the market, so she decided to do something about it and in April founded a company called Star Bites, which makes gluten-free crackers for children.

"There are so few food choices out there, especially for kids, that I started cooking and baking a lot," she said. "One type of kids-friendly product that didn't exist is a cheese cracker like Goldfish or Cheez-Its. With the encouragement and help from a good friend, I decided to try and make something like that. That's how Star Bites was born."

Taking the step from hobby to business is a difficult one, and Gursky can remember when it started to come to fruition. "My friend Susan said to me one day that we needed to come up with a good business idea," she said. "Joking around, I said, 'How about gluten-free cheese crackers?' She thought it was a great idea. So she came over and we started trying to create them. It took about a year to finalize the recipe."

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As exciting as starting her own business was, it challenged her and her family's financial stability. "My husband had been out of work for a few months and I was only working part-time and freelancing at various jobs," said Gursky, "so it was somewhat stressful financially."

Susan and Bob Kaffana of East Northport started Susan's Photo Note Cards in February after she molded her love for gardening with her interest in photography, to create handmade cards with pictures of flowers, animals and nature on them.

The Kaffana's decision to make cards came about after a particularly tough holiday season after Bob had been out of work for a year and a half. They created the cards to give as Christmas gifts to family and it just took off.

"By January, we got calls wanting more," recalls Susan. They began selling their cards to a friend who owned a store in Florida, and it took off. By February, they had three orders at $100 each.

Despite the sudden demand, however, Susan wasn't immediately sold.

She didn't think people were telling her the truth about her photos or the business concept. "I thought people were just being nice and giving us money because Bob was out of work," she said. "I didn't think it would take off. It was something we tried to just get through the holiday. It wasn't until Bob said 'I think we have something'" that she thought she did in fact, have something that could make some money.

By May, the Kaffanas got their business name and Bob put a website together for people to browse through their selection of cards. Susan's Photo Note Cards can now be found in over 25 locations across Long Island.

Although the business hasn't grown enough to sustain the couple just yet, it's a labor of love.

"We still sit at the dining room at night and work on it together," she said, happily. "I'd rather be doing that at night than watching TV or reading a book."

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