BY JENNIFER HOEGG
Kings County Advertiser/Register
Rebirth of a baby store
Angela Johnston faced a small business owner’s nightmare in December: a burst pipe wrecked her Port Williams-based diaper store.
After building the business from a plastic bin of diaper samples in 2005 to a successful web-based store and a freestanding “bricks and mortar” shop in May 2009, the flood was a major setback.
“It was hard to watch car after car come up the driveway, only to see the 'closed' sign perpetually displayed,” Johnston says. “It made me think back to the beginning, when I would work for weeks to get one customer. How sad to watch that wash away!”
Valley Cloth Diaper reopened last week after major renovations to the Church St. shop, and an updated website is in the works.
In the meantime, Valley Cloth and Johnston and partner’s Sutton Oak farm are hosting playgroups, workshops and musical events. A new workshop offering is Stewards of Children: a training program for adults to prevent, recognize and respond to childhood sexual abuse. Johnston is an authorized facilitator of the program. Call 670-5028 to register; program begins May 29.
WEBLINKS
http://www.valleyclothdiapers.ca/
Planning your exit
You may be one of the 40 per cent of small business owners who plan to leave their business in the next five years. Do you have a strategy?
Acadia Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship is offering a “Beyond Your Business” on succession planning May 20 in Kentville. The program offers the knowledge, skills, tools and resources needed to effectively manage your succession planning. The one-day workshop also includes three webinars and an additional half-day session.
For information, contact acsbe@acadiau.ca or 1-877-232-2723.
WEBLINK: http://www.acsbe.com/
Wind of wine store?
Bishop’s Cellar, a private, specialty wine store in Halifax, is looking to expand to downtown Wolfville.
Owner John Stuart recently pitched the idea to Kings Regional Development Authority’s board, looking for municipal support. The retail outlet would feature premium, local wines year-round.
Kentville’s council advisory committee unanimously recommended the town sign a letter to Graham Steele, minister responsible for the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission, supporting the move. Councillor Mark Pearl, Kentville’s representative on the Kings RDA, said assisting the business venture fits the RDA mandate. He added, with the growing wine industry in the Valley, such a shop “promotes agriculture, promotes jobs and brings the spotlight onto Kings County.”
New look for Kent Co-op launches at AGM
The annual meeting of the Kent Co-op, May 25 at 7 p.m. at the New Minas fire hall, will be anything but ordinary.
The grocery co-op will launch its re-branding initiative, showcasing the real, positive differences between it and the competition.
Jim Noonan, Kent Co-op’s chairman, says, “historically, we have been the ‘David’ in the David and Goliath story - a much smaller grocery store trying to compete with the many larger grocery chains in the area. But we have been trying to compete against our competition without always living and showing what it is that makes us distinct.
“With this re-branding strategy, we are making fundamental changes with our people, our products and our processes.
The co-op says its customers are number one, and “we are going to be living that - more than ever - in everything that we do.”
The new strategy’s essence is the co-op cares about what people eat. It has four pillars: fostering local and regional foods, healthy living, quality products, and a sustainable environment.
“Our store is open to everyone. We welcome you to shop with us.”
Big camp breakfast
Meadowbrook Meats in Somerset is cooking up a camp breakfast Saturday, May 22, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Come for market fresh sausage, homegrown eggs, local flax pancakes and other great treats - all in aid of Hardwood Lake Girl Guide Camp in Lake Paul, Kings County.
Helping out with the serving and clearing are local Girl Guide youth and leaders, who will also be able to tell you about the camp’s leeches, rainy day tent care, the best way to cook a s’more - and more!
Golden business opportunities? Email Kings County business news to jhoegg@kentvilleadvertiser.ca or tweet @KingsNSnews
