The majestic eagle has been recognized as the symbol of our country, the top rank for Boy Scouts, and as the name of a popular music group.  The Hopi culture uses the eagle in its traditional ceremonies.  And the tongue-in-cheek song J. Edgar Swoop makes you stop and think.If you’ve ever seen one of these wonderful creatures soaring overhead or even sitting in a tree carefully watching your every move, you begin to understand the reason why it has become so important in American life. 

Flagstaff Artist, Ali Partridge, has captured the majesty of this great bird in all its glory in one of her pen-and-ink wildlife prints.   This talented wildlife artist, trained at Paier School of Art in Connecticut, has created a series of pen-and-ink sketches which include some of our more elusive wildlife, domestic cats and horses, and even a fantasy series. 

Prints of these works (11 x 17) can be yours for a very low price of $15 each.  The Eagle would make a wonderful gift for a Boy Scout who has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.  To see and order this print as well as others, visit Animal Prints. 

This is another Flagstaff woman hard at work!  Support her today.

I was the guest speaker at a class last night for people who are starting a new business.  The topic was “How to Get Your Customers to Buy From You Without Breaking the Bank” — in other words, marketing on a shoestring.

I’ve grown my business slowly over the past 16 years and didn’t realize, until I was preparing for this presentation, how much more difficult it is in today’s world to market a new business than when I was started.  My first business was Arizona Singles — a singles newspaper that we grew from a Flagstaff publication to a statewide one before selling.  Ron (my husband and the wind beneath my wings) picked up a singles paper while he was on a Forest fire in Idaho about 20 years ago.  We decided it would be a fun business and started out knowing very little about publishing or business in general.  But we learned quickly. 

 The one thing that wasn’t a problem back then was marketing.  The city directory provided a list of singles living in the community and, with the help of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Exuctives), we created and mailed a brochure to every one of them.  We sent press releases to the local papers, radio and TV stations and they eagerly responded.  A feature on the evening news and a radio talk show, as well as an article in our local newspaper, had us off and running.  Distribution of the paper and word of mouth took it from there. 

A few years later, when I started Creative Gifts To Go (a local gift basket business), it was still fairly easy.  The media was still receptive, membership in the local Chamber provided opportunities for networking, and direct mail completed the basic marketing. 

But today’s world is different.  My local gift basket basket has expanded into a nationwide gift service with customers in every state.  The local newspaper is no longer so receptive.  I sent a press release to them last year after winning the Master Designer award for Best Corporate Gift Basket.  Even though this was a national honor, the press release was ignored.  Our local Chamber is more interested in pushing for the Big Box stores that bring larger membership fees than they are in the locally-owned businesses in the community.  As a result, I and many other locally owned businesses, no longer find membership worthwhile.

Marketing on a shoestring is still possible but harder.  Postage has increased for direct mail but selective mailings to prospective customers and current ones still pays off.  But until I started preparing this presentation, I had never thought about how the internet has made marketing–at a reasonable cost– not only locally but across the country possible. There are online companies that make it possible to buy professionally printed business cards and post cards at a reasonable cost.  Email newsletters and even blogs, such as this one, makes it possible to communicate with customers everywhere. 

The world is rapidly changing.  The economy is at a standstill or whirling downward.  The value of the dollar has made prices on gas, food, and other products skyrocket.  But, thanks to the technology of the internet and using guerilla marketing techniques, it is still possible to start, build, and grow a business on a shoestring.

Today is January 20, 1961 and I am reminded of my first experience with the political scene 47 years ago.  It was January 20, 1961.  Ron and I, as newlyweds, lived in Washington, DC while he completed his tour of duty with the navy.  I had no experience with politics.  I wasn’t even old enough to vote.  But I knew this was an important day.  Little did I realize what the following 47 years would bring to the political scene and our country.

The day was cold but sunny.  Snow covered the ground.  President John F. Kennedy stood on the newly-built inauguration stand at the Capital. He raised his hand to take the oath of office.  And I was there.

 Times were different back then.  There was a large crowd on the Capital lawn but nothing like today and security was sparse.  We were able to stand close enough to watch and hear the proceedings with no problem.  We saw poet Robert Frost try to read the poem that he had written especially for the day, but blinded by the sun’s glare from the snow on the Capital grounds, he recited another poem “The Gift Outright” from memory instead. He began: “The land was ours before we were the land’s” and ended with “Such as she was.  Such as she would become.” 

When Kennedy spoke in his now familiar Boston accent, he said: “…the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage.”  His speech also included the challenge to “Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country.”

It was a moving speech given by a dynamic speaker.  It was one that we could have and should have learned from.  But as the future became the present, we entered into a war that could not be won and, even then, we failed to learn.    We’ve had a President resign rather than be impeached and another impeached but acquitted.  Our country has been attacked from outside forces and another President used that attack to trick the country into straying from the war in Afganastan, where the terrorists were, into invading a country that had nothing to do with that attack.  A refusal by our current President to recognize the potential threat to our country and the world from global warming because of large corporate financial supporters has led our Country and the world itself to the brink of destruction.

But there have been high points as the present unfolded into history as well.  The President, who replaced Kennedy when one of “this new generation of Americans” shot the popular President, signed the laws that gave all citizens equal rights.  Some of the health needs of our aging senior population was finally recognized with the formation of Medicare. 

Our Country is now entering another election cycle and another President will be elected.  As I think back to that eventful day in 1961, I wonder if the citizens of our country are wise enough to make the right choice and what the next 47 years will bring.  What will be the experiences of the “new generation” that is growing up today.  I don’t feel very hopeful.

It’s almost here.  The day that most kids eagerly anticipate and adults often have mixed feelings about.  Those who are burned out by the shopping and the commercialism of the Christmas holiday season should have been in the audience last night at Flagstaff’s Doris White Playhouse when Theatricos presented the classic tale of Scrooge “Christmas Carol”.

Since my business is gift baskets and Christmas is the busiest time of the year, it’s all too easy for me to get so engrossed in filling orders that I don’t take the time to appreciate the season itself.  This was a busy year for my business but time spent organizating it over the past year resulted in a less stressful season with more time to “smell the roses” or in this case–the live cedar and fir wreath that my daughter Melissa sent to us for our front door. 

For the first time in several years, there is snow on the ground. Even though the air is cold, the sun is shining and a full moon is casting shadows on the snow. 

Last night, the doorbell rang and a very grown-up ten-year-old grandson, Nathan, dressed in his Sunday church  clothes, was standing there waiting to escourt me to the car where his mother waited.  The three of us had an early dinner at Hunan’s on 4th Street in Flagstaff.  The food was good and the service was excellent.  The young lady who waited on us couldn’t have been more attentive.  She truly deserved the tip she received.

Afterwards, we went to the threatre and watched the story of Scrooge’s transofrmation as a result of a visit from The Three Spirits of Christmas.   It was a familiar story — one that I’ve seen many times.  But each time is a reminder that nothing is as important as family, the spirit of giving, and the celebration of the reason for the season. Even for those of you who don’t recognize the holiday as the birth of Christ, it is still a time to give thanks and just to give.

So Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. 

I’m not much of a store shopper anymore.  I don’t get up at 4:oo in the morning to catch that great sale.  Every time I go to the mall, it looks different as new stores replace old ones.  Let’s face it.  Each year Flagstaff shopping is becoming more and more like shopping anywhere in the country.  Just close your eyes and you can pretend you’re in a mall in Phoenix, San Jose, or even Orlando. 

For me, the internet is my choice for most shopping.  And apparently others feel the same way.  This has been the busiest holiday season yet for my two businesses Creative Gifts To Go and Grand Canyon Teddy Bear Company and surprisingly more and more of my business is coming from the internet.  Even a lot of my local Flagstaff deliveries were orderes placed on the internet. 

In addition to orders that I filled, through our network of gift basket companies across the country, Gift Basket Network, I was able to send last minute customers to local gift basket companies as far away as Chicago, New York, and even Puerto Rico.

Based on my own experiences, I think I’ve discovered the reason for the transition from local shopping to online.  The other day I had a little time between making deliveries and stopped into a local store to find something special to add to one of the gifts to my granddaughter.  This experience confirmed my decision to shop online.  I was looking for a pair of ear rings.  To get to them, I walked through departments where merchandise was on the floor or tossed onto a rack with no attempt to fold them or hang them neatly.  I finally reached the jewelry counter where two clerks were laughing and joking with each other.  I searched the counters for what I was looking for, never once being approached by one of clerks.  Finally when a possibility caught my eye, I looked up to see that they had disappeared to the far end of the counter…still deep in conversation.  I walked out, went home, and clicked on google and found the perfect gift.

This experience plus a recent one that I reported on in an earlier post while trying to buy a VCR recorder/player confirm why more and more retail is shifting to online.  Stores have become unpleasant places to shop.  Consumers want a shopping experience that is fast and efficient and to leave with the feeling that the company actually wants their business. 

True, you have to pay shipping charges when you shop online.  Beware of the so-called free shipping.  Nothing in this life is free. You pay for it whether it’s called shipping, less product, or higher prices.  But, that aside, no one likes to be gouged for shipping (and many of the local shipping stores charge a premium for their services). No one likes to stand in long lines at UPS or the Post Office.  The option, as more and more people are discovering, is an online gift company that ships quickly and reasonably.  The telephone companies used to advertise, “Let Your Fingers Do the Walking.”  A quality online gift company could have the slogan “Let Us Stand in Line for You This Holiday season!”

Recent sales figures throughout the country confirm that I am right.  Even those stores that have both a retail outlet and a website location have discovered that their web sales are outpacing their local sales.  Some of these stores are getting it right when they go online–making the shopping experience a positive one for their customers. 

But others are simply replicating their retail store — handling customers the way they always have done.  I recently was looking online for a John Deere themed comforter for my grandson.  I found just what I was looking for at one of the ebay stores.  It was new.  It was priced right and the shipping was reasonable.  But thinking I should check some of the better-known stores first, I found a very similar one at J.C. Penney’s online store but the description didn’t match the picture.  I emailed their customer service and received an automatic reply that they would respond within 48 hours.  They did eventually reply several days later.  By this time, I had completed a fast, efficient transaction at ebay and it was already on its way to me.  Penny’s brand of customer service is a sure recipe for online death.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is giving an early Christmas present,  not only to those of us who live in Flagstaff, but to all American citizens on Tuesday, December 18.  That present, wrapped in corporate glitter, is a further destruction of democracy and the right to a free press.  According to statements made by Chairman Martin before both Senate and House Committees, he intends to allow newspapers to own TV and radio stations in their market area in spite of overwhelming comments from the general public as well as both houses of Congress opposing the move.  When asked by Senator John Kerry to delay the vote until more information could be obtained, the arrogant Martin refused.  He even indicated in his comments that he had made up his mind on the decision before  holding public hearings.  His presentation reminded me of the arrogant irresponsible current occupant of the White House.

Ownership of all the media in a local market area has been limited by a federal law called a “Cross Ownership Ban.”  It is this ban that Martin is on a roll to repeal.  That “Ban” was put in place by Congress in order to protect the access of Americans to information. 

He feels that newspapers are not financially viable without also owning TV and radio stations in their market areas.  BUT the average return on equity (investment) of most large newspapers is 17%.  That is more than the return on equity of most Fortune 500 companies and certainly more than most of us make on our investments.

The former FCC Chairman, Michael Powell, also tried to delete the ban and failed.  He has since been hired by a media conglomerate.  Perhaps this is the goal of Chairman Martin as well.  I really don’t care how much money Martin manages to make from using his position as a stepping stone but I do care how he uses it to steal my freedom of the press and the freedom of every other American. 

The only Democratic member of the Committee will vote against Martin.  Whether it passes depends on the other two Republican members who will most likely vote with Martin in favor of corporate giants.  Only Congress can repeal their decision.  So if you care about having access to unbiased information about what is going on in the world, write your Congressman and let him or her know.  Do it now–before it is too late.

Old Man Winter visited Flagstaff a couple days ago and the town is covered in a mantle of white.  Drought over the past three years makes even the most violent snow-hater appreciate the moisture.  The foot of snow that we received in town equals only a few inches of rain but it’s a good start for the season.  Hopefully, there will be much more before spring arrives.

The NAU students and folks traveling up the mountain from Phoenix are anxious to try out the slopes up at the Flagstaff Snow Bowl.  I’m not a skier myself.  I tried it once when Ron and I were first married.  We went to one of the resorts in the California Sierras where we rented skis.  Ron must have thought the ideal way to learn was to “throw her in and let her learn as she goes.”  As a newcomer from Florida, where snow was as rare as a volcanic eruption, I had no idea what you did with skis.  We put them on and Ron helped me onto the ski lift where he sat beside me.  As we reached the top of the mountain, he yelled, “Jump off!”

“Are you crazy?”  I yelled back.

“No! Jump! Now!!!”

” No way,” I said, really getting worried as we reached the end of the lift.

The kindly operator stopped the lift and I climbed off, feeling a bit embaressed.  He helped me back on and I rode the lift back down the mountain where I took the skis off.  That was my ski experience and not one I care to repeat.

One of the secrets of Flagstaff, that not too many people know about, is the ice cave located at the base of Mount Elden.  When it gets cold enough and wet enough, melting snow flowing down the mountain forms an ice flow in one of the caves in the rocks.  It’s always fun to hike back to the ice cave each winter and see how much ice has formed this year.

Let me take you back to the days when Flagstaff was a small town. When complaints were flying that you had to go to Phoenix if you wanted to shop. And when you could find a parking space downtown.  I’m talking about the time before the Flagstaff Mall, Wal-Mart, Kohl’s, and Target.  Oh, there were still lots of stores, even some large chain stores like Long’s Drugs, Thrifty Drug, and Safeway.  But there were also lots of unique little stores owned by folks who lived and worked in Flagstaff .

But that was twenty-five plus years ago. The town has grown and times have changed.  Phoenix shopping has arrived in Flagstaff and has brought with it both the good and the bad.  Prices, selection, and service have improved.  Traffic has increased.  Parking downtown is almost an impossibility.  And we’ve lost many of the unique little shops that once catered to the needs of Flagstaff and the surrounding area.

The Daily Sun’s coffers are probably overflowing with all the full-color ads and shopping inserts that added all the extra weight to our newspapers before Thanksgiving.  The stores were packed on the 26th as eager consumers lined up to grab the 25 to 50 percent off bargains from the shelves.  But were they really bargains?

Read more about “Where, oh where has our money gone?”

Thursday morning’s Arizona Daily Sun, our local newspaper, was bulging with full-color advertising inserts from the many large corporate stores that have become a part of Flagstaff shopping scene.  The paper was as large as Sunday’s edition usually is as pleas were made to “visit my store before the sun rises” to grab those pre-Christmas bargains.  It makes me wonder who, in their right mind, would climb out of bed to arrive at a store at 4:00 in the morning to buy a product that will probably be on sale at an even lower price closer to the big holiday?

This morning’s paper contributed even more to the supply of paper to be recycled as additional full-color inserts fell out.  This paper also included the Daily Sun’s annual “Holiday Shopping Guide” .  This insert, in the past, has given the small local merchants an opportunity to advertise at special one-time ad rates that aren’t cheap by any means but at least can be afforded by a local merchant that doesn’t have the massive ad budgets of the big boys.  But, alas, this year there were only two full sheets of ads from local merchants instead of the multiple pages from the past.  As one of these small local merchants, I am wondering if perhaps now that the Sun has access to all these big corporate ad inserts that they no longer care about ads from the smaller businesses in town?  For the past several years, I have advertised in this insert but, this year, I wasn’t even contacted.

Today has been dubbed “Black Friday” by the advertising world.  I’ve always wondered why.  The lightbulb  has come on.  Black Friday is a symbol for the death of millions of small, locally-owned, independent businesses, not only here in Flagstaff, but throughout the United States. 

No one is really to blame.  It’s all about money and the economy.  The newspapers cater to the businesses with huge ad budgets.  Consumers are easily enticed by huge ad inserts and lured by offers of bargains — whether they are truly bargains or not.  Small businesses just don’t have the funds or the opportunities to compete with these giant ad budgets. 

It’s sad but there is hope for the small businesses who can’t survive by depending on the loyalty of their friends and neighbors in their hometown.  And that hope is the internet.  The internet provides a much more level playing field for those of us who are willing to learn what is required to jump into that arena and compete with the “big boys” there.  And many of us do that very sucessfully.

Thanksgiving Day — a time to give thanks — a day to share with family and friends–a time to help those who are less fortunate than you.  It’s a day that means different things to different people.  It’s a day for creating and sharing memories.  It’s a time to remember that . . .

“To the world you may be one person
But to one person, you may be the world!”