Revitalization Dreams

I've mentioned before that I've been attending the Business Builder's Bootcamp at the Women's City Club in Pasadena.  Our ultimate goal is to write a business plan, which will be accomplished soon.  I'm learning how difficult it is to write a plan just for our store alone.

I've also learned that like so many other business traditions today, the form and function of a business plan is changing.  Banks and other lenders are so tightly regulated now that most don't even ask for a plan.  So inundated with loan requests, the beleagured banks are only looking at financials.  Of course if the financials don't meet their (the government's) standards, a loan won't be forthcoming.  It's even harder for a start-up company that doesn't have any financials yet.  Unless you're bankrolling the new business yourself, the search for funding is almost impossible. 

For Scott and I, the situation is worse.  Here we are, owners of a piece of a declining and now fragmented icon.  Webster's Pharmacy, of which we were once a part of, has been in Scott's family since the early 1920s.  You'd think that by our longevity in the community alone, we'd be able to secure funding with no problem.  Not so easy to do that now that we're a separate entity.  Because of the change in ownership and a new tax identification number, we don't have all those years to fall back on.  We do, but......well, you get the idea.  No bank loans forthcoming easily for us, either.

So we have to think outside the box if we're going to be successful in convincing someone to invest in us.  A regular business plan just won't do....it has to be different.  Because I want to include not just our own store, but the entire Webster's complex and the North Lake Business District, I have to sell an idea.....a dream.  I need to convey my dream of revitalization to whomever I end up talking to in a powerful enough manner so they'll buy in.  I've done the research, studied the demographics and I'm certain that Altadena can support what we'll be proposing. 

I thought I'd use this blog as a communication tool when I started it in 2007.  It is that, but it's morphed into so much more since its inception...so much so that I plan to use parts of this blog in my business plan.  Doing it this way allows me the opportunity to share our plans with you.  Both Scott and I want to keep you informed, and involved, in what's happening here at Webster's because we think you deserve to know.

We think that now is the perfect time to make an investment in Altadena's future.  Even in this economic downturn when uncertainty is rampant everywhere, we are certain of this.  Did you know that Sunset Magazine named Pasadena as the 7th "20 Best Towns Of The Future" article in their March 2010 issue?  Citing JPL and Caltech as hotbeds of innovation, they say that young entrepreneurs are not hesitant to try something new, city halls are taking on the environment at a grass-roots level and universities are challenging the old ways of thinking.  We agree with them.

In the most recent issue of Los Angeles Magazine, their feature article is "10 Small Town Adventures".  The illustration on page 119, by Paul Rogers, depicts 10 towns, including Monrovia, Montrose, Eagle Rock and South Pasadena.  The article details all ten towns, their shops and eateries and why people love it there.  We think Altadena would fit easily into the ranks of these communities.

We know that people are moving into Pasadena by the hundreds, if not thousands.  You can see the builiding that's been going on lately and how crowded Pasadena proper has become.  More and more of these people looking to move to Pasadena will be looking at the outlying areas, like Altadena.  With real estate prices down, our community is poised to experience growth like it hasn't seen in many years, if ever.  That means our business centers ought to be ready for the influx.

If we can push forward successfully, work with County government to address traffic concerns and procure redevelopment funding, we will be at the forefront of this boom.  We need this funding to give Altadena what it wants - the preservation of our small town atmosphere within our urban landscape and a forward thinking center of commerce that meets the needs of its people.  This is what we belive in and this is what we're striving for.  We invite you to join us on our journey and we'll talk some more about our plans next week.

Lori and Scott

Tempus Fugit

Hey,
Don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just try your best,
Try everything you can.
And don't you worry what they tell themselves
When you're away.

It just takes some time,
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

Hey,
You know they're all the same.
You know you're doing better on your own,
So don't buy in.
Live right now.
Yeah, just be yourself.
It doesn't matter if it's good enough
For someone else.


Hey, don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just do your best,
Do everything you can.
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts
Are gonna say.

------Jimmy Eats World
"The Middle"


Wow! Two weeks has flown by almost without my knowing it! Time's like that sometimes....you blink and it's gone. My friend, Debi Swanson-Patrick, mentioned that she hadn't seen any posts from me in a while and I thought, "really? I haven't?" I swear it seems like just the other day that I had.

When I last posted, Michelle, our manager, had found a more secure job elsewhere and left us on Oct. 2nd. Thanks to all the wonderful people who wished her farewell, I'm sure she'll miss you! Since then it's been a whirlwind of training - not just Leilana, who has been promoted to manager (yay, Leilana!), but our two new crew members, Trish and Devon. We've also been busy planning our Haute Halloween Night on Saturday, October 31st. The whole crew is involved in planning this event, so I'm confident that we'll all have a frighteningly fun time! I'll be posting more information about it mid-week, and keep your eye out for updates after that.

Yesterday was my 3rd class at the Business Builder's Boot Camp at the Women's City Club in Pasadena. I'm still awed by the talent of the women who are teaching and attending this class with me! They're all fascinating and I'm learning so much, not just in the class but by being in the company of such powerful women. It's an empowering thing to be bouncing ideas off of and having meaningful, intelligent discussions with this part of the area's top movers and shakers....for that's what we are, no doubt about it.

What we're learning is how to build a business phase by phase. By research, data, life experience and intuition, it is possible to fashion a successful business and by hard work, perseverance and sheer determination it is possible to keep that successful business going. Having the talent needed doesn't hurt, either. We're finding out, each of us, how we're going to craft that business and if the resident population in our areas will support it. Personally speaking, I want to be able to write a business plan that will take us where we'd like to be and also help guide us into the future. I'd like to grow that plan to encompass the North Lake Business District and its merchants. Cooperative advertising, cross promotion and building community are things that we should be doing all the time - I'd like to help us get there. Promoting a healthy business environment, nurturing it and keeping it thriving are key elements to a successful Altadena.

So while I'm busy learning how to improve this part of my world, please feel free to drop in, have a cuppa, a cookie and a looksee around the store. New things coming in for the holidays, which are almost directly upon us. Escape for awhile, indulge and allow yourself a small luxury or two. Enjoy the experience and if you do, please let us know. You can leave messages on this blog, you can contact me via email at lorinscott_1@msn.com or you can leave a suggestion in our suggestion pumpkin on the coffee table at the store. You can even write comments in our guestbook! I suggest you check out our website, too....it's informative, user-friendly, and best of all, chock full of wonderful things, some available on-line!