Day 5

Like I talked about on Saturday's change report, I am scheduled for 2 interviews today, Monday, 17th, November---With Oh Boy!Print Shop at 11am and Aces Jiu Jitsu Club at 3pm. So I left the house early, at about 9:43 am

So, I just got back to the apartment after Day 5. My interview with Oh Boy! went well, but the other one with Aces Jiu Jitsu was rescheduled. Coach Mikal had a filming crew coming over to film his new DVD and remake his website. We rescheduled for Thursday, 10 am.All in all a good day. 

Taking an early bus, I got to the neighborhood around 10:22 am, and went straight to a Jack-In-The-Box restaurant to prepare.

I had prepared a structure for my line of questions, and alloted time for each response. Here it is, below. I sat and got very clear on the questions, rewriting them down on a sheet of paper.

The Structure

35---40 minutes overall:

1 minute: Introduce myself, the owner, my project, and how I came to know the owner.

3-4 minutes:

1.Tell us a little about your company---what you guys do, where you are based, and what makes you guys unique in the marketplace.

3-4 minutes:

Tell your story---how did you get started? What got you into it? When and how did you make your first dollar?

3-4 minutes:

What did you do to grow from the beginning? What were some of the early challenges, and how did you handle it?

3-4 minutes:

Share your cookbook---what has been the principles, personal skills, collaborations, and things of chance that has made you and your business.

3-4 minutes:

What are your current goals, why, and how will they be useful to your clients? Do you have 5 year vision, or do you make it up as you go?

3-4 minutes:

Any new deals/announcements, opinions to correct, and products to release?

3-4 minutes:

What has been the most challenging part of running your own business? What has been the most rewarding?

Wrap up:

What would you tell folks who are looking to start their own thing? Is there anything else you would like to share?

Last thing: Where can people find you---online and offline?

Close and thanks

With that done, I walked to the office. Rob and Mimi welcomed me warmly, and even offered me an egg, bacon, and cheese taco he had bought for the office. Having had only taco and a small cup of tea earlier, I knew it would come in handy later since I will be talking to other business owners for about 2 hours after the interview, and would need the fuel. I saved the taco.

We sat and went over a few things on how I would like it to go, and got started.  Here's the file uploaded to my sound cloud account, and on to the project's podcast page.

Take a listen here: The Oh Boy Print Shop Convo

With the interview wrapped up, I quickly emailed it to myself to save a copy of it somewhere else. If my phone were to fall out of my pocket and get damaged, it may be difficult to recover the audio file. So I had to give it more than one home. 

But my voice definitely needs work there in the conversation. It's seems very low---I wanted my voice lower than Rob's, and I think I ended up making it too low. Well, it's my first, so hopefully it gets better. 

We were done in about half an hour, so I had the rest of the day to go meet some new owners. 

I simply walk in and introduce myself and my project, Iike you probably know by now. So onto it, to make my time count.

I stopped by Star finishes. "Try back later," the attendant told me. I went on to Mav Computers, where  I got a card to follow up with the owner. 

I noticed a lady taking her traveling bag out of her car's trunk, and dragged it over to the entrance of my next stop, Penguin Air & Home Furnishings. I asked if she worked there. "No, I don't," she said. I saw a man come to the entrance to check who the lady was talking to. 

"I hope it's not a solicitor, right?" he asked. I thought well of my project, and didn't consider myself one, but all things considered, this could be a solicitation. I introduced myself and my project, and asked to speak to the owner. "Yes," he said." I assume you are the owner," I said, to make sure. "Yes," he confirmed. 

"Well, tell you what. We are a start-up, and would be interested in something like that. But right now, we have an important meeting, and can't talk now, so let's talk it over later." He requested. I knew I had to fill my calendar with meetings to at least put me in front of owners, so I suggested we do something tomorrow, Tuesday.

"Okay," he agreed. "What time tomorrow?" I asked."Let's do 10am," he offered, and I said okay, and he went back inside. Soon as I left his door, I realized I had made a mistake---I am scheduled for an interview tomorrow with Triple J's at 10 am, and can't cancel that. I made a few more stops, and came back, when the meeting was over, to suggest that Wednesday will work better. He agreed to it.

Mr. Tim Gibbons is the owner of Penguin Air and Home Furnishings, and he gave me his card for contact. 

I spoke to D&D Rug Custom Rug Binder, whom were not interested in my project nor anything  I offered since they have so much business on hand for the holiday season. 

Ms. Sonya Miranda is the wife of the next business I spoke to. She was friendly and courteous, and listening to my project, suggested I come back to see her husband who would be a better person to talk to, and would know more about the story as the founder. "When you see a black truck parked here, come back," she said.

I made a few more stops, and saw the truck drive in.  I waited a while, and went back. Mr. Chris Miranda, was equally receptive, and even filled out my survey, complete with his information. 

But he suggested I follow up sometime next week since the rest of the week is booked on his calendar. I tried to find at least a 30 minute block on his calendar for this week for an interview, but really he was booked, as he explained his schedule a little more. I will get back to discuss sometime next week.

I went on to talk to folks at Maid Brigade, A-Tex Shredding, and Tropical Sensations. Of all three, only Tropical heard me out, and wanted to know more.

They offered me a seat, filled out my survey, and a possible time to follow up to set something up later. The lady I spoke to Ms. Sherry Powell owns the live plants and flowers business with Jim, her co-owner. Their business card calls it "plantscaping." They had started the business about 5 years ago, after both of them  left more established companies in the same industry.

How do they get clients? "We go cold calling businesses, pretty much what you are doing," she said."Okay," I said. Judging by how busy they were, and being in business for 5 years,  they've done pretty well getting business that way. 

She told me a few things about where they get their supplies---Florida, California, and Hawaii, and nothing they use is grown locally; how long she has been in the industry---since the 7o's; and how she met Jim----when both of them worked for another company. 

She was open and receptive, offering me a seat and all, and I enjoyed chatting with her. I will follow up with her later, at least to interview her, and learn more of her story.

My last but one stop was at Torres Plumbing. I met the owner, went through my intro and project, and scheduled an appointment for Thursday at 4:30 pm. I also stopped by LifeSafer, which is owned by an individual living in New York, and cannot be reached. 

I wrapped up the day and caught a bus home. Starving, I got a quick bite to eat, and sat to upload the interview and post it.

Well, Day 5 is in the bag. On to Day 6.

 

Change: 30 to 21.

With Day 4 done, week 1 is in the bag. But change is needed.

I have to alter the project a bit. I will be altering the project from 30 days to 21. So it's now a 21 day project.

My original intention was for a hard end on December 17. To get in 30 days of work---including meeting owners, setting appointments, and delivering values---interviews, copywriting, and others--- by that date, I will have to work 6 days a week within 5 weeks to meet my deadline.

But thinking it over carefully after week 1, I will be better off with a 21 day project that still meets the deadline and delivers better value to owners, which is and should the main reason for the project.

Let's take a look at the calendar for the next two months.

It just shows all the days I have marked for meeting owners and delivering values. I have purposely left some days off for personal time, days off to rest, and to make time for prepping for appointments and gathering requirements.

 The project will be over by the 12th of December, as marked on the calendar, and the 13th, 14th, are days to warm down and to unwind.

The 15th and 16th will be days to call up and thank owners for their time and reception, and you all for coming along. But also will be time for turning in my report and to pen down my reflections on it all.

So here, below, is a short list of my reasons. 

1. Saturdays are mostly often rest days for owners, and I'd like to take a few of mine, too, to pace myself and avoid burnout.

3. Prepping materials and values to deliver at the appointments, and to prepare them very well.

4. Factor in Thanksgiving weekend.

5. Time for other gigs.

6. Weekly reviews.

Thanks for listening, and see you all on Monday, the 17th, for Day 5, when I meet with "Oh Boy! Print Shop" and "Aces Jiu Jitsu Club."

Have a good weekend, you all.

Peace.

Day 4

I went to bed around 12:30 pm last night. I had to get my day's report in before daybreak. 

I am ready for today, Day 4. I will be picking up where I left off after my visit Oh Boy! Print Shop. Today's weather is no different, but again I have to brave it, and get Day 4 in.

But right now let's make today's first part of the post short. Got to head out.  

Off to it, (see you in the evening.)

Day 4 is done, in the bag. Today started a little differently because I stopped by a supermarket to get Clif Bars before I caught the bus. I had skipped both breakfast and lunch, and needed to fill my "tank," before I started.  I got to the field around 2:50 pm. 

I started by visiting with Art Hall Awards. As you all probably know by now, most of my stops end with collecting business cards, since the owners are often not in. Art Hall's was not too. But in my short talk with Becky the attendant there, I learned the company has been around since the 70's, and is owned by Bill Dreher. 

A short visit this was but name and address is gold, and life is a long journey, and though I may not be able to reach Bill today, our needs may cross sometime in the future. Better to have the contact handy.

Next  I stopped by "Compu Signs," and the absent owner story continued. But Alex, the staff on hand gave me the owner, Ray Noorzad's, card. "Try him next week Monday," he said. 

The story was not different with Garden Spot and Biz Twister my next stops. The guy I spoke to at Garden Spot said they had already closed ( at 3pm; they are open for only 4 hours a day, since 1982), but just happened to leave the door open when I walked in. 

And Biz Twister's attendant was prepping for a conference call. I felt a bit dismissed by her, but took it in stride. It's all good, I thought to myself.

I took owner cards at "10 minute inspection" a car inspection shop, at "Thai House," a restaurant, and at 'Casa Chapala Mexican Grill and Tequila Bar,' my next three stops. Got to keep going.

Mark walked up to me and asked of the purpose of my stop, after he was called over by the receptionist at his restaurant Mikado, Japanese Tapas & Sushi Bar. He is one of the owners and kindly filled out my survey, and asked me to follow up with him on Monday between 2 to 4pm. I will.

But one interesting happened after I left Mark. The next stop I made was at Honeybaked Ham, a sort of pastry shop. Honeybaked is corporate owned, and is thus out of my league for now. But the manager I spoke with there spoke well of Mark. 

Mark had taken over the restaurant space, and was working hard to get it going, and though it had taken time, things are beginning to pick up for the restaurant. But when mark filled out my survey, he answered my question on what he thought could help him by checking of testimonials. Testimonials?! Oh mine, and here next to his restaurant is a glowing one by Marie.

I quickly penned down Marie's words, and asked her permission and approval of the words I had written down. I will when I follow up with Mark on Monday hand it over to him for his use, and we'll go from there. Funny, this world.

I crossed a major thoroughfare to get to my next set of shops. The story of picking up cards continued as I left the shops with cards at all three of my next shops. 

At this point the cold was biting, and I had to take shelter from it. I stopped to take a breather at "Chili's." The attendant there was kind and attentive as she filled my empty water bottle on request, and made no fuss about my taking a breather there without buying anything. 

After my rest, I realized the shadows were coming in, and it was time to head out. This is a Friday, and the evenings get busy for most shops, as folks come out to all kinds of activities to mark the arrival of the weekend.

I caught the next bus home at 5:40 pm, after a short wait, but not before getting into a conversation with a young man at the bus stop.

"Not a good day to be waiting for the bus, right," he said to me."Nah," I responded, unsure whether to give him my full attention or not. But I noticed his bike, and wanting to get a bike myself for a while now, I asked where he got his. 

"I bought it from a friend for $25.oo," he let me in."It was pretty good deal," he added. I nodded, agreeing with it. He suggested the possibility of finding affordable bikes on craigslist, and even checking out the "Yellow Bike Project" for their volunteer time for a bike trade arrangement. 

Though Cameron Jones couldn't vouch for their bikes, the Yellow Bike Project makes it possible for folks to who volunteer a certain amount of time with them to get bikes of their own.

We both caught the 24o bus headed north, and got into more of the conversation. He is a programmer with Volusion, a website building company, and also has his own website at www.camjonesdesign.com. I just checked it before writing the previous sentence, and I like the simplicity of his website and his illustrations.

I am home now, and I called Jose Gonzalez to give him a heads up about the interviews I have lined up for next week with Oh Boy! Print Shops, Aces Jiu Jitsu Club, and Triple J's Tire Shop. Hopefully, they all go well. 

Okay, got to turn in. On to day 5.

Rest!
  











 

Day 3

Today I slept a little better, and that's always good. I am ready for the day.
I have put in my prayer for the day, and also took in David and Job in the Bible again. I love reading good stuff in the morning---puts my head in the right place.



My first task is to stop by Frys Electronics to check out a microphone they have. I think it could be useful to me.



So, I just got back to the apartment. I ended up getting an affordable microphone. I don't have time now to really test it ( though I did a quick test in the store), but I will when I get back.

So, I am ready, and oh, I also set up my first interview with Mr. Michael Jackson of Triple J's Tire shop for Tuesday the 18th at 10 am.

For the weather, honestly it's a little too cold today (39 degrees Fahrenheit), but I have to brave it, you know. Got to keep going.



Off to Day 3 (See you in the evening.)



Back at the apartment, out of the cold. What do I think of today? It went well.



First, after getting off the bus, I stopped by "Q" Cleaners, a dry cleaning shop on the corner of Burnet and Rutland Drive. The attendant there was nice and courteous.



"The owner is not here," Ms. Jeanam---I later found the attendant's name to be---told me, after I had explained my project, and asked to speak to the owner. Okay, no problem, I thought to myself, and took a business card for possible later use---you never know. I may be in touch later with Jacob, the owner.

Again, just as in the previous days went past a few franchise companies, owned by big corporations---Rent a car enterprise, Simple floors, and the like. I am looking for the little guys, I kept in mind.

I came upon "Abraham's Shoe Repair" on the same business complex. I actually nearly walked past it, but turned a few steps after to take a closer look. It looked like an Asian business/restaurant to me initially, but I saw something like a stack of shoes, which stopped me. I walked in to meet David Abraham.

David is the owner of the shop, and was not in a position to do an interview at the present time. This was after I told my reason for stopping by. He is backed up for work now, and would appreciate I check back sometime after the new year. My feeling is that holiday season orders are piling up at this time of the year, and it's wise to pay full attention to that.

Abraham's Shoe Repair has been serving Austin for over 65 years, and definitely has established a solid reputation with many Austinites. This probably explains the loads of business he has on his hands.



But the story goes back farther than 65 years ago. As David made me know, upon my asking, his family has been in the business for over 100 years, and he happens to be the current son of the family running the business. His great-grandfather, I think he said, first start the business, which has been passed down to him over the generations.



And with that longevity has come worthy attention, too. A UT student recently profiled the business in a graduate class assignment. And this is after the business has been written about in many publications in the past. They are not new to the spotlight. All in all, a good, short visit with them.

I walked past "Speedy Cash" and on to my next slate of businesses, Burnet Road Business park. This business park is a little different in layout compared to the previous ones. The businesses were housed in something like warehouse structures lined up all the way to the back from the street. Decent structures, though, these are, and seemed to work well as offices.



First stop: "Cen-tex Upholstery." The name caught my eye and I thought of the possibility of an affiliate connection with "Centex Sporting Goods," a shop I stopped at yesterday. I later learned that was not the case.



But I introduced myself to a lone gentleman working on within the space allotted to the shop."Well, the owner is not here," he told me after hearing my purpose, "and I don't think he'd be interested in doing something like that, and he is also rarely here." My response? Thanks, a card, and on my way.

"XCHG" drew attention, after I saw the business logo of my next stop, "Gear Shift Exchange." Seeing the letters, I immediately knew it meant "exchange." I had never seen that abbreviation anywhere else---good use of letters.



I saw a young man, seemingly in his twenties parking bikes on the back of a truck. I asked if he worked with Gear Shift, and who the owner was. He pointed me to the entrance, asking me to look for Kevin inside. "He is the owner," He said.

Standing in front of their counter inside for about a minute, with "hellos" from me to draw attention, Trevor walked up with a friendly "Hey, what's up?"and called out Kevin for me. Trevor is their media/tech guy.

I took a full turn, and walked to a sort of back section of the shop to find Kevin working on a structure I didn't know exactly what. They will be using to display bikes for their grand re-opening soon, I learned. They are prepping for that now. Funnily, Kevin mistook me for someone who had stopped by last week with the city office." This is my first time here," I corrected.



Kevin listened to my reason, and suggested I get a card from Trevor to follow up sometime on Monday to possibly set something up. That I understood, for he was hard at work, and I even thought it very kind of him to hear me out. He seemed a chill guy, and was open. I thanked him, got the card, and on to the next.



I walked into a tailor's shop, afterwards. Pablo met me with a very welcoming demeanor. He listened to me, and made it clear it may be difficult to speak to the owners, for they are rarely at the shop. However, he will make sure to pass on my card to them, Luis and Patti.



Pablo explained the class of the tailor's shop I was looking to interview. They, the owners, had previously worked for Neiman Marcus, and after a while opened up G&N, Bespoke Tailoring and Alterations. They cater to clients in various parts of the nation, and make some of the most expensive suits on the market. But the reason behind the price was confirmed at my next shop: "Oh Boy! Print Shop."

At this point, I was getting bit a bit by the cold, though I had spent some time inside talking with all the folks I met. I was wondering how to wrap up the day, when I saw the "Oh Boy!" sign. It caught my eye.

"Oh Boy!"? I thought. What exactly is this, and why is it so called. The idea of a paper printing shop came to mind, until I stepped inside. I met a man seemingly gentle and soft-spoken. Rob, I later learned, is the owner of the shop, and upon my questioning, talked briefly about the business, what they do, and the price range of their t-shirts, based on the quality of the plain shirts. I was intrigued. This was after he had told me of their ability to even print hoodies.

This turned to be a long visit, as we went over my reason for stopping by, his interest in sharing his story with me, and a few other possibles based on what came of our interactions. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there," he said on a blogging possibility he introduced me to.

Rob and I talked a bit about when a good time could be had, and what my preference will be for an interview---whether it'd be at his office or a coffee shop somewhere. For audio quality reasons and noise reduction, I will prefer to have it done at his office, which seemed quiet enough.



There, I met with his social media lady and a few other friendly folks, who seemed interested in my project and wanted to know more about it.



Well, this was before Rob had a customer to attend to. The order was already sitting on Rob's table when the client showed up. Business time it was, and I was all fine with waiting so Rob can take care of his client---without customers I wouldn't be there at the office---they make the business.



With business taken care of, we sort delved into our various sport preferences, after I had met Jim, Rob's brother. Jim leaned toward soccer while Rob was more of a basketball guy, and I straddled the fence between them, since I loved and played both sports. We went over matters like our favorite NBA players, and a few back stories of how we both got into the game, and a couple good places in Austin to catch a good game.



Back to the project: It's Monday, the 17th, at 11am, when I get to meet Rob for a sit-down interview on his journey as an entrepreneur. We both agreed that will work, with Rob showing a good desire to work with my preference on how early or late I would want to have it done. All in all, a good visit Oh Boy! Print Shop.

Rob and I went over a few of the other owners at the park that I could talk to, and I really did appreciate it all. It saves me time and eases my meeting the other owners if I knew a bit about them beforehand.



With that side of the business park done, I wanted to wrap up the day, since night fall seemed to be on it's way, and I want my stops completed before 5pm, when most shops close.

I took a few notes at the same Jack-In-The-Box I finished up day 2 with yesterday. Done with that, I caught the 240 bus and headed home. I ended up playing with a little boy on the bus to ease my day off, and get my head in a different place a bit.

What to do now? In the morning, I will be following up with Coach Mikal of Aces Jiu Jitsu, and preparing the interview structure for both Triple J's and Oh Boy!.

On to day 4.

 

Day 2

Today is day 2. I am up. I read a very good part of the book of Samuel and Job---it's my morning fill. I love David and Job. 

 

I didn't quite sleep well, but I made it through. During about 4am, I found myself awake, unable to fall back to sleep. I tried to turn it into a positive by meditating on the Word. That made things a lot better.

 But I am up; on to day 2. 

 

 This morning I finished writing the copy for Mr. Huggin's Locksmith position. I will have him look it over, and add or take things out. He has the best understanding of the position, and to accurately post it, he will have the final say.

Day 2 ( see you in the evening):

Again the temps were low, and I had to brace up for it. With a few things done, and an egg sandwich in my belly I was ready to go.  I walked to the 240 bus stop again, and took out my phone to check the Google maps for when the next bus will show up. I tapped my jacket and felt nothing. I had forgotten my phone at the apartment. Oh no! I said to myself. But wait a minute, keep cool, and go back for it. I steadied myself.

It takes about 15 minutes to walk back to the apartment.  I turned around quickly and headed back. 

 

On my way back, I thought of the number of business cards I had. There were but two left. What if I end up talking to more than 3 business owners? But I knew I had the file on my laptop at home, so I may figure out a way to get the copy to Fedex to quickly print it out. 

I got to the apartment, searched my email database, and found the file.

I quickly emailed it to Fedex ( I had stopped by fedex yesterday to finish my survey sheet and remembered their email, and I had sent my business card file to them once too in the past.) 

 

I picked up my phone, and walked to the Fedex office, which was about a stone throw away from the bus stop. Amy, the attendant, helped me print it out, and cut them out. I paid and left.

With business cards in hand, phone in my pocket, and survey sheets in my binder, I waited for the bus. It showed up not long after.

I got off the bus close to the intersection of Braker and Burnet Road.  I had decided I wanted to work that part of town today. I remember seeing some decent shops along that street during my bus rides in the past.

I first stopped by “Aces Jiu Jitsu Club.” I went in to find an empty space with mats spread out on the floor.  This place being Jiu Jitsu meant something related to martial arts happens here, and the mats were for just that. 

 

I heard a voice say hello while walking towards me. In stride he introduced himself as Coach Mikal. I said, “Coach?” to make out his words. “Yes,” he replied.

“How can I help you,” he asked. 

 

“Well, my name is Kingston, and I am doing a project of talking to small businesses in Austin about…” I explained my purpose. He listened carefully, and nodded somewhat in agreement. He agreed that something like what I was doing was in the right direction.

I handed him my survey sheet, which he carefully filled out, and pointed out his desire to do an interview. I explained the procedure----we set an appointment at an open time block when he’s free, and I’d come over and interview him. I will take the file back and edit it, and make the file available to him. He could share the file on his website as an interview I did with him as part of my project for his clients to listen to, and I would put up a copy on my blog. I wrote down my blog’s URL for him to take a look at the blog on his free time.

As he told me, before landing in Austin, he had spent quite some time in South Korea, and moved to Austin on his mom’s prompting. He moved to Canada, and Brazil for a few stints, and finally decided to call Austin home after finding himself back here a number of times after leaving.

We discussed the possibility of an interview sometime later, and I will get a text from him on his open times, he assured me. 

 

Before wrapping up, a man walked up to us. Coach introduced him as his dad, and I joked with him about his martial arts skills, which he responded to with a little fist clench and pose, jokingly.

I thanked Coach Mikal, and left. We could be useful to each other, we both agreed, and would explore the possibility of how that can be.

I found myself in the showroom of a window company as my next stop, and knowing immediately that the company didn’t fit my criteria I left.

I visually surveyed the shops along the streets, passing up many seemingly big companies, or franchise operated ones. But one caught my eye---“Sesa Pure,” and I walked over. I entered to find a lady finishing up a visit with three men inside. Two of them sat on high seats with matching tables. I liked the smell of the place and the setting. I could somehow sense that they had an organic bend to their operations, which I am all for.

 

Sesa Pure is a tea, chai, and coffee shop. From what I could tell from their business card, they invite folks to place orders, book tasting sessions, and even use their meeting space. It's funny, but I have never noticed Sesa Pure throughout 3 years of being in Austin. Nice.

I asked to speak to the owner, and was offered the floor to speak to all three of the men there. I did. One thing led to the other as they inquired more particularly what I could help them with. But as it turned out, for what I could help them with especially---interview/podcast---they already had capable hands for that already.

But one of them who I learned had a complete set of audio/video equipment ( he told me), having noticed my downloading the “Audacity” software on my computer, from my day 1 report on my blog---they had requested to take a look at my blog and read my pour down ( which is just throwing the days event on to the writing page without editing) offered to help me out if I needed a hand with podcast or anything video related with any of the owners that I find in need of audio marketing.

I really did appreciate this offer, since this is essentially a bootstrap project for me, and to interview owners or do a podcast, I intend to use my smartphone's in-built microphone, and then edit the files after uploading them to “Audacity.” 

With this help available, I will be sure to inform Jose Gonzalez of Spirepix when I have an interview/podcast session lined up. 

 

I took sometime at a Jack-In The-Box restaurant to collect my thoughts, and to wrap up the day. I wrote down important reminders and made notes on how to structure my posts for the upcoming days. I started late today, but the day was useful overall, however few owners I spoke to.

Bus time---with my binder clutched under my left arm, my fingers in my jackets pockets, my wool cap on, and my jacket zipped against the dropping temps, I made my way to the nearest bus stop. I quickly checked Google map on my phone for the next available bus. I caught it 5:40 pm, and headed home.

What's next? Rest for day 3.

On to day 3. 


A little add-on. 

I forgot to tell you guys about my stop at
"Winding Road Racing." I spoke to Maelstrom Kiewiet, the merchandising manager there, and after hearing what I was doing, he asked to try back in a week or two when they are more settled in---they just opened shop not too long ago. 

What do I think of the wait? Patience is good. I will wait. 

And I also picked up a business card from a sporting goods store. Cen-Tex Sporting Goods has been in business for 3 years so far. The owner was not in when I stopped there, but they will like me to contact the owner via a phone call to see what he thinks. 

I have all these on file, and in due time I will be follow up with them. But for now,  I have to find folks I can immediately help, and wait for the right time for others.

Day 1:The Project

The 30-day Project

I just started something. It's a 30 day project to find and help small businesses in Austin---Barbers, coffee shops, delis, taco shops, pastry joints, small eateries, online stores, and other small businesses. I call it the Owner helps, to sort of indicate the little ways I feel can help them.

This project is simple--to take 3o days talking to different owners about the little things I could do for them that could make a difference in their businesses. Things like websites, copy-writing, videos, interviews, testimonials, email marketing, podcasts, hiring, by-products, and others---just little things that can make a difference.

Today is day 1 (11/11/14):

So I'm back home after day 1. I left the house with the basics of what I need---the survey sheet, my binder, clothing against the cold, and a prayer. The forecast predicted a 50 degree temperature for the day, which is not welcome considering  the warm temps we had enjoyed the past few days.

I thought of the temps for a bit, but I knew I had to start today, November 11, 2014. I will find a way, I thought to myself.

Mentally, I picked a familiar part of a street (North  Lamar) I had worked previously for a contractor. I went up and down this street, putting up posters for a hiring fair for truck drivers to be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, downtown Austin. That was a year ago. It went well I thought, and I enjoyed the conversations and the people I met.

Having decided on this particular street, I got off the 240 bus ( I am carless now, so I am doing this riding the public bus.) plying Parmer and Metric, and went picked a quiet space between two businesses and rehearsed what I would say. I knew generally what I wanted to say, but I had to fine tune it a bit. So I did---it was not perfect, but I was ready to start. I knew I would make mistakes, but I would also learn from them. Let’s get to it.

I walked to the first business---"King's Hobby." I introduced myself and asked to speak to the owner. "He is not in," said Rudy, one of the staff there. He is usually in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6pm to 7pm, he made clear. I thanked Rudy and took a business card---name and address is gold, I once heard someone say, but not before I joked with Rudy about whether he was the main character in the movie “Rudy.” He laughed it off.

I walked out, and made my way to the next one---"Alpha Lock & Key." I introduced myself to a man who seemed to be in his fifties. I later learned his name---Mr. Marvin Huggins. Mr. Marvin has owned and operated his Locksmith shop for 25 years. He has done it with the help of his wife and son. It's family owned, I figured out quickly.

I explained my purpose, and gave him a chance to fill my survey. I had finalized a survey sheet the day before at Fedex Kinkos to hand business owners to fill out. This worked better than just explaining my project and promising to follow up. The survey requested all the useful information I would need to get a good idea of what the business’s needs were, and also had space for contact information to follow up. 

For what I said to introduce myself and why I had stopped by his business ( not exact, but something along those lines):

"Hi, my name is Kingston, and I am doing a project by talking to small businesses in Austin who have been in business for a while. I want to take their story, possibly document it, and give them the opportunity to share their lessons with others.

This sharing could be with their own customers on their website, which I believe will give their customers a better appreciation of their journey, and create a better connection with the business.

This sharing could be also via text, audio, or video. But once you fill out this short survey, I will have a good idea of how I can be useful to you. I am a writer."

We talked for quite a while about how he has run his business, the competition out there, how most people who drive by fail to see his business, and how they have managed to survive, stay in business---they are not wealthy through the business but somehow make it. They also lean on their Maker above---he pointed towards the heavens.

Mr. Huggins, after checking my sincerity with a few more questions, filled out the survey, and added his contact information, which I assured him is safe with me, and will not land in wrong hands. He seemed to enjoy the conversation with me, and even discussed the possibility of referring me to a few other owners he knows, but was not sure they would want to be solicited like he was. I knew I was nowhere near that---getting referrals; definitely not on the first day, since I am yet to provide my first value to him or to anyone. That would be either interview him, write his story, do a video, or review his website.

While we wrapped up, a young man walked in. I thought him to be Mr. Huggins’ son. During our conversation, he had talked of him as the one in charge of their website and Facebook page, but was now---before he walked in, and after I looked around to find his son in the store while he talked about him---out doing something for a client.

Not so long after, a woman about the same age as Mr. Huggins walked in. She seemed well put together, with her bag neatly clutched under her arm. Mr. Huggins introduced me, and I made a quick move to give her a handshake, which didn't happen as the phone rang there and then. It's all good.

On what the next step with Mr. Huggins will be, I will be following up with him on a job opening he had, and he, after taking my business card, will talk things over with his wife and son and get back with me.

I will be posting that opening on my job-matching website tryout20.com (unpublished yet), and email him with the link for him to review it. I had explained the terms of the website to him, and how I post jobs for free so folks who would like to tryout a position before making a commitment can apply with very minimal risk. It seemed agreeable to him. I thanked him and left.

I walked to the pharmacy close-by and explained my purpose to a staff member there, who told me the owner was busy at the moment. I thanked them, and left.

After skipping many businesses that didn't seem to match my criteria---franchises like McDonalds, Dairy Queen, and others. I am looking to help outfits like family owned businesses, sole proprietorships, and other small businesses that are people oriented and have a meaningful story to share.

My next stop was at a dental office. They didn't fit the bill either (I couldn’t tell just by looking, so I went in), since they had many other locations and are run with an official management team. I enjoyed talking with the kind receptionist they had, however. She smiled easily.

I skipped many other businesses, because they seemed too big, and would be a hassle to deal with. Also considering the possibility of them having their own publicity staff, I don’t think they would find what I am doing useful to them. I want to help the little guys.

I made a stop at a doctor's office---Hoa Tan Dang, M.D. He was not in. His receptionists, who l learned were studying be nurses, suggested I stop by tomorrow to explore the possibility of what I was doing with him. I doubt I would be there tomorrow, since I would be talking to businesses in a different part of town. But I came away with a business card. You never know. 

You may be wondering how I choose which part of town I will work. I decide where I will be in my head, based on my knowledge of the city, and where I have seen businesses that fit my bill. But I also have a map close-by.

I talked to one Alfred at "Olmeda's Tire shop," my next stop. The owner was not in, he said. Again, I took a business card.

My last stop was at "Triple J's Tire center." I walked past a small group of men standing next to a car under repair, and headed to the office. I noticed a lady busy doing something in a small booth-like space, and her back was turned to the counter. I drew her attention, and asked to speak to the owner. She pointed to my left, after telling me  I’d find the owner in the room on the end of the hallway.

I walked to a small back office to find a man taking in Steve Harvey's show. I said hello to draw his attention, which he gave, by turning to see who it was (with his back facing the door to the room, he was tuned in to the show.)

I presented my offering, and gave him a chance to fill out my survey. In the middle of my presentation, He pointed to a seat to my right, asking me to sit down. I did, and guided him with explanations, every now and then, while he filled out the survey. His name, he told me, was Mike Jackson. I joked about its connection to the more well known one.

While filling it out, he talked about needing something like what I was offering. "Yeah, we'll need something like this." He filled it out, and we figured out when to set up an appointment to see where to we start. I want to do a podcast first to get a verbal version of his story, and then explore the possibility of writing his story.

For his part, if we are to do a video version of it, he would like his family to be part of it---that would be his son and his wife, who he believed are crucial to the business still being afloat.

He has been in the tire business for about 35 years, though he has owned his current establishment for 3 years. He got into the business through his mentor, his brother, and though having done other things along the way (including working in construction) he has always somehow stayed in the tire business---sometimes doing it on the side while holding a full-time job.

I get a good vibe from him, and would follow up with him to set up a time sometime next Tuesday morning (his preference) to interview him.

I thanked him and left, letting him know to hear from me soon.

I walked to the bus stop for the next bus going uptown (I live on the northern part of Austin, and had traveled southward to talk to the owners there).

I caught a number 1 bus heading north, and took notes of what to do next. After, I got into a conversation with a pretty lady on the bus who seemed to be by herself. Maybe she's tired, I thought. I started a conversation by asking if everything was okay, or if she just had a long day. She smiled to prove her joy. We talked for a while till the bus got to my stop. I got off, bought a thing or two, and went straight home.

Now what do I do? I have to download a free guide online to read on how pod-casting is done. I feel like I have verified its usefulness to owners, and I have to be prepared to do it well.

Next, I have to follow up with Mr. Jackson to set up a time for Tuesday morning. And then write the copy for Mr. Huggins Locksmith position. Also, I just downloaded "Audacity,"  software to record and edit audio files.

 On to day 2.