As local business owners navigate economic challenges such as increased costs of goods and rent, some say finances are only part of the battle to keep a company’s doors open.
Ruth Ugarte-Pratt, the owner of Krafty Shack—an art studio formerly located in Porter—said she closed her business in July due to family health issues. She said she was proud to keep her prices low for her customers since she opened at her latest location four years ago, but some of her clients could no longer pay for frequent art classes.
“I have kids that used to come every week … but parents tell me ‘Ruth we can't do this anymore.’ … We [saw] a decline in the amount of kids,” Ugarte-Pratt said. “Big, big decline because we always were full every year.”
Meanwhile, in September, The Rusty Buckle Craft BBQ & Texas Cuisine relaunched in a new building in New Caney almost three years after a fire destroyed the restaurant’s kitchen in 2023. The Rusty Buckle’s owner, Allen Rhoden, said the road to recovery was filled with challenges and delays, but he and his staff were able to return with help from the local community and the East Montgomery County Improvement District.
“We love what we do,” Rhoden said. “We love the community and we appreciate that the community loves us and supports us the way they do.”
Measuring the impact
Since October 2025, at least 11 local businesses have closed their doors in the New Caney and Porter area, according to prior reporting by Community Impact. Causes for closure vary per business, or may be due to multiple factors. In some cases, companies opted to continue to operate via a mobile trailer after dropping their brick-and-mortar locations.
"There are real cost pressures on businesses, but there is also growth, investment and opportunity," said Mark Linabury, president and CEO of the Greater East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, via an Oct. 2 email. "Those things can all be true at the same time."
As the New Caney and Porter areas have grown—30.3% from 2019-24, according to U.S. Census Bureau data—so has the local business community, Linabury said. A larger business community means business owners are facing a wider variety of pressures, he said.
“Some of the preliminary economic research we're doing at the chamber reinforces just how substantial and diverse our business community has become,” Linabury said.
Linabury said while GEMCC doesn’t have a program for every problem local businesses face, the organization hosts events, such as the Growth Exchange: Business Solutions Lab on Dec. 10, where business owners can make connections that could lead to solutions.
The context
Amanda Boyd owns Sensible Strategies Consulting, a Porter-based financial advisory firm that offers help to local business owners. Boyd said the biggest challenges her clients are facing are increased prices of goods and high rent prices.
The Greater Houston area has seen increased overall costs of goods every year since 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, which measures the average change in prices over time. As of August, the Greater Houston region saw the largest year-over-year CPI increases for gasoline, 30.5%, and for fruits and vegetables, 5.6%.
“If you're still charging what you were charging a few years ago for your services, your profit margins are definitely shrinking,” Boyd said.
Meanwhile, the average monthly retail rent prices rose 2.5% per square foot year over year in the "North" region of the Greater Houston area, according to Partners Real Estate data. The "North" region covers the New Caney, Porter, Spring and Conroe areas.
Although rent increased in the "North" region, it remained lower than rent in the overall Houston market.
Put in perspective
Rhoden said the grant and loan he received from EMCID were crucial to The Rusty Buckle’s reopening.
"If we determine that we could effectively help—whether that’s advice, educational resources or loans—we will provide the tools that lead to success," said EMCID Chief Operating Officer Kelley Mattlage via an Oct. 6 email.
Local construction companies helped keep costs down for the new facility The Rusty Buckle opened behind the original building, Rhoden said.
“Had I not taken [local construction company owners] up on their offers right then, the costs that I would have been facing, waiting until the permits and the blueprints and everything were finished, would have been three times what they were,” Rhoden said.
Ugarte-Pratt said she hopes to reopen Krafty Shack with more space for entertainment. However, the remodeling process has been challenging in the past due to permitting requirements and high construction costs, she said.
Staying prepared
Local business owners can apply for financial assistance and loans through EMCID, Mattlage said. The district has multiple programs, including low-interest loans and grants for exterior facility improvements.
“We’re always here to help our business community, and that includes our small local businesses,” Mattlage said. "Many people think we just recruit and help large corporations, but we’re here for our community first.”
