About Spark for Small Businesses

If you’ve ever wondered whether your craft could become something more, you’re in the right place.

BUILT FROM LIVED EXPERIENCE

Designed with makers in mind.

Spark for Small Businesses exists because too many talented makers are expected to “figure out the business side” alone.

Pricing feels confusing.

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Planning feels overwhelming.

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And most business advice feels like it wasn’t created with creative minds, real lives, or limited time in mind.

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Spark was created to change that.

Soft watercolor paper background used in the Spark for Small Businesses About page design.
Christine Caldwell, founder of Spark for Small Businesses, smiling in a casual portrait.
Decorative paint splatter design element used in the Spark for Small Businesses brand layout.
Spark for Small Businesses logo featuring a gold sunburst and the tagline “Dream. Plan. Ignite.”

This is a space for makers who want to build a business that feels legitimate, sustainable, and aligned — without pressure to grow fast, scale big, or become someone they’re not.

Who Spark For Small Businesses Is Here For

Spark for Small Businesses works with makers across mediums, backgrounds, and stages, from those just beginning to those refining what they've already built.

Tattoo artist working on a client in a studio setting.
Artist painting a colorful mural on a large wall.
Jewelry maker working with tools at a wooden workbench.
Leatherworker focused on handcrafting leather goods at a work table.

Different crafts.

Different goals.

Different seasons of life.

The same need for clarity, support, and a path that feels doable.

Soft watercolor paper background used in the Spark for Small Businesses About page design.

From Crafting Mom to Mentor

A journey built the same way yours will be — one step at a time

Christine Caldwell shaping molten glass in a glassblowing studio.

Hi, I’m Christine.

When my kids were little, my creative time happened late at night after they fell asleep. Weekends meant loading up for craft fairs, hoping for a great show, and trying not to let the slow ones shake my confidence. I dreamed of turning something I loved into a real business — even when I wasn’t sure how to get there.

I know the thrill of a successful craft show.

I know the disappointment of a slow one.

And I know how creativity can keep calling you back — even when life is full, busy, and demanding.

I've walked in your shoes, and I'm here to help you bring your craft dreams to life with confidence.


Metal flower wall art created by Christine Caldwell, displayed in a framed shadow box.

I’ve felt the excitement of possibility alongside the frustration of not knowing the next right step. I asked the same questions you may be asking now — about pricing, planning, and how to build something sustainable without losing myself in the process.

Creativity grounded me when life felt messy. But alongside that joy was a growing realization: no one was really explaining the business side in a way that made sense for makers — for real lives, limited time, and creative minds.

Close-up of a hand-crafted metal flower mounted on a square panel.

Studio 31•13 — where it all came together

When I opened Studio 31•13, I taught classes, hosted community events, and worked closely with makers who wanted more clarity and confidence around the business side of their craft. I saw the same patterns again and again — talented people held back not by lack of skill, but by confusing pricing, overwhelming planning, and advice that didn’t reflect their reality.

Students gathered around a table during a creative workshop at Studio 31·13.
Student holding a finished cow painting during a class at Studio 31·13.

That experience shaped everything I do today.

Wooden shelves stocked with paint and art supplies inside Studio 31·13.

Watercolor paint background used in the Spark for Small Businesses About page design.

Over the past several years, I’ve mentored and guided dozens of small business owners through my work with the Community Investment Collaborative in Charlottesville, Virginia, helping entrepreneurs build clarity around pricing, finances, planning, branding, marketing, and long-term sustainability.

Along the way, I became an Accredited Small Business Consultant, deepening my training in business fundamentals while staying rooted in the realities of creative work.

Today, Spark for Small Businesses lives at the intersection of all of it.

Christine Caldwell with a group of small business owners during a mentorship cohort session.

Years of mentoring makers and small business owners - learning what actually works in real life.

It’s built on lived experience — not theory, not hustle — and a genuine desire to help makers build businesses that feel legitimate, sustainable, and aligned, without pressure to grow fast, scale big, or become someone they’re not.

If you’re building this alongside real life, you’re in the right place.

I’ve walked this path — and I’m here to help you walk it with more clarity and confidence than I had starting out.

Signature of Christine Caldwell.

Ways to Work Together

If you’re ready to explore what building your business could look like with support, you’ll find a few ways we can work together below.

Creative business owner working at a desk with notebook and laptop

From Craft to Business

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Our signature 4-week cohort that teaches you how to price your work, plan your offers, understand your numbers, and build the foundation of a thriving creative business.

• Weekly live lessons

• Real-world examples

• Step-by-step worksheets

• Supportive group environment

Hands reviewing business documents during a one-on-one coaching session

1:1 Coaching & Consulting

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Focused, personalized support to solve the exact business challenges you're facing — from crafting a solid business plan to auditing your pricing so you can move forward with a clearer, more aligned plan for your business.

• Personalized business guidance

• Targeted problem-solving

• Get unstuck quickly

• Support built around your goals

Creative business owner writing notes in a planning workspace

Mini-Courses & 
Tools

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Quick, focused lessons that help you master one business skill at a time — from pricing a single product to organizing your workflow. Simple, actionable, and easy to put into practice right away.• Weekly live lessons

• Master one business skill at a time

• No fluff, just actionable steps

• Designed for creative thinkers

• Apply what you learn right away

Mini-courses currently in development.

Not sure which path is right for you?
Book a free consultation and we’ll walk through it together.

Prefer to send a message instead? Contact us here.