2 Akinz Beanies.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: SMALL biz

In 2005 Suzanne Akin launched Akinz as a side project in Houston. She moved to Colorado in 2007, worked in real estate, the ski industry and graphic design before going full-time with her hat and clothing company in 2010.

"It started as T-shirts," Akin says. "Now it's all about the beanies. All of them are handmade and we plan on keeping it that way."

The company's "two and a half" employees now have a 1970s hand-operated knitting machine that speeds the process up considerably. Akinz opened a store in Old Town Fort Collins in 2012, but she says the turning point was her decision to go full-time...