Buy a pallet, build a business

Pictured: Missi Bowling, owner of DealBusters Marketplace, and Lisa Groh, Byesville Rotary President.

 Missi Bowling, owner of the DealBusters Marketplace located on 2^nd Street in Byesville, told Byesville Rotary her story of how she became a business owner. Missi grew up in Byesville and graduated from Meadow Brook. Currently, she and her family live in Marietta. She and her husband now operate three businesses located in Byesville.

 “This journey began because I wanted an air fryer,” Missi related. During her internet search for an air fryer at a good price, Missi discovered a woman selling appliances on Facebook. Missi learned the woman stocked her business by buying pallets of goods.

 “I bought a pallet,” Missi stated, “I sold the items on Facebook and doubled my money.” Missi explained that during the week she worked at her job, and on weekends, her hobby was selling items from the pallets she purchased. She used the money she earned to buy more pallets.

 Gradually, the original group of 20 people who attended her on-line Facebook sales and auctions expanded to several thousand. More sales meant more work. On Sundays, Missi and her husband drove to the Cambridge and used the K-Mart parking lot as a delivery point for people in Cambridge. Missi needed a permanent location in Guernsey County. In 2016, she rented space in Byesville named DealBusters. She continued to sell live on Facebook and used the Byesville location as a delivery point.

 When her job was downsized, Missi choose to go into business for herself and grow DealBusters. She needed more warehouse space and was fortunate enough to lease the building formerly occupied by Byesville Furniture.

 Missi stated, “I now had plenty of warehouse room in the back of the store and lots of empty space in the front of the store.” She added a few vendors in the front of the store. She discovered there was a demand for permanent vendor booths. By March of 2020, almost all the booths were rented.

 And then COVID hit. No problem. Missi had lots of on-line sales experience. She fell back on this skill and offered Facebook live sales for her vendors at no charge to her vendors.

 Currently, she has 4 employees in the DealBusters Marketplace with 76 vendors in 100 plus spaces. Her husband runs DealBusters Warehouse with 2 employees in the rear section of the building. He holds Facebook live sales and auctions Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as sells pallets. Missi is looking for more space for the DealBusters Warehouse so that she can convert the rear of the building to vendor space.

Missi enjoys what she is doing. She stated, “I like helping other vendors realize they can start small and grow. Her advice is, “If you treat your business like a hobby, it will pay like a hobby. If you treat your business like a business, it will pay like a business.”

Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. Join us for a meeting—most club meetings are live streamed to Facebook and Zoomed. Watch the Byesville Rotary Facebook page for details.

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Pure Love Bakery visits Byesville Rotary

Pictured: Tara Hupp, owner and head baker, Pure Lover Bakery and Jordi Harding, speaker host.

Tara Hupp, owner of the Pure Love Bakery in Byesville, told the story about how she became a bakery owner. She held a Grand Opening Celebration on June 26 of this year, but her story began over 10 years ago.

 Tara pointed out that she began baking for fun when she was in high school. She added to her knowledge while in the military where she was assigned to food service. After she returned from the military, Tara continued to make cookies and cakes for friends and family from her home. After 4 years, she decided to bake full time from her home. Sales went so well, she took a deep breath and decided to open a storefront.

 Tara explained that she first got a small business loan from the Port Authority. Tara stated she is grateful to that organization as well as all the other people that have helped make the Pure Love Bakery a reality. Her husband helps a lot. Her father, who has been in the food business for many years, makes the doughnuts. He comes in between 7:00-9:00 in the evening to get the doughnuts started for the next morning. She also has 2 staff members who handle sales.

Her specialty is decorating cakes, cookies and cupcakes with royal icing or buttercream frosting. She does custom orders but her business has been so brisk that her Facebook page indicates she will not be accepting additional orders until after August 2 and August is quickly filling up.

You can find out more about this local business and see pictures of her goods at:

https://www.facebook.com/purelovebakeryohio 

http://www.purelovebakeryohio.com/

Tara offers specialty items such as cinnamon and pecan rolls or doggy and kitty bites on specific days of the week. One of her customer favorites is her Paint Your Own Cookie—double the fun—decorate the cookie than eat it. Yum.

In other business, Lisa Groh, club president, updated club members on the items discussed at the club’s board meeting. Plans are in progress to re-establish the club fundraisers—these include the pancake breakfasts with Santa and the Easter Bunny, two Stuff Santa Stocking events to raise money for the club’s Xmas Food Basket project, and a golf outing to support scholarships.

The next club meeting will be on July 27. The speaker will be Missi Bowling from Deal Busters Marketplace.

Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. Club meetings are variable--some via Zoom; some in-person. Watch the Byesville Rotary Facebook page for details.

 

Byesville Rotary inducts officers for 2021-22

Pictured: Byesville Rotary Officers for 2021-22 and 2020 honorees: Larry Miller, Rhonda Stemmer, Lisa Groh, Jan Wilson, Jordi Harding, Dennis Harding, and Chuck Fair.

At their annual Changing of the Guard dinner, club members inducted officers for the coming year and recognized members for service during 2020-2021.

Gary Moll, District 6690 Assistant Governor formally swore in the club’s new president—Lisa Groh, and the directors attending the meeting—Larry Miller and Rhonda Stemmer. They will join Becky Bruner as club directors.

Chuck Fair, outgoing president, presented thank you tokens for services rendered by members during the year. Dennis Harding and Jordi Harding were thanked for their work on organizing and implementing the Christmas Food Basket service project. Shana Fair was thanked for initiating 2 fundraisers supporting the Christmas Food Basket project -- “Stuff Santa’s Stocking” and a Go-Fund-Me effort. Jan Wilson was thanked for her multi-year service as treasurer. Larry Miller was recognized for his work organizing the scholarship golf outing. Jim Bacos was recognized for his multi-year willingness to chair the Scholarship Committee.

 The club’s biggest honor—Byesville Rotarian of the Year—was awarded to Jan Wilson for her multiyear service as club treasurer. She has also served for many years on the Changing of the Guard planning committee and served as grant writer. She has also been active in other projects such as working at Breakfast with Santa and Breakfast with the Easter Bunny that the club holds. Congratulations, Jan.

Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. Club meetings are variable--some via Zoom; some in-person. Watch the Byesville Rotary Facebook page for details.

Pictured: Byesville Rotary Officers for 2021-22 and 2020 honorees: Larry Miller, Rhonda Stemmer, Lisa Groh, Jan Wilson, Jordi Harding, Dennis Harding, and Chuck Fair.

Mayor of Byesville visits Byesville Rotary

 

Pictured: Jay Jackson mayor of Byesville, and Chuck Fair, president of Byesville Rotary.

 Jay Jackson, mayor of Byesville, updated club members on developments in Byesville. He has spent part of the last few years updating and improving the downtown area. Flagpoles and a new electronic sign have been added to the Square located at the intersection of Main Avenue and Second Street. An upgrade to the Square and a sign identifying local merchants is being planned. Banners have been placed on the main streets. “Many small changes are beginning to have a positive effect on Byesville,” Jackson reported.

“There has been an uptick in small businesses choosing to locate in Byesville,” Jackson continued. If you have not looked around Byesville lately, stop and notice that there are people walking in the downtown area and stopping at shops. New shops include the Dealbusters Marketplace (a shop providing stalls to antique, vintage item and crafts vendors), Monarch Mercantile, Pure Love Bakery, and Nurture Day Spa—all new businesses with storefronts on Second Street. Jackson stated these were businesses opened during COVID 19 and expects 3-4 more to be established post COVID. Additionally, 3-4 more businesses are considering Byesville.

Jackson said that much of this new activity is the result of networking especially with the members of the Byesville Business Association who have been active in the networking process. Behind the scenes there is work to create downtown events with the goal of helping people discover Byesville’s hidden gems.

Jackson has also overseen upgrades to the village infrastructure. The water plant upgrade is finished. The water plant is now providing water and sewer to the power plant. The village continues to identify and implement annual paving and water line projects. Each of these efforts aimed at improving liveability in Byesville.+

Chuck Fair, president of Byesville Rotary, announced that as of July the club meetings will be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. The Changing of the Guard dinner has been moved to a Tuesday evening at the Cambridge Country Club. Club members are to contact Jan Wilson and let her know they want to attend. She needs a head count for the club.

Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. Club meetings are variable--some via Zoom; some in-person. Watch the Byesville Rotary Facebook page for details.