Opportunity Knocking - Return of the Housecall

The other day I received an email from my son's playgroup list about her friend's hairdressing service.  Due to the same life and family demands many of us parents face, she created a new opportunity for herself.  Parts of the email are reproduced below, emphases are added.

Just wanted to share some info in case some of you other moms find it helpful.  I had a hair dresser that I loved before Alexa was born but she got pregnant as well and decided to stay at home with her son.  The fact is she loves cutting and doing hair so in her town she has started going to women's homes on the weekends and doing their hair in the homes to give them the convenience of not having to find someone to watch their kids.  I just recently made contact with her again and every other Friday she drives to Atlanta and does hair  so I got to have my hair done at my house this past Friday.   

She charges $40 for a hair cut, and charged me a total of $135 for a cut, and some high and low lights I'm not sure what her other prices are, but you can email to ask her.   She said a group of ladies in her town get together on a regular basis and have brunch and have her do the their hair in someone's home while the kids play.  She said its a lot of fun and she get mult. people's hair done while others are processing.  Could be a fun event for moms club or a play group at some point for those who wanted to try it.  I asked her if I could share her info and she said sure! 

Her facebook page is:
https://www.facebook.com/cayladoeshair  It has her number and her email on it.  

There is a number of reasons why this so simple idea is so perfect for small businesses in our town.

1)  This is Dunwoody.  You can't throw a stick without hitting a playgroup somewhere.  So if your company markets to moms, dads, and/or kids, you can meet potential customers in a group all at once.  That's a big demographic at your disposal!

2)  Because playgroups and kids' activities are so hard to balance with work (including housework, on top of  "the regular job") any chance to multitask is welcomed.

3)  Housecalls take advantage of a large loophole in the "home business" ordinances.  The Home Occupation laws say that a business owner must jump through a number of SLUP hoops - paperwork, public hearings, etc - to see customers in THEIR OWN home.  However, the ordinance is silent regarding a business owner seeing a customer in the CUSTOMER'S home.  No SLUP, no paperwork, no hearings.  In addition, there is no complaint regarding cars on the street, traffic or other objections that routinely get raised in the SLUP process.  

If your business - storefront or home-based - can be adjusted to provide housecalls, you may open up a whole new customer base and a whole new level of service that sets you apart from others in your field.  It works - I've already tried it!

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Halloween!

It was one helluva night last night!
Check out the photos on Patch.
I'll upload some video "views from the swamp" sometime when my desk clears.  In the mean time here's a photo I've been waiting for a month to post.  Nancy, next time, my house.  Go have a hot toddy and get over that cold!

Even Nancy's most mean-spirited detractors are human beings and deserve to be right one day out of the year.

Moving on now to All Saints Day, the real holiday in our family calendar preceded by Halloween.

Opportunity Knocking - Clean, Shine, Fix-Up Dunwoody

Right after the tempest regarding Dunwoody Glen hit Category 5 status, an announcement was released by City Hall regarding "Clean, Shine, Fix Up Dunwoody" day on November 5.

This got me wondering:  where exactly is all this cleaning, shining, and fixing up going to happen?  The City Council and City employees have decided that the east side needs drastic redevelopment.  Has there been any attempt to do any volunteer fixup in this area?

Here's the event announcement from City Hall.  There's a vague reference to assignments and some mentions of Brook Run (stream cleanup, etc).  Sounds great!  More information on another website.  Let's click....

Now we're at the North Atlanta Church of Christ website.  Wait a minute - I thought this was a City event.  Public/private partnership maybe?  That would be OK.  But say that on the announcement.  There's no search box and the clean-up event isn't on the front page.  Let's dig around a bit.

Under Calendars and Events, we find "Serve Day". No mention of a City of Dunwoody project, just anyone who wants to do some community fixer-upper service, just sign up and show up. This doesn't look like a City project, despite the main website saying, "...the City will be holding its Third Annual Clean up Dunwoody Day..."

The FAQ page has the following regarding what projects are going to be worked on:

Dunwoody Nature Center
⇒  Fire hydrant painting throughout the city of Dunwoody
⇒  City of Refuge
⇒  Ronald McDonald House
⇒  Many more!

Nothing outstanding here.  Fire hydrant painting projects have happened in town before.  Dunwoody Nature Center is an oldie but a goodie for community service.  What is City of Refuge?  Where is Dunwoody's Ronald McDonald House?  What constitutes "many more"??

There's several videos from past years included as well.  Brook Run and the Nature Center, Ebenezer Primitive Baptist, are obvious, but some other outdoor locations weren't clear.

Here's my question for anyone who knows:  if Winter's Chapel / PIB is such a terrible part of Dunwoody that entire housing developments have to be removed to improve it, where is the volunteer effort to improve areas of that part of town?  For example, everyone wants to "adopt a triangle" near the Farmhouse, who will adopt the traffic triangle at the intersection of Peeler and Winter's Chapel?  Everyone wants to spruce up the landscaping at Brook Run, who wants to do the same on unused lots along Winter's Chapel?

There is NO criticism here of any of the charity work that has been done thus far under the banner of "Clean Up Dunwoody".  I would like to know what volunteer efforts under this program have been done in the "less popular" parts of our City.  They're not readily apparent, they're not in any of the videos I saw on the church site, and they're not listed on the City website.  If the eastern parts of Dunwoody need to be "spruced" or "fixed", where are the volunteer efforts to do so?  The comments section is open.

Opportunity Knocking - What to do with all of those pumpkins???

As "Shrek" and "Donkey" are transforming the front yard into a swamp complete with an outhouse and "Puss in Boots" and "Baby Dronkey" are down for their naps I'm planning the rest of my errands including a last-minute Pumpkin Run for jack o'lanterns.

It's practically a rule in Dunwoody that every house of worship has to have a Pumpkin Patch to sell decorative pumpkins for fall, including Halloween.  Like all produce pumpkins have a limited shelf life and they have to be disposed of.  Decorative pumpkins don't get made into pie.  So hooligans are going to smash them or they're going to get thrown away.

Is there a better option?

When Christmas ends and Christmas trees start dying, there is a network of tree recyclers that runs the "Bring One for the Chipper" program.  Instead of leaving trees on the street to rot and then get picked up by DeKalb sanitation and put in a landfill, Christmas trees are mulched with giant chippers, then the mulch used for public beautification projects, or even given back to individual gardeners.

Is there any reason that pumpkins/jack o'lanterns can't be recycled in a similar way?  You can't chip them for mulch but you can compost them.  And there is a big gardening movement here in town encouraging vegetable growing.  You can't have enough compost to fortify your garden beds over the winter and into spring.

Only hitch is you can't guarantee that the pumpkins are organic.  Even so, this is an opportunity worth developing to keep the streets clean, avoid reeking rotting pumpkins on streets and sidewalks, and add compost to gardens that need it.

Anyone want to run with this idea?

There goes the neighborhood....

www.briersnorth.org.
Get a good look because it's going to change soon.
Make sure to check out the Halloween info
and For Sale listings.

When I organized Briers North Halloween in the past, the person I inherited it from was adamant that there be no "advertising" - no Internet, media blackout in the newspapers and TV, everything.

Then a couple of years later I handed off the responsibility to another neighbor who isn't quite so concerned.

Thanks to some posts today on Facebook from Dunwoody Police and CVB, as well as some news last year, I guess it's officially "advertised" and I can chat about it.

Everything you need to know if you're planning to visit Briers North on Halloween is at www.briersnorth.org.  This was one of the first sites I created after moving to Dunwoody in 2004.  It's due for a tweaking and an upgrade.  I created this website with an extensive private back-end info system back in the day when both Joomla and Drupal and similar content management systems were in their infancy and had security holes wide enough to drive a truck through.  I didn't trust any of them.  WordPress was still only a blog and even then much more primitive than most blogs today.  So I created a custom database with a custom CMS that has worked continually these past 7 years.  My hand-built databases have never been hacked.  I'm still deciding what road to go down with this upgrade and redesign, so stay tuned.  Some other customers' projects are moving along toward their launch dates.

Be careful if you do a drive-by before Monday.  The streets are narrow and there are tons of kids and other folks out walking.

If you REALLY like what you see on Halloween, remember this neighborhood is here 364 other days of the year and is a great place to live.  There are 3 houses up for sale, plus one up for rent.  (One of them is a  behemoth with a pool, spa, and finished basement - perfect for a large extended family.)  Links to MLS listings are on the front page above.  We need neighbors as much as we love our visitors!

See you on Monday, 10/31!

"Princess Fiona"

Dunwoody Elections 2011 - Kerry de Vallette

Next up:  Mr. Kerry de Vallette, running for District 2 At Large.  Kerry's campaign website is at http://www.kerry4dunwoody.com  His comments below are unedited, except for formatting.

1) What one qualification do you have for elected office that exceeds those of your opponents?  Proven executive leadership! Both in running large and small businesses, as well as a 3,000 (plus) member civic organization – The Dunwoody Homeowners Association.

 2) The City’s Economic Development Department’s stated purpose is “The City of Dunwoody Economic Development Director is responsible for leading efforts to retain, expand and attract businesses that support a broad array of employment opportunities; strategically grow its knowledge-based economy; and expand the City’s tax base.” What should be this department’s next priority task to accomplish this purpose? 
To continue to execute against the 2012 Economic Development Strategy, while determining what, if any, alterations should be considered for the plan.

3) What was the City’s best business decision to date? (Any level or department, since operations started.)  
Retaining Michael Starling as Director of Economic Development.

4) What was one business decision made by the City (at any level, since operations started) that should not have been made? If you were given the chance, what would you have recommended be done differently? 
I think providing the position of the City Manager with signator authority for any expenditure under $50,000 without Council’s consent needs to be revisited.  I want to make this clear this is not a reflection on the part of our City Manager, but of my personal belief that as a Council member I have accountability for significant tax dollar expenditures, which I consider to be non-recurring expenditures over $9,999.

5) As a member of City Council, you will be able to appoint or recommend members of various commissions. Besides an interest in the subject, and a desire to serve, what qualifications do you want to see in a potential commission member? 
Proven experience and practical knowledge in the subject area of the Commission panel that they are being appointed to.

6) Which City department or commission (besides the Police) is the most critically important in developing the future of Dunwoody? 
The Public Works Department.  We have got to address our traffic and transportation safety issues.  This includes accelerating the installation of side walks and safe bike lanes throughout our city.

7) Which City department or commission do you feel is underserved and needs more attention in terms of funding and other resources (including personnel)? 
Community Development.

8) In what ways should the City and Chamber of Commerce (or any other private entity) collaborate and in what ways should they be working separately to grow the City’s economic base? 
The Chamber and City do not and should not work in a vacuum.  However, that does not mean that both should be joined at the hip.  The City’s responsibility is to work with the Chamber, Convention Visitor’s Bureau and the PCID towards common goals shared by the various organizations.  The City also has a responsibility to provide leadership and governance on behalf of our residents when it comes to matters of Economic Development, including areas related to zoning, sign ordinances, and other governance factors related to business development items that will specifically impact homeowners and homeowner rights.

9) Elected officials are constantly contacted with requests to have specific issues addressed by local citizens. If elected, how will you prioritize what issues get on the Council agenda, what will get further private discussion, and what will be tabled? 
I would support a change to the current process related to how a Council member introduces an issue to Council without having a supporting “second” from the Mayor or another Council member.  I would support changing this process and adding a requirement that any item that a Council member would like to place on the agenda require a second in order to be presented before Council. 

10) Open Mike Question: Make any statement you like on what issue or action will be most important to you as an elected official. 
I would move to add a Commission on Aging to the City’s Boards and Commissions.  We need to have a Board or Commission that works with our various departments, including Economic Development, Parks & Recreation, and Police / Public Safety to insure the needs of our senior citizens are being considered as the departments develop their master plans, outreach programs, and facilities.

What exactly is Dunwoody being "transparent" about?

Late last night, the City of Dunwoody issued a press release regarding the intent to purchase the Dunwoody Glen (formerly Northchase) apartments and convert them to a sports complex.  A number of acquaintances, neighbors, and fellow bloggers who until now have been strongly against the parks bonds are starting to waver. So many people quietly gripe about "the apartments" in "that other ZIP code".  Now a secret ballot to eliminate them doesn't seem so bad.

I had heard about this plan in a number of conversations but I didn't think hoped the planning process had hadn't gotten this far.

Here's the problem.  If you think that these bonds are ONLY about eliminating "those apartments" think again.  This is the same government that tried to push through a "greenway" plan that would have confiscated significant amounts of property from single family homes as well.  The difference is the homeowners aren't going to take that casual threat lying down.  They rose up en masse at a public meeting that had Hutmacher sewing body parts back on and the City Council in hiding.  Are the families in "those" apartments going to defend themselves as vigorously?  I doubt it.  I'll bet City Hall doubts it too.

I'm not buying the argument about how humane it is to honor all current leases.  It's not generous or moral to simply uphold a legally binding contract.  How would any of you feel living in your home while someone else is sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for you to budge so they can swoop in?

Let's take a birds' eye view of City Hall's approach to development.  First thing after City Government was set up was the establishment of a "Sustainability" commission.  Talk of obscure certifications and awards.  Green this, green that, green the other thing.  Except for the sneakers - those are golden.  All supposedly for the health and well-being of Dunwoody citizens.  Public land was set aside for gardens with contributions to feed those in need.  City Hall touts these efforts to show how enlightened and generous and "forward thinking" Dunwoody is.  It's a paradise of cooperation and charity where everyone is of one oh-so-enlightened mind.  In addition, elected officials discuss at length their religious affiliations and activity in charitable endeavors.  Pictures and links and everything.  Now the same government wants to displace hundreds of residents who live away from the central paradise.    Eliminate those not-green-enough homes.  It's easy to be charitable to people who are different than you are if they're not too close.  It's easy to be a saint in paradise.  Displacing people as a recreational development measure is not just wrong it is - dare I say it - unsustainable.

These are my thoughts on economic development, significantly clarified from my earlier vision:

1)  The east side of Dunwoody has the most potential for economic development as it is the oldest and has gotten the least amount of attention from both DeKalb/Gwinnett counties and the City of Dunwoody.

2)  It is never acceptable to drive an entire neighborhood away, eliminate homes, or otherwise confiscate residential property for the sake of recreation.  It doesn't matter if we're talking about single family homes, duplexes, townhomes, or apartments.  It's one thing to slow down growth of mixed use high density developments, but once a set of homes is here, it's here.  Deal with it, and their residents like human beings.

3)  The City has other ways of improving the area.  Including incentives to both commercial and residential property owners to upgrade their properties.  There is no reason why Winters Chapel cannot be as desireable as Dunwoody Village in terms of business use or residential location.  Taking the land off the tax roles and eliminating the residential population is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

4)  Residents along Winters Chapel / PIB and for that matter in the 30360 ZIP code are just as much legitimate citizens of Dunwoody as those calling for their removal.  If the citizens calling for more and more expensive recreational opportunities want to have their opinions taken seriously by the people in this area, then they'd better treat their counterparts with the same respect they damn well want for themselves.  The latest proposal from the City doesn't qualify.

5)  Quality of life in any part of the city, not just Winters Chapel/PIB is going to require a greater investment in code enforcement.  One guy supervising enforcement in a city with a daytime population of more than 100K is not enough.  City Council has discussed funding police, rewriting a zoning code, and a skating rink, but not optimal enforcement of their ordinances.  I'd like to know why.

I'd like to see apartment residents organize their own advocacy group or civic association as the homeowners do.  This latest proposal looks like that organization is long overdue.  Anyone who lives inside the city has the same rights to defend themselves and their home.  No one should be more equal than others. This is not "Animal Farm" - yet.

I challenge City Hall, including our Council Members to make their way down to the apartments they want to eliminate and meet some people who live there.  Learn their names, look them in the eye, and tell them to their faces that a sports complex is more beneficial to the city than their presence.  I don't think any of you have the guts.  Prove me wrong!

UPDATE:  CBS Atlanta just posted the story on their website.  The comments should be interesting.

Dunwoody City Council wants to buy the "Northchase" apartments....

My commentary on the Music Festival and what an incredible time it was is going to have to wait.

From Dunwoody Patch: City Council Looks at Purchasing Nearly 42 Acres on Peachtree Industrial

I had this great post forming in my head about dealing with the landlords on the east side of town as business people, improving code compliance, encouraging a neighborhood watch, maybe forming an apartment renters' association as a counterpart to the DHA and other civic associations in the area.  Just had to get past the Music Festival and get all that work out of the way and other customers caught up.  I may have to rethink it.  Our votes next month are going to have some serious repercussions on a lot of families.

Calm before the DMF storm

Tonight we had a party to celebrate 6 months of really hard work pulling the festival together.  The highlight of the evening was Dormtainment and "Straight Outta Dunwoody".  Hey fellas, next time get your audition in while the form is open, K?  Assuming we can afford you next year~!!

Here's my FB photo album.  I need to crash.  My kids will shoot me if I don't bring them tomorrow.  Nitey nite!

Music Festival on Better Mornings Atlanta This AM

WAY too early for me but we've got the video from CBS Atlanta!
Here's the link in case the embedded video is squirrelly.

Even MORE Dunwoody Music Festival updates

I've been working on this all night and I"m beat so here's the latest, without anything fancy to dress it up:

FAQ - read it, use it, love it, live it.

Printable Map of the festival layout

Updated Marketplace listing - including a printable to bring with you the day(s) of

Gallery - always in progress, I'm expecting to add to it.

Partial set list of the Saturday concert with Stars of 80s Rock.  I'm really excited for this and no, I can't tell you the rest of it or I'd have to shoot you.

FYI, reserved "chastain" seating is SOLD OUT.  That means the general admission seats are going to fly if you don't grab 'em now.  The site counter is about to explode from all the TV commercials on Channel 46.

Nitey-nite.  See you at the Chamber's Candidate Forum on Wednesday