By Sean Sullivan

Starting a business is a bold move, an entry into a contest of survival of the fittest not fit for the faint of heart. 

In a world of increasing business consolidation and monopolization, that environment can be a harsh one for small startups to survive, much less thrive. Entrepreneurs put not just their time on the line, but most often too money they’ve borrowed or saved.

About one in five of these startups fail during the first year, half don’t survive to see their fifth birthday, and seven out of ten don’t make it to the decade mark.

Competition and capitalization can be fierce.

That’s why Natick’s “The Hive” was founded. Its mission is to offer a nest to small businesses in the town, a place where fledgling startups can find shelter from economic conditions outside.

Located on Natick’s historic Main Street commerce strip, The Hive hosts several small businesses at any given time. Within those walls, the square footage serves as retail space and refuge.

Small businesses there have a very public-facing storefront, can share utility costs, shopkeeping duties, and tips and tricks of the trades that fellow business owners have learned.

Jill Hourihan founded The Hive, an organization she refers to as a “retail accelerator.”

“Launching a full-scale brick and mortar enterprise has a lot of barriers,” she said.

The Hive’s roster of startups is diverse. There’s Bloom and Grow Creative, a play space designed for young children that offers classes and a way for parents to connect while kids are productive at play.

The small business itself has bloomed since joining The Hive as a tenant in 2023 and 2024, and has since moved on from the nest. It now operates out of its own space in Natick.

“They’re able to experiment and try new concepts,” in the supportive and secure confines of the nest, said Hourihan.

Vivilicious Chocolates also shared space at The Hive since the collective’s founding in 2023, and likewise now has a retail site of its own.

Viviane Gontijo, proprietor of the confectionary company, said residing in the retail incubator allowed for making connections with customers and other small business owners. Gontijo also learned how better to display her offerings and manage inventory. Another perk: sales doubled during her stay at The Hive.

Ten Trees Books is another success story that spent time in the commercial collective. As of the middle of last month, the independent bookseller emblazoned on its website that it would soon be moving out and into a location of its own.

Ten Trees hosts author events, poetry readings and chess events, just to name a few community gatherings.  

Hourihan referred to The Hive as a “runway,” a place where small businesses can gain enough momentum to hopefully, eventually take flight.

Exposure to the public has a big impact on gaining that momentum, and the marketing that Main Street confers can help beget that boost.

“The community knows the concept,” said Hourihan. “So they launch into these retail spaces with a base of community fans.”

Tenants of The Hive do pay a residency fee, but it’s a fraction of the rent owed at a traditional retail space.

Having two decades of small business ownership and operation behind her, Hourihan has learned how challenging (and rewarding) the process can be.

She is the proprietor of Metro Pets in Natick, a shop that caters to animal owners. Her former location was lost in the 2019 commercial fire that destroyed nearly a dozen businesses.

Metro Pets was rebuilt, now residing in its new location on Washinton Street.

“The community did so much for me,” said Hourihan. “Owning a business is hard. The Hive is kind of my love letter to the town.”