Perryville, MD -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/15/2012 --Small business in Perryville is booming, despite dismal national averages, and sole proprietorships are on the rise. With big businesses facing hiring freezes and increasing costs, mom-and-pop shops are making a big comeback.

Miniature aficionado and Etsy shopkeeper Christina Orleans says her business took off during the economic downturn. Orleans creates custom jewelry organizers and other home décor items, and her business, Little Victorian, is sponsoring its first annual dollhouse competition this fall.

“We see all this discouraging news on television every day,” says Orleans, “but I believe small businesses—particularly online businesses—can thrive in this economy. Most of my friends are also small business owners, and I’m hearing the same thing from them.”

Orleans, like thousands of others in Maryland, runs her business entirely online. Online businesses can draw customers from far-off places and cater to needs that aren’t being met locally in other areas.

“These niche businesses are growing at exponential rates,” says Orleans. “We’ve actually been expanding Little Victorian so much that we’re sponsoring our first annual Undersized Urbanite dollhouse competition. We wouldn’t have been able to run a contest with big prizes a year ago, or even six months ago.”

While the economy limps toward recovery, small business owners like Orleans are part of the push. Without small, local businesses to support growth in communities, there's no foundation for big businesses to build upon.

About Little Victorian
Little Victorian is a small Maryland business providing custom jewelry holders and organizers to customers across the globe. It is also the sponsor of the first annual Undersized Urbanite dollhouse contest. To learn more about Little Victorian and the Undersized Urbanite contest, visit LittleVictorian.com.