Ten Things I'd Like Local Businesses To Know: Part 2

It's been awhile.

Almost five months, actually- and the original 365 project is over.  I could- and will- post about so incredibly many challenges and successes and the triumphs and resentments that bloomed over the past 365 days. The blog will continue, and I promise that I won't go as long this time between posts.  There really is no end to supporting your local, indie businesses and the question morphs into more of what the percentage of our buying is truly realistic for the average family.  That's something I plan to explore in the coming months.

The first order of business will be finishing the Ten Things I started back when the wind was colder and the days not so packed with activity as they've become. Apparently, I have a throng of mobbing fans that have waited beyond their patience threshold and must see these last five things- including one pun obsessed very dear minister who I would hate to disappoint.

So, without a second longer to wait- the final five:

5.  Don't, for the love of whatever deity you worship, smoke directly outside of the front of your business.  Don't let your employees smoke directly in front of the outside the front of your business.  Strongly discourage your patrons from smoking directly outside of the front of your business.  Do I care if you or your employees smoke?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Smoke until your shriveled gray lungs fall right out of your body- that's your right as an American, and I support it wholly.

However, I have asthma.  Your smoke, innocent enough to you, impedes my daily ability to take in fresh air and function at 100%, and if I have to walk through it to patronize your store- I'm going to go find another, where no one smokes out front.

Plus, I resent smelling like a seedy bar simply because I walked through your door.  So, go to the back door to smoke, and have your employees do the same.

4.  Make your shop entry look attractive- not like a place to pass drugs.  Many businesses don't own the sidewalk or curb in front of their stores/shops.  Often, municipalities can't keep up with the rampant litter and dirt in a specific locale- which makes it up to the owners to decide whether they're going to take care of it themselves or simply shake their heads and walk back into their shops.

Customers notice when shops and businesses are well kept.  They notice when there's trash piled up against the display window, and they notice whether that display window has changed in the last six months or not.  As a business owner, no doubt you're likely busy and pulled in a hundred directions- but this has to be a priority for you.  If a customer feels like the facade of the business is run down and seldom tended to, they'll pass and go to one that's clean, current, and safe looking.

3.  Don't make it hard for me to spend my money with you.  Please take debit and credit cards.  Yes, I know- the processing companies take out a certain percentage in fees.  Yes, I know- the percentage seems much higher then reasonable for a small business owner.  I agree- it's frustrating.  But, if you think I'm going to go to an ATM that's not mine and incur a $2.50 fine simply for getting out cash and an additional $1.50 from my bank for not using one of their ATMs, you're incorrect.  I, and many people like me, will simply go elsewhere to get what we need.  

2.  Know your products.  I might ask for advice, and while I don’t expect you to know everything, I do expect you to know about what you carry.  This one seems fairly self explanatory, but in the case that it's not, let me clarify slightly.  If you opened your shop out of a passion for what you do, chances are, you know just about everything about what you're selling and this will never be an issue.  But, if I bring up a question about why what you carry is different than what your competition carries, I expect you to be able to answer simple questions about the differences in product, including why you chose your inventory over other choices on the market. 

1.   Get a website and have your hours, location, and phone number clearly marked on the front page.  If they change, update your website and facebook page.  This past 4th of July, both me and my husband were home in the afternoon for the holiday.  We had a few purchases to make, and we checked the facebook page of one local shop to see if they had holiday hours (they did).  We ended up spending $200 plus there, and other folks were coming in the door as we left.  Conversely, there have been times where I've  gone in to a business during their normal stated hours on facebook, and they failed to post that their hours had changed.  As I posted in the first half of this 'Ten Things', I need what I need, usually within hours or days of needing it, and if you can't be bothered to keep up with your own changes, I'll find somewhere else that will. 

So that's it- the second half of my ten things I want small businesses to know.  These things matter- at least to me, and my guess is, to most of your customers as well.

Thoughts?  Anything you'd add or take away?

Ten Things I'd Like Local Businesses To Know: Part 1

We're midway through month 8 of the New Albany 365 challenge.  Month 8!  That's almost a pregnancy.  Lest the rumors begin, I have no intention of giving birth to anything at the end of this journey, except one huge 'What I've Learned' entry, or three. 

Since we last talked, I've cheated twice more (though admittedly on the same trip to the same store):  Razors and lip gloss.  I can safely say that there is not one local grocery store or drug store that carries the razors I use- and the ones they do carry put my legs at risk of looking like candy canes from razor burn.  Razors are definitely something I can't source in New Albany- and, we were stopping by Thriftway, which had some acceptable options, until they closed.  After that, I was stuck in the land of one blade, and that's just not kind to the shins. 

Now that confession is over, we're to the real reason I started this post.  I'm sharing ten things I'd like local businesses to know that either help me either want to do business with you, or make me run away screaming. 

With the usual caveat that these are in no particular order except for how I jotted them down on the back of an old piece of one of the kids' homework, let's start with...

10.  Hours. As a mom that works, volunteers, takes kids to activities, runs, and occasionally even takes a bit of 'me' time, my schedule doesn't always allow for me to visit you between the hours of 9 and 5.  Heck, sometimes even when you're open until 8, I have to actually plan a trip to come shop or get my items and block time and childcare.  I know it sounds crazy, but perhaps you could have extended hours some days...or, as another brilliant friend mentioned- work with your competition so that you can alternate late days.  It's been done before and everyone wins, and I'm not left to have to hit a box store. 

9. Closing during your business hours. I get it- emergencies happen, and with a smaller shop, you often don't have the staff to keep it open when these things occur.  I totally forgive you and will come back another day- unless, on that second trip, you're closed again in the middle of the day during your stated business hours, with no notice, no nothing.  I want to spend my money with YOU- not big box store X.  I'll drive out of my way and take my precious time and sometimes even pay more because you live here, employ people, and invest yourself into the community.  But I can't keep coming to find you closed on multiple occasions.  Gas is expensive;  time is money; and I need what I need, within three or four days of needing it.  

8.  If there is no reason to bring politics into your business, don't.   You may be passionate about our President, or you may not.  You may love our mayor and city council, or you may not.  Regardless of your views, know this:  You don't know what mine are, or the other guy that just walked into your store.  I'm here to buy a gift for a friend and I don't want to hear a diatribe on political issues even if I share them.  You also run the risk that you're my polar opposite.  I'm ok with folks that I don't agree with;  I'm NOT ok with people that don't have the filter to keep political rantings where they belong:  the internet, with friends, or family.  If you can't honor and respect this, I won't return.

7.  If there is no reason to bring religion into your business, don't.   Substitute all of the above with religious dogma, faith, and belief and the same holds true.  (Not applicable if you are a Christian Bookstore or other such business that profits from the statement of the religion or faith in the name itself.)  There are a million flavors of faith and religion (and lack of), and chances are we don't quite agree on all of it...plus, there's the glaringly obvious fact that what you're selling has nothing to do with any kind of theology.  Nothing.  Though anecdotal, I've not found businesses that profess a faith to be any more moral percentage-wise than those that don't.  

6.  Be careful who you hire.   These people represent you when you're not there, and you need to make absolutely sure that they can do so without supervision and with the same dedication to your business that you do.  I've seen local businesses lose customers because the man or woman at the counter can't be bothered to set their Sudoku game down for five minutes to answer some questions.  In some areas, we have quite a bit of competition in variety in New Albany- and I'm not going to let you know that your clerk was rude or ignored me...I'll just go elsewhere.  

 Thoughts?  Do you agree, or disagree?  Let me know- and, if you're a business owner, I'm totally open to discussion about why I'm wrong or inaccurate.  

Part 2 to follow in a few days. 

Donuts, Bourbon, Bread, & Doritos

We can't let this happen again.  It has been too long since I last posted, and while it'd be easy to blame the holiday season, I could have chained myself to the couch and laptop and made myself type.

Before we go any further, I have two more confessions to make- bringing my cheating total up to 4, I think. I'm not sure how many transgressions I get before I'm taken and flogged publicly, but so far no one's showed up, so...

We have had a Christmas tradition for the past four years where in the few days leading up to the 25th, my husband and I and the kids all go to Krispy Kreme one evening and get at least two donuts each and coffee or hot chocolate, and then go out to look at all the light displays.  I tried my hardest to convince my 9 and 6 year old that it needn't be Krispy Kreme;  we could go to, say, Honey Creme  during the day, save the donuts until later (they're not open in the evenings), and then go look at the lights, but that resulted in shrieking "NO!  It is a TRADITION!  We cannot change TRADITION!" from the kids.  I explained that I was going to have to blog and explain that I cheated again, but that had no effect.  They weren't budging on this one.

So, a friend tried to help me with a way around it:  She gave me four free glazed donut coupons.  That would have been perfect- except that we couldn't use them all at once, and everyone wanted two.

In the end, we got a dozen and between that night and the next morning, they were history.  I can't say they didn't taste good, because they were warm, glazey, gooey, and melty...though, someone ate my custard filled one and if I find out who (youngest boy, cough cough)- they ow me big time.

My second cheat was Christmas Eve.  Remember how there was to be quite the snowstorm somewhere within about forty miles of here?  Remember that there was going to be a line that either meant thirty feet of snow or rain, and depending on which side of the line you ended up on , you could be in for a real mess?  Well, after the kids' presentation at church was over, I was convinced we needed bread (we did), and bourbon (I could make a good argument that we needed that, too).

Unfortunately, the only place that was open was Rite Aid, so I stopped in.  Like any good snopacalypse preparer, I also picked up doritos. Of course, we got approximately one inch of snow and that was being generous, but better safe than without the essentials.

But that's it- you know all of the cheats now.

Santa?  Santa respected my wishes and sourced locally.  I hear he hit quite the jackpot at Ben Franklin in New Albany for the items he couldn't make, and I'm not sure the kids could have been any happier with toys they didn't need from stores that make good money convincing them they do.

All in all, it was a wonderful holiday month.

Next post will bring you the items I'm missing or having a hard time finding, in hopes that maybe someone can help.  Until then, live local.

The Fastest Way To Cheat: Do It For The Kids

It happened again tonight.

For only the second time since July 1st, 2012, I stepped foot into a national chain and spent a small amount of my hard earned money.

Let me explain.  We were at a 93rd birthday party with the family, enjoying each other's company and good natured heckling.  After dinner and some lazing around, it was time to bring out the cake and ice cream.  (I'm allergic to milk- so, if my doctor is reading this, I did NOT eat ice cream.  PS- It's hard to type when your fingers are crossed.)

I noticed my youngest child was grimacing.  He's 6, so I assumed he ate his ice cream too fast and gave himself a healthy dose of brain freeze, so when he whimpered I didn't think much of it.  But by the time we were in the car and headed home, he was having one of those throbbing, rolling headaches that ebbs and flows, and when it flows, it HURTS.

I took a mental inventory of the medicine cabinet and realized two things:  The garlic salt was somehow in the medicine cabinet (remembered from the day before's chili making escapade), and we were totally out of children's ibuprofen or acetaminophen, which had previously been purchased at Mathes Pharmacy.  I quickly pulled out my phone and looked up their hours- and of course, they'd closed 45 minutes earlier.

I tried to think of anything local that would be open that would have children's pain medicine.  My oldest child can take an adult pill just fine, but not my boy.  I stopped in to one of the locally owned convenience stores, and struck out in any children's medicinal products.

I think there comes a point where a child's immediate pain trumps even the most valiant local buying efforts.  I wasted no time running into Walgreens and grabbing two bottles of children's ibuprofen (grape flavor).  After another 45 minutes, my son was sleeping peacefully.

But the experience brings up one of the important questions I hoped this journey would unearth.  What are we lacking in terms of availability locally?  Are there just some things that we cannot expect to get 24/7?  Or, should we reasonably be able to expect an independent drugstore/grocery store/department store to thrive in a town of our size? If not, what is the role of a national chain in this particular arena?

I don't have answers for these.  In an earlier day, parents would just have to wait until their local mom and pop opened up in the morning, if they'd run out of medicine the night before, and their kiddo would have spent the night miserable.  So, how can we help our towns sustain an option that's open late, late hours that also has a huge, diverse product offering?

That Day After Thanksgiving

There's a meme that's been making its way around my facebook circles as of late.

We all laugh, because we know this to be true- and then feel a small twinge of guilt, because whether we do it this year or have done it in the past, most of us have participated in the greedy frenzy.  I know- there are some really great deals out there.  Heck, some of the deals may even be items you actually NEED- or, maybe they're actually on your holiday list for someone else!  

But part of understanding ourselves and our role in the local and national economy is realizing the impact of our buying habits.   Where we spend our money determines much about how the country moves forward, and how we treat our workforce- as well as which political and moral causes get funded by the corporations where we shop.  I don't want to create a political divide by assigning attributes to either side, but there are some really strong cases for bipartisan support of indie and small businesses.  If we buy cheaply made items from another country at a mass discount at a mega chain, then that's what we'll continue to get.  If we buy thoughtfully and support our entrepreneurs and community businesses, that's what will begin to thrive.  

A few years ago, a concept called Plaid Friday was introduced to create an alternative to the frenzy.  While still consumer driven, Plaid Friday invites you to consider choosing independent businesses for your holiday gift choices.  Many are offering discounts of their own, and are allowing both their employees and customers to enjoy Thanksgiving without having to worry about pitching a tent four days before to maybe get one of four cheaply made items as a doorbuster.

As I've talked about other places on this blog, when you buy from your indie/local businesses, you are supporting a local entrepreneur;  a neighbor, a community member, a person you potentially interact with on a day to day basis.  There's a concept called the multiplier effect, and the idea behind this is that an indie/local business person will take their income and re-invest it into the local economy, over and over.

So, for example,  they've likely hired employees also from the community.  Those employees then have income, a portion of which will also be spent in the local economy.  The business is also more likely to utilize a local accountant, marketing company, attorney, all of which pay more local employees. All of this has tax implications at the local level, too:  each of these individuals is taxed, and that's how we afford good schools, good fire departments, good roads, and healthy communities.  

Consider all of this on Friday, Saturday, and through the holiday season.  Heck, consider it all year round.  You work hard to earn your money- use it thoughtfully, and consider supporting those indie/local businesses you'd be heartbroken to lose.  

Oh, and another meme that popped up today:

Local Voting: Make or Break Our Indie/Local Businesses

On a regular basis this week, I've seen on my facebook wall some form of the following statement.  "OK, so I've been following this whole national election thing, but I haven't had time to research local candidates.  Someone tell me who the best choices are."

I'm going to let that sink in for a second.

Are you horrified yet?  As in, '"The Shining"-this-could-ruin-my-life' type horrified yet?

You should be.

There is no denying that the results of the national election will have an impact on all business, especially small, local indie businesses. But at this point, there are relatively few undecideds- and to be honest, one or two or ten votes are probably not going to make a difference for the office of the President.

But state, county, and city offices?  They're absolutely vital to what happens next.

Those elections are the ones that impact the daily operations of a business owner the most.  If you've not researched your candidates that will make the laws that affect zoning for your business, street and sidewalk maintenance, parking laws and enforcement, local taxes, schools, fire protection, police protection, sanitation, water, trees, and parks, you put yourself in the position of having no control over your livelihood and success. These offices make or break a successful community, and if you don't like the recent outcomes of local decisions, you have no one to blame but yourself if you had no clue who you voted for.  I truly don't have words strong enough to explain how horrified and disappointed I am when I hear that people haven't bothered to do more than read yard signs when they make their picks on election day.

Here's the good news- there's still time to change the future.

If you've not voted yet- early or absentee- or if it's still early enough in the day on November 6th, you can link here to see who the candidates are in Floyd and Clark counties, and some basic information (if they bothered to answer) about what they stand for.  If you're in Louisville, you can go here and type in your address and it will give you your candidates.

Business owners and community members, do NOT give your power away in this election simply because you've been lazy.  Educate yourself, and VOTE!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  

Get your last minute candy and costumes at an indie/local retailer- like Horner Novelty in Jeffersonville, or Caufields in Louisville. 

(This is not a paid advertisement or endorsement of any establishment listed above, and no one approved this message.  Additionally, it's probably a bad idea to use local children for your soups and stews.)

Stumped? Maybe not.

Back on 10/4, I asked New Albany 365 readers to list items they didn't think I'd be able to source locally.  Between the post,  twitter , and facebook, I got requests for items of all sorts. There were some really silly requests that made me grin, and others that I had to do some searching to find.  There were some that were purposely impossible- but that's ok, because it brings up an interesting point that I'll expound upon at the end of the post.

So, without further ado- the Stump the Local Yokel results:

Roku :  For the uninitiated, a Roku is a device that allows you to stream movies and other content to your TV.  From what I can tell, there isn't a way to get one new locally;  but, if you're looking to put money into the local economy (hey, buying from someone else and giving them spending money counts!) there have been a few listed locally on Craigslist here.

Silly String:  Over the course of one year, silly string is bound to come up- thankfully, my good friend suggested that I couldn't find this locally.  As it turns out, you can- perhaps not in New Albany, but 6 miles away in Jeffersvonville, at Horner Novelty .

Kopi Luwak:  STUMPED.  Don't get me wrong- I love coffee.  However, coffee beans that are fed to the civet cat and harvested upon exiting the body and THEN made into coffee are a bit beyond my envelope of culinary safety.  It comes from Indonesia, and is extremely expensive and not very much is actually produced, so you'll pay about $60 for two ounces.  At any rate- STUMPED.  I have no idea where you'd get this locally.  I could attempt to feed the neighbor's cats some coffee beans and go 'harvest' them...

iPhone 5:  Most wireless stores are company owned stores, but not all.  We DO have several locally owned cell phone providers who are authorized to sell more than one brand:  Wireless Connection, Cellularworks, and Cellular Mobility are all listed on Google- though, admittedly, I've not called them to see if they have the iPhone 5.

Spinach:  Ah, spinach.  My nemesis/love.  You CAN actually get it at Rainbow Blossom , but they only get shipments a couple of times a week.  I seem to have a knack for visiting right after they've just run out.  In the spring, you can get it at the Farmer's Market as well.

Kids' Clothes/Dress Shoes:  This is an interesting one.  So far, I've been able to find plenty of kids' clothes through either donations, second hand stores, or Goodwill.  There are plenty of cute kids' boutiques in Louisville, but they tend to be pricey, as do kids' shoes.  Of course, you can also make the argument that someone somewhere bought the items new from a chain before either donating them or reselling them- and for that I don't have prepared response.  What I can offer is this:  Any time you accept donations, buy yard sale items, or consignment store items, you're still putting money back into someone's pocket that lives in your community, and that's money that is there to circulate again locally.

Sycamore Ice Cream: STUMPED.  Sycamore Ice Cream is found somewhere in North Central Indiana, so there's no way we're going to find it here.  It must be pretty good stuff- the reviews online are fantastic!

Now we're at the part of the post that I said I'd come back to, and that's this:  Perhaps I should have been more clear in that I didn't mean specific brands when I asked to be stumped. We may not have Sycamore Ice Cream, but we DO have Zesto's- a local, independent option.  We may not have cat poop coffee, but we DO have several independent, local coffee shops and roasters.  You'd be surprised to know how much we really do have right here in our local businesses that you don't have to hit a chain or the internet to find.

The motivations behind buying independently and locally have become a bit more refined for me in these first four months, and tend to boil down to these:  Great items, great service, unique options, and circulating more money where I live to make my community stronger.  As the community is injected with more money, maybe  one of our locally owned coffee shops will be able to afford to sell Kopi Luwak.  Until then, I'll have my beans without predigestion.

Stump the Local Yokel: Reader Challenge

Three months in, and so far, the spinach debacle remains the only cheat I've had.  I don't know that I provided an update here, but the day after I bought the spinach at Kroger, a kind friend on twitter pointed out that it had been recalled.  We were, of course, fine and suffered no effects from the listeria scare. I do remain convinced that the deity above has a sense of humor, and often at my expense.

I've settled into a bit of a routine these days when it comes to getting the items that we need as a family.  I never thought that planning would ever be a part of my vocabulary when it comes to shopping for anything, but it's not been that hard to integrate it into the daily flow of family, work, and activities.  

There are many things I've been able to source at an indie/local retailer that I never would have dreamed possible.  

My best example of that would have to be a shower curtain liner.  Seriously, take a moment to consider where in New Albany, IN you might find a shower curtain liner.  On the suggestion of a friend, I ducked into Ace Hardware the other day and sure enough, they carried 'em.

Wait, is Ace Hardware local?  I had to research a bit, but yes, they are.   They started as a chain back in the early 1900s in Chicago;  but, in the 1970s, the Ace corporation sold itself to its individual retailers.  Each location is owned locally, and uses the Ace name simply to leverage group buying power.  Their term is 'retailer owned cooperative'. To learn more, check out this excellent company history.

Really, though, the point of this blog post is to see if you, my readers, can stump me- or, if I've found an indie/local resource for just about everything yet.  I can't guarantee that I will; but I think it'll be fun to try.  

So, give it your best shot.  What don't you think I can find?

I'll post your stumping items and my results in a future blog post. 

No Soup For You! (Bad Service.)

One of the most common questions I'm asked on my quest to buy indie/local for 365 days comes in some form of the following:

"If you get bad service somewhere, do you still go there just because it's local?"

The answer to this question is no.  Yes.  Sometimes.  Maybe. Always, if it's the first Tuesday of a blue moon month that falls in the middle of winter.

Look, if you're a business owner, chances are you're working your tail off to take care of me, the customer.  You're spending money to figure out what hours work, what products work, and how to get me to come through the door in the first place.  So if I come in and look around, you or your staff are going to give me unforgettable, personal, and knowledgeable service, right?  I'll walk out of your store or restaurant with a lighter wallet, a satisfied need, and plans for a return visit sometime in the future.

If only this were the case every single time any of us entered an indie business.  

Sometimes, though, we're treated rudely.  We're ignored, slighted, or even insulted.  Sometimes service comes extremely late, if at all-  and the product is sub par.  Maybe the shop is dirty or unkempt; or maybe it just looks like it hasn't been updated since AOL was invented.  There are a million things that can constitute poor service. 

One of the advantages of shopping indie/local is that usually I can talk with the owner of the store and get all of my issues resolved immediately and to my full satisfaction.  On the rare occasion that this has happened, the owners were unaware there was a problem, and apologized profusely and made amends quickly.  In the likely event that this is the outcome of an encounter at that business, I'll absolutely make a second trip.  

Still,  there is always a business owner who truth be told probably shouldn't be in business to begin with.  They have somehow managed to hang on despite their inability to either stock their shop correctly, hire reliable staff, or give even remotely passable customer service.  You know these folks because if you approach them with a problem they become defensive and lash out at you. This doesn't happen just once; the next time you're in there, you receive similar treatment.  

It absolutely blows my mind that this ever- EVER- happens, but it does.  If it's happening to you, it's happening to others, and they're telling others who are telling others...and I have no idea how the shop is still in business. 

 In those cases, I will absolutely not return to their indie/local business for any reason.  Even during this year of attempted exclusive local buying, I'd go look for either a franchise that's locally owned, or another community that would have an option.  If there wasn't one of those, I'd be hauling tail to the nearest chain that carried the item I needed.  (Yes, I'd confess my chainsgression on here, without identifying the original business owner. )  

We all work hard for our money, and we deserve to be treated well when we spend it.  In my experience, indie/local New Albany businesses have been top notch in getting me the items I've requested or needed, and I've had few bad service experiences.  The few I've had may not even notice that they haven't seen me in awhile.  One day, they may realize they haven't seen much of anyone for awhile...and hopefully, they'll step up and do what they should have done all along. 

The First Fall: Greenery

A couple of months ago, I promised that I would fail.

I wasn't sure when, I wasn't sure for what item...but, I knew I'd fail- and I even mentioned that when I did, it would be part of the ongoing conversation.

All has been going well, really.  I've adjusted into a routine of planning what I buy, and where I buy it, and buying indie/local has become second nature.  I can tell you where to get just about everything, or a workable substitute.

I found this item about a month ago at Rainbow Blossom, after having a heck of a craving for it.  After not seeing it at Save A Lot, I was thrilled that I'd found a source that would work for me, since this particular item is not in season until late winter/spring, so it's not available at the Farmer's Market right now.

But last week, I stopped at Rainbow Blossom, and the clerk politely told me they were out.  Their shipment comes in on weekends, and I should stop by on Saturday.  Due to the nature of life, kids, sicknesses, and other perils of motherhood and familydom, I couldn't stop by until today, Monday.

They were out already.  On top of that, they had no chicken, which was the other item I was looking for.

This is going to be really, really anticlimactic.  You're going to roll your eyes and say, "REALLY???"

What drove me to Kroger tonight was fresh baby spinach.

Yes, the green stuff.  I love a good spinach salad with almonds, mushrooms, onions, fruit, feta, and on some days, chicken.

The kids eat 1.5 vegetables:  Both eat broccoli by the pound, and my 8 year old girl also loves fresh spinach.  We had discussed the meal on our way to Rainbow Blossom, and she had her heart set on spinach salad topped with chicken.  I think she was more miffed than I was at the lack of spinach.

She informed me that we would pass Kroger on the way home, and by gosh, they have spinach- and she could tell me exactly where it was.  My other option was to drive another 15-20 minutes to Thriftway in Georgetown to see if they had it. We were already on the other side of cross country practice and coasting towards dinner time...so, I caved.

I bought spinach and their free range chicken breasts, as well as another salad mix.

For some reason, Save A Lot doesn't carry anything but iceburg mixes or iceburg heads, and that's just not a satisfying salad.

I never thought that spinach would be the first fail.  It's getting its own column on the excel spreadsheet- and at the end of the year, I hope we can count on one hand the times I fail.  It really irks me.

As they say, that's the way the feta crumbles.

What Will We Tell The Children?

Recently, yet another study has emerged that shows the impact on a local economy of buying at an indie, local business is roughly four times the impact of shopping at a box store- depending on what type of establishment.  One of the more interesting things to come from this study was the fact that local retailers return an average of 52% of their revenues back into the local economy, while chain retailers only return about 14%.  Restaurants are even more remarkable.  If you go out for date night to an indie local restaurant, they'll recirculate approximately 79% back into your local economy, while chains average around 30%.

So the above paragraph is impressive, yes?  I mean, it shows that you, resident of Yourtown, Wherever can really and truly have an impact on your town and its quality of life by choosing wisely where you spend your money.  Heck, it got me so excited I went out to my favorite New Albany running store and clad my family in the best running shoes for their foot types.  Hey, everyone DID need new shoes, and though we're on a tight budget, we are overall spending much less money than pre July 1, 2012.

Yeah, I'm overly proud of these shoes...

But no matter how much this makes sense to me, and how much I preach the value of buying local and indie (always with the caveat that if somewhere has an inferior product or crappy customer service, you do NOT have to patronize them solely because they're local), have you ever tried to explain this to an almost 9 year old and a 6 year old?

I've tried, and that went over like medium rare filet mignon at a vegan convention.

Bear in mind, my strategy has been that we try to find a local option first and branch out from there.  So, for example, if we wanted pizza, we'd try an indie local pizza joint.  If there wasn't one, we'd buy a locally owned franchise pizza joint.  But, we have a ton of eateries that are both in New Albany;  so, I've not had to make this decision.

REAL mozzarella.  

At least thrice weekly, and sometimes more, I'm having this conversation:

Kids:  Mommy, we want Subway.
Me:  Subway's not local.
Kids:  So?
Me:  Well, more of the money we spend goes out of the area, rather than helping our fellow community members by supporting them and their businesses.
Kids:  ...
Kids: ...
Kids: ...Little Caesar's?
Me:  Not local.
Kids:  McDonald's?
Me:  Not local.
Kids:  WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US???
Me:  FINE.  Hing Wang it is.

Hing Wang is one local eatery that all four members of the family- and presumably also the dog- can agree on, mostly because they have noodles and dumplings.  They're seeing a spike in business from our house on nights that we need a quick dinner, despite warnings to the kids that they'll turn into noodles if we eat it any more often.

But in all seriousness, trying to explain what the New Albany 365 experiment is and why we're doing it to two elementary school aged children has proven to be one of my biggest challenges.  Of course, when they go to Grandma and Grandpa's, all bets are off and I'm pretty sure they take a tour from Burger King to Taco  Bell to WalMart to Toys R Us...but most of the time, they're living this with me, and they are fighting it.

I can only hope that as they get older, they're able to better understand what I did, and why I did it, and though they may not embrace it wholly, if I've caused their buying as teens and adults to shift even 20%, I've had a positive effect on whatever communities they decide to call home.  That's a better reward than some imitation cheese pizza that filled a temporary need because it was cheap and readily available.

Right?

The Long Awaited, Much Anticipated Indy Local Tour Recap

Remember earlier this month when I went to Indy, and had the indie Indy experience?

No?

You're right, it was weeks ago.  All of my focus on local and indie buying has consumed my time, and I didn't get the opportunity to recap the adventures I had on Thursday, August 9th with my dear friend Michelle.  That's actually her real name, too, but mostly because I can't think of any clever nickname at the moment.

After training on 8/9 (where I learned a ton and was completely re energized, and I don't say that for the upper ups who may or may not be reading), Michelle picked me up at the fabulous Canterbury hotel and we took off for the Indy Reads Bookstore.  It's a unique concept- a community bookstore that takes donated books and sells them at fantastic prices- where all proceeds benefit a literacy program who's goal is to have 100% of Indianapolis able to read.  I walked out with 5 books for about $12 and felt like I'd stolen from them somehow.

So what comes directly after great books?  Great Cajun, of course!  Off we went to Yat's, a must visit also on the Mass Avenue corridor.  I'm no culinary writer, so I'm not even going to try to give description to the mouthwatering cheese crawfish etoufee that could ever possibly exist- but I ate every bit of it, and wanted more.  Yat's is the kind of joint where I feel right at home, because there's simply no formality.  We sat outside and discussed the state of the world in general, and probably would have solved all current crises had the draw of a good beer not interrupted.  

Setting off from Yat's, we hit a lovely hole called Chatham Tap.  GREAT beer selection, and my most dedicated tour guide had even checked to see if some local beer was on tap so that I could further my mission.

We sat right at the corner of the bar and shared a nice, hoppy Sunk King brew (can't remember which one!) and attempted to pick back up on the state of the world.  We veered off into something totally not related...actually, I'm pretty sure we ricocheted from family to work to politics to back to the world and were even closer to solving it all when Michelle brought up frozen yogurt.  

You're tracking this, right?  Books, Cajun, beer, and now yogurt.

We made our way to a place called YoguLatte which is a cute play on words with yogurt and latte...where you create a monstrosity from all kinds of different flavors or only one with a whole bunch of toppings thrown in for good measure, and then they weigh it and charge you accordingly.  What they didn't count on was Tour Guide Michelle, who assured me that the best course of action was to sample each one to figure out which one my palate liked best.  My palate should actually never touch yogurt, frozen or not, because I'm allergic to milk.  But, I'm one of THOSE type of allergics- I'll eat it anyway and then complain later from the effects.  

That's me and yogurt sample number seven.

If you're any good at math, you can see that there are four separate units that dispense frozen yogurt, each with three flavors.  Four times three is twelve- and subtract a few flavors that didn't sound good, and I sampled 8 different yogurts before deciding on cake batter.  It was a beautiful dessert worthy of world problem solvers...who decided to end the night with another beer.

After leaving the yogurt place, we closed the night at Metro Night Club upstairs, where we declared that unless we achieved world domination, it was doomed and we may as well have another beer.  We overheard some conversations that were far more interesting than ours in nature and abandoned world domination for more laughs and deep insights, which are often the same thing anyway.

While this post has been a long time coming, I promised The Best Tour Guide Ever Michelle that she'd feature on the blog as soon as I planted myself on the couch long enough to compose it...so here you go, Ms. M.  I had a WONDERFUL time, and can't wait to do it again one day soon.  I'm lucky to have friends that embrace my quirks...especially the quirks that last 365 days and include all local, all the time. 

Next up for the blog:  the current struggles and things I can't find, and the kids' eyerolls.

School Days...And The Local Suppliers

Two weeks ago, I got the list.  Lists plural, because they were two:  one for each kid.

It seemed awfully early for school supply shopping- and there's a reason for that.  Our school district is slowly transitioning to a balanced calendar year that will eventually have only a six week summer break and several two week breaks throughout the school year.  Apparently, the amount of days attended are the same as before, when I was growing up, but the spacing is different. Where we used to go back to school at the end of August or beginning of September, the start date this year was August 6th.

Off I went, armed with my lists, determined to find everything I'd need for both kids in both grades, and to find it at either an independent or local venue.  Anyone who's done this before knows that you have eleventy seven of each item to buy:  multiple pencils, notebooks, folders, composition notebooks, eraser caps, and all sorts of other various needs and wants (in multiples of ten), presumably to balance out the children who aren't able to or won't get school supplies.  I take no issue with this at all from a financial standpoint.  I want every kid to have what he or she is going to need to succeed.

However, let's look at the reality of our independent businesses.  Quite simply, they just can't keep the kind of stock in hand to support that kind of demand.

My first stop was our local, indie parent teacher supply store...which was more geared towards the teachers and not the parents.  Mind you, I don't expect the vast quantity of supplies that say, WalMart or Target would carry;  but, I was slightly disappointed to find at most three or four of each kind of notebook, and absolutely no loose leaf paper.  None.  But, hey, ok, maybe their supplies were running a bit late- I'll give them that, and I'd go back there because they have so much darn FUN stuff.

I got somewhere around 50%-60% of my lists covered there.

You know the parts in cartoons where people get the light bulb over their head?  I had that happen as I was walking out of the parent teacher store.  I was determined that Ben Franklin would have further supplies.

Ben Franklin is an interesting locally owned business.  At one time, they were a franchise; but a bit of an odd one in that some of their locations were and are craft stores, while others were five and dimes, and even pharmacies.  The parent company that owned the franchise went bankrupt in 1997, which left another company to pick up the pieces, but stores retained local ownership.  After talking with the owner here, I found out that they're wholly independent.

At Ben Franklin, I got the random idea of getting blank pencil boxes and letting the kids choose their own scrapbook supplies to decorate them as they wanted.  I rarely have a flash of brilliance, so I'm going to have to call this one out as genius.  They loved the idea, and it channeled their inner creative spirit...or something.

Anyway, I visited two or three independent drug stores and an independent grocer about fifteen minutes away, and secured all but two composition books and 30 pencils.  All in all, it was a win.

Believe it or not, I spent less than in past years- and I think it all comes down to the fact that there is not the same opportunity to impulse buy.  I said early and often that I'm a huge impulse buyer (as most of us are)- so this was a nice surprise, despite the epic quest of securing all items.

The stuff I couldn't find I talked with the teachers and explained my mission, and that as all of the places restocked I'd hit them again throughout the year to bring in the missing items.  Both were supportive and enthusiastic, and had no problem with that.

I'm extremely proud of the fact that I still haven't had to break the rules yet, though I know the day is coming.    I do find myself wondering what that item will be.

Hotel Update: Still Keepin' It Indie in Indy!

Check it out!  Turns out, there IS an indie option next week, within walking distance of the training I'm attending.  I have to say, the Canterbury Hotel looks way cooler than the Embassy Suites!

The World of B&Bs (...and a boss that humors me).

Last week, I traveled for work to teach a social media seminar for one of our outlying counties for the ISBDC .


I'm lucky to work for a boss that not only humors me, but tries to help me along in my 365 mission.  So, when I asked to please get accommodations that weren't a hotel chain, she obliged by booking me a room at  the Herman Leive House in Aurora, IN.

I'm going to admit something.


In my family vacations and all of the adventures we had, we never stayed at a bed and breakfast.  We stayed at plenty of motels and independent inns, but never in my memory a true B&B.  I never really thought about why, until I arrived at the Herman Leive House. There's a prominent sign that states that it's not equipped for children.   As it turns out, it's a renovated house from the 19th Century Greek Revival style (Admittedly, I have no idea what that means)  that was originally owned by the master brewer for the local Crescent Brewery- a total win in my book.  I was somewhat dismayed not to be haunted by a beer wielding spectre, but that's probably for the best anyway, because the current owner and caretaker doesn't allow alcohol on the premises.  


It was a fantastic experience.  All local hotel chains were $100+ for the night- and I got a gorgeous time period decorated room with some really neat historical reading material, a totally comfy bed, and a bathroom that didn't look like thousands had been through the doors for only $65.  In the middle of the night, when I got thirsty, I wandered down to the kitchen to find a nice, cold bottled water and a tray of brownies.  (I was fairly convinced it was the best dream ever, until I woke up with crumbs on my face.)  I loved my stay, and will be back again when I'm in the area.


I can't stress enough how important it is that I have a boss that is attempting to help me along in my goal, even when it's not necessarily convenient for the team.  On more than one occasion, our staff meetings have taken place at a verified local restaurant in Madison, IN, or New Albany, IN- simply because she's trying to help me succeed.  Then again, maybe that's the whole point.  Even if it's just to help an employee, there's still an effort being made, awareness being generated, and money being spent in independent/local venues.  


But the first break from local is upcoming, on August 7-9.  I will be travelling to Indianapolis for training, and staying downtown.  Our 'home office' has secured reservations at the Embassy Suites- and while I'm comfortable discussing this with my direct boss, I'm not necessarily ready to insist at the state level on my accommodations.  I double checked to see if the Embassy Suites was owned by a local management company;  but, it is not.  It is a corporate Hilton hotel.  


I knew starting out that this was to be a yearlong conversation with ups and downs- and this brings into focus   another issue.  There are no independent walkable downtown hotels...they're all corporately owned.  


Ah well.  This means I'll have to patronize doubly the local restaurants and craft breweries.  As the old children's tale goes- 'Don't throw me into the briar patch, whatever you do.'


P.S.  I'll have July totals and communities impacted within a week or two.  

16 In, and the Top 5

Sixteen days in- long enough to be a tad frustrated with some of the things I've not had to get yet and am unsure where to look.  It's still mostly been easy;  though, I'll say the two biggest challenges have been concert tickets (total fail- Live Nation or Ticketmaster has the monopoly) and avoiding the convenience of fast food when I've not packed a lunch.  That happens more often than I'd care to admit.  I'm not a morning person, so thinking ahead to lunch is impossible when I've just run into the wall on the way to the bathroom with my eyes still closed.



 Fast food was also an issue on the way to said concert when an unnamed friend asked me to go through the drivethru at a certain restaurant with yellow arches (not naming the culprit or the restaurant here, see...) and I had to smell those fries.  They're like crack, all salty and crispy and...oh yes, let me tell you how I beat that one.  I went into Save A Step to pick up a Diet Coke, and ended up buying some of their chicken strips instead.  I only pouted for a few seconds before I realized they weren't actually that bad, and I'd stuck to my guns without succumbing to the chain pressure of convenience and delicious little fry morsels.


So far, there are five things I'm just not sure how to get and I'm going to throw them out to the readers to see what you'd recommend- or, is it already time to break the rules?  You decide.


5.  Feminine hygiene items.  Gentlemen, I'm sorry that you're turning several shades of red about now, so if you must, jump down to number 4.  Ladies, have you ever noticed how lacking the supply department is in the small grocery stores and the Save A Lots?  2 sizes...that just doesn't cut it.  So without further detail, does anyone know of somewhere locally or independent that has a decent selection?


4.  Razors and refills.  There seems to be the same lack of choice as #4- you're left with generic three blade disposables or single blade...and neither are kind to legs or armpits.  The Mr. isn't up for an experiment in hair growth, so I've got to find something somewhere (preferably Schick 5 blade Hydro!) that will keep pit and leg forests at bay.


3.  Kids Clothes.  We're getting back to school time in a few weeks and while we've got stuff to last through the warmer months, both kids have shot up since the cooler spring weather and need long pants and shirts.  I'm going to attempt to source as much secondhand as I can, but if I needed to get say a new pair of jeans or a dress, where would I go?  (New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville (non chain), or Louisville?


2.  Sunscreen.  Again, we're dealing with very little if any selection at the smaller groceries, which leaves convenience stores that are locally owned.  I suppose that's probably what I'm going to do for our upcoming Holiday World venture, but if anyone has suggestions, I'm totally open. 


1.  DVDs/Movies.  We're getting to the 6th and 7th Harry Potter books, and the kids want to see the movies...so, this will inevitably be coming up in the next two months.  (Hey, anyone have a copy of these three they want to sell?)


I haven't updated my totals in a week or so, but we're saving money if only for the fact that I have to plan my impulsiveness, thereby eliminating the problem.  Ah well.  I take heart in the fact that I've a plethora of wonderful indie/local coffee joints, restaurants, and breweries in which to forget my sorrows.

Because Rookie's Cookies ARE Groceries

Normally, I'd hate to admit I was wrong.

This time, I'm proud to say- I WAS WRONG.

I thought in the buy indie/local project I'd spend more money in groceries for a family of four than I'm accustomed to.  

On Saturday, I hit up an ATM that was willing to give me some twenties to go pick up as many veggies and fruits and other such stuff that vendors sell at The New Albany Farmers Market , and then figured I'd head over to Save A Lot (See HERE to explain why SAL is local) for some of the other stuff you just can't get at the Market.

I wandered around with $60, and spent every last bit of it.  On what, you ask?  Well...2 containers of Sancho Miguel's salsa (to take to parties), a watermelon, blackberries, onions, green peppers, peaches, Rooibee Red Tea , a bag of Quills Coffee , some organic free range beef, and last- but not least- some Rookie's Cookies , because those buttery little morsels melt right in your mouth.  Please ignore the fact that I'm actually allergic to milk protein and am not supposed to have butter...I can't keep my mitts off these things.  Even the dog loves them.


After I dropped everything off at the house, I headed over to Save A Lot to get the rest.  When the list was checked off and all of the damage totaled, I'd spent an additional $63 or so.

You may have already done the math, but if you haven't, I'll let you know that our grocery bill for the week was $123.

I looked back through our average Kroger or Meijer receipts each week, and we actually did BETTER hitting up the Farmer's Market and SAL- we saved money (AND GOT ROOKIES!)

I mentioned in the beginning that impulsivity was going to be my biggest hurdle- and to some extent that's true.  But, without all of the tempting 'deals', I'm actually spending a lot less.  In other words, it's a heck of a lot easier to just go with the list and get what's on it.

Oh, and update on the dog:  He seems to be adjusting to the food, thankfully.  The...erm...smell has lessened and he seems to have worked out his issues. Here's to hoping that continues.

The Doggone Thing

You've never smelled anything like this in your life.  Seriously.  I'm not going to elaborate any further than that- but, our first buy indie/local derailer may actually be the dog.

Meet Dewey.  He hates this picture of himself, but what do you do when an 8 year old is in charge of your wardrobe?

Dewey is some kind of lab/whippet/terrier/heinz 57 mix, with a smart, outgoing, and incredibly goofy personality.  He was a KY Humane Society dog, hand picked for my family by a friend who has an amazing talent of matching the perfect dog with its forever home.  He came into our lives when he was about four months old, and is now two and a half- which in dog years makes him an unruly teenager.    

When we first got our canine, we wanted to be the perfect rescue family.  We bought him top of the line dog food- not too many grains and fillers, mostly meat.  He snarfed it down with gusto.  Fast forward a few days...and Dewey started to have issues.  Really smelly 'No, honey, it really wasn't me!  IT WAS THE DOG!' issues.  Not only that, he was having trouble on his visits to the back yard.  So, we switched foods, which really only changed the scent slightly. Rinse, lather, rinse repeat- nothing worked.

Finally, out of sheer desperation, we picked up one we hadn't tried- Rachel Ray's Nutrish. Yes- Rachel Ray, exuberant cook and daytime talk show host queen, has a line of her own dog food.  Lo and behold, all doggie foulness stopped almost immediately- and the way Dewey ate the food, we could see that it was clearly 'delish!' (Incidentally, I ran into my friend Jessica at our local 4th of July on the 3rd of July celebration, and by some twist we got to talking about our dogs' digestive habits.  Kid you not, her dog had the exact. same. issue. Rachel Ray's Nutrish saved her too.)

So, for the past two years, Dewey has eaten Rachel Ray's, which you can only get at Kroger and Walmart.

Until this week, when we started our indie/local experiment, and ran out of dog food.  I ran over to Feeder's Supply and got some Earthborn Holistic dog food, which is also made in Evansville, IN.  Dewey LOVED it. His stomach so far does not.

We are back to the 'Dammit, I told you, it's the DOG!' times- and not so great trips to the backyard.

So potentially that brings us to our first of many inevitable buying dilemmas. When you have a creature dependent on you who clearly doesn't care WHERE you buy his food so long as his tummy is full and comfortable, is it that important to adhere to an economic experiment?  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no, it's not.  I think we're going to give him a day or two more on the Earthborn, (which really is a great company, and it's not their fault Dewey prefers vivacious brunettes' dog food lines!) and if it doesn't settle down, I'm going to head over to Kroger and pick up some Nutrish.  

Ah well.  It's all part of this yearlong conversation we're having.  

July 4th...New Albany Style. (Erm...3rd.)

DP Up Dogs for dinner...then NABC beer at the river for fireworks with the family.  Nice crowd!