GoLO Jacksonville

Small Business Saturday, which was started in 2010 by American Express, is November 26. American Express Cardholders should go to www.facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday to register their card. Spend $25.00 on a pre-registered American Express Card at a small, locally-owned business and you will receive a $25.00 credit from American Express. It’s a win-win for shoppers and locally owned small businesses. (Franchisees, national chains and government agencies need not apply!)

In order to do Small Business Saturday in style, Sweet Pete’s, 1922 N. Pearl St. in Historic Springfield,  is hosting a Sweet Celebration on the 26^th only. In addition to the $25.00 American Express credit, Sweet Pete’s is giving away a $15.00 gift certificate with purchases of $50.00 or more. All customers are eligible for the gift certificate give away, not just American Express card holders.

The Sweet Celebration hours on Saturday are 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM. While shopping for your holiday needs, enjoy:

Free Champagne and Hibiscus Cocktails
Honey and Cheese Samples
Chocolate and Candy Samples

Sweet Pete’s will also host local holiday decor designer, John Fabiano of Fabiano Designs.  John decorated Sweet Pete’s for the 2011 holiday season and will share holiday decorating tips with Sweet Pete’s customers.

Why is Small Business Saturday so important? For every $100.00 spent shopping, your community gets in return:

$68 from a locally owned, independent, brick and mortar store           

$43 from a National Chain or “big box” store

$0 from an online store (unless you live in a very small place)

The answer is clear. Go shop, GoLO!!

Sweet Pete’s
1922 N. Pearl St.
Jacksonville, Fl 32206
904-376-7161

http://www.sweetpete.net/

Blossom’s is an antique, gift and accessories store located at 1843 N. Liberty Street in the Springfield home of Margy Feldmann, owner & proprietor. It’s one of a growing number of new businesses springing up in Springfield…a trend back to the ”cottage industry” and away from the vast concrete jungle we know as the “mall”.  It is small businesses like Blossom’s which add to the fabric of the community in Springfield and Jacksonville generally.

As each new cottage business opens in Springfield, owners and friends work hard to improve the surrounding area and to welcome new people into the community as customers and maybe, down the road, as neighbors! This trend could spread to improve our community block by block, to showcase the Springfield neighborhood as a place to live and work. Meanwhile, the business owners have the luxury of working in their own home, setting their own hours, and enjoying the creativity of the business they select to pursue.

Blossom’s Shabby Chic is open daily from 2-5 pm and by appointment by calling 443-822-1343(Please call ahead on the weekend). The atmosphere is friendly and eclectic with treasures ranging from high end antique furniture showpieces and fine English bone china to funny cocktail napkins and candleholders. A beautiful hand-painted underwater mermaid scene (shown in photo) is another special piece.

Painting by Joan Purcell

Modern to antique and high-end to affordable—there is something for everyone. The fun part is the clothes rack with vintage full length and short fox and mink furs, evening dresses or vintage designer blouses, slacks, skirts, sets, etc.

Margy had thought about opening a business of her own of one type or another most of her life; but it wasn’t until a series of events transpired that she made it happen. She had just experienced yet another series of unfortunate events when her friend, Susan Noonan, announced the opening of her own cottage business, Springfield Arts & Antiques. With Susan as an example of taking such a bold step, Margy was ready to follow suit.

“It took exactly one month, from start to finish, to open the business, thanks to the guidance and support of my dear friend Susan,” Margy says. Susan demonstrated the necessary courage to take that first step and showed me step-by-step what needed to be done. “Our speed had a lot to do with necessity and the up-coming holiday season. But if it hadn’t been for Susan, I doubt that I would have been able to accomplish this. It’s this kind of friendship that makes Springfield the best place in the world to live.”

Susan and Margy, both on the Board of the Springfield Improvement Association and Woman’s Club, are planning to roll out an educational program in concert with local banking and other institutions in early January to assist and support women (and men, too) who wish to start a  business. Keep an eye out for more information on this series.

Many of the items were passed down from Margy’s parents and grand-parents while others she collected on her own. Some treasures have been placed with Blossom’s on consignment. All are waiting for you–window shopping or serious holiday gift-buying makes no difference.  Come take a look and see for yourself because Blossom’s has something special for you!

    In an interconnected workplace, it’s becoming easier to connect, collaborate, and socialize. After all, two (or three) heads are better than one. While the workplace is becoming more interactive, mobile workers are looking for ways to connect easier and more efficiently. A mobile worker can face issues not known to the cubicle crew. For example, it takes a mobile worker eight minutes from the time they sit down to become actively engaged in work. Laptop bags, coffee mugs, iPods, cell phones…it can take a while to set up shop. In addition, a mobile worker that calls Starbucks home faces a series of other issues…find a table, get a coffee, set up. What can be done to make this easier without a clear definition of space, and make working on the go more effective?

    Coworking is a style of work which involves a shared working environment, yet independent activity. This concept gives you an on-hand network of collaborators and fellow brain stormers, as well as workspace and collaboration areas. Downtown Jacksonville will have it’s own co-work space with the opening of CoWork Jax, scheduled to open by the end of the year. After scouring the downtown landscape for the perfect co-work venue, the organization decided on the second floor of the historic Woolworth Building at the corner of Forsyth and Main, upstairs from Perdue, Inc. CoWork Jax plans to offer memberships that allow individuals or small companies to utilize workspaces for the day or for an extended period of time. The company will also offer small office spaces, as well as conference rooms with HD web conferencing and whiteboards, along with a host of collaboration specific areas developed by Turnstone and Steelcase furniture.

    The need for co-working in Jacksonville’s urban core is clear. “Downtown is a great place to bring that passion and energy together in a vibrant core,” said Elton Rivas, co-founder of Zero Confines and CoWork Jax. “We are excited to provide a shared workspace for freelancers and small businesses to grow and believe the impact could be exponential in nature.” CoWork Jax plans to announce membership and pricing information information with an opening date soon.

     Research into the habits of mobile workers led to the development of the SOTO II worktools, a collection of organizational and productivity tools by Details, a division of Steelcase.  Designed to enhance the experience of mobile workers, the SOTO II collection by Details will be launching during the winter of 2011.  “Mobile workers want to connect quickly and get working fast.  SOTO II products encourage and allow this behavior by providing the right tools to welcome to the user to the workspace,” says Jody Hanson, general manager of Details.  “Connectivity, privacy, access to personal items and quick access to power are equally important to making a mobile worker feel comfortable.” Learn more about their new collection at http://details-worktools.com/sotoii.

    Meeting space, HD web conferencing, color printing- perhaps co-working works better for your business than the back table at your local coffee shop. All this for almost the same price as your cappuccino and muffin. This is a great opportunity to GoLo to support the local business landscape…and help your own business grow.

Here at Downtown Vision, Inc. our mission is to build and maintain a healthy & vibrant Downtown and promote Downtown as the place to be. As an intern at this organization, I was tasked with creating a post about the various bars Downtown, also known as The Core. This is my story.

It’s Friday night. I find myself off work and needing to relax after a hectic week. Deciding that a few drinks would help my cause, I set off into the night. Normally my route might take me to the Southside or perhaps if my patience is high, the beaches, but tonight I’m headed off to a different direction.

Word on the street is Downtown has some pretty awesome nightspots. Crossing the Mathews Bridge, I glance off into the distance and notice how Downtown illuminates the night sky. I pull over and with the aid of my GPS, punch in “Bars” and am surprised by how many dots populate the screen. Eager to start the night, I poke my finger at the closest dot and up pops Dos Gatos.

Cruising down Forsyth Street I spy a red brick façade. “Destination on right” speaks Jenny, my loyal guide. A whole 30 seconds passed until I found a parking spot; I always thought parking was an issue Downtown. Stepping out of my car I am immediately greeted by the humid night. I arrive to Dos Gatos and file myself to the back of the line. Not too long but not too short either. The kind of line where you know it must be good. My turn comes around to enter and a quick show of my ID gets me in.

My eyes are quickly drawn to the bar. It gives off a rustic feel with brick work lining up the wall. The center attraction is a painted woman, one that has the look of the pin-up girls who graced many World War II planes. Ever inquisitive, I continue inside. If only others were with me, the half circle leather booths would be inviting. I order one of their signature drinks, El Verano, which is a heavenly mixture of cucumber, agave nectar and tequila. I go over to some tables where a few people are happily chatting away. A half hour passes as do some exquisite conversations. Knowing that more dots await, I leave behind Dos Gatos.

I whip out my mobile Jenny and find my way to Dive Bar. I learn that this bar has recently changed its image and become a live music venue. “New Attitude, New Look, New Music, New Scene” reads a poster. Passing through the line and bouncer, I enter. My first impression is “wow.” The ambiance of darkness with candles lighting various areas intrigues me. I walk by a circular lounge seating area, which is very cool. I approach the bar and see a BIG chalkboard with custom creation drinks. My eyes go directly to a drink called The Pirate. I don’t even read what it is, I just know that any drink called The Pirate must be good. Let’s just say I was not disappointed. A local band does their thing, and the mood is very relaxing. Out of nowhere I spot some friends coming in. We greet each other and see this as an opportunity to seize that VIP lounge which is black lit and lined with band posters. As if around a campfire we sit and chat, music in the air and drinks in hand, a perfect night.

Now that I have a posse, it’s off to the next one. Will it be Mark’s Downtown Club/Lounge, LIT Downtown, Mavericks Rock N’ Honky Tonk, Burro Bar, De Real Ting Café, ClubTSIDiscotheque, Ivy Ultra Bar, Zodiac Bar & Grill, Café 331? At the moment, I’m not sure. But I do know one thing, the night is young. These bars fill the arteries of Downtown. The Core is where nightlife entrepreneurs are creating a new vibe in the epicenter of Jacksonville.  From Bay, Forsyth and Adams Streets to the Jacksonville Landing, the nightlife and entertainment scene is happening in The Core. A collaboration between Downtown Vision, Inc. and local business owners are making the dream of having a vibrant nightlife in Downtown Jacksonville a reality.

A token of appreciation from a fan.

This past weekend was Mother’s Day which is a time to celebrate family. As part of my Mother’s Day celebration, my family took me to Uptown Market http://specials.uptownmarketjax.com/ for a wonderful breakfast. That one meal was the epitome of why the GoLO movement is so powerful. Not only were we supporting a locally owned and locally operated business, we saw friends with their families enjoying the same good food and good company. In other words, we found our community at our LO LO business. Without these places, there would be something missing in our community. Where else would they gladly hang a painting from a young customer!?

In Springfield, the LoLo businesses and their people operating them are actually part of the community. For example, a Facebook event was created for the send-off for a bartender at the Cellar at Three Layers (http://threelayersacoffeehouse.com) for tonight. Also, as part of the Springfield Serendipity Home Tour (http://www.spartour.org/view_homes.html),  two local businesses, Sweet Pete’s and Tres Leches Desserts, are on the tour along with the magnificent homes. The tour runs from 1-5 on May 14th and 15th. These examples show the integration of local businesses into the fabric of the community.

Springfield even celebrates a past LoLo business, Norman Studios, during the screening of “Hollywood East: Florida’s Silent Film Legacy” on Friday May 13, 7pm at the Springfield Woman’s Club. http://www.normanstudios.org/

So, just as you’d visit a friend in your community, stop into your local business for a visit. At City Kidz Ice Cream Cafe, we are always greeted with a smile and sometimes, a hug! For every $100 spent at a local business, $68 is returned to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenses. The same amount spent at a national chain only returns $43 and on-line purchases return nothing to the community. http://www.the350project.net/home.html. The great thing about supporting local businesses is you can impact that business and strengthen your community at the same time.