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03.27
2013

Zealous Apparel Expands Mountain Magic with Main Street Retail Shop

Julie Gordon
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      Growing up in Colorado’s Summit County provided the perfect outdoor playground for brothers, and future entrepreneurs, Luke and Adam Drake.  Their love of nature, sports and a few of life’s twists proved to be the inspiration for the apparel business they launched in 2005.  After years of selling their sweatshirts, t-shirts and hats primarily through word-of-mouth among fellow skiers and snowboarders, the Drakes decided to take their unique designs literally to the street and open up shop on the main drag in tourist-friendly, Frisco, Colorado.  Staying True to the Brand With space to grow, Adam describes how the Zealous brand will stay rooted in their beliefs. “We love skiing and snowboarding, but Zealous is whatever you’re passionate for – the tree, the roots and the strong foundation symbolize growth.”  Their logo also supports the brand promise by forming the outline of a beautiful Colorado pine tree, while the ZL gives a nod to the license plate typically found in this mountain county.  Opening the Retail Store While only open since early December last year, there was a lot of planning and weeding through others’ advice along the way. “Patience”, according to Adam, was instrumental and necessary, throughout … Keep Reading...

Small Biz Showcase
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02.22
2013

w.b. builders – Perfecting the Blend of Passion and Management

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Creating a new company is a lot like building a house. An entrepreneur must invest a lot of time, money, and elbow grease, starting with a solid, supporting foundation, building the walls, and capping off the roof. Then what’s left is to decorate and truly make the house one’s own.  This was true both literally and figuratively for Scot Waggoner when he founded w.b. builders in 2003. Based on his lifelong passion for carpentry, Scot decided to make his dreams of crafting peoples’ dream homes a reality. A decade later, Scot makes the blend of hands-on construction with people and project management seem like second nature. The passion is something Scot says he, “… always had in my back pocket,” but didn’t see going exactly the way it did. He always found construction jobs compelling and wanted to run his own company, but the link between the two didn’t come until a bit later.  When it came to the business side of the equation, Scot admits he didn’t hit the nail on the head (pun fully intended) from day one. Scot said the sheer amount of work it takes to run a startup surprised him, with no solid blueprint to follow building … Keep Reading...

Branding, Small Biz Showcase, Start up Marketing
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02.14
2013

Owning a Small Business Together – Lakeside Floral and Gift’s Love Story

Julie Gordon
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Written By: Julie Gordon   My grandfather used to say “You don’t know someone ‘til you live with them.” I wonder what his mantra would have been for people who live AND work together?  For those of you in this boat, you’re not alone by any means.  Nearly 4 million small businesses in the U.S. are owned and operated by couples, according to the last available census.  So how does cohabitation translate to staying happy while managing cash flow, marketing the business, and keeping up with taxes and regulations?    One couple seems to have it figured out.  Joanie and Hal Marklund, owners of Lakeside Floral & Gift, have been running their business together for more than 20 years. Nestled just off the main street in the quaint village of Willernie, Minnesota (pop. 507), the Marklund’s have enjoyed turning their love of flowers into a thriving business, and are proud they’ve done it without ever having a quarrel.  Together, the Marklunds selected the perfect location for their business. With no local mail delivery, the residents of Willernie must stop at the post office each day. Lakeside Floral & Gift is just two doors down so a stop to smell the roses and visit … Keep Reading...

Small Biz Showcase
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02.13
2013

Success Tastes So Sweet

Julie Gordon
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Feature Interview by Deluxe Before Valentine’s Day, men and women of all ages visit their local confectioner’s shop to acquire sweets for their sweets. At a quality confectionary, they’ll encounter wide-ranging choices from multitudes of chocolates to fruit-flavored sweets. They’re sure to find something to the liking of their love ones’ sweet teeth! Many may think of candy shopping just once a year and take for granted all the hard work, time, and money that goes into every successful sweets shop. Though these storefronts may look like the fantasy inner workings of Willy Wonka’s factory, at the foundation of each is an entrepreneur with a dream and a burning passion to make it a reality. Such is the case for Jonathan Dick, who, with his wife Susan, runs Sweets in Lake Forest, Illinois. Though the early winter tends to be their busy season, the couple has the know-how and dedication to their craft to make them successful year round, and year after year. For Jonathan, his ideal day includes return patrons bringing family members into the shop, promoting the shop’s successful word-of-mouth marketing strategy, and making certain to introduce the very best candies and confections to younger generations. Valentine’s Day often presents a “perfect day” opportunity … Keep Reading...

Business Planning, Featured, Small Biz Showcase, Small Business Marketing
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01.02
2013

How to maintain balance as the year turns

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The end of the year can be a hectic time for many small business owners. Keep Reading...

Small Biz Showcase