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Cleveland probably isn’t the first place that leaps to mind when you think of wine education, and that’s just what Marianne Frantz banked on when she founded the Cleveland Wine School in 2002.

With a background as a chemistry teacher and special events manager, Frantz relocated from New York City and uncorked a market for her unique talents. As an Approved Programme Provider for the internationally recognized Wine & Spirit Education Trust of London, Frantz’s school has the exclusive rights to the entire Ohio region.

It’s the only formal school in the area, and in 2007 Frantz will be expanding to Chicago as the American Wine School, and hopes to open locations in other cities by the end of the year.

Goal 1: Success, Not Stress

“When it came to funding, I was not willing to take out loans and decided to self-fund the business,” Frantz says. Looking back, this was a great way to grow at a safe pace, but Frantz also recognized that without proper funding, the business did just that – grew slowly. “If I had it to do over again, I would consider additional funding options,” she says.

Yet growing her wine school slowly has allowed Frantz to set goals that are attainable and necessary. “Owning and operating a small business is difficult, period, so the goals in place must foster success, not stress.”

Goal 2: Reward Your Accomplishments

As part of her business plan, Frantz asks herself four simple questions each year:

• What do I want out of the business this year?

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