West Chester LLC

West Chester's "First Block" changes ownership

2011-09-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

While it may not appear to have been mostly empty from the outside, it has been over a year since the county moved most of it's offices out of the "first block" and put the 153,000 square foot parcel up for bid. As of yesterday, the Chester County Commissioners accepted the bid by 2 North High Street Associates, a partnership headed by Eli Kahn and Jack Loew. Paying 4.5 million, they were selected over the bid submitted by Stan Zukin and his partner, Penguin Real Estate Investors. The 4.5 million is far lower than the 15 million the space was estimated to be worth in February of this past year.

The Historic Chester County Courthouse has stood in the center of downtown West Chester since 1846 and was designed by the famous Thomas U. Walter who also designed the dome of the United States Capital. This parcel has been kept by the County and is to be preserved at an estimated cost of 3 million. The majority of the center square of downtown West Chester will be redesigned by Kahn and Loew.

Of particular interest to town residents is the building previously held the Mosteller Department store. A vocal group has demanded that this building be preserved. On September 14th, in an article in the Daily Local News, by MICHAEL P. RELLAHAN, he writes that Kahn and Loew have said they would work with borough officials and residents to find an appropriate way to either renovate the Mosteller property and the other buildings or redevelop them, but they have given no assurances that the Mosteller property would be saved. Meanwhile, Zukin had publicly promised to save the building as a cornerstone of the borough’s historic “First Block” with a mix of retail, office and residential. useshttp://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2011/09/14/news/doc4e6fd98be06a3953364142.txt

There is no doubt that the design and development of this critical central piece of property will effect how West Chester is experienced for residents and visitors for decades if not centuries to come. West Chester became the county seat in 1786. Some feel West Chester has changed dramatically over it's 200 plus year history, while other see it as holding onto it's traditional charm.

One major hurdle we have seen time and time again for small businesses in West Chester is gaining ownership of the buildings in which they operate. High rental costs can drive them out of business or to other locations. A healthy and vibrant economic community attracts more visitors and supporters of local businesses. Hopefully the Kahn/Loews plan will take both economic stimulus and small business owner success into account as they take on the very large responsibility of designing for West Chester's future.

Take a fun ride on Paradise Transit

2011-06-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

With a motto of "we keep the party rolling" you might be surprised to find that owner Jared Savidsky has safety as his top priority when he originally envisioned Paradise Transit. As a student at West Chester University, he saw a great need was left unmet. Nearly a decade earlier, others had tried to orchestrate a shuttle service between the University and downtown, but none were successful. Following graduation, Jared started working on a business plan and has since created an environment where students can enjoy the trip into town, without worry about walking home alone or driving under the influence. Well into his second year of service, Jared has amassed quite a large following by residents and students alike. The bus runs a loop stopping at points around West Chester University and through downtown West Chester.

You may have seen his shuttle driving around town at night, the bus runs Thursdays through Saturdays from 7pm to 3am. The loop is not his only service, the bus is also for hire for private parties. The interior is a comfortable, lively environment with TV screens and optional digital lighting. It would be great for a group trip to a Phillies game or an alternative to a limo service for an evening event.

You can visit http://www.paradisetransit.com/services.html and learn more about Paradise Transit services.

Would you like to join an Angel network?

2011-05-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

The largest Accredited Angel investor and private equity network, Keiretsu Forum, has opened a new chapter in Philadelphia with the help of Howard E. Lubert. He visited West Chester University's Graduate School of Business to speak to the students and business people who attended the Cottrel Entrepreneurial Center's Networking breakfast this morning.

After only two months in operations, his chapter is already receiving 10-12 applications a month from eager entrepreneurs looking for Angel funding. The beauty of the Keiretsu Forum's operational system is a formal review process that opens the doors to entrepreneurs who previously needed to know the right person to access Angels. Both pre-revenue and operational start-ups are welcome to apply and, after an initial screening, are given an opportunity to briefly present their plan to the group.

Mr. Lubert is founder and managing partner of Safehatch, a tech focused due diligence company. After 20 years of technical due diligence, Mr. Lubert has developed a model against which to evaluate technology start-ups that can be expanded to most business types. Imagine a stool with three legs. The three legs can be of different sizes, materials, or thicknesses but must join to support the seat. The three legs represent the people, the plan and the technology that will support the marketplace. You can read more about the Keiretsu Forum and this model at the Keiretsu Forum's website. http://www.keiretsuforum-phl.com/.

Like the West Chester LLC, The Philadelphia Keiretsu Forum supports economic development in our region by connecting investors to new businesses. For the Philadelphia area, and the Greater West Chester Area in particular, we must embrace and embolden small businesses to sustain and grow our communities.

Heros Breakfast - Congratulations to the Literacy Heros!

2011-04-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

This morning it may have been raining and dreary outside but the mood was festive and inspired inside the Ballroom at Longwood Gardens for the West Chester Public Library's annual event. Today was the Heros breakfast, where local Chester County literacy heros are honored. All contributions and proceeds benefit the library, enabling it to continue to be a center of learning, fun and development in town. The West Chester LLC, as a contributing sponsor, selected Noemi Viveros as the Adult Literacy Hero. Noemi has been a pioneer of bilingual outreach supporing the spanish speaking community in our area as a teacher, an intrepreter and a community developer, helping hundreds of people. She is just one of the many unsung heros who help people learn to read and communicate essential aspects of living. Please take a moment to check out the other heros at the West Chester Public Library's website and consider giving to the library to help it continue to improve our lives. http://wcpubliclibrary.org/2011/02/who-are-our-heroes/ I also want to congratulate the library on a wonderful event, well done!

Historical Preservation is encouraged in West Chester

2011-03-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Over the past year plans to expand on the mission of Historic Preservation in West Chester has been embraced by our local government and the Business Improvement District. Ray Ott, with the help of Jane E. Dorchester, finalized the West Chester Comprehensive Historic Preservation Plan in early March.

The West Chester BID website describes the plan as including a history of the borough, an inventory of historic resources, local preservation programs and ordinances; as well as an evaluation of current/future needs and an action plan. Check out BID's recent update.

What does this mean for new business owners? As a new or hopeful small business owner in West Chester, you will want to familiarize yourself with the ordinances and requirements of the renovation and display guidelines set up by HARB (Historic Architectural Review Board) before you start making plans for your new site. HARB regulations

It is also advised to make an appointment with the Business Improvement District's Executive Director, Malcolm Johnstone, as he is a valuable resource in how the historic preservation requirements can be met. He is also interested in the success your business and can offer many suggestions on how to avoid pitfalls here in West Chester.

Truly, there are many items to consider before opening a business. It is wise to gain an understanding of what requirements exist where you want to open shop. If you locate within the West Chester Historic district your exterior signage and building improvements must also be approved by HARB in order to move ahead. Before you put your investment dollars into your branding make sure you understand the overall look and feel that West Chester's planners are going for and you can save a great deal of hassle and expense. The Historic Preservation plan, in conjunction with other market research, will help develop your understanding of the overall character that residents of West Chester plan to encourage to see how your business will fit into the mix.

Add your business vision to West Chester’s Eclectic Mix

2011-01-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Restaurants, hair salons, artists, jewelry experts, designer clothing shops, veterinarians, accountants, lawyers, shoe repairs, tattoos, live music, bicycles, running and fitness, printers, travel agents, sunglasses, tuxedos, interior design, event planning…the list goes on and on. Somewhere along the way, all of these businesses were just an idea in somebody’s head. That entrepreneur turned an idea into a reality. They went through the process of determining what they needed to be successful. At some point, they needed start up capital to get things going. It is essential to success that you get the capital you need and feel positive about where it has come from. A few tips gleaned from an article I found in Bloomberg Business from January 2007 by Christine Comaford-Lynch are right on target (www.businessweek.com/print…)

How much money is enough? You want to have enough to keep the company running and also be able to hit specific milestones, showing increased value in time for your next round of capital raising.

When to raise the capital? It will depend on where it is coming from. You need to know what timeframes to expect and recognize that the process of finding (and being approved for) funding almost always takes longer than expected, so add cushion into your financing plan.

Bank loans, especially in our new lending environment, can take 4-6 months or as little as 2-3 months if you have an excellent banking relationship already established. You also better have a nearly perfect credit history before you start down the path to traditional bank loans. If you are thinking of being operational in 2 years, and you need to tidy up your credit history, take actions immediately to become more credit worthy. Check out this site to find out a few simple steps that can make a large difference. http://www.ehow.com/how_7441749_improve-credit-llc.html

Government backed SBA loans can take some of the credit history burden off of you, if you qualify, the SBA is able to back some applicants who might be on the edge of qualifiying for a small business loan. This program was boosted by the Small Business Jobs Act, signed by President Obama on September 27, 2010, in an effort to get small businesses back on track. Read more about SBA loans here: http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-grants/small-business-loans/sba-loan-programs/sba-loan-queue

If you’re looking for Angel or Venture Capital, your lag time can vary widely between 3 to 12 months, and most granting agencies/organizations will take a year to review and approve your application.

Ideally you should start the process of raising capital 6 to 9 months before you will need it. Again, ideally, you’ll also need to plan your outreach at or around times that you are hitting your milestones, as you will seem like less of a risk when you can show potential profits ro objectives being met in the near future.

Choosing whom to work with is the most important aspect of your capital raising campaign. You will be working with this person or organization for years, make sure you respect them and feel comfortable communicating with them.

Will your investor be an active or passive participant in the process? Active money will work closely with you, potentially introducing you to sales prospects and expecting a say in how you execute your business plan. Passive investors will not require time-consuming directives and will leave you entirely in charge (and responsible) for success.

Take the time you need to adequatly evaluate where your financing will be coming from and what the details mean to you in your plan. You will want to understand exactly what is expected of you upfront, so that you are not surprised once you have accepted your lenders terms and conditions. This can enable you to develop long standing professional lending relationships that could allow you to persue even larger ideas that you have not even imagined yet.

West Chester’s Best Trait

2011-01-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

West Chester’s small business community is made up of a cornucopia of business styles, a vast spectrum of personalities and a wide array of personal stories. While just about everyone has an opinion on most of our goings-ons in town, nearly all agree that West Chester’s business owners and residents are at the heart of our experience here. In a small town such as ours, we all benefit when our local merchants and service providers can make payroll or expand a product line. As neighbors, whether you agree on borough council’s latest decision or not, we all come together to support and spend our dollars in this quintessential Pennsylvania small town we call home.

This past New Years Eve a friend asked me what it is that I like best about West Chester. There were so many reasons, I found that I needed to spend a little time narrowing down my answer. Having called 8 other places home I actually surprised myself. My list includes some large cities and some small towns that make West Chester look like a metropolis; San Francisco, Tampa, Boston, Brooklyn, Berkeley, Cape Cod, Wilmington and upstate New York. I realized that while West Chester is not as diverse a population as San Francisco, Brooklyn or Tampa and is not as pristine and quaint as Osterville, Cape Cod, or Piedmont, CA, it is a place focused intensely on our community. We are not all alike in West Chester, yet we must co-exist and we do so with civility. We are primarily comprised of good natured and hard working citizens who will step up and take a stand for what we feel is right and yet, seeing as we may find that ourselves across the aisle from our barber or our accountant, we (by and large) behave our selves.

West Chester is by no means perfect, but ours is a community of earnest people trying hard to make their contribution to its success. Some say that it isn’t the easiest place to break into but one way to get better connected is to join a group who is working to improve West Chester in some way, or, better yet, start something new that is close to your heart. Whether your efforts focus on a solely humanitarian project or a new business venture, your contribution will add to the textured fabric of West Chester’s diverse offerings. We need efforts that stimulate economic growth just as much as we need projects that are more philanthropic in nature. Turning your passion into a financial pursuit or a non-profit service is good for your soul and for our community. West Chester’s residents contribute to our socioeconomic blueprint and make us a stronger healthier community, we truly do buy locally, invest locally and help our community to grow locally. I find this to be our finest trait. If you are looking to start a business, the West Chester LLC may be able to supply a portion of the capital you need to get started or at the very least introduce you to other potential partners.

Edit your choices down to the essentials

2010-12-21T06:12:00.000-08:00

Finding the straightest and shortest route to your goal is the key to achieving it. If you are an entreprenuer, you might find yourself conjuring up a new idea every day. It's fun to imagine what possibilities exist - or the myriad of ways you could do it, but finding the most direct and effective method of getting it done is critical. While you need to be flexible enough to allow a reworking of your plan, you need to try to keep your analysis of how your new idea is relevant to a minimum. Make your decision and stick with it. Keeping a journal where you can quickly record your newest idea and, if appropriate, let it go may help you to stay on track.

They say that successfull people are efficient people. They are people who know how to edit and stay on task. A great idea only becomes reality if can be executed on time and within budget.

Jason Fried of Inc. Magazine suggests there is great power in saying No! Eliminate distractions, side notes, tangents and, instead, focus on the next constructive step toward execution. Here he writes about using the word "No" to keep it simple. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20101201/how-to-kill-a-bad-idea.html

A new tool I'm trying out is an "action day" calendar which I just purchased for 2011. I admit, it is a hand written calendar which I returned to following the loss of my entire iphone calendar. Thanks to an apple bug my calendar and backup versions were erased approximatly one month prior to my wedding. As you can imagine, between work and the wedding, it caused a great deal of chaos which I have not entirely recovered from. My new calendar allows me to plan for the week ahead, marking down which actions are to be completed towards a specific bigger goal and also separates my more mundane "tasks" into a separate column. This way, I can clearly see that in order to move forward in completing my next goal, I must get my actions completed, even if a few tasks go undone. http://www.actionday.com/

Another trick to staying focused is to star or highlight no more than 4 items at a time, finish those actions without distraction and then look to see what should be tackled next.

Alternatively, if you have unlimited resources you can choose to get things done the Brazilian way; "Why do something today that you can pay someone else to do for you tomarrow?" If only I were so lucky.

Giving back while doing business

2010-12-20T08:06:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by Inc. Magazine's article "Entreprenuers we love," and wanted to focus today's post on some of West Chester entreprenuers whose actions help our overall community. Every small effort made by West Chester's business owners help our community thrive. By spending our Christmas dollars in their establishments, we help keep their businesses strong and the cycle of growth continues.
http://www.inc.com/ss/entrepreneurs-we-love-because-they-inspire-us#0,

Holly Brown, owner of Kaly Clothing at 37 West Gay Street, is the current president of Borough Council. She will often preside over council meetings which run late into the night after putting in a hard day's work (or at this time of year, a hard month's work) in her shop. http://kalyclothing.com/

The Lincoln room's Susan Johnstone has organized "giving trees" to gather donations to support local charities throughout December in conjunction with Santa visits on the weekends. http://www.lincolnroomwestchester.com/events.php

Christopher Curtin of Eclat helps to put West Chester on the Culinary map. Earlier this year Eclat won a silver Sofi Award at the New York Fancy Food show, they also won a "Best of Philly award" for the thrid year and was recently mentioned in philly magazine for his beautifully crafted edible Christmas ornaments: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/food/20101216_MarketBasket_.html

Cyndi Meadows of Penwick Design shop is also the secratary of the West Chester Business Improvement District, which helps to promote West Chester as a destination to our surrounding counties. http://www.penwickdesign.com/

Please let us know of other West Chester merchants who are giving back to our community in their own way so that we can thank them for their efforts.

Do you love movies? Come join other movie lovers tonight for a screening of ELF!

2010-12-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

Especially over the holiday season, most of us are striking up casual conversations with relatives, friends or colleagues who we haven't seen in a while. If you have attended a holiday party or simply visited with an old friend, the conversation occasionally turns to West Chester, the place. Someone often offers, "If we only had a theater!" The focus is varied; films, shows or music, but most residents and visitors agree that a theater that could do all three would be a great addition to the downtown scene. More times than not, the Warner Theater comes up, which closed its doors in the early 1980s, after several attempts were made to save it. Alishia M. Faller and Jim Jones give us a historical account of the Warner Theater as a part of their Riggtown Series which can be found here: http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his480/reports/warner.htm.

Since its closure, groups of active citizens have brainstormed ways to bring a similar theater back into town. In 2008, “The Note” a bar and music venue, opened on East Market Street. It brings live music into town. Can West Chester townspeople support another theater, and if so, what should it look like? The West Chester LLC is interested in the prospect of getting another theater going, let us know what you think about the idea.

The Business Attraction Committee of the West Chester BID, partially in an attempt to gage our collective interest in movies, has been showing a movie night series. They have been partnering with the West Chester Film Festival and the West Chester Historical Society to bring us dinner and a movie on the third Thursday of every month, which is today!

MOVIE NIGHT SERIES at CHESTER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Thursday, December 16, 7:00 PM
ELF starring Will Ferrell.

Join us for the Holiday edition of the "Dinner and a Movie" series featuring the Christmas favorite Elf. This hilarious elfen tale starring Will Ferrell is laugh-out-loud fun for the whole family! The series is presented by the West Chester BID, the Chester County Historical Society, and the West Chester Film Festival. The feature film will be preceded by a short film from the West Chester Film Festival. Appetizers and treats will be provided by The Lincoln Room. Soda and water will also be provided. Tickets are $12 (or $10 for CCHS members). Purchase your tickets online at http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=85pnawcab&et=1104085828908&s=1002&e=001grJPLI0GtgLyXUUhTy_R0acxIaGXkYB4mio2TU81HjgkmV6nxA3sK2JDijqfWakD5qp0an6VgbPxNqiZC9oyEkR1FTWk5vmYmfThoodesWnk8JQ6vkFFkWNtxPfNPrOq or at the door. Read about all the films slated for the series at http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=85pnawcab&et=1104085828908&s=1002&e=001grJPLI0GtgLfUeXPmzhwWJK6Odwsr-E9_G1nfBdFmMRNgEXUuxxjAvOmMT_CFiLGiRZknkmZR1QwrW_zUE-5zNpmg7ar-ualEwe9z6LN_MxGqpFStctlUfFnFWKXn9NU

The Lincoln Room invited Santa to West Chester this past weekend.

2010-12-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Susan Johnstone is a community minded business woman who has creatively combined visits with Santa and support for local charities in downtown West Chester. Santa will be available for visits every weekend day from 2 to 6pm through December 19th in The Lincoln Room's courtyard.

http://www.lincolnroomwestchester.com/events.php

The Daily Local News focused on Susan's idea in this past weekend's paper. Check out the story and all the charities represented in this article by staff writer Jennifer Miller:

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/12/04/news/srv0000010172532.txt

Old fashioned Christmas weekend in West Chester

2010-11-30T05:50:00.000-08:00

West Chester LLC will be co-sponsoring an event with the West Chester Downtown Foundation during this weekend's Old Fashioned Christmas.

The West Chester LLC will be co-sponsoring the West Chester University Baroque Ensemble Group this Sunday, December 5th at 3pm. The concert is to take place at the West Chester Historical Society at 225 North High Street. We hope to see you there!!

Check out schedules and details here: http://www.gwcc.org/chamber-events/old-fashioned-christmas-sponsored-by-flavia/

West Chester LLC supports the West Chester BID

2010-11-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

As is mentioned in today's Daily Local News by writer Jennifer Miller, The West Chester LLC is not the only entity looking to help build and maintain Downtown West Chester. The Business Improvement District enbraces its mission to:

increase customer traffic and sales
retain, expand and recruit viable businesses
to advocate the interests of downtown to government agencies

see the full article at: http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/11/29/news/srv0000010062268.txt?viewmode=fullstory

West Chester Currency

2010-11-23T05:08:00.000-08:00

Did you know that back in the day (in the 1700's) West Chester had its own currency? This currency enabled day to day business transactions and circulated money within town. In a way, the West Chester LLC aims to do the same thing but on a year to year basis. We put investment dollars into the greater West Chester area businesses as loans or private equity positions. A portion of the earned income is reinvested in the community creating a revolving investment fund.

The West Chester LLC currently has 38 members, most of whom live and/or work in West Chester. The idea is that we are investing in our community. While the "invest local" slogan is a good way to be community minded, it's not only about that great feeling of helping our local economy. We also look for good investments and as a member-managed LLC, we are able to sit down and meet the people or companies we fund face to face. The alternative is investing in big corporations that we have no direct contact with and never will. While we have a personal stake in the outcome of Wall Street's efforts, we have no personal interaction with them. As a shareholder in the LLC, we are able to interact with the people who we are supporting on a daily basis, and spend our dollars in their shops.

Micheal Shuman has been talking about using this method of investing for several decades. In recent lectures he proposes amendments to SEC securities laws specifically aimed at enabling all people to invest locally, no matter their income level. If you take it a step further and create local stock exchanges, we could create millions of jobs at almost zero cost. He also reflects that sole proprietorships (most independant businesses) generate 3 times more profit than C-corporations (most large businesses) per unit of business. It is a compelling argument for opening up trading at local levels, especially when you consider this next point he makes.

Current SEC regulations require pages upon pages of disclosure documents to be read and signed by investors prior to making an investment. If that same investor walks into a casino to place a bet of the same dollar amount, he is expected to do nothing more than blow on some dice. Understanding the risk factors involved in an investment decision or a blackjack bet is important, but, there are some glaring differences in how a casino or a small business is expected to disclose that risk to investors. It is a process so laborious and expensive for small businesses that it becomes almost impossible to afford. Shouldn't our small businesses have the same or more opportunity to generate investors as casinos do?

Shuman has some great ideas about how to change antiquated security laws to enable local economies to thrive.

Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWM0o1rfWwE

Get that idea off the ground

2010-11-12T05:51:00.001-08:00

We at the West Chester LLC are excited about the business ideas that come across our desks. There are many creative entrepreneurs in the West Chester Area and we want to see all concepts succeed. Taking the step to actully open a business is a monumental acheivement for some and a habit for others, but one thing that almost all successful start ups have in common is a business plan.

Some plans are scribbled on napkins initially, others use advanced formulas in Excell spreadsheets but planning how to get from your ideas to your results is an essential piece of the process. Being ready and able to revist the plan and revise it to suit a constantly changing environment is also crucial to sucess.

Two articles with some good advice on starting your start-up and business planning are on one of my favorite websites, Inc. Magazine's online portal this month.

Check out Elizabeth Wasserman's article "How to write a Great Business Plan"
http://www.inc.com/guides/write-a-great-business-plan.html

and

10 things to do before you start your start-up by Inc. Staffers:
http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/10-things-to-do-before-you-start-your-start-up.html

Private Equity in a General Store

2010-11-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, while reading an article on the LA Times website, I came across an advertisement for the Vermont General Store. Immediately I was flooded with memories of the cold snow crunching under foot, apple pie and a fun family trip we had taken years before to Woodstock, Vermont. I thought, what is a General Store in Vermont doing advertising in Los Angeles?

On Wikipedia, the definition of a "General Store" is as follows:

In Australia, Canada and the United States, a store named or subtitled "general store" is traditionally a retailer located in a small town or in a rural area. It carries a broad selection of merchandise crammed into a relatively small space where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general goods. The store carries routine stock and obtains special orders from warehouses.

This general store has added national online sales to it's repertoire.

Our family spent Christmas in Woodstock Vermont several years before, and decided to do a Secret Santa gift exchange where all buyers were given 3 rules to our shopping excursion. We had to spend no more than $40.00 in Woodstock, Vermont within the next 2 hours. Everyone wandered off into town, peeking over their shoulders to make sure they weren't being spied on by their secret recipient. The next day when packages were opened, the spread of gifts were extremely varied, artisan Jellies and Jams, a funny Vermont inspired stuffed animal, beautiful antique gardening tools and light bulbs were among the packages opened. It turned out that, after visiting a multitude of quintessentially cute Vermont shops, all gift givers had bought lunch and spent their cash at the Vermont General Store. Not surprising when you see that it is a deep cavernous building, packed with everything and anything you could think of, while still referencing the part of the country we were visiting.

As our country claws its way out of the recession, we are buying more things we need - rather than want; we are looking for ways to tighten our bootstraps, but we still want to buy nice birthday and Christmas gifts for loved ones.

A Pennsylvania inspired General Store that carried essentials, sandwiches, and lovely gifts could be a big success in West Chester. Patrons could limit gas expenses and time with one stop shopping. They could support local artisans, pick up lunch and contribute towards putting West Chester on a much larger national map though online sales.

You can visit:

http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/Shop where the Vermont Merchant has develop a niche online market as "Purveyors of the Practical and Hard to Find."

Hybrid Retail can cover all bases

2010-11-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Over this past weekend, we stopped into Paper Source in Princeton, NJ and were overwhelmed by the extrodinary display of all things paper. It was a delightful example of a hybrid business model at work, and being the nostalgic pen pal I am, I was in staitionary heaven.

The lively colors, clean crisp displays and fun gifty knick knacks had my inner creative buzzing. They seem to do it all. You can sit down at a worktable with a designer and order your invitations from a selection of designs neatly displayed in accesible binders. You can sign up for a class on caligraphy or scrap booking (almost all classes for adults!!) You can pick out a wacky gift for you great-grandmother OR for her great grandson and have it gift wrapped and sent.

Or you can simply buy a card. The foot traffic was respectable and the sales people extremly knowledgable about the business. The woman who handled my purchase of a rubber stamp collection explained that Paper Source was thriving and in fact about 10 new stores were opening within the next couple months, which will increase their count to 32 stores.

You can take a look at their webiste and see that the online selections are just as extensive. http://www.paper-source.com/

West Chester could use a Paper Source - or an expansion of a current shop to include some of these fine offerings.

West Chester is one of the TOP small towns to live and work in...

2010-11-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

...just like Princeton, NJ. What a great trip Richard and I had, we have come back full of ideas for West Chester! We LOVED our tour by Mimi, the owner of Princeton Tour Company, who I cannot reccomend more highly - http://www.princetontourcompany.com/index.cfm - if you are going to Princeton, consider scheduling a tour with them!! It was so much fun.

Not only do you get a little exercise and learn fun facts, but Mimi's tours also highlight the way that merchants in Princeton stick together, support each other and in the process create more revenue for everyone. We are eager to find the "Mimi" of West Chester as we think that her business model has great potential here. We all know that West Chester is one of the best places in the country to live and work - a tour company is a great way to share the best of West Chester with everyone! Stay tuned, we'll be posting more about our trip soon.

Princeton, NJ here we come!!

2010-11-05T13:16:00.001-07:00

Richard and I are making a research trip to Princeton NJ this coming Sunday to mine the goldmine that is one of the most “BUY LOCALLY” minded small towns I've ever read about. Although Richard knows the town well having spent four of his formulative collegiate years there, he will have much to learn from how Princeton has embraced sustainability in recent decades. The shop local (till you drop) and environmentally conscious attitude continues to support a thriving local economy where university life and town life happily co-exist.

After visiting many merchants and asking a multitude of "how" and "what" questions we will be taking a tour by the Princeton Tour Company, (http://www.princetontourcompany.com/) a business model itself which may suit West Chester well. We hope to gain insights that can contribute to how we structure the review of the applications we receive at the West Chester LLC for funding. Stay tuned, we'll try to make a few posts on route!

Here is some suggested reading on Princeton, NJ:

http://www.hometownprinceton.com/

http://www.princetoninfo.com/index.php?option=com_us1homepage&Itemid=1

Some environmentally friendly shops that make it work!

http://www.shopgreendesign.com/

http://www.wholeearthcenter.com/whatMakesUsUnique.php

http://www.terracycle.net/

WCLLC will be a sponsor at the annual Literacy Heroes Event in April 2011 - NOMINATE YOUR HERO!

2010-11-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

The West Chester LLC will be a sponsor at one of the most important events that the West Chester Public Library holds each year, the Literacy Heroes Breakfast. For the past six years, people who have made a significant contribution to advance literacy in our community have been honored at this annual celebration. As is stated on the event website; "Along with professionals, it is often a community volunteer, a grandmother, a parent or another individual who spends valuable time helping others. We want to honor these unsung heroes….individuals giving selflessly of their time and talent to help champion the cause of literacy."

You can nominate your hero here:

http://www.ccls.org/assets/forms/literacyheroes.htm

The West Chester Public library depends on the generous support of it's community, please consider giving a donation to the library. You can find out how to make a gift here:

http://www.literacyheroes.com/gift.html

A Demand Economy

2010-11-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

Two articles in the November issue of Inc. Magazine highlight interesting trends in business over the past year. Companies that are selling "needs," rather than "wants" are succeeding at higher rates and slow sales of businesses themselves are leaning towards a buyers market. A question to consider is how do these national trends reflect what is happening on the streets of West Chester? Some of our most recent new businesses include a yoga studio, a health and wellness consultantcy, a leasing office and counseling services while one of our retail shops celebrates it's 20 year anniversary this year.

West Chester BID's Website, New Business news:
http://www.westchesterbid.com/view_program.php?id=209

A Demand Economy by Leigh Buchanan
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20101101/the-demand-economy.html

The 2010 Business Valuation Guide by Darren Dahl
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20101101/the-2010-business-valuation-guide.html

West Chester "BAR BID" is not adopted

2010-11-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

The majority of the owners of West Chester's Restuarants and Bars submitted objections to the creation of a business improvement district specifically designed to quell rowdy late night patrons, also known as the Bar "BID."

In an article on the Daily Local News site, Anne Pickering writes "On Monday, Borough Manager Ernie McNeeley said 20 of the 39 liquor license holders in the borough had filed an objection to the new district and so the proposal was defeated."

You can see the full story at:

http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2010/11/02/news/srv0000009839059.txt?viewmode=default

West Chester's "First Block"

2010-11-01T10:48:00.001-07:00

One of the most important parcels of real estate in West Chester is the buildings surrounding the historical Chester County Courthouse. The county has listed these properties for sale and the ultimate development of this "First Block" will be critical to West Chester's downtown success. The West Chester LLC will post information here from time to time to keep you informed. We hope to play a part in the development of this property.

Checklist for start-up success from Silicon Valley

2010-10-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

On this fine Halloween Sunday, I came across a checklist for startup success while sipping my "afternoon" coffee. Steve Blank is a entreprenuer working in Mountain View, CA (Silicon Valley) who learned to include his enginerring employees in his Sale/development process, during his 8th Start-up, a company called Epiphany. Follow these links to see his check list and hear more about his process.

Steve Blank's Blog:
http://steveblank.com/2010/10/28/a-checklist-for-chaos-the-path-to-success/

Steve Blank's Checklist:
http://steveblank.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/customer-hypothesis-checklist.jpg

Music in the Downtown

2010-10-29T12:37:00.001-07:00

We have agreed to co-sponsor with the West Chester Downtown Foundation a concert at the Chester County Historical Society on Sunday, December 5th. The concert features an 11 piece orchestra of West Chester University musicians playing baroque music on vintage instruments. Please mark your calendar and join us for this rare treat.

Pete's Produce Farm

2010-10-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by Pete's Produce on Route 926 - what a great place to pick up locally grown produce and support our local agriculture. I got to meet Pete and just wish I had known about the store before today! My Salsa Verde was delicious! Check it out: http://www.petesproducefarm.com/.

iphone post

2010-10-29T09:17:00.001-07:00

This morning I am learning how to post messages from my iPhone to the blog. This is my first attempt - let's see how it goes

West Chester LLC starts blogging

2010-10-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

As Richard, Katharine and I met yesterday, our brainstorming topic was "How do we get the word out about us?" We thought we would try blogging and see if we can connect with the greater West Chester Area!

Our mission is to invest in and support small businesses and entreprenuers in the greater West Chester Area. We have capital to invest and are looking for applications from innovative and creative people who want to open a location in West Chester or expand with a new idea. Do you have a friend who wants to open a specialty bookstore, or a tee shirt shop? Are you a creative at home parent who has a hidden talent?

We'll be posting as often as we can about the research we do and also about other places like West Chester that we think are doing it right. Please subscribe to our blog and stay informed on new and interesting ideas for West Chester and tell your friends about us!!