Welcome (back?) to the Pittsburgh Small Business Guide… I’m excited to move forward with stories and features of our local small business community. Before we dive into meeting these inspiring and eclectic entrepreneurs, I’d like to step back and tell you a little bit about how we got here. 

My professional background is small business marketing. I’ve spent almost a decade working with small businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs. Through my design and marketing services, I’ve worked with dozens of clients over the years, building brands, improving online visibility, and crafting marketing strategies that help my clients get found in a crowded online marketplace. I love working with small businesses because they are generally so committed and hard-working. The amount of grit and tenacity I’ve seen firsthand working with this community is awe-inspiring. 

A few years ago, I was working with a local print publication for a client. I thought, ‘This is a really expensive investment for a small business. I could build something online for much less.’ And that little thought has been nagging at me since. How could I create an online space to help the businesses I love in a new way? I wasn’t interested in building a social media account; there are already a ton of great local influencers. Print is expensive and competitive. Chambers, networking organizations, and referral groups all have their place, but I wanted something different. 

When I launched the Pittsburgh Small Business Guide in early 2025, I envisioned this space as a lively directory of small businesses in the Pittsburgh area. I wanted dynamic profiles with more than names and addresses; I wanted small businesses to have a place to tell their stories, supported by media showcasing who they were. This got off to a rocky start. I faced logistical challenges, including not enough hours in the day - or creativity in the tank, frankly - to build this platform the way I envisioned it. I was also faced with outside pressure to be just like existing small business directories and networking groups - I felt like everyone was telling me what this was supposed to be. My original vision was clouded with ‘shoulds’: the way it ‘should’ look, what it ‘should’ include, the social ‘should’ look a certain way. My clear plan got more complicated, and I hit a wall. Something wasn’t right. I needed to figure out how to do this better. 

So I stepped back to move forward. 

I took the guide offline in the Fall of 2025. After refunding my supportive clients who invested in this and getting over the ‘I failed’ mental chatter, I committed to some reflection on the future.

How can I support these businesses in a way that’s authentic to my own voice and experience? 

How can I create something that’s valuable to the people I want to showcase in a world full of AI crap and shifting algorithms? 

We have enough influencers, directories, networking groups, and paid online ads - but do we have enough depth? Where can I really hear from someone that’s not a 6-second clip? 

And I arrived here. Pittsburgh Small Business Guide 2.0, if you will. 

I’m going back to my roots to write. Not AI writing, not a directory listing, not a sponsored Instagram post. This guide is about having a voice, words, and experiences. It’s about sharing what I love about this city. I’ve lived in the Pittsburgh area my entire life. We bleed black and gold. And there’s definitely a certain twinge of Pittsburgh-ese at family events. I can’t wait to bring you my take on businesses and entrepreneurs that make our city and surrounding neighborhoods so special. Some of these featured businesses are clients I’ve had the pleasure of working with, but many are not. 

In 2026, email, newsletters, and blog styles are a little ‘old school’, but I’m excited to work with a platform (Behiiv- you should check it out, it’s pretty great) that gives us a modern twist on the classic email newsletter. Going forward, the Pittsburgh Small Business Guide will be viewable online and distributed via email. 

How can you stay up on the Pittsburgh Small Business Guide? 

If you’ve been following the Guide since I started, thank you. If you’re new to this space, welcome. Finding the right way to do this had been a journey, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here. 

Kate Cole | Founder, Pittsburgh Small Business Guide

Don’t miss out on updates and features from the Pittsburgh Small Business Guide