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Florals and Finds has been such a success in Clear Lake SD that owners Margit and Sharon decided to add on to their business. Florals and Finds Boutique opened this Fall next door and features women's fashions, jewelry, some footwear, scarves and more. The great thing as far as this storyteller is concerned is that they include Plus Size clothing too so they are a woman's "all-size shop!" (We need to create an urban dictionary name for this--because it's necessary and great when boutiques are inclusive to all-size women! )
Arla Olson, a favorite salesperson, that could be found across the street at Joyce's in Clear Lake joined the team along with Kayla Fritz Bucknell, daughter to Margit. Joining the two stores together, they began their commitment to continue great service and bring new and unique boutique items to the area. Arla adds her 40 years experience in helping women find their perfect fit and desired style. Her many years experience is quite the asset to Floral and Finds Boutique. Arla has an uncanny memory of women's styles and sizes and once you get to know her, she's got your style. Even husband's trust her expertise to let her do the shopping. Kayla adds her own flair and expertise to the equation. Having started to sell Plunder jewelry after her and her husband moved back to Clear Lake, it has grown amazingly in the east central region, and beyond. Kayla sells their boutique items via Facebook Live and they ship their styles and fashions around the world. It is a unique concept and one our small rural communities need to grasp. Online sales is necessary along with the personal touch of 'hands on." Of course if at some point you are not happy with your choice if purchased online, they stand by their product and sales. Kayla also adds touches of youthfulness being a young mother of two little boys. The biggest sales pitch for their shop is they listen to their customers and when they go to market they're thinking of their clientele. If you're coming through Clear Lake and the shops are not open, be sure to call them as well to set up an appointment. Between the four of them, they'll try to meet whatever need you have. If you recall in reading our previous article here, Margit was a grade school teacher for many years, So be sure to scroll down and find the original downtown story of how this team in Clear Lake got their start. Or click here. Hello Brooke! Brooke Hockett that is; newlywed, college student, and entrepreneur. Perhaps you've met or seen her at one of the many art festivals in eastern South Dakota or running to class or to work. She is a busy girl and loving every minute of it. Brooke is the designer and owner of Brooke Co. What started out as a hobby as she made gifts for friends and family, her talent soon had people seeing what she was capable of and Brooke Co. was born. Brooke is a small town girl that has talent pouring out of every pore. She loves her rural beginnings and never wants to leave and in a way that part of her is included in the products she creates. She's a lover also of supporting local and strives to encourage and desire to see her rural community progress. Brooke puts love, devotion and care into each product that she makes. Hand painting and hand-scripting each quote without stencils or vinyl and making signs from real wood, her products are authentically made. Her T-shirts, pillows and more too are hand-scripted, then screen-printed in her studio as well. Not stopping with individual sales, Brooke also welcomes wholesale and custom orders. Brooke is an outstanding young lady and everyone that knows her loves her. Her passion for life exudes from every pore and her zest for what is real and genuine radiates from her including her faith. Brooke loves what she is doing and is thrilled to be kicking off her new website Brookecohome.com I've given you a peek into Brooke Hockett's story here, but check out her website for her products and look for her on Facebook as well. You'll enjoy the journey!! Here's an interview that we did with Megan Fritzsche, Office Assistant for Miller, South Dakota's On Hand Economic Development. Here's the backstory: last year Tammy Caffee, On Hand Economic Development Director, recognized that Miller only had one business signed on to represent the town of Miller, South Dakota. Tammy then reached out to inquire how Miller could have a larger presence, as a community, for the 'Go Local' publication. Here's where the story gets pretty neat. In May of this year, 2017, we reached out to Tammy Caffee again to inquire how we could help their community have a larger presence: the ability to showcase their own small businesses in their town, community. This is where Megan stepped up and walked the streets in her community and asked so many business owners what they would like to do. But, we were pressed for time: the business owners wanted to do photos, and stories and be able to tell about their brands and products they sell. When speaking with Megan today, here's a little take-away for everyone in our state to find valuable: Megan stated, "I was at the bank this week and noticed one women from Faulkton that I knew. She was with four other friends and I asked her what brought her to town." Her friend stated, "We wanted to spend the day in Miller, to shop and eat at your local businesses." How cool is that! <Traveling Backroads> Megan also shared with us, "Miller often has business women come to town to shop at specific stores here. Those women are from Pierre, Huron and beyond." What Megan and the community of Miller did was to pool together to highlight why you should stop - take the backroads - as you travel across the state. So many businesses are unique in their own way - offering products that you just can't find anywhere else. But, do people know about you? Megan stated that she was very pleased with how Miller teamed up to help one another in their venture of supporting local businesses as a team effort. Miller had 13+ businesses sign-up to list their shops and stores, and it has proven to be a community where people pride themselves in each other's crafts. Thank you Tammy, Megan and the town of Miller for believing in your community and for trusting us to keep working alongside you. - Find your avenue, Travel Backroads After 32 years of teaching elementary students, Margit Fritz found herself in a new profession; the owner of the new retail business Floral & Finds in downtown Clear Lake. Joining forces with a local friend, Sharon Voss, who had tremendous experience in florals, they formed a partnership and opened their doors in the Spring of 2016. Margit went through the normal channels of beginning a business from formalizing the plan to having their brand created. Purchasing an old building, the next step of the partnership began and renovations began. Margit had been collecting antiques and collectibles for years and her collection of choice-items pleasantly fit right into the decor they were planning. Taking old tin roofing from one part of the building and adding into another part was just an example of the changes they made. Another was taking an old church window and woodwork and implanting in one of the walls within the store. Pictures are shown here of some of the renovations that turned Florals & Finds into what it is today; a year later and very successful.
Florals & Finds adds to the ambiance of downtown Clear Lake when most little towns are struggling to keep going and new businesses are looking to build in the higher traffic areas. Stores like this give new life to a struggling economy and help to turn it into a more flourishing community. Both spouses are also involved in their own right in the community. Margit’s husband Duke is the owner of Fritz Chevrolet who just celebrated their 90th birthday this past year.
Florals & Finds is located on Highway 15 that runs through Clear Lake in Deuel County. A backroad business in the east central part of South Dakota, supported by the local and area residents, invites others to take a side trip and stop in see what items one cannot live without. Deuel Community Kitchen (Toronto, SD) - A Kitchen Incubator Story Incubators can help a small community and food producers because they are designed to grow business! Incubators make it financially possible for a start-up food manufacturer to take advantage of available professional kitchen space while they grow their business. This commercial kitchen facility is available to producers and packagers of specialty and gourmet food, caterers, and individual chefs that want to get their special recipe off and running. Those individuals who want to take a special recipe to market or create a food or natural resource business will want to consider the use of this kitchen. A kitchen is for start-ups and existing food processors. Most start-up food enterprises begin in a home kitchen. But the home kitchen becomes a liability because of special licensing that is required and laws that prevent the home kitchen recipe when it goes to the marketplace. Legally then the start-up food enterprise must manufacture their product from a professional kitchen. This is where a kitchen incubator comes in. Chefs (user of a kitchen) will be able to offer long or short-term leases at reasonable rates on a flexible time-share basis. Food entrepreneurs become ‘legal’ by working in this certified kitchen space because it, in turn, can be inspected more easily. Available to use are professional standard ovens, refrigerators, mixers, food processors, storage space, worktables, pots and pans, utensils and locked storage space. This professional space will have a list of requirements in using the space, but also guidelines that will need to be followed when using the kitchen. The entrepreneurs enter into an agreement with the facility, with each other and in this case with the non-profit Deuel Area Development (DADi) that began the incubator. Using a kitchen incubator is a relatively new concept and definitely in a rural setting. The DCK began with a USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant. With the help of DADi and assistance of Dakota Rural Action and Deubrook School District the Deuel Community Kitchen came to fruition.
Once a product is ready for marketing, the producer can help with a business plan and making connections with the Small Business Development Centers. It is the hope of USDA Rural Development that other small communities with available licensed kitchens can use DCK as a model. Other items to consider when starting a kitchen: location to 'chefs', insurance, Serv-Safe licensing, labeling, kitchen inspections and licensing, Department of Health regulations, kitchen's availability, potential users, marketing and determination, community awareness, and marketing. Making it a family affair, a young husband and wife team, newly graduated in 2015, Bjorn and Devon Nelson joined Bjorn's father John Nelson, in his practice in Spearfish, SD which he began after graduating from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN in 1976. Bjorn, graduating from Belle Fourche, SD then later Rocky Mountain College, followed in his father’s footsteps and also attended NWHSU, then graduated in 2014. Devon reigning from Bismarck, ND and a standout in their high school’s athletic program, graduated from North Dakota State University majoring in Exercise Science. All three bring their own flavor of expertise into the mix. Rounding out the business is the staff of Nelson Chiropractic. One of those staff members, and CNA, is Bjorn’s mother, Deb Carr, who comes from a long line of chiropractors on her side of the family. Once a long time music teacher in the Belle Fourche School District, she joined her own chiropractic family in Huron, SD before she relocated to Spearfish to work with this growing business. Nelson Chiropractic has been providing chiropractic care and wellness treatments for 40 years. The Nelson’s promote health, therapeutic rehabilitation, acupuncture, cupping, physical therapy, wellness, and exercise through natural treatment and invite you to give them a call and they will get you on the path to wellness. All of them share Travel Backroads’ vision of a deep commitment to local business. High Plains Health Centre, Suite 1, 1930 North Ave Spearfish, SD 57783 (605) 642-5196 http://www.nelsonchiroclinic.com/ |