The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has announced the winner of the 2023 America’s Top Small Business contest: CEO Lillian Werbin. Her company, Elderly Instruments, is a retailer of new, used and vintage musical instruments based in Michigan. Founded in 1972 by Werbin’s father, the company seeks to improve access to music among communities across the world.
On this episode of The Small Business Show, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by Werbin to discuss her story as an entrepreneur, the motivation behind Elderly Instruments, and what the Top Small Business award means for her and her company.
Key Takeaways
1. As her prize for winning the Top Small Business award, Werbin received a check for $25,000. Although she has yet to confirm her plans for the money, she is hoping to sponsor events in her community.
2. Elderly Instruments recently established a set of employee-driven core values to serve as a cornerstone of the company’s culture. These values, inspired by the brand’s founder, Stan Werbin, push team members to be community-focused, knowledgeable, authentic, enthusiastic, resilient and results-oriented.
3. After winning the Top Small Business award, Elderly Instruments plans to continue its expansion and connect more people with instruments around the world.
4. Running a small business can be incredibly challenging. For Werbin, the passion and commitment of other entrepreneurs have been crucial to navigating the ups and downs of her own company.
5. Werbin recommends that small business owners learn how to compromise and approach situations with open minds.
"It can be a hard life running a small business in this era, and I think what was most inspiring was that there are still so many passionate other businesses in the U.S. who really care and have staff that really care about what they're doing." — Lillian Werbin