Hybrid Retail can cover all bases

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...

...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!!

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!

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

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

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"

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.