It’s Cozy Inside the Bear’s Den
It started as a bit of an inside joke…
“We should open a toy store!” Trish Reid and Sue Alexander each remember the first time they joked about starting a business together a little differently. Trish recalls the conversation coming up at the kitchen table, while Sue swears it was on a boat ride later that day. Either way, a half-joking conversation in October 2025 became a full-fledged business just a few short months after the words were spoken out loud. With support from the NH SBDC, Trish and Sue began working through planning, financing, and many decisions involved in bringing The Bear’s Den Toy Company to life.
What’s the worst that could happen?
When Sue’s first grandchild was born, the sisters went in search of gifts and toys for the baby. They visited toy store after toy store and kept coming up empty, struggling to find anything special or of quality. Neither of them had purchased toys in over twenty years, and the disappointment staring back at them on the shelves came as a rude awakening.
They wondered if others had the same problem they were having, which became the catalyst for their conversation about starting a toy store of their own. By December 2025, they’d signed a lease, contacted the NH SBDC, and started putting the pieces together.
Neither Trish nor Sue set out to become toy store owners. Both built careers in higher education, with little retail experience beyond a few jobs during their high school years. Sue continues to work remotely full time as a grant manager, while Trish balanced her career with the growing demands of the business until March 2026, when she left her role to run The Bear’s Den Toy Company full time.
But, as Trish put it, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
New doors and possibilities open with the NH SBDC
Trish and Sue used their winter break to dig into the details of what it would take to turn their idea into a viable store. When they reached out to the NH SBDC, they were matched with an advisor who helped them prepare for a bank loan and make sure they had what they needed to present their case for financing.
Through that early advising, they gained guidance on connecting with loan officers, understanding what to ask for, presenting their numbers, and building realistic sales projections. The support was practical and proactive, helping the sisters look several steps ahead while staying focused on what mattered most as they moved toward opening their doors.
That outside guidance also gave Trish and Sue greater confidence as they approached financing. With clearer projections and a better understanding of the lending process, they were able to secure the funding they needed and keep moving toward opening day.
No plastic inside The Bear’s Den
From the beginning, Trish and Sue knew what they didn’t want on their toy store’s shelves. They wanted timeless, trustworthy, unique keepsakes that children could treasure and pass down. They wanted to offer a new experience in toy shopping and carry items that were free of plastic, didn’t have batteries, and weren’t built on passing trends.
They spent hours online, looking through pictures and reading reviews, before reaching out directly to toy manufacturers they thought might be a fit. Most of what fills The Bear’s Den today comes from small European workshops and old-fashioned toy makers building the same kinds of pieces that have been made for generations.
The items they carry spark imagination, curiosity, and connection.
Marketing: The next leg of the race
As the store moved into its first busy tourist season, Trish and Sue began working with NH SBDC Advisor Ashley Warwick.
The timing couldn’t have been better. With the lease, inventory, and financing behind them, marketing had become the next priority, and Ashley’s background in marketing was exactly what they needed.
Ashley has helped them improve their photography for social media and strengthen the overall branding of the store. She has also intentionally stopped in on several occasions to show her support and maintain a strong, collaborative relationship. Trish loves knowing that Ashley is only a phone call away.
Welcomed by Wolfeboro
Support has also come from fellow business owners and customers. The community has welcomed Trish and Sue with open arms.
Wolfeboro has a unique rhythm. The town comes alive in a different way during the summer, when seasonal residents and visitors join the year-round community and bring an added burst of activity. When the warmer months wind down, many of those customers return home to communities across the country, but their connection to Wolfeboro does not end there.
Trish and Sue are finding ways to keep that connection going throughout the year. They recently built their own website, teaching themselves as they went, and are laying the groundwork for online sales that will allow customers near and far to shop The Bear’s Den in every season.
Should you take the leap and run with that idea?
Trish’s advice for anyone else considering a leap like theirs is simple.
“Just do it,” she says. “Don’t overthink it. Take the first step.”
Sue points to the value of having the NH SBDC as an outside resource throughout the process. What she most appreciates is having another perspective, someone who can think through questions in ways the sisters may not have considered on their own and help them see things they might otherwise overlook.
That perspective continues today through their work with Ashley, giving Trish and Sue a trusted resource to turn to as the store grows and new questions arise.
Looking back on how quickly everything came together, seemingly at just the right time, the two sisters agree that The Bear’s Den was just meant to be.