Small-business owners need more than a good idea to grow. They need to know what customers want, understand what sets their business apart, and build relationships that can help them through the challenges of entrepreneurship, says Cantrece Jones, owner of Aura Plant Studio and Acuity Design Group, a public relations and marketing firm.
The advice comes as Jacksonville’s small-business community grows. The financial technology firm Nav ranked the metro area No. 3 in the nation for small-business development, citing entrepreneurial growth, business longevity and small-business hiring. St. Louis ranked No. 1, followed by Philadelphia.
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Jones founded Acuity Design Group in 2008 and opened Aura Plant Studio more than four years ago. She said the businesses have grown gradually, with the plant shop expanding into commercial installations and event rentals as well as retail.
Her first advice to entrepreneurs: Keep researching. A business owner should not assume the needs of a community or industry will stay the same over time, she said. If a business is struggling, look for the reason — whether there is demand for the product or service, whether the business is reaching the right customers or whether something needs to change.
“That’s not something you start when you first open your business,” Jones said. “I’ve done the data back from 2008, and now it’s 2026, and I expect that information’s not going to be the same.”
Jones also said business owners need to know what makes them different. In a crowded market, a product or service may not be enough to distinguish a company. An owner’s reputation, expertise and communication help shape how customers see the business and whether they trust it, she said.
“You are the brand to your company,” Jones said. “How you market yourself as an individual is so significantly important.”
That includes how a business communicates on social media, she said. Owners should make their messaging clear and engage with customers rather than simply posting promotional content.
For online businesses, Jones said customer service means being responsive, hearing feedback and following up when something goes wrong. If customers raise an issue, owners should acknowledge it, explain how they plan to address it and show that they are listening.
“There’s a level of engagement that you have to do online,” she said. “Being responsive and being honest” is important.
Jones also encourages entrepreneurs to build relationships with professional organizations, potential partners and mentors. A mentor does not have to work in the same industry, she said; what matters is having someone who believes in the owner and can help the business grow. Partnerships can also open doors to projects a business might not land on its own.
At Aura Plant Studio, Jones said a customer’s visit led to a commercial plant installation after the family took time to understand what the customer needed. She said staying open to possibilities — and being willing to collaborate — can help small businesses find opportunities they might not have expected.
For Jones, passion is essential, but it has to be paired with hard work and a clear understanding of the business. Entrepreneurship, she said, is not a job that ends at 5 p.m.
“It’s really a passion,” Jones said. “If you don’t have that passion behind the reason why you want to open your business, it’s going to be a little bit more difficult for you to be successful.”
Jones said Aura Plant Studio’s growth has been steady rather than sudden. The shop focuses on distinctive plants and personal customer service instead of trying to compete with large retailers.
That approach reflects a broader lesson she shares with other business owners: Define what you do well, understand whom you serve and give customers a reason to come back.
