It is August, back-to-school month, and Daniel Despain is busy. Despain is the store manager of the new Teaching & Learning Stuff in the Flagstaff Mall. With a motto of “Smart Starts Here” and banners inside urging learners to “Believe, Achieve, Succeed,” the store opened about two months ago and stands as a pantheon to the thrills of education. The interior of the spacious facility entices shoppers with a plethora of colorful and fascinating educational products, from smiley-face … [Read more...] about Back-to-School; Open for Business
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Running Flagstaff Store for 37 Years
People often say “Wow!” when they walk into HomCo Ace Hardware for the first time, says Mike Brackin, the store’s owner. “They are surprised about how big our store is, the color on the walls, the color on the floors. It’s not a stale, dull store. It’s alive,” he said. “We are trying to give a ‘wow’ experience at the store. We do a very good job and we can always do better, so we keep working on doing better,” he said. One of the things that make HomCo stand out among other similar and … [Read more...] about Running Flagstaff Store for 37 Years
Agritourism Expanding in McGuireville
Within 30 to 45 days, drivers on I-17 will see the earth being turned in preparation for 20-25 acres of grapevines to be planted near the McGuireville exit. According to Kelly Cathcart of SMC Operations LLC, the hillside vineyards will be planted by the end of June. Cathcart and partner Bernadette Selna are managing an agritourism business that they hope will attract visitors to Northern Arizona, create jobs in McGuireville and lead to self-sustaining agricultural communities in the Verde … [Read more...] about Agritourism Expanding in McGuireville
Another Natural Market Coming to Flagstaff
Sunflower Farmers Market has announced it will open a new full-service grocery store in Flagstaff, Arizona, adjacent to Northern Arizona University, by the end of 2013. The market will join Bookmans, Michael’s, and Pier 1 Imports in the University Meadows Shopping Center located on Riordan Ranch Road. This Sunflower location will be the ninth in Arizona and is expected to bring 100 jobs to the area along with the value-priced natural groceries for which Sunflower is known. The … [Read more...] about Another Natural Market Coming to Flagstaff
Downtown Shop Offering Local History
Jeffrey Bonner says he has a lot of fun teaching today’s high-tech kids how to use the old-fashioned bottle opener affixed to the wall of his store. “We had to teach about 500 kids how to use it. I enjoy teaching them. They think it’s crazy. They get a big kick out of it. They want to do it themselves,” he said. The opener is an important fixture at Bonner’s Route 66 Mini Market because he sells an assortment of about 100 brands of bottled beverages made the original way – with cane sugar … [Read more...] about Downtown Shop Offering Local History
Merchants Anticipating Increased Traffic with Cal Ranch
Cal Ranch is a little like Mom’s vegetable soup: it’s loaded with all sorts of goodies and surprises. At Cal Ranch, you will find a wide variety of merchandize, however, not everything is edible. The store does happen to sell some candy and animal feed, though. Cal Ranch opened in Flagstaff on March 1 and nearly every day since then, the store has been busy. Located on Fourth Street near 7th Avenue, Cal Ranch sells ranch supplies, clothing, knick-knacks, fishing and camping gear, tools, … [Read more...] about Merchants Anticipating Increased Traffic with Cal Ranch
Last year, the Flagstaff Butler Chevron at Interstate 40 was purchased by Mark and Beverly Wagner. Today, the store is much more than an everyday convenience store. They feature a Wall of Wine (the WOW factor) with hundreds of unique bottles. The Wagners also create a Craft Beer build your own section with more than 200 different beer options, for customers who like variety. There are also many hard liquor choices including numerous high end beverage choices. Flagstaff Business News caught … [Read more...] about
Good Business Plan Includes Preparing For Disaster
One quarter of all businesses that close because of a disaster never reopen, according to the Institute of Business and Home Safety. Statistics like this demonstrate the importance for business owners to evaluate their potential risk of damage and take steps to lessen that risk ahead of time. “Whether the disaster comes in the form of a weather occurrence, technological break-down, or scandal,” said Gene Munger, a crisis communication consultant based in Flagstaff, suggesting that contingency … [Read more...] about Good Business Plan Includes Preparing For Disaster
Turkey Drive Planned for Monday
The Northern Arizona Food Bank and Yavapai Broadcasting will be collecting perishable and non-perishable foods at the Turkey Drive Monday. Collections will take place in front of Fry's Food Store on Route 66. Volunteers are needed for the event which runs from noon to 6:00p.m. (0928)526-2211 … [Read more...] about Turkey Drive Planned for Monday
Weighing the Benefits of a Marketing Budget
In difficult economic times, many small businesses are forced to make difficult choices regarding their budgets. And while it may seem like a relatively easy choice to cut a marketing and advertising initiative before many other alternatives, the results – according to some within the Northern Arizona business community – could be devastating. In the view of Joe Bodin, a small business owner who runs a marketing agency known as FlagstaffCentral.com, the decision about whether to market or not … [Read more...] about Weighing the Benefits of a Marketing Budget