Getting Strong Advice in Small Doses

Susan Wagner, editor of Country Sampler's Country Business bimonthly trade magazine, explains that, for time-strapped business owners, using the social network Twitter to keep customers up-to-date with product and service news may be very effective.

"With Twitter, the whole concept is to provide short bits of info (140 characters) on your current thoughts and activities, links to interesting articles, quick tips and advice, highlights of new products or services, special sales, kudos to other members, and more. And since you are limited in your character count, each tweet generally focuses on a single idea, making it easy to scan and absorb. Retailers who like staying electronically connected with their customers but just can't keep up with a blog might benefit from Twitter. It only takes minutes to post and is easy to use:" www.twitter.com/CountryBizMag.

The Country Business magazine, www.country-business.com, and Country Business Extra e-newsletter, are excellent resources on evolving trends and business practices for any retailer and artisan, not only those who produce and/or sell country theme product lines. Country Sampler's Country Business July/August 2009, p. 12

Indian Lake Christmas Tour Seeks Artisans and Craftters

INDIAN LAKE - The Indian Lake Country Christmas Tour (CCT) Steering Committee is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for the 12^th Annual CCT be held Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. “Made in the Adirondacks” is the theme for the event. The event will feature Adirondack “style” hand-crafted items made by over 75 regional and local skilled artisan and crafters.

The Country Christmas Tour is a self-guided “tour” to visit with artisans and crafters who offer a variety of holiday gift items for sale in their homes and at numerous locations in Indian Lake. Holiday gift items include birch bark and twig picture frames, holiday wreaths, decorations and table centerpieces, quilts and throws, toll paintings, wall hangings, Adirondack furniture, alpaca clothing, jewelry, toys, candles, ornaments and much, much more.

Exhibition space will be available at several public locations for interested artisans and crafters, and honored on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact Brenda Valentine at 518-648-5636 for applications or for more Country Christmas Tour program information. Press release, July 30th, Indian Lake Country Christmas Tour (CCT) Steering Committee, Brenda Valentine

Brewerton Collaboration, House Sales Increase

Art Festival and Tag Sale Collaboration in Brewerton
Ginny, from Oneida Lake Artisans & The Brick House Cafe in Brewerton at the west end of Oneida Lake, continues to build on events which include collaboration with other small businesses and community ; ie., the following 4th annual Art Festival ....

"This Saturday from 9-4
***Our 4^th Annual Art Festival with lots of Central NY artists! At the shop, on the lawn, enjoy meeting the artists & collecting some of their=2 0work!

***TAG SALE along Main St. Many businesses and some residents will be participating, from Bartel Road all the way to Rte. 49 in Central Square! It's an adventure!" Excerpt from July 27th e-news, Oneida Lake Artisans & the Brick House Cafe

Finally - Sales of New Homes Increase in June Nationwide
With the region's second home owners generating so much of the economy's income, building and retail trade businesses should be pleased to see that new home sales are finally on the increase as of June. Many of the regional businesses in these sectors have been slow since mid fall 2008. The Commerce Department states that new home sales increased by 11 per cent in June, 8 more than analysts expected, but still down 21% from June 2008. Median new home prices continue to fall, decreasing from $232,100 a year ago to $206, 200. The Gazette, July 28, 2009, p. B6, reporter Jack Healy, New York Times

New Shop, Pottery/Fiber Exhibit, KeyBank, Occasional Shop

Shop Opens in Tupper Lake
Bryant Gonyea opened Adirondack Rustic Design and Furniture Company on Park Street in Tupper Lake on June 1. The store sells Amish, Adirondack and antique furniture. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, June 25, 2009, p.3

Gallery Features Three-Dimensional Works
The Atea Ring Gallery is exhibiting the primitive hooked rugs of Cheryl Raywood, pottery of Robert Segall and paintings, drawings and etchings of Harold Weston (1894-1972) through July 22. 236 Sam Spear Road, Westport. Hours: Thurs. - Sat., 11-4. Press-Republican, July 2, 2009, p. A7, Out & About Section

KeyBank Offers Women-Owned Businesses the Key4Women Program
KeyBank has provided more than $2 billion in capital to qualified women-owned businesses since 2007 and promises to lend another $3 billion by 2012. Locally, Denise Prell, Prell's Custom Designs, 18 Clinton St., Plattsburgh, NY, has enjoyed the benefits of participating in the KeyBank initiative; the Key4Women program, "designed to channel customized banking service, access to capital, networking opportunities and ongoing education to women entrepreneurs across the country. ...
Nationwide 10.1 million women-owned businesses make up 40 percent of all privately held companies, employ 13 million people and generate annual sales of $1.9 trillion. In the twelve-county region of upstate New York there are 23,797 women-owned businesses.
Margaret Soderquist, area sales manager for KeyBank, explains that "Women value the socializing, networking, self-satisfaction and the pride that comes with owning a business." Press-Republican, July 5, 2009, p.D1, Business Section

Retail's Next Wave
The "occasional" sale - held in homes or rental spaces on only a handful of days per year - may be poised to become the retail model of the recession. And with good reason. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 74,000 retail stores closed in the first half of 2008. In addition to low overhead, pop-up storefronts offer the kind of flexibility that small-business owners rarely see. Visit www.lolabboutique.com, www.thehogshed.com, www.barnbarnbaby.com. Country Living, July 2009, p. 20

Online Photo Exhibit features Regional Artists

How Many Artists does it take to Screw in a Light Bulb?

Phil Gallos has been photographing some of the many artists, artisans, musicians, craftspeople, in short, the creatives, of the Saranac Lake area, for years. Many of the photos are posted at http://philgallos.zenfolio.com/f892240789, and, in August, at Bluseed Studios in Saranac Lake (http://www.bluseedstudios.org/exhibit.html).

The photo sessions with each of the artisans (6 to 14 shots per) are intimate, relaxed moments of artists at work and at play. Sometimes, of course, work and play are the same. The trust and respect each of the creatives have placed in Phil Gallos to create this body of work imbues each of the images. Enjoy!

News from Artisans, Artists and Shops and Galleries

News From Dreamcrafters Quilt Shop
Dyan Swamp, owner of Dreamcrafters Quilt Shop on Rte. 37 in Akwesasne, NY won a ribbon at the Vermont Quilt Festival for her Rainbow Braid quilt.

They are participating in a Shop Hop with 3 other Quilt Shops, BUT it ... ends this Saturday.

Dyan includes the following list of Quilt Shows and Studio Tour in her monthly enews (from which these excerpts are taken):

August 7-9; Lanark County Quilters' Guild 'Quilts on the Tay' St. John Catholic High School, Perth, Ont.

helgazim@arctickayaks.com

Sept 19 & 20, 2009; 7^th Annual Seaway Autumn Studio Tour

Prescott and Area

Free tour of 10 studios with a total of 17 artists showing

Jewelery, Fine Art, Glass Art, Pottery, Fibre Art, Photoart, Quilt Art, recycled

Agricultural Implements

Call Pat at 613.925.3987 for more info

October 11-12; Champlain Valley Quilters’ Guild of NY Quilt Show

Bailey Ave. School, Plattsburgh, NY

www.cvqgny.org

"Dyan" will be vending at this Show.

October 16 & 17, 2009; Flying Geese Quilt Show

Sponsored by the Upper Canada Quilt Guild

Iroquois ON

Call Kelly at 613.543.3868 for more info

Dreamcrafters Quilt Shop, 1422 State Route 37, Akwesasne, NY 13655. 518-358-4285. dreamquilt(at)aol.com

Re-opening of Shop in Lake Placid

Alpine Meadow Rustic Traditions Furniture reopens. 518.523.0040. 2489 Main St., Lake Placid. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, display ad, early July.

Opening of New Gallery in Tupper Lake - Lots of Glasswork!

Art on Park Gallery/Shop, 87 Park St., Tupper Lake opened on July 2nd. Pam Belleville and Beth Johnson, artist co-owners, are featuring Pam's fused glass art pieces, platters, bowls, and clocks and Beth's lampworked bead and silver, copper and bronze jewelry.

Also for sale are the photographs of Paul Chartier, mini bookstore and birchbark frames by Randy Jones, and juried consignment pottery and ceramic tiles by Mary Lou Reid, wearable art by Devin LaFave, scrapbook pages and notecards by Dawn Sauve and felted bags by Sarah Pratt.

Artists interested in being represented can contact Johnson at 518.359.2652 or Belleville at 518.359.2304. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Weekender, July 4.