Another big step for small business

A big step for a small business.

The owners of Idaho Falls-based business Fin Fun Mermaid have been named the Idaho Small Business Persons of the year.

The 7-year-old business sells swimmable mermaid tails in more than 180 countries. The company not only sells mermaid fins but shark fins too.

Fin Fun Mermaid Tails was founded in 2010 by a mother with a vision. The business is owned by two of her seven kids: brothers Steve and Eric Browning.

“It’s been really fun to see an idea that came out of your parent’s basically garage’s basement is now providing hundreds of jobs!” CEO and co-founder Eric Browning said.

Angie Mangum has been a seamstress at Dawn Enterprise Inc. in Blackfoot. She makes mermaid fins for Fin Fun Mermaid Tails.

The Blackfoot-native has been sewing magic for about 15 months.

“I love putting something out there saying ‘Made in the USA'”, Mangum said.

Mangum said her goal is to make 200 tails every day and she takes pride in that.

“This goes out all over the world and little girls are getting into something I dreamed of doing when I was 5 or 10 years old. I wanted to be a mermaid. So it’s nice to help girls fulfill that dream,” Mangum said.

And that is where we found 12-year-old Kate Anderson. She says she has loved mermaids since she can remember.

“My favorite mermaiden is Waverlee because she looks like me,” Kate said.

She said she owns two mermaid fins and is looking to buy more.

“I first got a the Fin Fun Mermaid Tail. I didn’t have a monofin and then I got a monofin. It made me feel more like a mermaid,” Kate said.

The owners said the company is looking to expand its products in furniture and a blanket line.

A celebration honoring the Small Business Administration winners will be in May in Idaho Falls.

Other awards Fin Fun has received:

No. 119 for Fastest-Growing Companies in America, Internet Retailer’s Magazine: Hot 100 (No. 28), Parents’ Choice Awards (2016) and Idaho Small Business Persons of the Year (2017).