Jackson Business Shows Wyoming Spirit
JACKSON, Wyo. – Amanda Martin, owner of Jackson Hole Mobile Massage, has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for helping others. That passion led her to massage school, where she began to put in motion a plan to open her own practice in Jackson.
“I visited Jackson as an eight year old and, from that time forward, I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else,” Martin said. “I began to realize this community could support a business like mine, and I’ve learned that anything is possible here if you put your mind to it. I made the leap in 2006, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Sixteen years later, the business is still a staple in the Jackson community and surrounding areas. Martin and her team not only provide quality massage services, but also place an emphasis on promoting optimal health and well-being for their clients.
“I’ve always known I wanted to have a business where I could travel to people’s homes or be in nature, and Jackson definitely fits the bill,” Martin said. “We’re able to connect with clients where they are, and because this is a place where hard work meets hard play, we’ve really done our best to develop services that meet that need.”
This year, Jackson Hole Mobile Massage was nominated for and selected as the 2023 U.S. Small Business Administration Wyoming District Office’s Spirit of Wyoming award winner. The award is presented annually to a small business that embodies Wyoming’s spirit of toughness, perseverance, and community involvement – characteristics that are apparent in Martin and her team.
Like many businesses in the health and wellness sector, Jackson Hole Mobile Massage was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, the business had to shut its doors and find a way to weather the storm.
“It’s not like we could do virtual massages, you know? The business community here had a sense of resiliency – we’d all get through this thing together – but as time went on the uncertainty began to creep in. It was tough,” Martin said. “Everything I thought I knew about the importance of human contact was disrupted, and that was hard to navigate, but we came together as a team, we reached out for support, and developed a way to move with the times and grow our business.”
Some of that support came in the form of SBA disaster assistance programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program. Martin also took advantage of state programs that provided small businesses with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves. She also continued working with the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network – an organization that provides free business counseling and services like market research, Quickbooks and human resources training, and more.
Martin says the SBDC, which she’s worked with since the inception of her business, has recently taken her business to “the next level.”
“Devan (Costa-Cargill) and some of her colleagues have done such an amazing job of helping us pivot and grow our business,” Martin said. “They’re a fantastic resource, and one more businesses should take a look at. They’ve helped me start, and they’ve really helped us grow as well.”
Last year, Martin also took advantage of the Wyoming Women’s Business Center’s B2B creative grant, which provides videography services designed to enhance a company’s online presence and reach more customers.
Martin is also supportive of other small businesses in the Jackson community and routinely donates services to non-profits.
“There are quite a few charities that we care about and that we’ve supported over the years,” Martin said. “Many times, I’ve donated massage services for charity auctions, and those seem to do pretty well. I’ve always felt like it was important to support our community because our community has been so supportive of us.”
Martin and her team at Jackson Hole Mobile Massage are scheduled to receive the 2023 Spirit of Wyoming award during (or near) National Small Business Week, held April 30 through May 6, 2023.
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