Time to think about spring! 61 degrees predicted for Wednesday... What will you do to enjoy this heatwave?

Another Friday night...

Another week gone by,,, meetings, phone calls, tweets and messages... printing, stamping mailing...throwing, trimming, decorating, loading, soaking, firing. planning, mixing glazes, buying supplies, thinking, writing, writing and  more writing... entering data, running reports, designing, proofing, loading car, unloading car, moving totes, and cleaning, dishes, dinner, rides to school, chasing cats, chasing kids...

"No" I say politely to the school secretary, "I don't go to work after I drop my daughter off to school, I own an independent business."

So, it's 9pm and the phone rings... not too late for a call, but unusual... The cheerful voice on the other end says something like:

"HI? Do you have eggs?" Prank call? Nope... just a good customer and neighbor ready to pick up fresh eggs for his family tomorrow.

My answer? "Yep... but I'm not delivering in my jammies!" We both laugh and say good night and see ya tomorrow!

This might seem like small town, and you know what? It is. Call your local chain grocery store at 9 pm and ask that question... see what kind of answer you get.

And, the eggs? I'll bet you a nickel they aren't large, brown, and freshly laid .

2011 Survey Results: A Decent Year for Indie Business Overall -- a Great Year for Those Involved in IBAs!

The fifth annual post-holiday survey of independent businesses by Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance yielded powerful evidence that pro-local attitudes are growing and Independent Business Alliances (IBAs) and similarly-modeled community organizations are yielding greater benefit than ever for their members.
The survey tallied responses from 1768 businesses, all independent and locally-owned, across 49 states. About half were retailers. Among the notable results:

• A larger share (61%) of respondents reported revenue growth in 2011 compared to 2010.
• Independent retailers enjoyed stronger holiday sales than the retail sector as a whole. While overall holiday sales were up 4.1% in 2011, respondents reported an average increase of 6.7%.
• More than three-quarters of businesses surveyed said that public awareness of the benefits of supporting local independent had increased in the last year.

Here's the result that suggests the value of IBAs' educational activities: Independent businesses in communities with an active "buy indie/buy local" campaign run by a local business/citizen alliance saw revenues grow 7.2% in 2011, compared to 2.6% for those in areas without an alliance.
Congratulations to all alliance leaders for this reinforcement of your great work! Use these results to trumpet your success to local media outlets or to inspire the formation of an IBA if your community does not yet have one.

http://youtu.be/W1afMi91WUA


Greene County's only year round indoor farmer's market!
Fencerow Farmers Market... filmed by local videographer Greg Ayersman