When a search for a retirement property brought Mike and Kathie Boyce from Hagerstown, Maryland, to Scottsville, Virginia, the couple brought along their love for wine-making with them. With help from the Longwood SBDC, the Boyces turned their hobby into a thriving business in Buckingham County.

“I’ve been making wine for about 17 years,” Mike says. “Kathie and I joined an amateur wine-making group that included chemists from Ft. Meade as well as members from Appalachia that learned from their granddads. I use both techniques in wine-making.”

The Boyces opened Muddy Paws Winery in October 2023 and currently offer 17 varieties of fruit wine and mead. The couple started the winery with Mike concentrating on wine-making and Kathie focusing on developing the business. The name “Muddy Paws” is inspired by the Boyces’ love of dogs and animals. Over 23 years of marriage they have adopted numerous animals and chose to honor their memories by opening a dog-friendly winery and naming each wine after one of them.

They initially contacted the Longwood SBDC to get more information on grants, but soon discovered how much the center had to offer.

“I learned about the SBDC during a Women in Business presentation,” Kathie explains. “I was referred to the Longwood SBDC and Regional Director Dana Knott. At the time I didn’t realize all the SBDC had to offer. Since then, Dana and others from the local SBDC office have helped with resources and educational opportunities to help our business grow. I also love the training webinars the SBDC offers and have taken many of them.”

Dana connected Kathie with CO.STARTERS, an accelerator program designed to provide insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn business ideas into action.

“Although we had already started our business, CO.STARTERS was really helpful,” Kathie notes. “The six-week program included basic business concepts from marketing to funding — invaluable information for a new business — and all for free!”

The Boyces still meet regularly with the SBDC to expand their business acumen and ensure their winery’s financial health.

“Dana’s an ongoing help,” Kathie says. “And she’s a good resource on Facebook — things like what days to post what — and helping me with Canva. When we get together, we’ll plan one topic that transitions into two or three others. She also kept me informed about grant possibilities and helped compile a list of businesses the winery might partner with.”

Those conversations have spurred more ideas on how to creatively package Muddy Paws’ wines through services like a wine club, subscriptions, and creation of custom wines for weddings and special events. They have also discussed future expansions to their facility, including a nature trail, an observatory for “wine and star” nights, and a dog park that would put the “paws” in Muddy Paws.

The Boyces also give back to their local community by donating to various animal organizations. Muddy Paws is also gaining accolades, winning the People’s Choice Award at the Powhatan Wine Festival. As their business grows – in accolades, sales, offerings, and more – the couple plans to rely on SBDC advice.

“We exceeded our expectations for our first year,” Mike concludes. “The SBDC definitely played a part in that.”