I recently made a promotional video for the Old Town Mission in Cottonwood, Arizona. I was really happy to have a chance to make this video for them. They are doing a lot of good work for the local community. One of the things I like most about them is that all donations stay in the local community unlike other charities where your donations leave the community and get redistributed.

Here are some other things I found:

In the last year clientele (those receiving services) has tripled. Those currently receiving services tend to be working families. Of course the elderly has been severely affected. Shockingly, a large number of recipients are families living in their vehicles. Single and dual parents families are roughly equally represented. The average family size contains three children.To help put this in perspective, last year they had 20 regulars for the lunch time program and this year they now have 70.

They currently distribute seven tons of food and eight tons of clothing each month.Tents and sleeping bags are in extremely high demand.

I was intrigued that one of the last things people give up before going homeless is their pets. People tend to give up tv, phone, etc before their pets.

This year, 900 kids received back to school help. That equated to 35% of the Cottonwood/Oak Creek school district.

The Old Town Mission is currently implementing programs to help people transition to self sufficiency. One of the ways they help is by providing people with free haircuts and showers.

Currently, the Old Town Mission has 250 regular volunteers donating 27,000 volunteer hours. With the addition of the new Thrift Store those hours are expected to double.

You can see the video I produced by clicking here.

Here is the YouTube version:

Be sure to visit the Old Town Mission at the following address:

The Old Town Mission
116 East Pinal Street
Cottonwood, Arizona 86326

Phone: (928) 634-7869

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There is lots of fun at the Sedona Farmers Market!

Megan from Sedona.TV visits the Sedona Farmers Market up on top of Airport Mesa in Sedona, Arizona. Check out the excellent food and generally yummy things on your visit to Sedona.

Sedona Community Farmers Market

When: Weekly on Fridays from 8 am to 1 pm – June 5th through October 9th.

Where: The market is located at the Sedona Airport by the Overlook in West Sedona.

What: Local growers, producers and artisans. Offerings include freshly farmed seasonal fruits & vegetables, eggs, goat milk, goat mozzarella, fresh cut flowers, grass-fed, hormone & antibiotic free beef & chicken, artisan foods, pecans, freshly baked breads, tamales, hand-made pasta, French crepes, felafel made on site, raw cuisine, freshly pressed cider, low gluten freshly ground mesquite flour, local honey, hot and iced coffee, espresso, roasted coffee beans, soil regeneration products, plants, seeds, handcrafted body & bath products, jewelry, reflexology and massage. The market is WIC certified.

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As many of you are aware, I have this wonderful little car that I refuse to let die. Me and it have been through a lot together. It’s a 95 Dodge Neon Sport. It’s a sporty little two door that get’s 35 mpg on the freeway (40 with a good tail wind). But, as with any older vehicle sometimes it needs work. Since it’s paid for I don’t mind so much. It’s cheaper then a car payment and the car is still comfortable and fun to drive so why not?

Anyway, sometimes it has to go to the shop and get something done. As anyone will tell you it’s hard to find a good repair shop. I think sometimes people are more paranoid about finding a repair shop then they are a doctor. Have you seen the stats on medical mistakes? SCARY?! Fortunately, I’ve found a great repair shop and I’m going to tell you my opinion why.

I don’t know everything there is to know about cars. Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you. If it’s on the Internet then I can. I could give you a history of TCP/IP and PING that would put you to sleep. But, with cars, I know enough to be dangerous. Luckily, the guys over at Bear Automotive understand that and have never taken advantage of that.

For example, recently I though I needed new struts on my car. I was pretty sure either they or the strings had wore out. I called them up and told them what I was thinking and they said bring it on by and they’d check. The next day I brought it over within two minutes they determined it was fine. Basically, I have a small car and it’s normal behavior I was experiencing.

The point is, they could have easily fed into my fears that my struts were wearing out and sell me a new set. Then they’d get to install them, realign the tires, etc and rack up some fees. Instead, they were honest with me and treated me fairly. I thought that was really good.

It’s not the first time either. I had a small leak in the hose leading into the radiator. I was having trouble finding it and brought it by. Again, in less then 5 minutes it was fixed and they sent me on my way. They didn’t even charge me!

In this business environment when companies are looking for any excuse to bill someone for something it is interesting when you find a company that’s not. They could have easily hit me with a 15 minute or (gasp!) 30 minute minimum for that. But, they didn’t. Why? Because they have good ethics and understand word of mouth advertising. They knew that by treating me fairly I was way more apt to go and spread the word about how fairly I was treated. I still gave him some money for their time because I respected his time. But, I’ve also told that story multiple times whenever the subject of getting a car worked on came up.

Good, honest, ethical business practices should always be a goal of your business.

Bear Automotive
468 S Main St # C
Cottonwood, AZ 86326-3691
(928) 634-3300

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It's all about connections

Lately there has been a lot of talk about networking. I’m a big promoter of it myself. The problem is that there are a lot of networking groups out there and not all are applicable to your business.

Here are some tips to get the most out of networking.

Mixed groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, a local small business networking group, or a gender based group work well for meeting potential clients, referrals, suppliers, lunch partners, and business partners. Don’t expect immediate results, though. These work best when you commit to the group and put in a genuine effort to build relationships. These groups are great for practicing your networking skills and building relationships for the long term.

When you get into targeted networking it’s a different story. This is about actively looking for customers in a confined space. If your ideal client is in real estate then you go to the real estate groups or networking events. Even if you don’t find a client you’ll probably still walk away with some valuable information to put to use later. The same thing holds true for any other market segment.

How do you find the right events that will be a gathering place for your targeted audience? Define some definite niches before you set out. Even if you can work with anyone this will help you pinpoint your strategy and boost your effectiveness. When your in the pool with your targeted audience you’ll be more focused and can respond more effectively to inquiries. In your prospects mind you’ll be less like a salesman and more like a informational resource that is far more valuable to have.

Don’t think because you run a retail business that these tips don’t apply to you. These tips are applicable to anyone and everyone. If your a member of a small business group or local chamber you can go out now and put these ideas to work.

Do you have any questions about networking? Give me a call or send me an email! I’ll be glad to help!

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Gordon and Gordon, Attorneys at Law

Two adventurous brothers from Camp Verde had a dream. A dream to defend truth and liberty and protect the underdog. They followed that dream and joined the law profession. Together, they created Gordon and Gordon, PLLC and have an office at 850 Cove Parkway, STE A, Cottonwood, AZ. They can be reached at 928-649-8609 or via the web.

How did it all begin, you ask? Well, I’m here to tell you.

Both of these young men graduated from the hallowed halls of education known as  Northern Arizona University. David, the older brother, went on to continue his education at Western New England College of Law in Springfield, Mass. back in 2000. Two years later, Michael Gordon received his degree from Reuben Clark School of Law at BYU.

David Gordon was a prosecutor for the Maricopa County Attorney’s office after working for a time at Boyle, Pecharich, Cline and Whittington, PLLC in Prescott. After his stint at Maricopa County he worked as an assistant attorney for the City of Glendale.

What was Michael Gordon up to during this time? He worked for Aspey, Watkins and Diesel, PLLC in Flagstaff.

Finally, these two brothers were able to realize their dream of having their own firm together here in Arizona’s beautiful Verde Valley. Their commitment to dedication, ethics, and drive to help others is known around the valley.

If you ever need the services of an attorney, whether it’s for: bankruptcy, business law, collections, contracts, criminal law, civil litigation, estate planning, municipal law, real estate, tribal law, and zoning then you should give Gordon and Gordon, PLLC your business.

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