Let's all remain positive

Does anyone really know what our economy is doing? I hear it is getting "better", but I see some hesitation. The other day, I was asked how the real estate market is doing..."I hear it's getting better...". Well yes, I think all business is getting better. We must remain positive, however, the story I recently heard is ... suppose yesterday you earned $100.00 and today you are earning $50.00. Tomorrow you get a 25% increase in pay! 25% is a huge raise! Add that raise to your current rate of pay ($50.00) and you are at $62.50. Far short from what you earned yesterday!

But, yes, the economy seems to be getting more positive. One type of business which has seen cut backs is advertising. When money gets tight, many companies decrease their advertising budget. It seems logical, yet how can sales be increased without "the word being spread"? Is that smart?....and here comes the lead-in...start spreading the word for a small local company named Smart-Graphics. Smart Graphics is a graphic design company in Chester, CT. Its President, Marilena Vaccaro and husband Sandy Vaccaro, have serviced the design needs for a wide assortment of companies from restaurants to large corporations....Digital Harbor (technical high school identity), Toscana Restaurant, Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, Newtown Bank, Dolphin Communications, Sikorsky Aircraft...their list of clients is very lengthy and quite diversed. Check out Smart-Graphics for all of your graphic design and advertising needs. They are small, they are local and they are very good!

mailto:Info@Smart-Graphics.com

http://www.Smart-Graphics.com

We welcome Peter Charbonnier, Esq., LLC to The Store!

Peter's contact information is:

Phone: 860-526-1780

Fax: 860-526-1534

email: phcatty@aol.com

http://www.lawforlocals.com/

"In order to better serve my clients, I have chosen to focus my practice on Real Estate, Small Business and Estate Planning and Administration and therefore be able to truly concentrate my efforts in providing excellent service in those areas.

I offer the following legal services:
Real Estate Closings for: Purchase, Sale, Refinance and Reverse Mortgages
Business Consulting to grow, optimize or prepare your business for sale
Contract Review and Negotiations
Sale and Purchase of Small Businesses
Probate Administration
Preparation of Wills, Trusts, Living Wills and Powers of Attorney
Negotiations pertaining to Business or Real Estate matters of any kind including pre-foreclosure, short sale, other bank matters."

Peter H. Charbonnier, Esq., LLC

97 Main Street, Chester, CT 06412

New Businesses in Town

There's new business is in Deep River, CT! Check it out.

El & Ela's.....

...is located at 159 Main Street, in Deep River. It is a place where you will know exactly what's in your food! El & Ela's is an eatery where almost everything is home made. Owners Elliott Dunsing and Elizabeth Taran, who spent eight years at the famous Restaurant du Village in Chester, are the proud owners. Both have culinary degrees and, of course, much hands on experience.

El & Ela's features home made items including breads, soups, salads, pickles, sandwiches, pasta....and the list goes on and on. Food is available to eat there at their really neat shop, or take out...including take out dinners! All items carried are locally produced.

Get to El & Els'a today! Contact them at:

860-526-9377

fax @ 860-526-9388

E-Mail them: elandelas@att.net

Another new business is located at #1 Main Street in Essex, CT

Lord Nelson Antiques

Lord Nelson Antiques speciales in maritime antiques and collectables.

Stop in, the items are fasinating.

Lord Nelson Antiques is open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm and Sundays from noon to 5 pm and always by appointment.

860-767-0245.

CT small business weather

What weather! Although Dr. Mell says it's suppose to get cooler, these last several days have been perfect!... and great weather like this is great for folks shopping. It sure is nice to see people walking the streets of our Towns all smiling and carrying various vendor shopping bags.


In my Essex Office of PrudentialCT Realty on Main Street ( I am also a Realtor), large numbers of shoppers pass by. The assortment of shopping bags shows a trail of their recent visits (who needs bread crumbs). What's also amazing is the number of dogs people walk with! But, many tourists as well as locals constantly stream by.

Speaking of Essex, CT...check out the coming "Patriot's Weekend in Essex", April 16 & 17. The Essex Library, The Griswold Inn & The Fifth Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Line are going back in time!

On Friday April 16th @ 8 pm, The Tap Room of the "Griz" is sponsoring a Soldier's Choir and will perform sea chanteys and patriotic songs along with other costumed singers.

Saturday, April 17th from 10 am to 4pm a revolutionary encampment will be set up at The Pratt House (19 West Ave.). This encampment will include soldiers' drills, colonial cooking, and crafts, spinning, metal-smithing, spontaneous reenactments and a skirmish or three!

In case you didn't know, this event is in celebration of the British invasion and ship burning. The War of 1812 saw many "privateers" taking advantage of the CT River, where they built their fast boats which would overtake the much slower British merchant ships. The loot was then taken and sold. In an effort to stop these Privateers, on April 8, 1814 a British contingent landed just south of today's Essex harbor, over took the village and burned 28 ships in the harbor and several being built. This loss was the largest financial loss of that war. This reenactment sounds to be fun for the entire family. Have a great time!

Do you have some concerns, questions or ideas about running a small business?
Why not write them down here! Let's start a dialog. Let's learn from each other and not repeat the same problems other's have experienced!



Feeling "Frisky"?

Are people feeling “frisky”? Except for real estate, perhaps, I think they are. Just drive around and check out some local restaurants (at least here in the CT Shoreline area). I drove by Sunil’s New Orleans Creative Cooking in Westbrook this past Friday night…the place was packed. Just look around and you’ll see lots more people getting out into the great Spring air! If you are driving about, please check out the following:

Bring Our Music Back Fundraiser Concert in the Gallery Friday, March 26, 2010 from 7pm-10pm

Please join us on Friday, March 26, 2010 from 7pm-10pm at the Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio and Gallery at 1 Spring Street in downtown Chester Center for a special evening of music to raise funding for Bring Our Music Back (http://www.bringourmusicback.org/), an organization dedicated to the enhancement of life through music in support of burgeoning musical talent, programs and services within our communities. Come meet us and learn about our mission while enjoying music from the Band of Humans (http://www.sailpoetslounge.com/), Dan Stevens (http://www.danstevens.net/) and Leif Nilsson’s new band, The Chester Hotel Band (http://www.nilssonstudio.com/). Liquid refreshments and a hearty fare are included in the $25.00 donation. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

The Third Sunday Salon April 18, 2010

Feeling taxed by Uncle Sam? Please join us Sunday, April 18, from 4pm-6pm at 1 Spring Street in Chester to unwind and discover a wealth of local talent and art!
Calling all first-time, in-between time, and established poets, prose writers, actors, singers, songwriters, and storytellers to share five to ten minutes of original work in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere surrounded by beautiful works of original art. Simply have an idea to open for discussion? A magic trick to share? Any and all performance/vocal art encouraged. Children are invited, but material may not be censored. Listeners welcome and much appreciated!
Feel free to bring food and drink to share, or not. This event is hosted by photographer Caryn B Davis & poet Pamela St. Clair.


Good 'ol Newsprint


Have you noticed the Valley Courier, March 18 edition? As a part of RiverDogGeneralStore.com, several participants were advertised. Yes, it wasn’t the biggest ad in the world, but it was a first and you couldn’t (those listed) beat the price. In today’s marketplace, any opportunity to advertise one’s name must be taken advantage of. Those whose names were read by many shoreline shoppers were:

· The local Beet ….a green grocery located on Main Street, Chester
· Chester Architect…Energy Design by Errol Horner, Maple Street, Chester
· John Meisel, M.D and Rosemarie Cole, APRN…Main Street, Chester
· Centerbrook Pizza…Westbrook Road, Centerbrook

Although the Internet is today’s primary avenue of information, people still like to check out the local newspaper…and that is why RiverDogGeneralStore.com will continue to place ads listing local participating businesses in the local papers.

Last…check out the Town web sites on RiverDogGeneralStore.com….there are many activities going on in the Towns. Also, many Town organizations are looking for volunteers. Like most efforts in Today’s world, the more people get involved the better the results!

Spring is Here (well all most). From talking with people around the Towns River Dog covers, people are getting in the mood to spend some money! Great news for all the local retailers. Generally, folks have been reluctant to spend their money for many reasons with job insecurity being the main reason. But with the warmer weather on its way, hopefully, people will start to spend some of their funds.

This is where advertising come in. And RiverDogGeneralStore is right there! We'll have a newsprint ad coming out in the next several days. In this ad will be several River Dog Participants...just a small perk for being listed on www.RiverDogGeneralStore.com .

You'll also notice that our site has a new link to "other services". For example, looking to create or re-create your web site? RiverDogGeneralStore.com can help...and for a very attractive price. A really exciting new feature is our Sales Promotion area. We've hooked up with a company out west which is very responsive for sales promotion items...you name it, your logo, saying, whatever can be published on an item. Everything from T-shirts to banners. What is really amazing is you don't have to order in huge numbers. If you need seven shirts, you order seven shirts...and the price will not be crazy! Need something printed (business cards, brochures, etc.) let us know that also. Contact us for whatever your needs may be. We can tell you all about these great new services.

Do you have some concerns, questions or ideas about running a small business?

Why not writ them down here!

Several people have asked for the capability to communicate with other small local businesses right here on this blog. Let's give it a try....and you don't even have to sign your name.

Small Businesses Rule!

Yes, we've been busy and haven't had the time to post as frequently as we want to. Anyway...

WELCOME...
as we have a new participant on RiverDogGeneralStore.com. It's Family Health & Wellness...Welcome! John Meisel, MD and Rosemarie G. Cole, A.P.R.N. They are the ones "running the show". Their office is located at 150 Main Street in Chester, CT 06412. The office phone number 860-526-4945. Family Health & Wellness is a part of MHS Primary Care, Inc. which is a member of the Middletown Health System. You'll notice that there are several "MHS Primary Care, Inc." signs around the CT River valley/shore area...all a part of the Middlesex Health System (Middlesex Hospital ).



THE LOCAL BEET, Chester Ct
You've got to check this store out! It's a "green grocery". Kim, the owner, takes pride in having a huge selection of local high quality goods and produce. Kim writes on the Local Beet Blog "Pat from Four Mile River Farm is always right in front of The Local Beet..inside you will find their famous nitrate free hot dogs, kielbasa and knockworst...Beltane Goat Farm chevre, Beaver Brook Farm cheeses and pesto and Two Guys from Woodbridge organic hydroponic greens and Deerfield Farm raw milk, yogurt, cheeses and soaps". Kim continues, "Chester's own Mama Manju's salsa in 4 crazy flavors, Three Sister's Honey of Essex, Can't Beet It, an amazing local horseradish/beet dip that'll delight your taste buds and the original Bridge Tofu of Middletown".


The thing that really makes me smile is its location and "state of mind". It is tucked in the corner on Main Street in Chester, CT...you almost must look for it ...but you'll see it with that great sign over the porch. Except for the computer, refrigeration and credit card machine, you will know you're in a special place far from the clutches of our super store environment.



High recommendations for The Local Beet...http://www.thelocalbeetshop.com/

Please keep RiverDogGeneralStore.com and its participants in mind! Remember that The Store's purpose is to work with and help local small businesses. This is especially true in today's very tight economic world. America's small business community keeps our world turning while each business must stretch each and every dollar they receive...and what is really cool is that when they do business, these folks really appreciated it!

Thanks...talk with you next time!