From the courthouse to the beautiful Victorian homes, Carthage is a unique and lovely town, full of surprises and its own quiet charm. It’s a town that not only supports local entrepreneurs but also encourages them, as evidenced by the many flourishing locally-owned enterprises.



Coffeehouses, wireless providers, card shops, dance studios: Carthage supports its small businesses, and it shows.



Three of these local entrepreneurs profiled below are investing in the future of the community and making a name for the next generation.



Caffix Coffee – Justin and Tahnee Bass



Located right on Grand Avenue, in a mix of residences and other small businesses, Caffix Coffee is a full service coffee shop and local hangout. Owners Justin and Tahnee Bass had the idea of starting the shop after returning from a CIY (Christ in Youth) ski trip with Fairview Christian Church.



At the ski lodge, there were many nice places to hang out, drink a cup of coffee, and relax. Upon returning to Carthage, the Basses realized that their town lacked such a place, and the rest, as they say, is history.



Regulars and newcomers alike can enjoy the genuine coffeehouse atmosphere at Caffix, which serves breakfast and lunch, along with a full range of espresso drinks. “We can make anything Starbucks makes!” Bass says.



But coffee and a nice atmosphere aren’t the only things that Caffix has to offer; Tahnee also caters, from meetings to weddings and everything in between. Though they don’t carry coffee beans for sale in the shop, Bass will be happy to order them.



Business has been growing steadily since Caffix Coffee opened two years ago, but the Basses still face the challenge of proving that you really can get a good cup of coffee in a small town. It’s a challenge that they are glad to face every day at seven a.m. sharp . . . with a cup of coffee.



Main Street Wireless – Kirk Friesen



Despite the fact that so many of us use electronics on a daily basis, it seems that there are very few of us who know what we are doing. But, alas, getting ahold of one of the knowledgeable sorts generally requires the patience of a saint and a good translator.

Why depend on someone an ocean away for technical support when you could call someone just a few minutes away? Why waste gas driving into Joplin when your cellular and Dish needs can be taken care of in Carthage?



With the only locally-owned cellular store in Carthage, Kirk Friesen is used to serving a variety of customer needs. Main Street Wireless works with both Verizon Wireless and Dish Network, providing everything from cellular and Internet services to Dish installation and repair.



Friesen gets quite a few calls for Dish troubleshooting and repair, which he can usually facilitate much more easily than the big companies can.



Friesen knows that purchasing a cellular phone can be a daunting experience. “So many people are just trying to sell you something. My business thrives on actually helping the customers. If I can save them money, that’s better for the community at large,” he reasons.



With a firsthand knowledge of the obstacles that local businesses face, Main Street Wireless is a great option for business-to-business cellular service. Also, with the recent implementation of Verizon Wireless' third generation EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) network in the Joplin area, Friesen says, the company is able to provide wireless access anywhere faster than the competition.



More than anything else, Friesen enjoys being able to connect to people on a personal level and give them the help that they need to find the products that best suit them, their business, or their family.



Ovation Studios -- Melanie Bowers



For Melanie Bowers, there was never much of a question of what she wanted to do when she grew up: she wanted to teach dance.



She started young, as well, her competitive baton-twirling lending itself naturally to teaching her own class as a part-time job while she was still in high school.



Even when she moved on to college, Bowers continued working with her group of competition twirlers, coming home once a week to coach them. After graduating with a degree in dance, she was finally ready to start expanding her teaching to a full-blown dance studio, and she hasn't looked back since.



Ovation Studios in Carthage now offers ballet, tap, jazz, modern dance, hip hop dance, and, of course, baton twirling classes. This year they are incorporating a competition dance company for those students who would like to compete and perform several times throughout the year.



In order to keep their class sizes small, Ovation has added new instructors and new dance classes every year. Even though the first class of baton twirlers was composed of only five students, the studio has seen steady growth each year. This year, the enrollment season is only halfway over and already 140 students have signed up—that’s as many as attended altogether last year.



For Bowers, the most rewarding aspects of the job are the relationships built inside of the classrooms. “Seeing all that hard work pay off at competitions and recitals, that’s what I really love about my job,” she says.