The Scrub Hub began in 2013, inspired by owner Bonnie’s longtime dream of opening a uniform scrub store. Her motivation grew after attending SBDC’s entrepreneurship classes hosted by Jefferson Community College, where she learned the essentials of running a small business—BAIL (banker, accountant, insurance, legal), marketing, business planning, bookkeeping, staffing, inventory management, and more. That same year, her daughter Emily was completing her business degree at SUNY Cortland.
Together, they spent the summer of 2013 securing funding, finding retail space, purchasing inventory, and preparing to launch. The Scrub Hub officially opened in August 2013 with one full time and two part time employees, while Bonnie continued working full time as an X ray tech. From 2013 to 2019, the focus was on growing the in-person retail store. Sales climbed steadily from $250,000 in 2014 to $390,000 in 2019. Continued growth led to their first expansion in 2018, converting an attached garage into retail space and adding a fitting room and break room.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, The Scrub Hub was deemed an essential business due to its medical products and remained open through 2020–2021 with stable sales. With SBDC assistance, they secured a PPP loan to support payroll during the initial outbreak. A major turning point came in 2023. After years of pursuing local hospitals, Bonnie and Emily were finally invited to host onsite uniform sales at Canton Potsdam Hospital. This success opened doors to Samaritan Health and Carthage Area Hospital in 2024, followed by Lewis County General Hospital and two Syracuse offices. These onsite events involve transporting a trailer of scrubs, shoes, and accessories to set up temporary in hospital “mini stores,” with a portion of proceeds donated to hospital auxiliaries.
With the new hospital-based model, sales rose to $765,000 in 2025, allowing Bonnie to retire from her full time X ray position in 2024 and begin taking regular owner draws. By 2025, continued growth created the need for more back stock space and an area to unload their trailer. With guidance from their SBDC advisor, they secured a JCIDA grant for new racks, a scanner, a computer, and other growth supporting equipment. A new 1,000 square foot expansion is underway as they prepare for even more growth in 2026. Bonnie and Emily remain grateful for the SBDC’s ongoing support, which has been instrumental in launching and growing The Scrub Hub.
Client quote about working with the SBDC:
"They are grateful for guidance that the SBDC has given us over the years. Whether it be meetings, emails, phone calls and suggestions, the SBDC advisors have been instrumental in helping them start and grow The Scrub Hub."
