Dear Friends,
Welcome to our fourth year of existence, and as always, thank you for your
continued support (why do I feel like one of those men in overalls on the TV
who used to thank us for buying their wine coolers?).
Remember the grass roots campaign from the 1980s asking America to support
the family farm? Well I'd like to start a grass roots campaign right here in
support of the many fine family-owned and run small businesses. When I
started this business, besides hoping to be successful myself, I wanted to
support as many other like-minded businesses as possible. That's why my
graphic designer is a breastfeeding mom working from home, the woman who
installs and maintains my Web site shopping cart probably has a toddler in
her lap as she programs, and my fine catalog printing company is a
mom-and-pop outfit as well. And although not all of the merchandise on these
pages comes from home businesses, I've counted more than 30 of my products
that do.
We all have the same or similar goals in mind: to do our work on our own
terms, and to do business alongside our precious families instead of letting
someone else govern our output and dictate whether or not we have enough
leave to stay home with a sick child. It takes flexibility and persistence
to live and work this way. I challenge you all to buy from a small/home
business. Instead of going with the big guys and their deals, with us you'll
probably get a friendly voice when you call, you might hear children in the
background, and your order might have cookie crumbs packed inside instead of
more junk mail.
Take special notice of the ads for home businesses in the pages of this
catalog. I encourage you to check them out...I think you'll be pleased.
