NCCCS Small Business Center Network

Great story about a Hardware Store

2012-01-25T14:23:00.000-05:00

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (AP) — It began quietly, as an email to 40 friends.
But when a steady stream of customers began coming through the door before the family-owned Chagrin Hardware had even opened for the day on Saturday, it was clear that it had turned into much more than that.
The idea started with Jim Black, a resident of Chagrin Falls, a close-knit village in Cleveland's eastern suburbs that is part artist colony and part bedroom community. Black posted the email to a group of his friends. "Let's show our support for one of our local businesses," he wrote. "I challenge everyone to spend AT LEAST $20 at the hardware on the 21st."
Although his email referred to the idea of a "Cash Mob" or the notion to "Occupy CF Hardware," he really had no political agenda. And it wasn't meant as a protest against the big-box stores that have created an ever-tightening circle around the community.
It was just a way to thank Chagrin Hardware's owners for a beloved shop that has been a fixture in the village since 1857.
"These are good people who needed our support," Black said. "It's just that simple."
The store, overlooking meandering Riverside Park and the Chagrin River in the middle of town, has been run by the Shutts family for the last 72 years. It passed from uncle to father to older brothers Rob and Kenny and the three youngest, Steve, Susie and Jack, who run the store today.
Black's note was forwarded and forwarded and forwarded again. Calls started coming in from folks out of state who wanted to make a purchase over the phone.
And when the day came, so did the shoppers — one by one, with dogs on leashes and children in tow, hour after hour until the hardware was teeming with customers.
"This is small-town America," said resident Martine Scheuermann, a bag of pet-safe ice melt in her arms and her Springer Spaniels tapping their toes on the worn wooden floor at her feet. "This is a special family business in a town where everybody knows you."
The store has seen its share of tough times. Road construction on Main Street at the store's front door some years back crippled business for a time. More recently, the weakened economy and the big boxes have stolen away customers.
On this day, though, those storylines were forgotten.
By 10 a.m. the place was jammed. By 1:30 p.m., the credit card machine was overloaded and had to be reset. "This is so cool," said Steve Shutts, a mix of joy, wonder and happy exhaustion spread across his face. "I've seen people today I haven't seen in years."
The line at the checkout stretched in two directions as people with snow shovels and light bulbs and fireplace grates and vintage movie posters and horse shoe caulk — yes, horse shoe caulk — waited to pay.
Chad Schron, 38, came with his 8-year-old son Robert. "We didn't have anything we had to get, but we found things we had to get," he said. As he spoke, Robert clutched an Ohio State desk lamp and two flying monkey toys to his chest.
"When I was a kid, my Mom would send me down here with a note to let me buy BB's," Schron recalled. "Lots of kids did that back then. The notes still are in a drawer over there," he said as he pointed past the register to a wall of wooden drawers containing everything from old springs to screws. In the drawer still labeled "BBs" were stacks of crumpled notes dating to the '50s, from mothers just like Schron's
When the final customer had finally left well after closing time with her fuzzy dice and floodlights, Schwind and Steve Shutts tallied the day's receipts. Shutts shook his head at the wild and unexpected ride.
He wouldn't say how much the store made that day, but was clearly pleased with the outcome.
"Thanks to Jimmy Black," he said. "Thanks to everyone. Thanks to Chagrin Falls.
"What a place to live."

Rupert Murdoch Takes to Twitter to Share Views

2012-01-04T15:32:00.000-05:00

Rupert Murdoch Takes to Twitter to Share Views: Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Jon Erlichman reports on News Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rupert Murdoch's Twitter Inc. account. The 80-year-old media tycoon, once portrayed as a skeptic of the Internet, began tweeting on New Year's Eve, sharing his views on topics from a biography on Steve Jobs to U.S. politics and his New Year’s resolutions. Erlichman spoke yesterday on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)

BUSINESS NC 2011 Small Business Award.m4v

2011-12-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

Splashlife Lincoln Awards for Social Biz - US Military Veteran - Women Entrepreneurs

2011-12-16T09:09:00.001-05:00

Splashlife Lincoln Awards for US Military Veteran Entrepreneurs
Deadline: January 15
Identifying, honoring and supporting the next wave of entrepreneurs to help them take charge of America's future. As announced at the White House Youth Entrepreneur Summit, Splashlife is giving out $2,500 Lincoln Awards to support entrepreneurs aged 35 or younger. All US Military Veterans aged 35 or younger are invited to apply for a $2,500 Lincoln Award to get started on a business idea. You've made a huge sacrifice for our nation, now Spalshlife wants to help you by supporting your brightest ideas and ambitions.

References/Resources for Starting a Restaurant

2011-12-14T16:05:00.003-05:00

References/Resources for Starting a Restaurant

All Food Business - http://www.allfoodbusiness.com/starting_your_own_business.php

FoodService Resource Associates - http://www.foodserviceresource.com/FS_Ind_Links/foodservice_industry_links.htm

Restaurant Pre-Opening Checklist - http://www.foodserviceresource.com/FORMS%20&%20PDFS/PreOpeningChkList.pdf

Virtual Restaurant - http://virtualrestaurant.com/

Living Your Dream - https://www.ncsbc.net/images/living%20your%20dream%20-%20flyer.pdf

"How to Start a Restaurant Business" on eBook - http://www.ebooks.com/searchapp/searchresults.net?term=how+to+start+a+restaurant+business

Entrepreneur Magazine's Step by Step Startup 'Guides; Restaurant and 5 Other Food Businesses. - http://www.smallbizbooks.com/

Industry Information by Small Business Type - http://web.ebscohost.com/sbrc/search/basic?sid=db1a8356-5d96-4792-9b9c-3440d9e8aae2%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=126

Entrepreneurship Summitt Catawba Valley Community College

2011-12-14T11:16:00.001-05:00

Test

2011-12-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

Test

IR-2011-116: IRS Announces 2012 Standard Mileage Rates, Most Rates Are the Same as in July

2011-12-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

IR-2011-116: IRS Announces 2012 Standard Mileage Rates, Most Rates Are the Same as in July

Create the depth

2009-11-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

SBC Directors, When you create your "profile" be sure to incude a picture of yourself and basic contact information. However, be careful in putting in "personal" information that might be used inappropriately. Use this BLOG to create depth. Meaning, rather than using it as a facebook wall use it to discuss items in depth. When you create a new "posting" do it in a manner that will encourage other SBC Directors to respond to post and to create deep "threads".

So, for this post consider the following. What items are appropriate for SBC Directors to post in profiles of various social networks?

George

Your Blog....since 2007!

2009-11-19T06:47:00.002-05:00

Hello SBC Directors. Feel free to use this blog but remember that everything that you post on it is public record and is, at this time, open to the public.

George

Client Management Training

2007-05-16T19:32:00.000-05:00

As we prepare to venture into the new SBCN Client Management system, I thought that it might be an interesting use of the blog to collect some feedback, tips, tricks, best practices. My early feedback from another organization's experience with this system is to make sure that we get specific, detailed information and hands-on time with the generation of custom reports. I'm looking forward to getting to test drive the new system! And I hope that we can use the website that Brian provided to sign up counseling clients in the future - that would be a great time saver! Feel free to post any pre-training questions/dirt that you've heard and hopefully we can get some post-training feedback as well.

3 SBCNetwork Commercials on YouTube

2007-04-06T07:44:00.000-05:00

All 3 Small Business Center Network commercials are now available on YouTube to more effectively communicate our service offerings, facilitate SBCN brand awareness and allow for embedding into your personal SBC sites. You may recognize some of the faces!

Links to the 3 Commercials:
1) Are You Ready?
2) Free Business Planning CD
3) It Takes a Dream

Example of embedding in your personal site, click on CFCC Small Business Center webpage or view embedded video below!

You and other small business owners can view or "subscribe" to the SBCNetwork "Channel" .

Possible Vision of Utilizing Videos
This could be a great way to have SBC Directors periodically create video content and effectively podcast, or publish, the video to Youtube. All subscribers (presumable sb owners, directors or partners) would then receive notification of these educational installments with 30 second to several minute pearls of wisdom about starting or running a small business. These videos can be created with the video function of a $90 digital camera and a nice backdrop.

See here for example of embedding video directly into this page:

Enjoy!
Thanks,
Matt

Logistics: Limiting Comments and Making SBC Directors Co-Authors

2007-04-04T08:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks George for creating the new SBCN blog!

2 quick issues:
1) Some SBC Directors have suggested that we only allow comments from registered users, which may be a good idea. The downside of this is that it limits contribution and collaboration from small business owners. A good middle-ground might be moderated discussion, meaning that any comments must be approved by the moderator (George or other SBC Directors).

2) I'd recommend that all SBC Directors be added as AUTHORs, which means that we can all create blog entries (in addition to comments) to solicit feedback from each other or create new topics, like this entry.

Thanks,
Matt
Small Business Center, Cape Fear Community College
Wilmington, NC

Welcome to the Small Business Center Network BLOG!

2007-04-03T13:12:00.000-05:00

Hello and Welcome!,

This is the first blog entry of many and will be a collaborative effort between the many Small Business Center Network (SBCN) Directors across the Community College System of North Carolina (NCCCS)!

Remember, this is experimental - as Directors, feel free to post entrepeneurial tips, best practices, growth strategies, marketing information, questions, etc. As, entrepreneurs or nascent small business owners, feel free to post comments or questions.

Best regards,
George Millsaps

NCCCS Small Business Center Network

Great story about a Hardware Store

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