There are so many great things going on in Cleveland these days! While they are not all new, many may be new to you. First off, they have finally settled on the site for the new Convention Center. This process has been going on far too long for my liking, and since the money is already figured out, I am glad that they have managed to strike a final deal and get the project rolling. The new site will be at the public mall space downtown and will save nearly $110 million over the Tower City site. I was personally hoping for Tower City, as it would inject some new life into the aging Tower City Mall-and the rapid transit station is already there-encouraging public transport use between downtown and travelers from the airport. Still, glad that will be underway soon!
Cleveland recently allocated some funds to collecting old cell phones. I have long advocated recycling when it comes to old cell phones, and now we will have a way to do it that will benefit our local community. The city is will be setting up drop off boxes at a variety of public locations, such as firehouses. The program will roll out at the end of the month and will benefit the Department of Aging. The Dept of Aging works to enhance the quality of life for our senior population. Unfortunately, our seniors seem to be the easiest segment of the population to forget. Moreover, they often have few spokespersons and can be the least connected of any demographic group. I am glad to see the city take this step forward in raising money for senior programs. Do your part and recycle your old cell phones. It won’t be that long before we all will be making use of the services this department offers. I have spoken with Ray Odom, and he will be happy to provide a drop off box for us to have at our new offices. Since that won’t be for a while, contact the department if you would like to have a drop of box at your location. Their phone number is 216-664-2833. We can all do one small thing to help the environment and our own community-this could be yours.
Speaking of doing one small thing, the West Side Catholic Center is taking donations for new socks, underwear, mittens, hats and the like. The WSCC has partnered with many local groups (I heard about it through Plexus) to collect items for this drive. This time of year they are in need of these items, especially for kids. next time you are out and about, pick up a couple of extra pairs of socks or a pack of T-shirts and drop them off at the West Side Catholic Center at 3135 Lorain. They could really use them!
My 2009 goal are to use my consumer dollars for the maximum impact. I want to support local businesses whenever possible, and make it a point to spend my money with businesses that want to make an impact. Now that we have a new business location, I will need to be ordering some new business cards soon. I am often amazed at how many cards are given out and tossed, or pamphlets shoved into greedy hands at shows to be discarded right onto the floor or street. Add to that the issue of Cleveland not having a comprehensive recycling program and printing can be a huge source of landfill waste and toxic chemicals. I was so pleased to see that two of my favorite companies are getting greener everyday. eBlueprint has some great green options now. They can print on recycled paper. They have a new bio board, too. Mandy Phelan tells me they are 100% biodegradable, even with the ink. They have a comprehensive Green Plan as well. Add to that their great customer service, and you have a winning combination. Be sure to ask them for the recycled paper, though as it isn’t automatic.
My other favorite printer is Jak Prints. They have a cool, hip office and can print on nearly anything. I was so pleased to find out some of the things they have been doing to help the environment. They have received Rainforest Alliance and FSC certification. They offer 100% recycled paper, soy and vegetable inks, and organic cotton for shirts. They now even have outdoor vinyl banner material that is biodegradable! Their house stocked paper is 30% recycled. They use no chlorine bleach to whiten papers. The coatings they use are water based, too so they are earth friendly. But beyond all that, they Re use whenever possible. Vendor boxes are reused, so new boxes don’t have to be made. Packing material is reused for packing customer orders. Screens are reused, even mended to save on production. All cool stuff. Add to that, the cool design staff and the possibilities are endless!
Now for my disappointments. I am currently refusing to spend money at Starbucks. While they have an overall commitment to the environment, in Cleveland they do not recycle. For a company that is so progressive, to not recycle the hundreds of milk jugs they go through every day is unfathomable. They have fair trade coffee and organic options, but a company this large could really be making an impact if they ONLY carried organic or fair trade coffee. I will be opting for Equal Exchange as my coffee of preference and supporting local companies like City Roast (West Side Market), Civilizations (Tremont), Lucky’s (Tremont) and the Gypsy (Dtroit Shoreway). Keep your money local and help the CLEVELAND economy. Besides, if you ask, I am sure they will add organic and fair trade options if you ask (some already do.)
Alas, I am cutting back on my favorite burrito house, Chipotle. I am a huge fan of their giant burritos and could easily eat there everyday. I wish they had a locally owned competitor that I could turn to. The reason that I am cutting back is their lack of recycling. I have had to take water bottles with me and recycle them at home. In this day in age, I have decided to give as little money as possible to companies who won’t work with me to help the environment. When I asked them about recycling, I was told that they recycled cardboard. Who doesn’t? I could almost forgive them if they were in Cleveland-but this time was in Lakewood, the progressive suburb. If they don’t recycle there, where will they?
Have a favorite local company? How about one that is doing good for the environment? Send me your comments! Our dollars count, let’s spend them wisely.
@LaBellaCupcakes Entrepreneurship is alive and well and living in NE Ohio. Last February, I wrote about my new twitter friend, LaBella Cupcakes, a new cupcake business owned by Laura Williams. Hers is a social media success story. Her entire business was built on word of mouth, and that word of mouth was on the web. She started her business in September of 2009. Knowing that twitter was all the hype, she started a twitter account with the goal of 100 followers by the end of the year. Instead, she had nearly a thousand. Why? Because she used the service regularly to create personal connections with her customers. She learned other outlets to connect with her customers and can be found on Facebook too. Starting as a home based business, the interaction between Laura and her customers helped her to build a successful business-that and her delicious product! So delicious, that her customers had to tell their networks about their latest purchases, the tasty flavor they bought, or how LaBella Cupcakes made their wedding special.
Now, a year later, you can find LaBella in their new home at 15208 Madison Ave in Lakewood. The small storefront got a delightful makeover and is an asset to the area. I managed to stop by yesterday for their grand opening. I wast greeted by Laura herself and her husband. The joint was jumping and while I shot a few pictures, I listened to customers talk about the race to be mayor of LaBella Cupcakes on Foursquare and how they couldn’t wait to tweet about the cute new shop. I ran into a few of my own twitter connections and met some for the first time in person.
