Small businesses really are the heart of this country, and that's what Making it in America is all about -- people working hard to make a better life.

We're talking about people like Whitney Strouse. This 23-year-old California native started an online thrift store. It's called Notnu. And here's a funny tidbit, the name doesn't come from the nature of the used products, but actually from her big sister's childhood nickname.  That same big sister is also the person who encouraged Whitney to create this business as a way to combine what she loves: online shopping and finding deals.

In less than eight months, Whitney has gone from selling to family and friends to customers across America. She has even made a few international sales!

Thanks to the quick success, Whitney is now expanding Notnu to include men's clothes, and she hopes the company will be able to move offline some day, to an actual storefront. So in order to expand her reach, without expanding her expenses, Whitney is using the power of social media to get the word out.

For more info, and a little shopping, check out Notnu on facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. You can also keep up with Whitney and Notnu on her blog.

If there's a small business you want us to know about, click here to post on our Facebook page, or send us an e-mail to makingitinamerica@hlntv.com.

You can also tweet us @HLNMakingIt and use #makingit.