Bank of Brodhead’s Post

The impact of the Taylor + Travis effect on many local small businesses is pure alchemy. Thank you USA TODAY for covering the sweetest elements of something that happens once every few lifetimes, with Mollie Lothman and Cassidy Garr.🎂🏅🏈 #smallbusiness #mclainsmarket #bakery #growth #kansascity

Can specialization help family-owned auto body shops survive in today’s competitive market? As the collision repair industry faces consolidation, some legacy shops are finding success through niche markets and brand certifications. The Bradshaw family of K & M Collision is one example of how focusing on a specific clientele can ensure the survival and growth of a family-owned business. Discover more about their story and the strategies they’ve employed to stay ahead.

Had an AMAZING convo with Benjamin Earley on Behind the Stays full of hot takes on rental arbitrage, luxury men's footwear, and international hospitality... Ben worked on Wall Street fresh out of school... But realized his real passion was entrepreneurship... After building businesses in the men's fashion and restaurant spaces, he started building a portfolio of unique and upscale Airbnbs and hotels at HOLT in mostly international markets that stand out for their thoughtful design and exceptional guest experiences. In this chat, we explore: - Why Ben is building his portfolio overseas, focusing on markets like Romania, Mexico, and Greece. - His hot takes on "rental arbitrage" and why he prefers the term "commercial vacation rental." - How Holt is vertically integrated, giving them unparalleled control over their properties and guest experiences. Stream the full story below!

Did you know? 🎨 Color World Painting is recession-resistant! Even in challenging times, the demand for our services remains strong. 💼✨ This resilience is a compelling reason to consider becoming a franchise owner. Paint your path to stability and success with Color World Painting. #RecessionResistant #FranchiseOpportunity #ColorWorldPainting

This range keeps going from strength to strength.

The Body Shop - the rise and fall of an ethical company? I’m sure many people reading this will know the story of Anita and Gordon Roddick launching Body Shop nearly 50 years ago in Brighton. With the financial backing of a local garage owner, they started to grow the business. Gordon saw how franchises were helping businesses in the USA grow, and the Roddicks soon adopted this model. From the start, Anita promoted the brand as an ethical business, and even in the exciting eighties, this image helped the business so shares issued when the business was brought to the Stock Exchange in April 1984 grew by over 10,000% in the next eight years. I promote property and real estate as a sound investment, but I can’t think of any £100,000 property in 1984 even now being worth one billion pounds. Certainly my first house, bought in the same month of 1985 for £29,000, isn’t worth even £1 million! The advisors to L’Oreal let the company buy Body Shop in March 2006 for over £650 million. This was despite controversies in between as to how ethical Body Shop really was. Growth in value may have slowed after, but L’Oreal still pocketed nearly £230 million when they sold to Natura in 2017. But then things seem to have started a vicious downward spiral. It was only six years later that the company sold again - for £207 million. And now the company has gone into receivership. What this tells me is that people do actually value ethics and morals. It is very easy in many businesses to take short cuts to growth, some of which might miss trust and honesty, but an example in my own profession has shown that it doesn’t work. I believe that the public - and we’re all the public to other people - see through it, with unfortunate consequences. BIV Bowes Independent Surveyors has operated for nearly 33 years on a basis of honesty. #business #property #ethics

My mom, Karen Berkemeyer, taught me an important lesson at a young age that has made me far more successful in business: Don't just sell a product, sell an experience. When I was a little kid, my mom worked part-time at my dad’s tile and stone business. Since then, she’s managed to evolve my dad’s business into a brand called Karen Berkemeyer Home that changes people’s homes and lives for the better. The secret? She switched to selling something more than just a product. She sells an experience of a well-loved home. She sells family dinners in a dining space and not a kitchen table. She sells a warm and bustling kitchen instead of cabinets and an island. Each day, her clients walk into their kitchen and think of her brand. The business my dad created might have had the vision, but what my mom has gone on to build is much greater. And the lessons I have learned from how she built on the business vision is what I try to do in every part of my work today. I ask myself: How can I not just sell a product that sits in the background — but how can I sell an experience that people will remember? 💜

Every time we drive through Springfield, I have to stop at Buc-ees now. I am frequently asked by friends and family in Kansas City, "What is Buc-ees?" And there really is no adequate way to describe the Buc-ees experience. Buc-ees is ... well, it's a just a gas station. But it's also the Super Wal-Mart of C-stores. It's a Quik Trip on steroids. It has a wedding section. It has a home goods section. Our last trip included a purchase of a bathing suit, home decor, and beef jerky. It's the most fantastic C-store you've ever been in. Buc-ees has achieved an economy of scale like nothing I've ever seen. You have to have a net worth of $5M and capital of $15M just to open one. And it's basically a gas station. As I perused the sweatshirt section and contemplated buying an unnecessary Buc-ees themed pool noodle, I realized that there is no way you can run this place like an ordinary gas station. You can't run a $100k business the same way you run a $1M business, let alone a $15M business. You have to adapt. You have to scale. You have to alter your operations for efficiency. You also need legal advisors who understand that because they've worked with businesses of all shapes and sizes. If you've not been to Buc-ees yet, it's worth a pit stop out of your way to check it out. If you have . . . well, what's your favorite thing to purchase there????

If you're interested in the most recent business Comings & Goings in the Sioux Empire, you can check them out here!!

🎉 Success is best when shared! Check out the inspiring story below from a Color World Painting franchise owner who turned her passion for creating a family legacy into a thriving business. Ready to paint your own success story? 🌟 #success #painting #franchise #colorworldpainting