Survivors

Molly Ayre-Svingen of Molly’s Salads.

Every business owner prides him or herself on their humble beginnings. Some survive to tell the tale of their successful growth while many fail to make it big. Small businesses—which are entrepreneurial by design—create most of the nation’s new jobs, employ about half of the nation’s private sector work force, and provide half of the nation’s nonfarm, private real gross domestic product, according to “The State of Small Business 2008,” a report to the president by the United States Small Business Administration.

Seven out of 10 new employer firms survive at least two years, but only about half survive five years. With the number of loans from financial institutions down 40 percent in 2008, small businesses have been forced to innovate, grow slowly and smartly and look for creative ways to retain staff when raises and bonuses are not possible.

While the West Coast is swarming with successful entrepreneurs and savvy small business owners, we looked at a few companies that have managed to weather the economic storm in large part due to their focus on sustainability.