Deaf Owners Prove There are No Barriers to Entrepreneurial Success
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ngie Foster and Amy Phillips came to Frederick, Maryland seeking a school that could best provide a deaf-centric learning environment for their son, Seth, who is hard of hearing. Both Foster and Phillips, who are deaf, Amy Phillips, left and Angie Foster, owners of EmbroidMe in Frederick, Maryland understood well the importance of fostering an environment which is both respectful and conducive for growth. Seth got that environment at the Maryland School for the Deaf and now, nearly three years after their move, Foster and Phillips find that their EmbroidMe business located at 5732 Buckeystown Pike #4 provides the same kind of environment for the Frederick community but not limited to Deaf consumers and businesses. For ten years, Foster ran a home screen-printing and embroidery business of her own. For seven years, Foster was also a supervisor for a screen-printing company in North Carolina. Inspired by her long-standing passion to go into business for herself, Foster found EmbroidMe to be the perfect fit. “I’ve always wanted a business of my own, and I welcome the challenge but I wanted to minimize the risk,” says Foster. “Amy and I thought it would be best to go through a franchise rather than starting from scratch to limit those risks.” The process of purchasing their franchise was made easier by the support they received from United Franchise Group, of which EmbroidMe belongs. “The process was a smooth one,” adds Foster. “We had a lot of help from Troy Thomas, regional Vice President of sales from United Franchise Group, which went a long way.”