Success Stories

After Jennifer McEntire took on additional responsibilities to care for her parents, daughter and granddaughter, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to continue her full-time job as a teacher. She needed a career that would allow her to create her own schedule to fit the needs of her family. McEntire saw this as an opportunity to create a community hub in Milford, Delaware.

McEntire opened Bayside Gymnastics, LLC (Bayside) in 2021. The announcement of the new business brought so much excitement to the community that McEntire had roughly 400 enrollments before the recreational facility had officially opened. Bayside provides accessible and affordable cheer, gymnastics, martial arts and tumbling instructional activities for children, preschool age through 18 years old, as well as courses for adults, including self-defense. 

Shortly after opening, McEntire realized that Bayside’s growth potential was limited due to the size of the current facility. She recognized the need to relocate and purchase more equipment to match the demand for Bayside’s programs.

In 2024, McEntire received support from a set-aside of Banking On Business (BOB) through Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank) member, Artisans’ Bank. FHLBank offers BOB as secondary financing that can help to fill the financing gap between what a qualified small business needs and what a member financial institution is willing to lend. The $50,000 loan will be put towards Bayside’s new location to expand their reach in the community. “Being four years in business, the growth [of Bayside] has been tremendous,” said Greg Makosky, vice president, commercial lending at Artisans’ Bank. “As a startup, it’s hard to make it, but [McEntire] is dynamic and building a $2.5 million structure as we speak.” 

In addition to loan funds from the BOB set-aside, McEntire also received support from the True Access Capital’s Women’s Business Center to acquire a SBA504 loan to begin construction.

Bayside’s new location is next to the Delaware Food Bank and the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware, positioning the business around potential opportunities for collaboration and new clients. “The location is going to feel much safer than our current facility, which the families are looking forward to,” said McEntire.

McEntire continues to receive a lot of support from her community, with local schools and nursing homes inviting her students to put on shows to present what they have learned from Bayside. 

“I have felt very welcomed throughout the whole process. At first, I wondered if this was something people would want. Am I going to be an outcast? Am I not going to fit in? But it’s been quite the opposite,” said McEntire. “I’ve been embraced and encouraged by the community.”