LOCAL LESSONS
Learning’s a perk for coffee cafe’s owner
Kristen Kennedy, owner of the Upper Eastside Coffee Company, has been brewing coffee for more than 15 years and says she’s still learning new things about the business. Her comfortable espresso cafe on Grant Road opened just over a year ago to rave reviews, particularly from morning commuters along East Wenatchee’s busiest thoroughfare and residents of neighborhoods at the city’s eastern end. READ MORE »
RELATED STORIES
Kickstart 2013 with a new social media strategy
Whatever your stance on social media may be, one thing is for certain: It’s here to stay.
Social media basics help boost business
By now, you’re likely a social media hotshot whose Twittering thumbs fly like photons over your virtual keyboard. As a business person, you’re way ahead of most on the social networking curve with your witty words and bodacious thumbing style.
Get your head in the cloud
You’ve read about it. You’ve wondered about it. And now maybe it’s time to do something about it. No, the subject is not Gangnam-style videos or the Kendama fad.
Sales tips from the roadside
WENATCHEE — Business is business, say a pair of roadside sales folk, whether you’re running an anchor store in a sprawling mega-mall or a seasonal veggie stand in a busy parking lot. Brother and sister Steven and Kassi Lee, operators of the three-year-old mobile market at the corner of Ninth Street and N. Chelan Avenue, say the principles of success work on nearly every level of business if they’re applied with care and diligence.
Start-up tips from a start-up success
Daniel Pirestani is an unlikely candidate to become CEO of a multi-million-dollar company. He grew up in a welfare family. His college education stopped with an AA degree. And he had to scrimp and scrounge to get his new idea for a video interpreting company off the the ground.
Making customer service a top priority
Good customer service is a dance of multi-tasking, says the general manager of one of the area’s most popular fast-food restaurants. “You need to listen closely to the customer, accurately take their order, handle the transaction, be aware of food that’s cooked and ready, be aware of new customers coming in, be aware of your fellow co-workers — and do it all with patience and a smile,” says Manny Robles, 32, general manager of Wendy’s on North Wenatchee Avenue.
Doane’s bounces into community involvement
Doane’s Valley Pharmacy has the drop on community involvement. Literally. For 25 years, the drug store has sponsored the much-anticipated Ping Pong Ball Drop, a signature event held during Founders’ Days, the Cashmere’s largest annual festival. The most recent drop was June 23.
Keep cool about summer cooling costs
Chill out, business owners. With just a little effort, you can stay cool and comfortable through summer’s 90-degree days, trim your energy costs and improve your bottom line. Mark Wiser, senior energy conservation advisor for the Chelan County PUD, said air-conditioning units blasting all summer in local businesses and offices may not be necessary and could even make a work environment uncomfortably chilly, maybe even a bit clammy.
No baloney: Sandwich guru offers business tips
Sub-sandwich master Larry Russell says 21 years in business have taught him one major lesson: Know your customer. “We like it when they pull in the parking lot and we can pretty much guess what they’ll order,” said the 72-year-old owner of SS Sub Shop.
Spring cleaning your office & inbox
Spring cleaning your office can be a bit different from spring cleaning your home. But here’s one similarity: Time set aside now to address certain tasks can go a very long way towards easing work later. Often when I’ve worked with professionals, they’ve asked for help in organizing the piles of stuff around their workspace, with systems for organizing email and with ways to improve overall efficiency.
First impressions are in the cards
WENATCHEE — “Can I have one of your business cards?” That sounds almost like the beginning of an ancient ritual when considered amid the zip and zap of today’s social media.
Romance at work can require just that — work
As Valentine’s Day approaches, coworkers are canoodling more than ever. Leading business publications have reported in recent months that office trysts are up 17 percent in the last three years, and the number is growing about 2 percent annually as more people spend more time on the job.
Winter’s nicer when you use de-icer
It’d be nice if the sidewalk in front of your business stayed free of ice and snow this winter. But we all know that ain’t gonna happen. Sooner or later, you’ll look out the window to find potential customers slipping, sliding and maybe even snarling their way to your front door — not something that encourages repeat business.
Tasty suggestions for your holiday party
Holiday office parties always sound like fun, at least until you approach the snack table to find stale tortilla chips and soggy celery. Whoopee. So we sought out Richard and Ashley Kitos, two of the Wenatchee Valley’s top sources for yummy food, for their ideas on serving up something special — but relatively quick and easy — at an office party or holiday business dinner.
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