McHENRY – Somewhere along the way, Anne Worth-Shaffer realized she couldn't be the cheapest.

Too many big-box stores or online retailers offering similar products. Worth-Shaffer, owner of Nature's Cornucopia Health Foods, came to terms with the fact that in a growing health foods and supplements industry, her niche was in having a staff with a strong knowledge of the products and their benefits, and in establishing a loyal customer base.

"The relationships that we build and the trust that we build has kept us in business," she said. "It's kept us afloat in an economy that has been pretty tough."