Small Businesses

 

Hello Everyone! I would like to give you an idea what this section is about :-) This is a place where small businesses can share what they are about. I love everything that small businesses are about. So today I am launching this new section. All about small businesses :-) Today's small business is one I'm excited to share with you. This store is from where I grew up in IL. This past Christmas I got to go in and get their Jalepeno Jerky and man oh man I love it. LOL I hope you read about this small business. Not only does they have a store, Tara also does invitations, web design etc. She has made the logo for me that is on the blogs home page. So please make sure you check her out :-) 

To be put in this section please email me here. 

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I was honored and excited when Alyssa asked me to write a guest post about our small businesses. I have been doing freelance design work for many years, mostly for friends and family, but my business has taken off in the last few years. I opened a shop on Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/TaraD82) to sell some of my invitations, wall art, and digital scrapbooking papers a few years ago, and was surprised by how popular some of my items were. Although my degree is in online marketing and I am well aware of the global marketplace with internet sales, it surprised me to find myself designing invitations regularly for customers in Australia.

Once I started selling on Etsy, I decided to set up a business website (www.taradarcydesigns.com), and try to gain some more business. My goal was to continue to grow my business to help out with our finances so I could continue to stay at home with our daughter. I enjoy designing invitations, but my passion is helping small businesses promote themselves. I believe that small businesses can have a big impact on our economy, and I want to see them thrive. My husband, Ryan, studied history and has researched local history enough that I have seen what our community and the surrounding communities once were. I would love to see our downtowns become business and social centers again. It is great to be able to share my knowledge and skills to help small businesses establish a brand for themselves and be more professional. I try to keep my fees affordable, and am willing to work with a client’s budget or even work out a trade.

Besides my freelance business, we opened a brick-and-mortar business in our small town of 600 just over a year ago. Ryan had been searching for a teaching job for many years with no luck. The jobs he was able to find were part-time and minimum wage or slightly above. No one would interview him for full time positions because of his education. Our educations and hard work were not getting us anywhere despite what we had been told growing up. We started talking about business ideas, and eventually decided to open D’Arcy’s. (www.darcyswestfield.com)

D’Arcy’s is a modern take on the old general store. We have basic grocery items, Amish jar goods and cheeses, local meats, tobacco products, and alcohol. We purchase bulk spices, flours, sugars, and candy which is repackaged to sell. Buying in bulk lowers our cost, and we’re able to pass that savings on to our customers. There is also a kitchen serving up made from scratch pizzas, hand cut french fries, burgers, and brats.

      

One of my favorite things about our business is the local products we carry. Offering these items allows us to help other businesses grow. We currently offer the following local items:
    •    Eggs from Crane’s Chicken Ranch, Martinsville, IL (www.craneschickenranch.com)
    •    Marilyn & Deb’s Home Made Soap, Martinsville, IL (www.facebook.com/marilyns.homemadesoap)
    •    Shelley’s Sweet & Chunky Salsa, Arcola, IL (www.facebook.com/pages/Shelleys-Sweet-Chunky-Salsa/250412491677464)
    •    Dutch Valley Meats, Arthur, IL (http://dutchvalleymeatsinc.com/)
    •    Beachy’s jar goods, Arthur, IL
    •    Plank’s fruit butters, Arthur, IL
    •    Mullen’s Dressing, Palestine, IL (http://www.mullensdressing.com/)
    •    Clay City Pottery Stoneware, Clay City, IN (http://claycitypotterystoneware.com/)
    •    Upcycled Camp Stoves and Survival Fishing Poles by David Veach, Westfield, IL
    •    Pallet Wine Racks by Dane Tally, Westfield, IL
We are always seeking more local items to add to our offerings, and welcome suggestions from our customers. We hope to add some local wines to our selection in the next few weeks.

We hope our business continues to have a positive impact on the community, and that its success might encourage others to open businesses in Westfield, too. (www.westfieldillinois.com)