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De
Land, Florida: Pete Gregory says, "My best friend should not be my
competitor; we need to be talking with each other. We have bigger competitors
to fight than each other. And by joining forces and joining heads, you know, we
can generally come to a better resolve on what we need to do on a more local
basis. "
These are the
folks just at the top of Main Street of this lovely town. It is a
quintessential hardware store that serves every one within this fine town --
artists, builders, contractors, interior designers and decorators, restoration
experts, and the weekend warriors working on their "honey-do" list.
So
exquisitely restored, this Main Street has earned them the right to be listed
among "The Great American Cities."
In one of our
last conversations with Pete, he tells us that John has retired and he bought
the business from his big brother. Pete has finally put up a web site; he has
some unique products that he thinks can sell every where in the world,
"Everybody is a latent artist . . ."
PLEASE NOTE:
Pete had a claim from a sweet lady who thought Pete's best friend, Gypsy (the
ever-playful hound), was a rug; she stepped on Gypsy and fell. Pete's insurance
carrier said either the dog stays at home or the policy gets cancelled. He is
grateful that he had insurance!
TESTIMONIAL:
There is a major discussion about the Main Street program in this show. DeLand
was cited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as the first in the
nation for the bringing her downtown back to life. A teenager was heard saying,
"Wow, this is like Disneyland, but it's the real thing."
More...
We invite
your
questions
or comments
- SUPPORT PUBLIC
TELEVISION:
Become a member of your local station. If you are
already, great. If not and your business is doing well, consider joining the
Producers' Club ($1000).
- JOIN, JOIN, JOIN: Your professional associations in your industry
are your key to continuing education, market research, collaborations, strategic
partnerships, capital and so much more ... often you'll find that you enjoy
like-minded people and many will become friends for life.
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- GET A GOVERNMENT
CONTRACT. 23% of the federal budget for certain types of supplies and
services OR $46 billion in government contracts are mandated by Congress to be
given to small business. When this show aired, there were only 120,000 business
that had registered to be considered for these contrascts. Today, there are
over 240,000. Get listed. It will cost you nothing.
- LOOK AT STEP 5:
EMPLOYEES. Pete and John look for
employees who will be with them forever.
Stands to reason. Look at how John became the owner of a business. He was an
employee - apprentice - sweat-equity partner. Think about it. It may be a way
for some of our viewers to become owners. Today, we would recommend that you
have a clear agreement up front.
- CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE: To find your local
chamber, click
here.
- FIRST PRINCIPLES: Starting a
business is the road to economic independence for most of us average people.
Read a little more to see why
incorporating a business keeps the passion of
the American revolution alive!
- CASES BY BUSINESS TYPE. Click on the
heading to find all the business types and then click on your type of business
to check out those case studies.
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