Most of my life I have heard that mixing business with pleasure is taboo. But these days, in a recovering economy, this is a mantra for many businesses as they reach out to the community in various ways. In return, they create an atmosphere and personal trust that helps their business survive and thrive. Over the weekend, I attended such an event.
Most of my life I have heard that mixing business with pleasure is taboo. But these days, in a recovering economy, this is a mantra for many businesses as they reach out to the community in various ways. In return, they create an atmosphere and personal trust that helps their business survive and thrive. Over the weekend, I attended such an event.
Being a quiet Mother’s Day weekend at my house, I decided to invite a good friend and go have Tea with Herm-Ajesty. Sounds like a strange event, but for Fusionglass Co. founders Debbie Solan and Paul Fernandes (La Mesa), this is part of their business plan. And a great plan it is. I have been to several of their events, and it is one of the businesses that I personally support, not only because they are phenomenal artists, but because they always bring a sense of community in everything that they do.
To say it was a fun afternoon is an understatement, as I was in great company, saw a friend who is as busy as I am, and met some new friends and artists. We made our own fused glass creations, with a buy one get one free class, and most dressed in vintage clothing to match the theme of the event and got photos taken with Herm-Ajesty. Fernandes has a great sense of humor, and even though he was not there, his life-sized cardboard proxy stood proud and tall in all the Queen’s garments welcoming his happy subjects.
Solan and I have talked many times about making a small business successful. This has always been an interest of mine and I have a deep appreciation for entrepreneurs out there that take their talents and make it a living. It is not an easy thing to do and it takes a lot of commitment and courage to jump in and do it, and even more to keep it afloat and successful.
When working out of a garage, Solan said she had money to do almost anything she wanted and as soon as they decided to take on the overhead of a gallery, the economy tanked and things got rough really quick. But together, their ingenuity helped them through the recession and they are still alive and well as the economy is picking up. It was the creation of classes for the public and the many things that they give freely to the community that Solan said really made the difference in keeping their dream alive and well. They are one example of the many businesses that have mixed business with pleasure and create relationships rather than customers.
That is smart business at work and these are the types of businesses that I am more than willing to spend my money because I am much more than just a customer.
A sense of community is important in business and creating an atmosphere where a customer is much more than that is essential in a successful business—especially in the small business world. But it goes further than that. The same mindset can make large businesses and communities prosper. This weekend is America on Main Street in El Cajon and in looking at the various entertainment and events it is going to be a block party not to miss. This is one of the things that I think the city of El Cajon does best, especially with the diverse community it serves. I was so impressed last year and have my favorites when it comes to this event, but I am amazed at how inclusive this is for everyone. There really is something for everyone at this celebration. Even if I did not have to be there because of my work, I would be there anyway as I love the Naturalization Ceremony and I am always in for the variety of music that will be playing on four stages this year. The El Cajon Recreation Department has worked on this all year, beginning as soon as last year’s very successful event ended and they have an excellent day for families to enjoy prepared for you this year. And again, it is the sense of community that this event brings is what I believe that makes it successful.
I am looking forward to spending the day in El Cajon on Saturday and like last year, mostly looking forward to seeing all the people in the East County communities that have become a part of our community. See you there.
