Archived News

"If you aren't growing, you are dying!" By Lou Holtz


The Best of Granite City

Mrs. Karen Greenwald & the Granite City Students
On Monday, Granite City CEO hosted  their 3rd Annual Best of Granite City from 5 - 8 p.m.  There were lots of different businesses and restaurants to visit along with a silent auction.  Great job, Mrs. Greenwald and the Granite City students, for a successful night!

Sponsorships & Tickets are Still Available

Around the Fountain: A Belleville CEO Experience

Belleville CEO’s purpose is to encourage a closer community and to inspire the success of small businesses. Although our class consists of high school seniors, we are driven entrepreneurs that see the untapped potential of this city- potential that we wish to bring out in our second annual class business by giving you a chance to network and market your business. This year we are hosting a business conference with our two inspirational keynote speakers, the artist and entrepreneur Ben Glenn and Belleville resident and Kaskaskia Engineering owner, Geri Boyer. Around the Fountain is the experience we are offering to unite the business community while creating lifelong connections that will benefit Belleville as a whole. We offer a plethora of options to be involved, so don’t miss a chance to be successful and buy your tickets today!

The Students of Belleville CEO, Class of 2017

Sponsorships and Tickets Available

GOLD SPONSORSHIP - $450

Logo will appear in slideshow
Logo will be in program
Logo in weekly newsletter
Logo on website
Logo on gold banner
Logo on a chocolate fountain
Name announced
2 tickets

 Investing in your community

*Slide show will play during the event
*Banners will be displayed around the wall of the room
*Free tickets allow you to come and enjoy the event
*Names will be announced at the beginning of the event to thank the businesses for their investment

SILVER SPONSORSHIP - $300

Logo will appear in slideshow
Logo in program
Logo in weekly newsletter
Logo on website
Logo on silver banner
1 ticket 

Growing your community

BRONZE SPONSORSHIP - $150

Logo will appear in slideshow
Logo will be in program
Logo will appear in weekly newsletter
Logo on website 

Supporting your community

BOOTHS 

Come to the event and listen to the speakers while being able to advertise for your business! Hand out samples and information while networking with potential business customers or partners.   

The booth includes:

 *Admission for two
*6 foot table included in price

SILENT AUCTION

 You can also contribute to the event by donating a basket to the silent auction. Donations are appreciated and the donor's name or logo will be on the bid sheet.

 **Please do not include alcohol in a donated basket**

If You Are Interested In Any Sponsorships, Booths, Or Contributing To The Silent Auctions, Please Contact Carson Gamboe At (618) 604-8211 Or Cgamboe@Gmail.Com.


Thank You to Our Current Sponsors

Around the Fountain: A Belleville CEO Experience

Thank you to our GOLD Sponsors:

Thank you to our SILVER Sponsors:

Neptunes Ocean World

Thank you to our BRONZE Sponsors:

            

                                                

Lisa Safarian            Greg Shevlin              

Thank you to our BOOTHS:

1.  SIUE SBDC, Mrs. JoAnn DiMaggio-May, Interim Executive Director
2.  Advocare, Mrs. Melissa Gamboe
3.  St. Clair Bowl
4.  Ahanti Muhammad
5.  Lu La Roe
6.  Nicol Financial Services & The Nicol Foundation

Thank you to those who donated to our SILENT AUCTION:

1.  HomeBrite Ace Hardware (Downtown Belleville)
2.  Slackers
3.  Hilton Hotel
4.  Ace Hardware (West End)
5.  The Abbey
6.  Family Video
7.  Scott Credit Union


SIUE SBDC & SCORE

Mrs. JoAnn DiMaggio-May & Ms. Deborah Bowman, PhD

On Wednesday, our class greeted Mrs. JoAnn DiMaggio-May and a member of SCORE, Ms. Deborah Bowman.  SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship.   While Mrs. DiMaggio-May helped our class finish our business plan,  several students had an opportunity to meet with Ms. Bowman  about their personal businesses.  Thank you again, Mrs. DiMaggio-May and Ms. Bowman for taking time out of your morning to meet with us.

 Written by Epiphany Smith


The Edge

Keith and Mary Dahm Schell

On Thursday we had the opportunity to visit The Edge, where we got to meet the owners, Keith & Mary Dahm-Schell.  Upon arrival we were greeted and escorted to their extravagant Bistro Theater, where they spoke to us about many of the different aspects and logistics of their business.  We also were told a lot about all of the major expansions they are planning on integrating into The Edge by July.    After they concluded speaking, we were given a small tour of some of their theaters and the behind the scenes on how the theater works.  Our visit to The Edge was a great experience and the CEO class is very grateful to have them supporting our program!

 Written by Cole Maul


Scottish Rite Fish Fry

CEO Students

As part of our venue agreement with the Scottish Rite, our CEO class volunteered at the monthly Scottish Rite Fish Fry last Friday night. We split up the three hour fish fry into two shifts. Many of the students worked the order table, prepared the fish, took the fish out to the customer, worked the drink and pie table, and helped clean up after the fish fry.  We would like to thank those who support the Scottish Rite Fish Fry because we know that the revenue goes to help the many charities that they support..

Written by Joe Beussink


Student Journal Highlights for this week

Coming back from an astounding four day weekend our class was bright eyed and bushy tailed early Tuesday morning. As Tuesday was a work day, we as a class where coming together to see what duties were left for our class business. As the CEOs kept everyone in line we got quite a few thing accomplished. As we are working in Precision’s extra office, the owner Renae came down and challenged all of us to make physical contact with at least two people by the nightfall concerning our class business.

Jaylen and I went downtown Belleville after school and went to various businesses. First we stopped by the BND and spoke with their education journalist and she decided to run a story concerning our class and tradeshow. As we kept going door to door downtown, we found that it wasn’t as hard as we originally thought to invite people and get the word out.   We stopped by the Lincoln and they're going to put our flier on the screen during previews!  It was a pretty successful week from that standpoint. I’m looking forward to our work day this coming week and I’m sure we'll be successful throughout the day.

There were a lot of different things that went on this week and what really stood out to me was our visit with the Schells from The EDGE. The EDGE has it all, anything from food to games. It’s quite the establishment meant for those of all ages. What really stood out to me was when Mary said “Don’t let why not keep you from reaching your goal.” As by all of the obstacles she and her husband have overcome it’s the way of life for them. I really could feel the connection with them, everything they do is big and they do it right. I love the way they think by having the wow factors in every aspect of their business. I’m really excited to see how their expansion goes and am looking forward to checking out their new attractions.

           

Austin Thurman

Austin Thurman
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Austin

Week 20 of CEO featured three work days and one class visit to the Edge. JoAnn DiMaggio-May came to help us work on our business plan on Wednesday. Friday our class worked the fish fry at the Scottish Rite so we could get our rental price down for the building.

The visit to the Edge was very cool. I used to go there all the time and play laser tag, but when we visited it seemed like a completely different place. Their restaurant is high tech and impressive, and they have two lounge theatres and three regular movie theatres. Along with the largest laser tag arena in the USA, the Edge is already really popular and doing well. But Mr. and Mrs. Schell reminded us to always keep being innovative, and that’s why they’re expanding and adding a go-kart track and a bowling alley (I think I’ll be spending a lot more time there soon). Mrs. Dahm-Schell also shared the story of how they originally just wanted to start a movie theatre next to the Lincoln. When they were touring the theatre they were asked what they wanted to do with the building and they said they wanted to use it for a movie theatre. Word spread around and the Lincoln theatre actually bought that building so they wouldn’t have any competition. Moral of the story is, “know everything you talk about, but don’t talk about everything you know.” This quote is so true because sometimes you just have to be quiet so people can’t steal your idea or can’t try to beat you at your own game. I should always know everything about my business, but it would be good not to go around telling anyone who asks what they want to know.

 Friday’s fish fry was so much fun. I was working in the kitchen submerging the fish in the batter while my new role model, Johnny, talked to me about all of his life experiences. It was a great experience because the whole class had a chance to see the Scottish Rite in action and visualize our event in it. We also got to mingle with a bunch of people and hopefully spark some interest in the event. The best part was working while knowing how much money it was going to save us just for sacrificing some time on Friday night, but it actually didn’t turn out to be a sacrifice for me. I had a great time and I would cook some fish with Johnny any time.

The most successful businessman on the planet in my opinion is Mr. Warren Buffett He has a net worth of close to 71.9 Billion dollars by trading in the stock markets and growing companies. Undoubtedly the most successful investor of the 20th century recognized the value of reinvesting early on!  He quoted saying, “Reinvesting is the best way to build wealth. If you’re a business owner, reinvesting is crucial to your company’s continued growth and success. It’s worth keeping in mind that investing isn’t just about a sudden influx of cash -- your time and experience are also extremely valuable.” This is what this week was all about reinvestments in your company.

The week started on Tuesday because of Martin Luther King Jr Day, the week was totaled for two workdays, and and two visits. It basically began when Jo-Ann Dimaggio May came in to speak with us about our class business, and our personal businesses. I had the fortune to speak with one of her associates one on one. I was told that I needed to make my decisions fast, because as soon as i release my ideas there are going to be tons of people that will try to steal it, we are talking about patents and copyrights. I did not know what a copyright was so I had to do some research. It turns out that copyright protection extends to existing products and contents, and new material too. According to a study by Price Waterhouse Cooper, copyright laws play key roles in supporting economic growth. Copyright protection extends to over 770,000 content creators in the United Kingdom. These creators produce significant volumes of unique work, sold as software, books and other mediums. Through the copyright system, they receive legal title to their works, which ensures they receive income produced from those works. In turn, that revenue helps them stay in business. Business operation, in turn, contributes to national economic stability and even growth. Copyright laws protect goods considered tangible items. Legal protection takes effect upon release of materials and products into the public domain. Copyright protection, like warranties and insurance, protects items for certain periods of time. Most afford protection for long periods of time, such as 70 to more than 100 years after creation. (United States Government Website). Thus I liked the idea of having a copyright I had the idea in the back of my mind that I did not even have a company yet, therefore l do not need a copyright.

On Thursday we visited The Edge and learned about reinvesting in your company as well as how the theater business works. I thought that movie theaters were rich and made a lot of money from tickets and from the studio but as I found out that is not the case, as Keith and Mary Dahm-Schell the owners of The edge said, “Theaters get to keep between 10% and 50% of the ticket price they sell. The better the film does, the more the studio will often take. This is one of the few businesses where the terms are determined after the product is used we, know how much we pay after the film has closed. Many films are firm terms, which mean we set a percentage before the movie plays. But, most are negotiated after the run. There is only so much money people are willing to pay to see a movie so the price for a ticket doesn’t change much, no matter how much it cost to make a movie. Granted, The Edge will generally have a price increase (if one is due) just before a major release and there are premiums added for events such as 3D movies. But, generally movies cost the end consumer about the same. Much of that multimillion-dollar budget goes to marketing to make sure people come to see the film. It works very well. Most cinemas like The Edge who do not have major grant right from the studios, make their money in the snack bar. The ticket revenue covers film rent, some payroll, building rent, etc. But the snack bar profits are what make the enterprise successful. People do not generally get into the film exhibition business to get rich. We do it because we love film and bringing it to people. We like being the tender of the cultural bonfire where many people in many cultures gather. In exchange for that we are willing to live with less income. But, since a lot of what we do with our spare time has to do with movies anyway, it's okay.” After Mr. Dahm said that I gained a lot of respect for the theater industry.

I learned a lot this week in CEO from reinvestments to just knowing how things are done i'm so excited to see how the class business and personal businesses will turn out, we just need to make sure we reinvest!

Jaylen Davis

Jaylen Davis
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Jaylen

 "Around the Fountain: a Belleville CEO Experience" is in just a few short weeks. We have made huge strides within the past couple of weeks. Our trade show is coming together because we are getting a lot of booths. Our original goal is 16. We are getting close, and I believe that we can reach that goal. We need to start working on decorations, and finishing that. We have an all day work day next Wednesday, and I think it will be extremely productive. I hope to get a few sponsorships and a few booths. Tim and I have been working hard as a group to maximize our success on that Wednesday. We are going to small businesses along Main St. We also have a list of people we need to call and reach out to. We need to sell a lot of tickets for this event. Our goal is 200-300, and I think that it is attainable. I have already sold 10 myself. I think that I will be able to sell 30 tickets.

On Friday, we worked a fish fry at the Scottish Rite. I think that the venue will be perfect for our event because it has a lot of space for booths and people. The mini stage is perfect for our speakers and panel. I am very excited for this event. Tim and I had personal meetings with everyone, and we laid out what needed to be done to have a successful class business. It is coming down to the wire, and we need the help of everyone.

This week we met with The Edge. It was a really good presentation. I have been the The Edge many times throughout my life, and I love playing laser tag as well as their arcade. I have not been in a while, and I was extremely impressed with new upgrades and design. I am excited to watch them grow and expand. I like the idea of go-carts and bowling. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

On Tuesday, our class had another work day to focus on our class business.  We continued to work on the details of the event.  We also decided on a day that would work as an all day work day for us to accomplish much more at once

On Wednesday, our class met Mrs. DiMaggio-May and a member of SCORE to finalize our business plan.  Mrs. DiMaggio-May taught me that business plans are more detailed than they appear.  It is important to include statistics of possible customers, competition, and many other things.  Mrs. DiMaggio-May’s associate gave individual assistance as our class continued to edit the business plan.  I hope to create a business plan for my business that is as detailed as our class business.

On Thursday, our class went to The Edge and visited Keith and Mary Dahm-Schell.  They were very kind and gave us a tour focusing on added details to the Edge.  We also learned about a few additions that Mr. and Mrs. Dahm-Schell are planning.  Mr. and Mrs. Dahm-Schell are extremely motivated and emphasize the use of new technology.  They demonstrated how investing in new technology can make a business unique and also be a cheaper option.  One of their mottos is “If we’re not growing, we’re dying.”  This quote was very motivating me and has made me contemplate how I could make my business more impactful and larger.  I also learned that business is all about balancing.  Keeping track of finances and profit is important to know what you need to improve.

On Friday, our class had another work day.  This may have been our most effective work day yet.  We followed an itinerary and really worked well as a team.  We sectioned off into groups to accomplish several tasks at once.  My group made a list of places to go and ask for booths and sponsorships.  I feel like we are going to be more successful than we believe on our all day work day.

This week in CEO it was quite good.   I managed to get $100 worth of stuff from Home-Brite Ace for free which I find awesome. And I also got all the stuff ordered. And it was real interesting to see more and more of my class stepping up (including myself). I guess now are event is coming up more and more of us are putting more work into it.

And Wednesday JoAnn (Dimaggio-May) came back to help us more on our business plan. It was real interesting seeing how to put a business plan together. It got me thinking how I need to get mine together. Sadly I haven't even started mine yet. But I think I need to get a product set before I start my plan.

Thursday we got to go to The Edge. I personally love The Edge. I had my ninth birthday party there. And my parents are really good friends with Keith and Mary Dahm-Schell. So it was nice seeing them again. It amazes me they been open for about 22 years. It always seemed new to me. I guess because of how there are always changing and adding to it.

And Friday we had another work day which I think was one our better ones because our CEOs (Tim and Steve) did one on one conferences. Which I think is really helpful to us as a class. And I think it also made all of us think how far we gotten and what we have done for the class.

Plus it was really fun Friday night our class worked at the Scottish Rite Fish Fry. I got to meet a bunch of new people even though I’m positive I will not be able to eat any fish for another month at least. But it's always fun to meet nice people in my opinion.

Kelly Rowden

Kelly Rowden
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Kelly

On Wednesday we talked to Jo-Ann Dimaggio-May and a member of the SCORE team. SCORE is a team of nonprofit people who help small business get off the ground, grow, and achieve success. The member of SCORE that was with us that day talked to two of our students, Devin and Jaylen. She first talked to Jaylen about his business and he told us on our next workday which was Friday about what happened. Apparently she was really excited about his whole business idea but completely tore his business plan apart. After that she started getting really excited and wanted to get investors and help supply Jaylen with money for more equipment. While Jaylen was working with the SCORE team member, the rest of the class was working with Jo-Ann Dimaggio-May on the business plan for the CEO class business by editing the document and combing through our different projections for the class business.

On Thursday our CEO class visited The Edge in Belleville and met with the owners. As we walked through the renovated Vespers I was amazed. The place looks amazing and they obviously went all out to make the place a real sports bar. We then went into one of the bistro movie theaters and then had a bit of a lecture and Q&A while eating some delicious bagels. The line that really stuck out to me was where they said “If your business is not growing, then it is dying.” They talked a lot about what their growth for the future is and these two people have really thought out and planned the future of the Edge. They also realize how prevalent in society technology is and show this off in their sports bar. The one other thing I noticed was that they constantly mentioned the hurdles and hassles of having to deal with all the government regulations of starting and maintaining a business and definitely brought up the expenses of taxes.

Joe  Beussink

Joe Beussink
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Joe

This week for CEO we mainly worked on our class business. We also met with Keith and Mary Dahm-Schell at the Edge. Overall it was a productive week with lots of cool things to learn.

We visited the Edge on Thursday. We got to talk in their bistro theatre, which was really cool to see their spin on a traditional theatre. They talked a lot about technology and staying up to date. The Edge has always been trying to incorporate the newest technology into their business. They showed us their new restaurant/bar area which was crazy how advanced it was. The tv system they had was really unique and similar to the huge sports pubs out in Las Vegas! They also had completely different lights than any other restaurant in the area. Instead of high voltage wires they used special low voltage ones that gives way more control to each individual light.

One thing I was really impressed with by the Edge was their endurance to chase after new ideas. Back when they first opened, laser tag was almost unheard of. This made it very hard for them to get loans or support. This didn't discourage them, rather they did their research and found better ways to get loans, such as through the Small Business Administration. Even today they are still blazing the trail for entertainment through new attractions.

The rest of the week we worked on our class business. Mrs. DiMaggio May came in again to finish our business plan. A SCORE member also came in to meet with individuals about their personal businesses. In class we managed to secure more booths and sponsorships. This was a productive week, but hopefully next week will be more productive with our all day call center.

Tim Donaho

Tim Donaho
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Tim

Due to other organizations I was only able to attend one day of CEO this week, and although it was productive I can't help but feel a bit behind. I don't like missing class even for other organizations because the education I get in CEO is purely hands on and your quality of education is due to your attendance and attention.

I have decided to go a different direction with the art in our class business, instead of multiple student arts I will create a photography series related to Belleville CEO and the life of a student in the program, also relating to Belleville and our high schools in various ways. The photos will be blown up and then displayed and put up for sale.

This experience has taught me I can't rely too much on other people to get things done because they do not have the same motivation for this completed project as I do, which is understandable because it is not a grade for the various students at Belleville high schools.
I find this realization both clarifying and extremely valuable. In the future I won't have to wait for things to be done. I'll either hand a responsibility to someone I trust or I will complete the task myself. Overall the class business seems to be running along smoothly and I'm excited to see the result.

Alayna  Wells

Alayna Wells
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Alayna

This previous week was very significant due to the fact that we worked very strenuously on our class business and ensuring that we start generating ticket sales and increasing the amount of booths we acquire. Everyone in the class has been working hard to make sure to get sponsors and to that end we have succeeded in getting our more than fair share of sponsors. Wednesday's class we had Mrs. DiMaggio and she came back to show us more holes and flaws we had in our original business plan and how to better it overall. We utilize our preceding class's numbers and areas where they needed improvement in their own class business. They felt their biggest downfall was ticket sales and getting people to attend so that's what our class is going to really strive to improve and make sure that each one of us at least brings 20 or so people. If we all continue to do our part and stay on top of the game and pursue businesses and people to come to our event, then we shall prosper in our class endeavor.

On Thursday we visited The Edge/Vesper with Mr. and Mrs. Schell. They have now been around for 22 years. Their original business idea was an in seat food and beverage in 1994. They came up with enough capital to buy an old theatre but it didn't work out because the building wasn't for sale anymore. This was the old Ritz Theater that they tried to acquire after it shut down but instead it is now a church. Originally sports pubs weren't very popular here and if they were around they had no more than 4 or 5 TVs but Mr. and Mrs. Schell started one with 30 TVs. They also were the first laser tag arena to come here. Their biggest takeaway was don't let someone tell you not to do something just because it hasn't been done. They literally started something in their innovating industry in which no one else in the area had caught on to, yet decided to do it anyway. Them doing this resulted in their business being around till this day and making big money along with it. Another takeaway was know everything you talk about but don't necessarily talk about everything you know. The Edge's building was originally a family owned grocery store. It was bought out and converted to what it is now. The last takeaway was arguably the most important. Don't let anybody put you in a box and develop yourself at all times otherwise you're getting worse. Traditional financial aids weren't available because people weren't aware of the industry as of yet. The SBA gave loans in 1st position because of this and they were quite lucky to receive this help. Despite all these setbacks The Edge came to be one of the strongest established businesses in the area.

Royce Payne

Royce Payne
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Royce

This was yet another very exciting week for the Belleville CEO Program.  We began the week on Tuesday with a pretty standard work day where we discussed a lot about the class business.  On Wednesday JoAnn DiMaggio returned to assist us with forming our business plan, and she brought another SCORE member to discuss our personal business ideas with her one on one.  On Thursday we had the opportunity to visit The Edge and hear the owners, Keith and Mary speak on their business.  On Friday we had another work day, where we prioritized “ironing out” some of the issues with our class business.

Like I stated previously, on Wednesday JoAnn DiMaggio-May came back to help us on our business plan.  We made a lot of progress on forming the business plan, and some students were even able to consult with her SCORE colleague about their personal businesses.

Thursday we had the opportunity to visit The Edge, where we got to meet the owners, Keith & Mary Schell.  Upon arrival we were greeted and escorted to their extravagant bistro theater, where the spoke to us about many of the different aspects and logistics of their business.  We also were told a lot about all of the major expansions they are planning on integrating into The Edge by July, which was very cool to hear about.  After they concluded speaking we were given a small tour of some of their theaters and we were sorta shown how the theater works.

On Friday, we had a very productive work day, where we sort of cleared up a lot of the miscommunication that has occurred with forming our class business.  This work day was very much needed to help solidify some of the plans for our event.

Overall this was yet another exciting week for the Belleville CEO. Program, and I, very excited to see how our event turns out and what is also for the weeks to come, as we conclude this final year of our high school careers.

       

Cole Maul

Cole Maul
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Cole

Starting off the week on Tuesday with a work day at Precision Practice Management, our class discussed the decorations of our class fundraiser and set up a budget on how much we can spend on the decorations.

On Wednesday our class met at Precision Practice Management again to speak with Ms. JoAnn DiMaggio-May and Deborah Bowman to discuss and make corrections to our class business plan and to start speaking more about our personal businesses. We also spoke and learned a little about SCORE. The SCORE Program is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground and gain growth. While personally speaking to Mrs. Bowman I learned that I need to start planning into the future and make future predictions on where I want to be in 5-10 years from now.

On Thursday, Our class met at The Edge to talk to Keith and Mary Dahm-Schell. The Edge started off as a small laser tag arena which grew into a movie theater/restaurant and soon to have an eight lane bowling alley with go-carts. The Edge business is growing rapidly and steadily due to investing back into the company and because of how different they are than any other business around Belleville. The Edge provides services that no other business can provide like the dinner delivery while watching a movie in their theater. This provides interest towards customers

On Friday our class met back at Precision Practice Management to discuss a little more on individual roles during our class fundraiser. Our two CEO’s sat everyone down personally to discuss what that one individual can do to make our class fundraiser more worthy towards our investors and the customers that attend the event. We also discussed a little more on our personal businesses and where we stand with them.

This week in class seemed to be very haste.... This week also seemed short in duration. We had three work days and one business visit. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had work days.

On Wednesday we had a visit from JoAnn DiMaggio-May and a SCORE member. SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. The students had an opportunity to meet with a SCORE member to talk about their personal businesses. During her visit she talked about virtual businesses, video coaching for people who are unemployment and underemployed. Also she helped our class with the business plan. The business plan included many different points of information. The business plan includes different stats, and census reports and records such as income of average groupings of people in the last 12 months, population, average age of people in certain areas, and regions. Before the class I knew very little about business plans. I didn't expect the business plan to have so much tedious information.

On Thursday we had a presentation and tour of The Edge by the owners Keith and Mary Dahm-Schell. The Edge Began at the old Olympia. Before the visit I didn't know that First Baptist church on main downtown was the Ritz Theater. One thing that I took away from the presentation was that “know everything you talk about but don't talk about everything you know”. The owners followed the Sports pub movement because there weren't any in Belleville that were effectively being competitive. The new edge used to be a Wessels grocery store. The owners also stressed not letting anybody put you in a box and to always continue to develop.

Lastly on Friday after a workday we went and helped out at the Scottish Rite for their fish fry. The fish fry was fun and the people were very nice and welcoming.

This week we were really focusing on our business. We gained more booths and sponsorships. We have 2 booths from LuLaRoe and 2 booths from Kevin Nicol. We also got BND to interview us about our class business. Renae has helped us a lot with giving us advice and spreading our information to everyone in her contacts. We are finally going out and giving out our information.

On Wednesday JoAnn DiMaggio-May came back and helped us finally finish our business plan. She also brought a SCORE person with her. Although I did not get to speak to her, I heard she was very helpful with tips on their business plan and personal business.

On Thursday, we went to The Edge and met the owners. In the last 22 years they have made 8 renovations and are planning another one. Their business went from being the first sports pub in Belleville to then moving into the building they are in now. They have added laser tag, movies, and the bistro. They just renovated their sports bar and it is awesome! They have a huge TV wall with different panels that they can have on all different channels. They are now starting another add on. They plan on adding indoor go karts, indoor bumper cars, a patio, and a VR game. A VR game is virtual reality where you wear glasses that are like a 360 video screen where you can ride a roller coaster or play a game. They said that “if you aren't growing, you're dying”. Which is very true. Most business that don’t grow with the technology and customer’s wants usually fail.

On Friday, we worked the fish fry at the Scottish Rite and it was fun. We worked it to receive a discount on our price for having our class business there.

Claire Randle

Claire Randle
Friday, January 20, 2017Learn More About Claire


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