Without a doubt, Valve's launch of its Steam download service for PC games helped to keep the entire PC game industry viable even as less and less brick and mortar retail stores sell PC games. However, Steam currently only sells games for PC and Mac platforms. Could we see Steam...

Are you maximizing your online marketing efforts for your business model? What sets you apart from your competitors? What have you done for them to easily locate your business? We live in a digital world with a prominence in technology. One thing that is crucial for any business whether brick and mortar or virtual is a website. A website is key to your target audience and provides viability for your company.

Several major Spanish banks are reported to have been financing controversial arms-producing companies which have supplied cluster bombs to Libya.

­Annie Yumi Joh, an anti-war campaigner, told RT a Human Rights Watch report suggests the Instalaza SA Company supplied bombs used by the Libyan leader forces against his own people.

“Instalaza SA produced cluster bombs to be sold to Gaddafi in 2007. We had to figure out who exactly had granted loans to this company and we were surprised to find a number of Spanish banks, even small saving banks, that had provided loans to this company, which undoubtedly had been used to finance the production of cluster arms,” she explained.

“The remnants of at least three cluster munitions that exploded over the el-Shawahda neighborhood in Misrata on April 14, 2011 were inspected by Researchers from the Human Rights Watch. It turned out the cluster munition is a Spanish-produced MAT-120 120mm mortar projectile produced by Instalaza in 2007. It is appalling Gaddafi used these cluster munitions in the attacks in residential neighborhoods,” added Yumi Joh.

The area where the use of cluster munitions was witnessed is about 1 kilometer from the front line between rebels and government forces.

Annie Yumi Joh says it has become possible to trace the connection between the bank that has provided a loan and Instalaza SA who had asked for that loan. A report available online suggests that as many as 14 Spanish banks have been involved in funding the manufacture of the controversial weapons since 2006.

The majority of the world's nations have comprehensively banned the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions through the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Spain signed the Convention on December 3, 2008 and ratified it on June 17, 2009.

“What we try to do is press the national governments so they will enact a law to prohibit any type of investment in controversial arms. Though this may sound difficult to achieve, still it is not impossible,” said Yumi Joh. [source RT]

Why have Netflix and Redbox succeeded while Blockbuster has failed? The reason may come down to a simple marketing principle outlined in a Harvard Business Review article written by Theodore Levitt called Marketing Myopia (Amazon Affiliate Link). Levitt's premise was that a business succeeds or fails based on how it defines itself. If a business defines itself too narrowly, it sets itself up for failure. The trick is for a business to define itself more broadly. Let's use Netflix, Redbox and Blockbuster as examples. I don't know this for a fact, but I suspect Blockbuster defined itself as a bricks and mortar store that rented DVDs and games. But Netflix and Redbox defined themselves more broadly. They defined themselves as distributors of video content. This broader definition opened the door for the company to make generate revenue in new and innovative ways. The result was that instead of tying themselves down to bricks-and-mortar locations, they opened themselves up to distribution methods like video kiosks, the internet and express mail.

Amazon has announced that its third-generation Kindle will now be available at over 3200 Walmart stores nationally. Amazon says that most stores will have a Kindle on display so customers can ìcheck out all the featuresî before buying the device. Walmart will be selling both the Kindle 3G and the Kindle with Special Offers and will join a growing list of retailers selling the Kindle in bricks and mortar stores....

One-third of US adults obtained online coupons, either for discounts at online stores or for brick and mortar stores, in the past 30 days, according to [pdf] a survey from the Newspaper Association of America.

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of medieval industry on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds town centre.

The clay ovens and leather tanneries appear to date from the 12th-16th Centuries.

Housing developers called county historians after they found mortar and flint footings for wooden buildings.

Andrew Tester, project officer for Suffolk County Council, said: "We know a lot about the centre of the town, but not about this part."

The precise location of the site is not being publicised to protect the dig.

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Four men arrested after the discovery of a mortar in Co Louth last year have been served with a book of evidence at the Special Criminal Court today.

The scene will comprise the classic "wedding vows" moment at the front of the church. The couple will be viewed from behind (down the aisle), with the priest facing forwards. Instead of the traditional wedding dress and dress suit, the bride is wearing a nurses uniform (classic old-style with blue dress, white hat etc.) and the groom is wearing an old fashioned teacher's clothes (mortar board, gown etc) - the priest should be in stereotypical robes. We view the scene from behind the couple although they may be facing each other in profile. The couple will be based on two real people (reference photos will be provided) - they should be represented in a cartoonish/caricature style, but should be recognizable as the actual people in question. IMPORTANT: THIS IMAGE MUST BE DELIVERED AS AN ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR VECTOR.

Time is running out for you to grab up a great Mother's Day gift for mom, so select "express shipping" or hit the brick and mortar stores where this range of fabulous and affordable gifts (all are under $100) are available, but make sure you get it done before Sunday brunch!

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While we typically spend our time chatting about online trademark issues, I couldn’t help but notice a case involving brick and mortar liquor stores which were made to change their name based off a state trademark on the term “Discount Liquor” Make that three liquor stores that were made to change there name because one [...]

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of medieval industry on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds town centre.

The clay ovens and leather tanneries appear to date from the 12th-16th Centuries.

Housing developers called county historians after they found mortar and flint footings for wooden buildings. 

The precise location of the site is not being publicised to protect the dig.

The Warren Map of 1740 showed the area to be fields - so this is the first evidence of pr

read more

Eater.com editor Amanda Kludt sniffs out the best hidden eateries in the city

Red Hook Ballfields

A seasonal Red Hook presence, the Ballfield vendors have been coming out to sell their Mexican and South American wares during summer soccer games for over a decade. A few years ago, as more and more "foodies" discovered and blogged about the top notch offerings, they grew in popularity and eventually attracted the attention of the Department of Health. After forcing the vendors to go through expensive certifying and training, and compelling them to buy newfangled trucks, the vendors victoriously returned. It may not be as romantic anymore, but the food is just as good. Go for the big, messy huraches, papusas, tacos, Mexican corn, and freshly squeezed fruit juices.
• Clinton & Bay Streets, Red Hook, Brooklyn, yelp.com/biz/red-hook-ball-fields-brooklyn

The Whisk & Ladle

Underground supper clubs were all the rage in New York between 2006, when they emerged on the scene, and 2009, when adventurous food lovers realised they'd be better off, in terms of value and experience, in a real restaurant. But somehow the Whisk & Ladle, a private supper club now in its fifth year, still gets the job done. It's fun, it's social, it's secretive, but it's also affordable, and the food and drink don't disappoint. Nights at the Whisk and Ladle, located in a 95-year-old converted factory building in Williamsburg, begin with cocktails and segue into inventive five-course meals (typically $65 a head with drinks), sometimes made by visiting chefs.
• Undisclosed loft in Williamsburg, thewhiskandladle.com. Email rsvp@thewhiskandladle.com for prices and other info

The Temple Canteen at the Hindi Temple Society of North America

This one requires some effort but offers big payoffs. Roughly a 15-minute walk from the last stop on the no 7 train sits the Hindi Temple Society of North America. It's a real working temple, with a fabulous canteen in the basement and an affordable cafeteria, both open to the public. They serve authentic, cheap, wonderful South Indian fare like giant dosas, sambars, and samosas, and a hearty full lunch for $7 on Sundays. Of course the decor isn't anything special, reminiscent of your high school cafeteria, folding chairs and all. But that hardly matters given the food on the plate and the money left in your wallet.
• 14309 Holly Avenue, Flushing, +1 718 460 2500, nyganeshtemple.org

Schnitzel & Things

Schnitzel & Things, a small Germanic street cart that calls Midtown home, has been so successful over the last two years that it's gone and opened a bricks and mortar store. But do go to the original cart, even if there's a line, to experience the real deal. They sell schnitzel of course – a hand pounded, lightly breaded thin cutlet fried to golden perfection – in three varieties, pork, cod, and chicken. One look at the line will reveal just how delicious those dishes are, especially served with Austrian potato salad or french fries. The truck moves around quite a bit between regular spaces in the Village, Gramercy, and Midtown, so watch its website for scheduling updates.

• 46th between 5th and 6th Avenues, +1 347 772 7341, schnitzelandthings.com

Le Veau d'Or

This classic French restaurant, so untrendy, so old-school, is overlooked by many food lovers hunting for what's new. But what a mistake! This time capsule serves textbook French classics – vichysoisse, sole amandines ou meunière, rack of lamb carved tableside – and it's utterly charming, filled with glass, mahogany, old photos, and paintings. It will be populated with fusty old timers, but visiting is one of the few ways to feel transported back to the Mad Men era of New York, when the food was French, the maître d' knew you, music didn't compete with conversation, and tablecloths were mandatory.

• 129 East 60th Street, +1 212 838 8133, yelp.com/biz/le-veau-dor-new-york

Tanoreen

Tanoreen may be located way out in the nether regions of Brooklyn, otherwise known as Bay Ridge, but the subway train or car ride is quickly forgotten once visiting pilgrims get a taste of their Middle Eastern specialities. Owned by a Palestinian woman who grew up in Israel and has long called Brooklyn home, Tanoreen is sweet, vibrant and one of a kind. Lamb is the order of the day here so make sure to get a least one dish with it (try the lamb fette, or the kibbe), and don't miss their ethereal hummus, smoky baba ghanoush, fried snapper, or roast chicken. Word has spread about this place, so call ahead before making the trip.
• 7523 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, +1 718 748 5600, tanoreen.com

Patacon Pisao

Patacon Pisao, like many food truck recommendations, has both mobile and bricks and mortar locations. The truck caters to the dinner and late night crowds, only serving food between 7pm and 6am in Inwood at the tip of Manhattan. They offer wonderful Venezuelan specialities such as cachapas (a corn pancake filled with cheese), tequenos (fried cheese rolls), arepas (corn cake sandwiches filled with deliciousness), and their namesake, patacons, which are sandwiches of fried and flattened green plantains that hold shredded beef, chicken, fried cheese, or roasted pork, each for around $6. The restaurant has two locations, one in Washington Heights and one in Elmhurst, Queens. They offer the same delicacies but over a broader range of hours.
• 85-22 Grand Avenue, Elmhurst, +1 718 899 8922, pataconpisaonyc.com

Andre's Cafe

To find the small refectory hidden at the back of this Upper East Side Hungarian bakery, you have to walk past display case after display case of strudels, babkas, breads and pastries. It's hard to tell from the outside that a comfort food-driven restaurant lurks behind those baked goods, but what a find! They serve all the Hungarian classics – stuffed cabbage, schnitzel, chicken paprikash, and an unholy and delicious dish of egg noodles covered in farm cheese, sour cream, and bacon. It has a folk museum vibe but the service and the food is no-nonsense. And if you aren't hungry, try a coffee and a sacher torte.
• 1631 2nd Avenue, +1 212 327 1105, andrescafeny.com

Kajitsu

Kajitsu is not a hidden gem per se, located as it is in the very populous East Village. But it is an oddball in the New York dining scene. The restaurant only serves set menus – $50 for four courses, $70 for eight – of "shojin" Buddhist cuisine. Which means no meat, no fish. They simply prepare the best seasonal vegetables available in the most incredible, austere way. Celeb chefs David Chang and Grant Achatz rave about the place, while the city's food-focused vegetarians can't get enough of it. Thus, the new need to book a few weeks in advance or come at off hours. For jaded diners, those who think they've seen it all, this is a must.
• 414 East 9th Street, +1 212 228 4873, kajitsunyc.com

Calexico Cart

Calexico launched on the streets of Soho a few years ago as a small, straightforward street cart serving excellent tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Word caught on, lines during the lunch rush stretched to the hour mark, and the owners expanded to another cart on Park Avenue South. They were soon winning awards – called "the Vendys" around these parts – and eventually went brick and mortar. Now they have storefronts in both Greenpoint and Red Hook and make cart runs to Williamsburg and beyond. Still, go to the original on Prince and Wooster during a weekday lunch to get a taste of where it all began.
• Prince St & Wooster St, +1 718 488 8226, calexicocart.com

• Amanda Kludt is the New York editor of eater.com

If you love new gear but not high prices then we’ve got some deals for you; grab some deeply discounted laptops, game systems, and free mobile apps in this week’s Geek Deals roundup.

We’ve combed the net and grabbed some fresh off the press deals for you to take advantage of. Unlike traditional brick and mortar sales internet deals are fast and furious so don’t be surprised if by the time you get to a particularly hot deal the stock is gone or the uses-per-coupon rate has been exceeded.

How To Use Ember Media Manager to Organize Your Media Collection	How to Protect Your Flash Drive Data with TrueCrypt	50+ Tools & Techniques to Remove Image Backgrounds in Photoshop, pt 2

Survivors such as Claude Choules, who has just died, were remarkable, but not because of what they could tell us

The media started to get excited about first world war veterans about a decade ago, as they reached their centenaries. A mini-publishing industry was growing up around the memories of the final survivors, and I attended an event to mark the publication of a book of first world war songs at which the publisher had gathered together a group of veterans who dutifully sang the songs that had meant so much to them.

With the help of Dennis Goodwin, chairman of the World War One Veterans' Association, I arranged to meet four veterans over the next few months, including Harry Patch, who had not then found the fame he was accorded as the lottery of longevity pointed its finger at him.

The meetings were humbling, especially the one with Philip Bristow, who had been one of the UK's first airmen, signing up with the Royal Naval Air Service as a 17-year-old in 1917. He was 101 when we met, and couldn't rise from his bed. Nor could he give me the interview we had planned. He was dying. "If I had a gin and tonic, I could do it," he said. Perhaps longevity was not such a lottery after all. These people had come through the war and lasted so long because of some remarkable spirit granted only to a few.

The interviews were memorable, but not because of what they remembered about the war. History had caught up with them too late for that. They had become living memorials. Patch was fantastic, but perhaps too fantastic. He had his script off pat: "That German coming towards me, I thought why should I murder him? He may have a mother. He may have brothers and sisters. He may be married, bringing up a young family. I can't kill him. And I didn't kill him. I shot him above the ankle and above the knee, and brought him down."

A few years later, the then poet laureate Andrew Motion interviewed Patch and turned his recollections into verse: "First the hard facts of not wanting to fight, / and the kindness of deciding to shoot men / in the legs but no higher unless needs must." To this day I have no idea whether what Patch said was true. Can you be that precise in the heat of battle?

The oral testimonies gathered in the last years of the veterans' lives had little practical value, because they had spent a lifetime smoothing out their narratives. The real story of the first world war lay with the dead, not the living. Historians give more credence to what soldiers wrote at the time than to anything said afterwards. Letters and diaries count for more than fallible memories.

When I heard Claude Choules describing, in the radio interviews replayed on Thursday, how he hated war, how all soldiers were the same beneath the uniform, I heard again the authentic voice of the survivor, telling the moral tale he knew we wanted to hear. Too much was being asked of these last survivors: we were willing them to be consciences of a brutal century and they were gamely playing the role allotted to them.

The interview I enjoyed most in 2001 was with 103-year-old Douglas Thomson. His principal wartime memory was of a latrine blowing up when hit by a mortar. The rest was largely forgotten – the war was a hell of a long time ago. But he talked of a trip around Scotland he had made with his son in the early 1960s as if it were yesterday; of battles he had had with his employer in the 1950s that still seemed to grate; of friends he had made in his care home but who had too swiftly departed.

For Thomson, war was a faded, fragile memory; it was the life lived since that mattered. We had turned them into symbols, but were in danger of forgetting they were people. As they told their stories for the umpteenth time, they must have wondered if the lottery of longevity was really a prize worth winning. We should salute Choules, but not worry overmuch that the final link has gone. That linkage was always a media fiction, a publisher's dream.

This week was about the the new plan of B&N to introduce a new e-reader later on this month, which might be according to the WSJ "a more powerful combination tablet and e-reader". And what about new design for B&N's stores? Nada, at least for now.

Given that B&N is still mostly a store-based retailer, it's not much of a surprise we're not too impressed with this step (unlike the stock market, where the stock rose in 17%) and this week our B&N bankruptcy index stays the same.

Just a short reminder - As Borders filed for bankruptcy, we look at Barnes & Noble, the nation's largest book chain to see if they will follow Borders and also go into bankruptcy and if so, when exactly.

To do it more analytically we launched few weeks ago a new B&N Bankruptcy Index, which is based on 10 parameters, which receive a grade between 1-10 (1 - worst grade, 10 - best grade). Hence we receive a 0-100 point index scale, which we divide into several ranges as follows:

90-100: B&N is in an excellent shape. Couldn't be better!

80-89: B&N is doing great. Bankruptcy is no longer a real threat.

70-79: B&N could do better and has to be cautious of bankruptcy.

60-69: B&N doesn't look too good and bankruptcy is becoming a more realistic threat.

50-59: Bankruptcy is a clear and present danger.

49 and less: Red alert! Bankruptcy is just around the corner and is likely to happen within a short time frame.

We will check the B&N Bankruptcy Index every Thursday, updating each one of the parameters included in the index and will analyze the trend. You can follow the weekly changes in the index from the day it was launched on the Barnes and Noble Bankruptcy Index page on our website.
So here's our update for this week (in brackets is last week's grade):

1. Confidence of the stock market in B&N
This parameter will look at the performance of the B&N stock (symbol: BKS) in the last week. The performance of B&N's stock is an indication of the confidence the market has in the ability of B&N to maintain a viable business.

So let's look at last week's figures:
4/27: $9.90
5/4: $12.01
Change: +16.9%

As you can see, B&N's stock rose sharply almost 17% last week. Just for comparison, Amazon went up 1.7% last week and the S&P500 Index lost 0.6%.

Most of this happened yesterday due to the news that B&N "pn">lans to make an announcement on the launch of a new electronic book reader on May 24th, according to a regulatory filing released after the close of trading on Wednesday." (Reuters, May 4)

Since it looks like the stock jumped only because of this update, it doesn't really represent any significant change and we'll have to see if this rally will continue next week before we'll make any changes in our estimations of this parameter. Therefore, our week's grade stays the same: 4.5 (4.5)

2. What analysts say on B&N

Arunava De wrote on The Motley Fool:

"It is evident that Barnes & Noble means business when it comes to stabilizing its position in the e-reader market. It is willing to take a fall in net income to get a footing in the battle of book retailers. This aggressive strategy seems to make sense, especially as the physical component of the business becomes less attractive.

In a world where the consumer is on a constant lookout for better shopping and consumption experiences, launching a full frontal attack with better services will probably get results. The only problem here is that with falling earnings, investors are probably going to be apprehensive about B&N’s stock. But if the company can turn the tide, there might just be good profits on the way. But be careful: first, a lot of things have to go right."

We don't see a significant change in the market sentiment and therefore our grade stays the same: 5.5 (5.5)

3. New strategy to regain sales in the brick and mortar stores
Just like Borders, B&N still doesn't have yet a clear and comprehensive strategy that will transform their brick and mortar stores from a liability back to an asset.

Still, nada. B&N plans a new e-reader but doesn't seem to plan any new strategy for its brick and mortar stores, at least that's what we can tell from the information the company makes available. Unfortunately I believe there are no secret plans waiting to be disclosed in the right moment - there are just no plans at the moment.

This week's grade stays the same: 3.5 (3.5)

4. What B&N is saying about itself
We didn't find any quotes this week. Our grade for this parameter stays the same: 6 (6)

5. Steps B&N is taking
Two things happened last week - B&N announced that "it has entered into an amendment that will extend its existing $1 billion revolving credit agreement on more favorable terms" and also disclosed that it plans to unveil a new electronic book reader later this month. The first step is aimed to enhance the company's financial flexibility and the second one to improve its competitiveness on the digital front.

In all these are positive steps, but we're not sure yet how they'll impact B&N's efforts to get back on the track (again - no step is taken to improve sales at the stores, which are the more vulnerable part in B&N operations at the moment). This week's grade stays the same: 6 (6)

6. Competitors
This parameter will mainly look into Borders and how its problems affect B&N. Last Friday, according to Bloomberg, "reported a loss of $24.3 million for the month ended March 26, according to court papers...The current report shows revenue of $165.2 million for the month ended March 26 and total assets of $942.2 million. Cash and equivalents are $80.9 million, the company reported." Our grade stays the same: 5 (5)

7. Financial strength
On February Barnes & Noble published the results for the third quarter. On Monday B&N announced it "has entered into an amendment that will extend its existing $1 billion revolving credit agreement on more favorable terms. "

Here are more details from their press release:

The amended $1 billion revolving credit facility takes advantage of conditions in the financial markets that are more favorable than when the original facility was established. The amended facility has lower interest costs, greater financial flexibility and increases overall borrowing capacity throughout the year...

“Amending our revolving credit facility enables us to lower our anticipated cost of capital and enhance our financial flexibility as we continue to transform the company and execute our strategic plan,” said Joseph Lombardi, chief financial officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. “We appreciate the strong level of support we received from our lenders.”

This should be helpful, but we don't find this step too significant overall and therefore our grade stays the same: 7 (7)

8. Strength of the digital business
B&N will unveil a new electronic book reader later this month, n">according to a regulatory filing released after the close of trading yesterday.

WSJ adds that "One possibility is Barnes & Noble will release a more powerful combination tablet and e-reader, perhaps running a more advanced software like Google Inc.'s Honeycomb software. Honeycomb is a version of the Android operating system Google created specifically for tablets."

This is a positive step and our grade this week goes up in half a point: 7.5 (7)

9. Sense of urgency
It looks like B&N still think they have time and are not worried at all, or at least not worried enough to begin doing something with their brick and mortar stores (again, we don't believe more toys in the stores and extra room for the Nook is a winning strategy). If we can learn something from the Borders' case, it's how fast things go bad when your reach a certain tipping point of financial distress or distrust of your stakeholders (consumers or publishers for example). This week's grade stays the same: 5.5 (5.5)

10. General feeling
This parameter will be an indication of our impression of all the materials read and analyzed for this index. Our feeling that things are still not looking too good for B&N hasn't changed this week and actually we feel that somehow the company is a bit lost when it comes to find how to generate more sales in its brick and mortar stores. Therefore this parameter's grade goes down by half a point: 5 (5.5)

This week's Barnes & Noble Bankruptcy Index: 56 points (56)

As you can see, this week's index is set at 56 points, which means B&N is getting deeper into the 50-59 zone: Bankruptcy is a clear and present danger. It's still not the red zone but it means that bankruptcy is getting closer and is becoming a real threat to B&N. See you next Thursday.

To view the weekly changes in the index visit Barnes and Noble Bankruptcy Index on our website.

You can find more resources on the future of bookstores on our website at www.ecolibris.net/bookstores_future.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Working to green the book industry!

Medal of Honor Bridge brings 7 heroes from across the US Journal and Courier He asked to be sent to South Vietnam. On Nov. 18, 1967, the then-Pfc. Davis and the artillery unit were under heavy mortar fire as an estimated 1500 Viet Cong advanced on a fire support base west of Cai Lay. Despite injuries, he continued to use a ... and more »

Even in death, Osama bin Laden managed to strike heavily against the United States. Unlike his past aggressions, his aim was not towards brick and mortar but at the very ideals and principles of our nation. In his final act, bin Laden exposed a certain level of decay that has taken hold of our country since the twin towers fell nearly ten years ago.

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Facebook Twitter Email May 4, 2011 Yelp's Got Seoul! This Weekly Yelp brought to you by Labels For Love -- MODUS UNION Fashion Show Jon N Pick sides! On The Radar Giving Is Stylish! Fashion For A Cause This Ain't No GTL Party! Italians In DC Festival DC Is In Bloom: National Cathedral Flower Mart Festival Bringing All Of The Boys (And Girls) To The Yard: DC's Best Shake Come On Ride The Train... And Ride It! National Train Day Celebration Let's face it: DC's got Seoul! With so many K-style eateries around, your eyes are bound to bulgogi! From the best bibimbap to some kickin' kimchi, this Weekly is here to curb your cravings with a piping hot list of the best Korean this side of Busan! Annandale is the place to be for a carnivorous feast! Fancy a late night blow 'n' slurp? Yechon is open 24/7. Ruth C opts for the Heuk Yumso Jeon Gol goat soup which "comes out still boiling," with a broth that is "meaty, spiced and so filling.” Megs T prefers to chew the fat at Honey Pig and experiences "meat-gasms" over their melt-in-your-mouth pork belly: "It doesn't get any better than this if you’re a true carni.” Oegadgib’s “sizzling and dribbling” meats remind Noel O just how obsessed with Korean BBQ he is, so much so that it's got him thinking, “Maybe this means I was Korean in a former life?” Doubtful, Noel. It's just universally delicious! With all the meatheads on Yelp, Jaime D reassures us that if you are "a vegetarian or prefer tofu to meat, Mandu is very accommodating and will do substitutions on most dishes" for something a little more PETA-approved. Hue K gets her bibimbap to-go at the Rice Bar and loves that they have “non-traditional toppings like corn, avocado and fried onion flakes.” When Laura L has got fried mandu dumplings on the mind, she makes a move for Kyung Ju. On top of having “more banchan than you can shake a chopstick at,” they usually have Korean soaps or gameshows playing on the TV! Leave the brick and mortar behind and embrace the streets. Venu N tracks down the Bulgogi Cart, which he describes as a "simple, yellow, florescent beacon of love amongst the trendy proliferation of DC's roving food trucks." He likes to feast "upon the tender thin slices of sirloin marinated in that unmistakable blend of soy sauce, sesame seed oil and fiery spices." Looking for a little kimchi tofu soup to soothe the soul? Monica L suggests heading to the Korean Food Cart, where the broth is "murky, spicy, hot and salty... For food coming out of a tiny cart the size of my desk, it's just incredible." C'mon, get souped up! Soju know where the best Korean eats can be found? Share them on Talk! (A Word from Our Sponsor) Be Fashionable By Supporting A Fabulous Cause... Labels For Love's MODUS UNION Fashion Show Is Tonight! Labels For Love presents the MODUS UNION 2011 fashion show and special tribute to Elizabeth Edwards. Join Mary Amons, cast member of Bravo's The Real Housewives of DC and founder of Labels For Love, celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson, designer Marc Bouwer and actress Fran Drescher, the founder of Cancer Schmancer as we raise funds and promote awareness of early detection and prevention of female cancers. If you cannot attend the event, you can still support Labels For Love by making a donation online! It's not too late! There are still tickets left for tonight's event. Buy your tickets now! Top Yelpers See who's been mouthing off this week! Aaron H. Aileen F. Frank W. Jennifer S. Mere M. Picks of the Week Reviews we liked this week. Jennifer M. on Cafe Chocolate "I see that most reviews here are about that you can smoke here. Let me expand by adding what I observed about the other aspects of Cafe Chocolate as I'm sure that point has already been beaten to death and beyond. Cafe Chocolate has ample parking out front. When you walk up to it, it looks small but…" Aaron H. on Bon Chon Chicken "Yes the service is bad, the waits are long, and its way out in Annandale.  But the chicken makes it five stars!   Even if they cussed me out when I came and I had to drive 5 hours to get it, the chicken would be five stars. It is a life changing event. I prefer take out b/c of the bad service, but…" Irene C. on Gom Tang E "Their main soup dish is the Sulungtang.  It's written on the menu as gom tang.  I had the meat only gom tang.  The white clear but creamy tasting soup is made from boiling meat bones in a pot that is bigger than the size of your tub.  It's boiled for almost a whole day and then served with clear…" Fresh Lists The newest of our users' favorites. Korean Delights "This is a great town for Korean food because you can find many places that are authentic." Anyong (AKA Korean Eats) "Did you watch Arrested Development? Remember when they adopted that Korean kid and thought his name was Anyong ("Hi" in Korean). Hilarious. Ok - that was for the 5 of you that watched the show. That had nothing to do with this list, except that its about Korean eats." MMMmmmeaat...KOREAN BBQ "Walk in smelling like crisp fresh air, walking out smelling like a sweet meat smoker...now that's what I'm talking about." Facebook Twitter Email
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The past 24 hours in gossip, innuendo, and cold hard facts about the San Francisco food scene. Tablehopper reports that Brick & Mortar Music Hall, (1710 Mission at Duboce) which opened in the for...

Rickshaw Dumplings, a five year-old dumpling spot founded by Anita Lo and Kenny Lao is expanding. Two years after the launch of their dumpling truck and the shuttering of their location on 8th Street by NYU, Rickshaw is opening...

In my travels over the past 18-24 months, a single unifying theme seems to be of primary importance for all of the banks I visit . . . the need to find new sources of revenue to help offset the impact of environmental, competitive and regulatory changes that have occurred in our industry. With the potential of the Durbin Interchange Amendment hanging over our heads, lost overdraft fees from Reg E in our rear view mirror, the ability to pay interest on business deposits and the implications of the Card Act just 18 months ago, bank earnings are being squeezed from all directions.

According to Novantas, the regulatory changes alone have slashed retail banking revenues by more than $50 billion per year compared to pre-crisis levels. To make this number even more staggering, Novantas estimates that the equivalent cost savings needed to offset these lost revenues would entail closing 50,000 branches or would require a 1500% increase in maintenance fees. Neither of these options are feasible.


As banks look forward, while it will definitely be important to control costs across the organization, the immediate challenge will be to focus on ways to generate revenues that are significant and sustainable over time. To do so, banks should analyze opportunities across the entire customer lifecycle including product innovation, repricing, new engagement and cross-sell strategies, channel migration, improved marketing and enhanced measurement of results.

• Move Beyond Free Checking: With the implementation of Reg E and the potential impact of the Durbin Amendment, virtually every bank in the country is reviewing their checking product offerings to determine how they can positively impact earnings without negatively impacting their customer franchise. Much of this customer portfolio and product review is long overdue. The reliance on a 'free' lead product where penalty fees from the lowest balance accounts fund the majority of the portfolio is not sustainable. While some banks are building a much more robust segmentation strategy, where the relationship value will be more in line with the cost to the customer, other institutions are looking to a menu based approach, where components of the account (debit card, rewards program, ATM transactions, security services) are priced independently. Integral with this repricing strategy is the need for effective communication of changes and the opportunity to place customers in the best product set for their lifestage and transaction behavior. I cover this in a previous blog post entitled, Minimizing the Impact of Unintended Consequences.
• Focus on Quality Customer Growth: With the cost of new customer acquisition increasing and the quality of many new customers no longer meeting expectations, many banks are focusing their efforts on quality as opposed to quantity of customer acquired. Models are being developed that are based on incremental lift, potential for engagement, balance growth (using tools such as IXI wealth indicators) and likelihood for cross-sell and retention. In addition, many banks are fine-tuning their acquisition strategies to focus on branch trade area, neighborhood level direct communication as well as time tested programs like new mover acquisition. Many of these acquisition programs are at the carrier route level, taking advantage of postal economies. Finally, some organizations have had tremendous success leveraging their web sites, search engines and even social media to drive quality new account growth.
• Improve Customer Engagement: According to a study from Aite Group entitled, Measuring Customer Engagement: Making the Metric Matter, customers who have a higher level of engagement (more money movement, more transactions, online bill pay, direct deposit, more inquiries) are more likely to open another account with their bank in the next 12-24 months (27% vs. 5% for low engagement households), are more likely to recommend their bank to a friend (41% vs. 23%), and have a much more positive view of their financial institution. In addition, a more engaged household is significantly more profitable as shown by numerous research studies and covered in my blog post, A Business Case for Onboarding, where I illustrate the many financial benefits to a robust, multi-channel customer communication process in the first 90 days of the relationship.

Onboarding touchpoint roadmap example

• Restructure Rewards Program: In the past, the majority of rewards programs were funded primarily with interchange income. With the potential for this revenue stream to be negatively impacted by the Durbin Amendment, the structure and underlying strategy for bank rewards programs need to be evaluated. Options that banks are considering include the complete removal of a rewards component from some or all classes of accounts, an adjustment in the value of the reward program currency and even the potential for an annual fee associated with the program. Another strategy is to move the funding of the rewards program from the bank to the retailer with a merchant-based rewards program partnership. Leading providers in this space include Cardlytics, BillShrink, Segmint and Bling Nation as well as home grown options that connect the merchant to the customer. The benefits of a merchant-funded reward program are many, with the primary advantage being the offering of much more targeted rewards to a finite audience of the bank based on online transactions. For more insight into merchant-based rewards, visit my blog post on the subject. 
• Expand Share of Wallet Initiatives: In the BAI Banking Strategies article written by Sherief Meleis from Novantas entitled, Relationship Expansion: Sharpening the Focus, he points out that a bank would only need to increase the amount of business done by each customer by 15% in order to offset the $50 billion revenue shortfall facing our industry. While definitely not a slam dunk by any means, the concept of expanding share of wallet with current customers is far less daunting than trying to increase fees to compensate for the impact of legislation over the past 24 months. According to Novantas, approximately one quarter of deposits ($900 billion) as well as one half of loans ($4 trillion) and half of investments ($3.7 trillion) remain unconsolidated with primary financial institutions. Their research also indicates that as much as two thirds of these relationships are held by customers who are attitudinally willing to consolidate. The key for banks implementing this strategy will be to avoid boiling the ocean or overwhelming the customer with blanket communications. Instead, it is imperative to reach the right customer, at the right time, with the right message using the channel they prefer. A good discussion of some easy to implement cross-sell strategies is available on my blog post from April 15, 2011.
• Shift Debit/Credit/Prepaid Emphasis: While the Durbin Amendment may change the financial benefits of the debit card, it definitely doesn't change the importance of debit as an engagement and payment device. Some banks may be impacting the equilibrium of this payment device by adding annual fees, transaction fees and spending thresholds to the product. It is yet to be seen if these charges will stick or if they have a negative impact on the customer experience. Alternatively, banks can continue to encourage usage of the debit card while expanding their marketing efforts to include the potentially more profitable credit and prepaid debit cards. Serving alternative ends of the demographic spectrum, the appeal of credit cards is usually for people that want to leverage the grace period to their advantage. The appeal of the prepaid debit card is for people that want the convenience of a debit/ATM card without the fees of a checking account. The growth of the prepaid debit market has been significant in both the lower and mid demographic segments as people get frustrated with banking fees or have been closed out of the traditional banking system.
• Optimize Communication Channels: As the number of marketing messages received by each consumer has skyrocketed exponentially over the past decade, the control of consumption of these messages has definitely shifted from the marketer to the consumer. As economic growth has slowed and budget constraints at banks have impacted the amount of funding we have for marketing initiatives, there is a need to leverage less expensive, but potentially more expansive channels such as email, social media and even formal word of mouth strategies. Instead of replacing traditional media with electronic channels, however, banks need to manage a blend of channels that will yield the best results. For most initiatives, it is not an either/or proposition, but a media mix that needs to be optimized for each customer segment and marketing objective. This is definitely an area where a test and learn mindset is needed and where improved analytics are needed to determine channel attribution.
• Deliver on the Mobile Banking Promise: According to recent comScore research, 29.8 million Americans accessed financial services accounts (bank, credit card, or brokerage) via their mobile device in Q4 2010, an increase of 54 percent from Q4 2009. The report also found that preference for online access and security concerns topped the list of reasons why consumers have not yet used mobile banking. With such a skyrocketing growth and with the vast majority of banks now offering mobile banking, strategies need to be set forth that will ensure that mobile banking customers become engaged with their mobile banking provider as opposed to using the channel as a utility similar to an ATM. Studies show that mobile banking can effectively reduce costs related to call center usage and increase retention if the channel is enhanced with Personal Financial Management (PFM) applications and if the channel becomes more interactive and intuitive (a delivery device for rewards). The development of mobile banking strategies also need to include strategies for iPad applications that expand the mobile banking horizon far beyond what can be done on a smart phone.
• Reconfigure the Branch Model: As the use of electronic channels continues to increase, the functionality of the traditional bricks and mortar branch changes as well. Over the past several months, several innovative branch models have been tested including the Citi version of an Apple store as covered on The Financial Brand website. Going a different direction, but still focusing on the branch, Huntington Bank has recently purchased the rights to dozens of supermarket branches, extended hours to include evenings and Sundays and is in the midst of a $70 million branch refresh in which it will make over all of its 608 branches with new digital signage and e-merchandising. A third strategy is to significantly downsize the retail space, recognizing that the opening of accounts, responding to inquiries and handling transactions can be done using a much smaller footprint. The 'right' answer is not clear yet, and may reflect the bank's brand promise more than being strictly a cost or revenue decision. (Discussion on making the ATM channel more productive can be found on my November post)
• Increase Focus on Metrics That Matter: As opposed to being a cost center, marketing is increasingly being looked upon to generate revenue and to be able to show the impact of their programs. Measurements such as marketing ROI, incremental revenue lift, lifetime value and internal rate of return are all metrics that matter to the CEO and CFO and need to be built into all revenue strategies. In addition, where the sales cycle is longer, marketing is now expected to develop Demand Generation programs as opposed to simply lead generation initiatives, nurturing leads much farther in the sales funnel with an eye towards the final sale. I covered the new sales funnel in my blog post on February 26.

I am sure I have missed revenue opportunities that banks are pursuing to replace revenue lost due to recent changes in the marketplace. Can you share some of your ideas on my blog for others to react to?

Everyone loves to talk about the value of small business. There's a National Small Business Week, proclaimed by the president, and San Francisco Small Business Week, proclaimed by the mayor. There are conferences and speakers and programs. Even the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce — the mouthpiece for giant corporations in town — periodically hails the value of the little entrepreneur.

But when you get right down to it, small businesses don't have it easy in this town. Under siege from big chains (who often get their way at City Hall), faced with unfair tax burdens (the little operators pay the same rate as the biggest companies), struggling to find support from banks (many of which don't make many small business loans), the companies that create most of the new jobs in the city and preserve the lively character of the neighborhoods ultimately get little respect.

Check it out: if Twitter — worth billions — wants a tax break, City Hall leaps to the rescue. Yet a proposal that would have made the business tax burden more fair for small companies died last year without a vote.

Once a year we celebrate the people who hang in there, often against the odds, and not only survive but thrive. People who build small businesses that build cool neighborhoods and hire local workers and keep the San Francisco economy moving.

This year we've combined our editors' picks with readers' choices — and we've asked our winners who they would have picked as the best small businesses of the year. It's a wonderful lineup that looks, and feels, like San Francisco. (Tim Redmond)

 

ARTHUR JACKSON DIVERSITY IN SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

LA COCINA

Believe it or not, there was a time in this city when Le Truc did not park its chicken parmigianas in front of the Conservatory of Flowers and street food did not inspire a weekly mob scene at Off The Grid's mobile market. Back then, a lot of the people who sold food on the street were immigrant women.

"Their commonality is this incredible entrepreneurial spirit," says Caleb Zigas of La Cocina, a food business incubator created to give street food vendors the tools they need to take their business into the next realm of profitability.

Its program has proven highly successful. After taste tests of applicants' proposed cuisine ("They wouldn't be here if their product wasn't good," Zigas says. La Cocina participants are counseled on brand development and distribution. In the organization's gleaming commercial kitchen in the Mission District, eight businesses can simultaneously work at one time. On a typical morning, it's used to prepare hummus, huaraches, and traditional Yucatecan-Mayan food for a day of sales.

Some graduates, like Clairessquares — a chocolate-shortbread-caramel treat company started by the eponymous Irish immigrant — are local grocery store constants now. Some businesses have used the program to go from selling at farmers markets to owning a restaurant of their own — Veronica Salazar of El Huarache Loco will be the first La Cocina grad with a brick and mortar location, opening in Larkspur this year. Two years ago, La Cocina started the Street Food Festival, an event that consistently packs the streets where it occurs and this year plans to expand to nine blocks of vendors.

Entrepreneurs from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Japan, El Salvador, and Mexico have passed through the La Cocina program. Everyone on staff speaks English and Spanish (the languages the organization offers counseling in). Outreach is done through partnerships with other groups like the Women's Initiative and the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

Though the center now fields applications from all socioeconomic levels as street food becomes chic food, its original purpose remains: to provide a foot up to the women who are pushing to make life work in a new country with their families. "It's important for us to remember that our mission is to provide an entry into business," Zigas says.

La Cocina's small business award pick: As the diplomatic Zigas says: "The consumers who purchase from small business owners." (Caitlin Donohue)

2948 Folsom, SF. (415) 824-2729, www.lacocinasf.org

 

GOLDEN SURVIVOR AWARD

HANS ART AUTOMOTIVE

The repair folks: Sophia Chicas, Norbert Alvarenga, Luis Frias, Joao Santos, Ricky Saavedra, Henry Wong, and Hans Art. Photo by Ben Hopfer

Hans Art got his start in business in 1970, when one of his Noe Valley roommates couldn't get his car started — and was therefore unable to get to his job delivering erotic ice cream concoctions to stoners and musicians at midnight for the legendary restaurateur Magnolia Thunderpussy.

"I was your classic hippie mechanic," Art recalled. "I came out there with my screwdriver, adjusted the points, and the guy was on his way. And it occurred to me that this might not be a bad way to make a living."

His business plan: An index card with his phone number on the wall in Bud's Ice Cream. His goal: Flexible hours, plenty of time off and "a great way to have an alternative lifestyle." That didn't last long: "Pretty soon I was the hardest working hippie in San Francisco."

More than 40 years later, Hans Art Automotive is one of the city's most beloved car repair shops, a successful small business that still has a bit of the old hippie ethic.

"I have lots of customers with very moderate incomes," Art said. "I tell them what's needed now, what can wait four months ... I pare it down so the service is affordable. We're very non-pushy."

It's certainly working: more than 95 percent of his customers are regulars. "We want you to have a regular mechanic, the way you have a dentist," he said. "Our advertising is mostly word of mouth."

These days Art works from a cramped office above the shop floor, supervising around 10 employees who take extraordinary care in their work. "There are 800 opportunities for us to screw up every day," Art noted. "If we avoid 799 of them, a lot of people would think that's great — unless your car is the one we missed."

He's up against much bigger outfits in a business with low margins and constant changes in technology that require expensive investments — and that easy lifestyle is still elusive — but Art is a survivor. "I think I've made payroll more than 3,000 times," he said. "For a small business, that's quite an accomplishment."

Hans Art's small business award pick: He couldn't pick just one — Art went with Michael Bruno Luggage, Noe Valley Bakery, and Tuggy's Hardware.(Redmond)

3121 17th St., SF. (415) 621-6400, www.hansartautomotive.com

 

WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARD

KATE SOFIS

Kate Sofis. Photo by Ben Hopfer

Kate Sofis is quick to tell you that she only held "one nonprofit job" prior to her work with SFMade, San Francisco's local manufacturers association. The real root of Sofis' passion lies with the manufacturing world. It's not surprising — she's seen the sector shape communities.

Raised in 1970s Buffalo, N.Y., where manufacturing was seriously struggling, Sofis later found herself drawn to studying Japanese quality practices in college. After graduation, she ran production lines for high tech companies. "I worked with Apple during the first iMac production runs on Folsom," she says. She was also there for Apple's first outsource.

Later she worked with a small South San Francisco furniture manufacturer ("back when we were still making furniture in this country.") that eventually folded. Sofis realized that although she wanted to work in manufacturing, she wanted even more for there to be a manufacturing sector to work for.

"There were no programs set up," she says, sitting in SFMade's office space within the TechShop building on Howard Street. "You couldn't get a bank loan because no one believed it was possible to actually make money in small manufacturing." Sofis knew that manufacturing created decently-paying, high-skilled jobs with good benefits. At the same time, she understood that it needed to define its identity in 21st century America — and stand up for its sector's health.

Today, the year-and-a-half-old SFMade has grown to include 150 San Francisco manufacturers — from Anchor Brewing to mid-Market garment shops, to Home Kombucha and Rickshaw Bags. May 21-27, it will sponsor SFMade Week, chockfull of local shopping events and "open factories" tours of members' production areas.

The group advocates for ways to make its members' economic contribution tenable in one of the most expensive cities in America. Sofis and other staff work to establish lines of communication to City Hall around issues like improved public transportation in areas where a lot of manufacturing gets done. "If the mattress coil spring guy is late, guess what? Mattresses don't get made," she say. But equally salient is its work on raising awareness among consumers and policymakers that San Francisco manufacturing still exists — and in the age of artisanal products, has the capacity to grow.

Her small business award pick: Greg Markoulis, manager of the American Industrial Center. "Twenty-five percent of our companies are located there, and they're there for the long haul. Without that asset. San Francisco wouldn't have half the manufacturing it does." (Donohue)

SFMade, 926 Howard, SF. www.sfmade.org

 

SPIRIT OF THE STREETS AWARD

THE TAMALE LADY

Virginia "The Tamale Lady" Ramos. Photo by Ben Hopfer

Virginia "The Tamale Lady" Ramos has been selling her own homemade tamales since 1993, when she started her business to make enough money to send her daughters to school. She didn't expect to become a local legend. Selling bar-to-bar to hungry boozehounds ever since, she's made a name for herself as one of the city's most celebrated street food vendors.

Hungry? Current tamale varieties include chicken, pork, chile cheese, sweet potato black bean, and mixed vegetable. Although Ramos' prices have gone up since the early 1990s, they're still a bargain — $4 for a hefty handful of home-cooked masa and filling, delivered right to your bar stool.

There's no disputing that the Tamale Lady has achieved T(amale)-list celebrity, but her work is far from done. With the help of her family, Ramos' treats land in rates of about 100 per day in the stomachs of soused locals in bars across the Mission, Tenderloin, and Lower Haight.

She imports her cornmeal and husks straight from Mexico. Every tamale is made by hand in her kitchen — a process that can be witnessed by watching the 2004 Cecil B. Feeder rockumentary on her life, which features a slew of original songs in homage to her work. It's physically demanding, but Ramos bears the honor of being the city's tamale angel with pride.

"I had an unpleasant life growing up [in Mexico]. I've been here for 25 years, and San Francisco gave me something I never had before: it brought me my independence. SF people came into my life as angels, they gave me the opportunity to feel like I can do my thing and nobody can mess with me."

The Tamale Lady's small business award pick: "The independent flower girls who go around selling flowers in restaurants, bars, and shops around the Mission." (Hannah Tepper)

twitter.com/tamalelady

 

EMPLOYEE-OWNED BUSINESS AWARD

ARIZMENDI BAKERY

Arizmendi employee-owners, fresh from the ovens: (from left) Yeni Solis, Leidy Fernandez, Juan Clavel, Yelena Khlystova, Isaac Hee, Erica Harris, Celia Sagastume, Troy Vadakan, Sandy Guevara, Liz Fitzgerald, Nicki Green, Madeleine Van Engel, and Jenny Espinoza. Photo by Pat Mazzera

For the worker-owners at Arizmendi Bakery, cooperation is more than just a nice idea — it's their business model. "I've worked in everyplace from Safeway to a bakery that was owned by one person," says Arizmendi worker-owner Heather Coppersmith. "Arizmendi is different because we have to worry about our own finances, cost of sales, and income. We all get a sound understanding of what it takes to run a business, but responsibilities are spread out so that no one person is bearing the full brunt."

So how does the egalitarian model function so well? "All of the work is shared," says Coppersmith. "We create an environment that makes everyone feel valuable and train everyone in all aspects of the bakery, so there is no need for management."

Arizmendi's first sister location, the Cheeseboard, opened in the mid-1990s on Lakeshore Boulevard in Oakland. The concept of a bakery that was entirely worker-owned was dreamed up by Berkeley professor Jaques Kaswan and his partner Tim Huet. The idea was a winner: today there are five bakeries in the Arizmendi family across the Bay Area. When a new Arizmendi is started, newly hired worker-owners intern and train at other locations, learning all they need to know to operate their own bakery before opening for delicious, fluffy, crusty business.

The model has worked so well that Arizmendi was one of only nine food businesses in San Francisco to be awarded a perfect worker treatment score by its employees in community group Young Workers United's yearly restaurant guide. It received high marks in wages, job mobility, health and safety, and job security — not surprising since worker-owners have the final say on workplace issues at Arizmendi.

But let's not forget — how could we, really? — that Arizmendi doesn't just produce happy and fulfilled worker-owners. The bakeries are best known for their more public offerings: delicious brioches, organic breads, and vegetarian pizzas with seasonal toppings that change daily. Cooperation never tasted so good.

Arizmendi's small business award pick: "Underdog on Irving street. It's a family-run hotdog and sausage place that has some great vegan options. They are very conscious of the food they prepare and where they are getting it from — and they are really nice." (Tepper)

Various Bay Area locations. www.arizmendibakery.org, valencia.arizmendi.coop, lakeshore.arizmendi.coop

 

CHAIN ALTERNATIVE AWARD

DISCOUNT BUILDERS SUPPLY

Shannon Brundiek of Discount Builders Supply. Photo by Ben Hopfer

Going up against big businesses like Lowe's and Home Depot doesn't mean Discount Builders Supply needs to pull any fancy gimmicks to get customers. Indeed, some clients have been returning to the 50-year-old SoMa spot since manager Shannon Brundiek started working there two decades ago.

"A lot of big-box stores have popped up in that time," Brundiek says. "We don't handle business in the same way, or stock the same products, but they're definitely our competition. They spend a lot of money competing for the same market share."

Money national chains spend on advertising, owner Charles Goodman channels into things like employee benefit programs. The result? A business you can go to even if you're not quite sure what it is that you need. Discount Builders Supply banks on the fact that its employees know how to help whoever walks in the door.

"What stands out most to our customers is the service," says Brundiek. "Because we pay benefits, our employees work full time, and we strive to keep our employees long-term. It's a career for them — it's what they do and they love it."

All that added experience makes a difference to devoted customers who count on DBS employees to know the difference between cinder blocks and coffin locks, cable clamps and sodium lamps.

Brundiek is adamant that the store he works at is simply a good old-fashioned hardware shop — "We don't sell TVs or dog toys," he says. But the business does offer free design services for kitchen and bath and specializes in SF-specific fixtures, plumbing, and moldings common in Victorians. Plus, it caters to a huge Burning Man rush every summer. Now that's giving customers what they want.

Discount Builders Supply's small business award pick: Brundiek acknowledges that San Francisco is home to a "great group of small hardware stores that all work together." How's that for lending a helping hand? (Emily Appelbaum)

1695 Mission St., SF. (415) 621-8511, www.discountbuilderssupplysf.com

 

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD

GOOD LIFE GROCERY

Kayren Hudiberg of Good Life Grocery. Photo by Ben Hopfer

It's not often that San Franciscans take to the streets to protest the closing of a grocery story. But when the Good Life Grocery on Potrero Hill faced a 1,000 percent rent increase in 1985, neighborhood activists marched, shouted, hung banners, and dragged then California Assemblymember Art Agnos into the fray. The uproar allowed the owners, Kayren Hudiburg and Lester Zeidman, to find a new location nearby.

The Good Life has been part of the hill's DNA since the early 1970s, when it started as one of a handful of community food stores. "We live down the block," Hudiberg said. "Customers come in day in and day out. We're a part of the neighborhood."

Hudiberg, who also has a store on Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights, makes a point of hiring local residents first. "We pay good wages, have a good health plan, and after two-and-a-half years, employees become part-owners," she explained.

It's not easy running an independent food store, particularly when you're under attack by the giant Whole Foods chain. "When they moved in eight blocks away, people said we'd never survive," Hudiberg said. "Whole Foods has more money than God, they can buy up a whole farmer's crop." But after taking a "big hit," the Good Life is doing fine. "It takes a lot of hard work — I'm the owner, the produce buyer, the accounts payable clerk, the payroll clerk — it never ends," Hudiberg said. "But we have a great, dedicated staff and we offer exceptional customer service."

She's also an exceptional San Franciscan. When the Board of Supervisors was moving to offer Twitter a big tax break, she took time off to trek down to City Hall and give the supes a bit of perspective. "I was just outraged," she recalled. "Here a multibillion-dollar company is asking for a tax cut. I have 65 employees; I pay my taxes and I'm proud to do it — the city needs the money."

"If my small business can pay, why can't Twitter?"

We quite agree.

Good Life Grocery's small business award pick: Goat Hill Pizza. Hudiberg says not only are its pies "wonderful," but the restaurant donates food to neighborhood events and political affairs, and meeting space to community groups. "They support everything worthwhile and are a true neighborhood institution." (Redmond)

448 Cortland, SF. (415) 648-3221

 

READER'S POLL WINNERS

For the first time, we asked Guardian winners to weigh in with their own small business awards. Who was the shining local business star in their neighborhood? Here are the winners of the most online votes.

 

FAVORITE RETAIL

THE MISSION STATEMENT

Design team: Estrella Tadeo and Jessica Bovert. Photo by Ben Hopfer

"I have always worked better when I work as part of a team," says Estrella Tadeo, owner of the Mission Statement, who runs the Mission clothing boutique with the help of six other designers. "Working as a collective helps me stay sane." All seven sell their work and work shifts on the retail floor every week, making it highly likely that if you have a question on the jungle-toned, one-shouldered flowing top you're fingering, the person that created it is only a few feet away.

"Our goal with our customers is that they identify with our work and with us. It's so much more interesting when we know the history behind something," Tadeo says.

That's likely the secret to the shop's popularity with our readers. Since Mission Statement designers swap goods through a fruitful bartering system, they're the experts — they wear a lot of the designs themselves.

The shop's hands-on approach also means that if you don't see the perfect Vanessa Gage architectural necklace or Bedouin princess skirt from oda, those designers will take custom orders or do alterations to create it for you. "It's the way of slow fashion," Tadeo says of this more personal, connective way of shopping. "We want to develop a relationship with our customers so that they can feel special, look special, and covet all that they purchase."

It would appear that the collective has achieved this goal. Even so, Tadeo admits that running a specialized boutique in a recession can be a challenge. But, she adds, "It's about staying positive and being the best we can be as business owners and people. We all want to get a good exchange of energy, and the best way to get it is to give it."

The Mission Statement's small business award pick: "Two definitely stand out," Tadeo says. "Wonderland/Chillin' Productions and Rag Co-op. Both stores have great concepts, amazing owners, and contribute so much to the local design community. Our three stores are different, but I feel they mutually enhance each other." (Donohue)

3458 18th St., SF. (415) 255-7457, www.missionstatementsf.com

 

 

FAVORITE RESTAURANT

GIALINA

Sharon Ardiana of Gialina. Photo by Ben Hopfer

"First and foremost, I always wanted Gialina to be a place that everyone — young, old, families, singles, gays, straights — would want to come," says Sharon Ardiana, chef and owner of the Glen Park Italian restaurant. Judging from the response of our readers, she's achieved her goal — Gialina got top marks for its neighborhood-focused dining room.

The first to own a business in her family, Ardiana spent 20 years in the restaurant industry until she says she "kind of got to a point where I realized that I needed to drive the bus, so to speak." Although she says she finds laying down the chef's hat to run the business to be the hardest part of her job, she's blessed with "an amazing staff in the front and back of the restaurant." Five employees have been there for Gialina's entire four years of operation, and Ardiana says the rest of the staff averages three years in the crew.

Such was the fervor over food like Gialina's Atomica pizza — a simple, flavorful pie with mushrooms, chilies, and red onions added to the tomato sauce-mozzarella base — that Ardiana recently opened Ragazza, another small Italian eatery that, in the words of a recent Guardian review, "brings haute pizza culture to a vortex of the Haights (lower and upper) and Nopa."

But for Ardiana's "fantastically loyal clientele" in Glen Park, a neighborhood that has managed to remain free from Starbucks and Denny's, it will always be about kid-friendly Gialina. "I want people to see the huge family photos on the wall and to connect with them and remember their own family members," Ardiana says. "I want everyone to walk out that door feeling like they just had a really great meal and that they want to come back again."

Gialina's small business award pick: "I would say my friends Kris Hoggerhyde and Anne Walker at Bi-Rite Creamery," Ardiana says. "I have just been blown away by the response of their customers. They work tremendously hard to make really great, delicious products." (Donohue)

2842 Diamond, SF. (415) 239-8500, www.gialina.com

 

FAVORITE BUSINESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE COMMUNITY

CHLOE'S CLOSET

Staffers at Chloe's Closet: Molly Tyson, Andrea Mejia, Keyko Ruiz, Zulekha Azam, Jane McIntyre. Photo by Ben Hopfer

"One of the things I always noticed was that second-hand kids' clothes were a little expensive," says Molly Coogan Tyson, owner of Chloe's Closet in Bernal Heights. Tyson opened the in 2003 when her two kids were four months and two years old.

Opening her store was a response to feeling cooped up at home and a desire to fill the need for a no-frills used children's clothing store. "I really didn't want Chloe's Closet to be picky about what clothes we would buy and sell. I just wanted to facilitate the trade of goods for people who have young children because I know that kids' sizes and interests change quickly."

Her shop's original location has been open for eight years and continues to grow steadily — there's also a Chloe's No. 2 in the Sunset. All Tyson's stores sell clothes on consignment. When clothes are purchased, the original seller receives 50 percent of the sale price, a generous cut.

But giving back is the main goal, Tyson says. "My husband has suggested that I take up a nonprofit status," she says, referring to the minuscule profit margins that a community-oriented store like hers must sacrifice in exchange for giving young parents a break on clothing prices.

Chloe's donates all overflow clothes that can't fit on racks to churches that serve low-income families and other organizations that can sell the clothing at fundraisers. She even makes HR decisions based on her community's needs.

"I was approached by mom of four who, due to religious beliefs, wears a full burka. She really wanted to work, and she said no one else would hire her. We didn't really need extra help, but I hired her because I was touched by her story."

Chloe's Closet's small business awards pick: "I would want to recognize Heartfelt gift shop. They have a rotating stock of interesting gifts and the owner is Darcy Lee of the Bernal Business Alliance. She does a lot for the neighborhood." (Tepper)

451 Cortland, SF. (415) 642-3300; 616 Irving, SF. (415) 664-4611. www.chloesclosetsf.com

 

"A funeral procession today would be premature as federal lawmakers may more immediately take up the issue as several congressional leaders back the legalization of limited forms of online gambling, specifically Internet poker," reads a release from the group that includes Shuffle Master automatic card shufflers.

"In the interim, casino operators and their gaming suppliers take another wait-and-see approach in an evolving race of techhnology and innovation."

April 15, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney charged the principals of three of online poker's biggest sites with bank fraud, illegal gambling and laundering billions of dollars.

In all, 11 defendants were charged, including PokerStars' Isai Scheinberg, Fill Tilt Poker's Ray Bitar and Absolute Poker's Scott Tom.

PokerStars, Full Tilt, Absolute Poker and UB have all since pulled out of the U.S. market and began the process of defending themselves against the charges.

And while the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers says the indictments may not have a direct effect on its business, it has certainly had an impact on its land-based casino partners.

"Advocates for Internet poker and gambling were dealt a 7-2 offsuit in April when the United States Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging the online operators Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker, and PokerStars with bank fraud, illegal gambling offenses, and money laundering," the association said.

"While this does not directly affect existing global gaming suppliers, it is a setback to traditional casino operators who have been proactive in setting up joint ventures with Internet poker companies."

Referring to partnership break ups between both Steve Wynn and PokerStars and Fertitta Interactive and Full Tilt Poker, the association says brick and mortar casinos are facing an uncertain future as they attempt to embrace new technology.

"The direct impact of these movements remains uncertain," the association said. "At a time when traditional casino operators seek new revenue streams and global gaming manufacturers yearn to expand their reach into the gaming sector, Internet gambling, which was thought to be a rescuer, has been severely hindered.

"A federal court case will likely intensify the light shined on Internet gambling, specifically Internet poker."

Visit www.pokerlistings.com

Cinco de Mayo is not, as some believe, the celebration of Mexican independence (that's September 16). In fact, most Mexicans don't celebrate the 5th of May at all, which is when Mexico beat France at the Battle of Puebla, effectively driving the French out of North America. So why do Americans love the holiday? I can't speak for all of my compatriots, but for me it's a chance to celebrate the things that I love about Mexico.

There are many reasons to exalt the country (ancient ruins, beautiful beaches, and colonial towns to name a few), but that list would be way too long for this forum. Instead, I'd like to take this opportunity to hail one of my favorite Mexican gifts to the U.S.—the taco.

Not only are tacos delicious, affordable, and easy to eat on the go, they're diverse. You can pretty much wrap anything between the folds of a corn tortilla and call it a taco. And you're just as likely to encounter (and enjoy) them in upscale Mexican establishments as you are when they're whipped up roadside. Not surprisingly, they feature prominently in our tour of the world's best street food.

For this occasion, I decided to track down a top notch taco recipe. The easy thing to do would have been a Google search (taco recipes are a dime a dozen), but I wanted something a little more special. For guidance, I turned to my friend and chef, Jesse Kramer—the only person I know whose obsession with the hand-held comfort food rivals my own. While I spend an embarrassing portion of my after-work hours consuming tacos, he has made producing them his life's work. He even left behind a job as a cook at the Gramercy Park Hotel's Maialina restaurant and moved to one of Brooklyn's most Mexican neighborhoods, Sunset Park, to pursue his passion (his taco stand, which opened this past December, is appropriately named "Brooklyn Taco" and I can personally attest to the fact that they craft one of the best tacos in all of New York).

To hear him talk about his specialty is like listening to a painter discuss a masterpiece. According to Jesse, a successful taco starts with finding just the right corn tortilla. And he can't say enough about the spices and vegetables from Mexico (he talks about cinnamon from the Yucatan peninsula the way I talk about my favorite author).

All the wheedling in the world couldn't convince Jesse to give up one of his patented taco recipes, but he did graciously share a traditional Mayan favorite of his—Rescado Rojo—a flavorful paste that can be applied to the taco filling of your choice (typically chicken, beef or fish):

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
8 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1 whole clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons bitter (Seville) orange juice or 2 tablespoons orange juice mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Instructions:
In a nut or coffee grinder, grind the achiote seeds, cumin, oregano, peppercorns, allspice, clove and salt. Grind the garlic in a mortar or molcajete, add the ground spices and sir in the orange juice to make a paste. Place in a small glass jar, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Prepare your choice of filling (chicken, beef, or fish) as you would normally, and then top with the paste and pile into a warm, corn tortilla.

If you do make the recipe, tell me how you liked it! (If you find yourself in the city, check out Brooklyn Taco on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 6:30pm at Artists and Fleas, a local arts and crafts show, in Brooklyn.)

Do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? If so, what do you do in honor of the holiday?

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Everyone loves to talk about the value of small business. There's a National Small Business Week, proclaimed by the president, and San Francisco Small Business Week, proclaimed by the mayor. There are conferences and speakers and programs. Even the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce — the mouthpiece for giant corporations in town — periodically hails the value of the little entrepreneur.

But when you get right down to it, small businesses don't have it easy in this town. Under siege from big chains (who often get their way at City Hall), faced with unfair tax burdens (the little operators pay the same rate as the biggest companies), struggling to find support from banks (many of which don't make many small business loans), the companies that create most of the new jobs in the city and preserve the lively character of the neighborhoods ultimately get little respect.

Check it out: if Twitter — worth billions — wants a tax break, City Hall leaps to the rescue. Yet a proposal that would have made the business tax burden more fair for small companies died last year without a vote.

Once a year we celebrate the people who hang in there, often against the odds, and not only survive but thrive. People who build small businesses that build cool neighborhoods and hire local workers and keep the San Francisco economy moving.

This year we've combined our editors' picks with readers' choices — and we've asked our winners who they would have picked as the best small businesses of the year. It's a wonderful lineup that looks, and feels, like San Francisco. (Tim Redmond)

 

ARTHUR JACKSON DIVERSITY IN SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

LA COCINA

Believe it or not, there was a time in this city when Le Truc did not park its chicken parmigianas in front of the Conservatory of Flowers and street food did not inspire a weekly mob scene at Off The Grid's mobile market. Back then, a lot of the people who sold food on the street were immigrant women.

"Their commonality is this incredible entrepreneurial spirit," says Caleb Zigas of La Cocina, a food business incubator created to give street food vendors the tools they need to take their business into the next realm of profitability.

Its program has proven highly successful. After taste tests of applicants' proposed cuisine ("They wouldn't be here if their product wasn't good," Zigas says. La Cocina participants are counseled on brand development and distribution. In the organization's gleaming commercial kitchen in the Mission District, eight businesses can simultaneously work at one time. On a typical morning, it's used to prepare hummus, huaraches, and traditional Yucatecan-Mayan food for a day of sales.

Some graduates, like Clairessquares — a chocolate-shortbread-caramel treat company started by the eponymous Irish immigrant — are local grocery store constants now. Some businesses have used the program to go from selling at farmers markets to owning a restaurant of their own — Veronica Salazar of El Huarache Loco will be the first La Cocina grad with a brick and mortar location, opening in Larkspur this year. Two years ago, La Cocina started the Street Food Festival, an event that consistently packs the streets where it occurs and this year plans to expand to nine blocks of vendors.

Entrepreneurs from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Japan, El Salvador, and Mexico have passed through the La Cocina program. Everyone on staff speaks English and Spanish (the languages the organization offers counseling in). Outreach is done through partnerships with other groups like the Women's Initiative and the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

Though the center now fields applications from all socioeconomic levels as street food becomes chic food, its original purpose remains: to provide a foot up to the women who are pushing to make life work in a new country with their families. "It's important for us to remember that our mission is to provide an entry into business," Zigas says.

La Cocina's small business award pick: As the diplomatic Zigas says: "The consumers who purchase from small business owners." (Caitlin Donohue)

2948 Folsom, SF. (415) 824-2729, www.lacocinasf.org

 

GOLDEN SURVIVOR AWARD

HANS ART AUTOMOTIVE

Hans Art got his start in business in 1970, when one of his Noe Valley roommates couldn't get his car started — and was therefore unable to get to his job delivering erotic ice cream concoctions to stoners and musicians at midnight for the legendary restaurateur Magnolia Thunderpussy.

"I was your classic hippie mechanic," Art recalled. "I came out there with my screwdriver, adjusted the points, and the guy was on his way. And it occurred to me that this might not be a bad way to make a living."

His business plan: An index card with his phone number on the wall in Bud's Ice Cream. His goal: Flexible hours, plenty of time off and "a great way to have an alternative lifestyle." That didn't last long: "Pretty soon I was the hardest working hippie in San Francisco."

More than 40 years later, Hans Art Automotive is one of the city's most beloved car repair shops, a successful small business that still has a bit of the old hippie ethic.

"I have lots of customers with very moderate incomes," Art said. "I tell them what's needed now, what can wait four months ... I pare it down so the service is affordable. We're very non-pushy."

It's certainly working: more than 95 percent of his customers are regulars. "We want you to have a regular mechanic, the way you have a dentist," he said. "Our advertising is mostly word of mouth."

These days Art works from a cramped office above the shop floor, supervising around 10 employees who take extraordinary care in their work. "There are 800 opportunities for us to screw up every day," Art noted. "If we avoid 799 of them, a lot of people would think that's great — unless your car is the one we missed."

He's up against much bigger outfits in a business with low margins and constant changes in technology that require expensive investments — and that easy lifestyle is still elusive — but Art is a survivor. "I think I've made payroll more than 3,000 times," he said. "For a small business, that's quite an accomplishment."

Hans Art's small business award pick: He couldn't pick just one — Art went with Michael Bruno Luggage, Noe Valley Bakery, and Tuggy's Hardware.(Redmond)

3121 17th St., SF. (415) 621-6400, www.hansartautomotive.com

 

WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARD

KATE SOFIS

Kate Sofis is quick to tell you that she only held "one nonprofit job" prior to her work with SFMade, San Francisco's local manufacturers association. The real root of Sofis' passion lies with the manufacturing world. It's not surprising — she's seen the sector shape communities.

Raised in 1970s Buffalo, N.Y., where manufacturing was seriously struggling, Sofis later found herself drawn to studying Japanese quality practices in college. After graduation, she ran production lines for high tech companies. "I worked with Apple during the first iMac production runs on Folsom," she says. She was also there for Apple's first outsource.

Later she worked with a small South San Francisco furniture manufacturer ("back when we were still making furniture in this country.") that eventually folded. Sofis realized that although she wanted to work in manufacturing, she wanted even more for there to be a manufacturing sector to work for.

"There were no programs set up," she says, sitting in SFMade's office space within the TechShop building on Howard Street. "You couldn't get a bank loan because no one believed it was possible to actually make money in small manufacturing." Sofis knew that manufacturing created decently-paying, high-skilled jobs with good benefits. At the same time, she understood that it needed to define its identity in 21st century America — and stand up for its sector's health.

Today, the year-and-a-half-old SFMade has grown to include 150 San Francisco manufacturers — from Anchor Brewing to mid-Market garment shops, to Home Kombucha and Rickshaw Bags. May 21-27, it will sponsor SFMade Week, chockfull of local shopping events and "open factories" tours of members' production areas.

The group advocates for ways to make its members' economic contribution tenable in one of the most expensive cities in America. Sofis and other staff work to establish lines of communication to City Hall around issues like improved public transportation in areas where a lot of manufacturing gets done. "If the mattress coil spring guy is late, guess what? Mattresses don't get made," she say. But equally salient is its work on raising awareness among consumers and policymakers that San Francisco manufacturing still exists — and in the age of artisanal products, has the capacity to grow.

Her small business award pick: Greg Markoulis, manager of the American Industrial Center. "Twenty-five percent of our companies are located there, and they're there for the long haul. Without that asset. San Francisco wouldn't have half the manufacturing it does." (Donohue)

SFMade, 926 Howard, SF. www.sfmade.org

 

SPIRIT OF THE STREETS AWARD

THE TAMALE LADY

Virginia "The Tamale Lady" Ramos has been selling her own homemade tamales since 1993, when she started her business to make enough money to send her daughters to school. She didn't expect to become a local legend. Selling bar-to-bar to hungry boozehounds ever since, she's made a name for herself as one of the city's most celebrated street food vendors.

Hungry? Current tamale varieties include chicken, pork, chile cheese, sweet potato black bean, and mixed vegetable. Although Ramos' prices have gone up since the early 1990s, they're still a bargain — $4 for a hefty handful of home-cooked masa and filling, delivered right to your bar stool.

There's no disputing that the Tamale Lady has achieved T(amale)-list celebrity, but her work is far from done. With the help of her family, Ramos' treats land in rates of about 100 per day in the stomachs of soused locals in bars across the Mission, Tenderloin, and Lower Haight.

She imports her cornmeal and husks straight from Mexico. Every tamale is made by hand in her kitchen — a process that can be witnessed by watching the 2004 Cecil B. Feeder rockumentary on her life, which features a slew of original songs in homage to her work. It's physically demanding, but Ramos bears the honor of being the city's tamale angel with pride.

"I had an unpleasant life growing up [in Mexico]. I've been here for 25 years, and San Francisco gave me something I never had before: it brought me my independence. SF people came into my life as angels, they gave me the opportunity to feel like I can do my thing and nobody can mess with me."

The Tamale Lady's small business award pick: "The independent flower girls who go around selling flowers in restaurants, bars, and shops around the Mission." (Hannah Tepper)

twitter.com/tamalelady

 

EMPLOYEE-OWNED BUSINESS AWARD

ARIZMENDI BAKERY

For the worker-owners at Arizmendi Bakery, cooperation is more than just a nice idea — it's their business model. "I've worked in everyplace from Safeway to a bakery that was owned by one person," says Arizmendi worker-owner Heather Coppersmith. "Arizmendi is different because we have to worry about our own finances, cost of sales, and income. We all get a sound understanding of what it takes to run a business, but responsibilities are spread out so that no one person is bearing the full brunt."

So how does the egalitarian model function so well? "All of the work is shared," says Coppersmith. "We create an environment that makes everyone feel valuable and train everyone in all aspects of the bakery, so there is no need for management."

Arizmendi's first sister location, the Cheeseboard, opened in the mid-1990s on Lakeshore Boulevard in Oakland. The concept of a bakery that was entirely worker-owned was dreamed up by Berkeley professor Jaques Kaswan and his partner Tim Huet. The idea was a winner: today there are five bakeries in the Arizmendi family across the Bay Area. When a new Arizmendi is started, newly hired worker-owners intern and train at other locations, learning all they need to know to operate their own bakery before opening for delicious, fluffy, crusty business.

The model has worked so well that Arizmendi was one of only nine food businesses in San Francisco to be awarded a perfect worker treatment score by its employees in community group Young Workers United's yearly restaurant guide. It received high marks in wages, job mobility, health and safety, and job security — not surprising since worker-owners have the final say on workplace issues at Arizmendi.

But let's not forget — how could we, really? — that Arizmendi doesn't just produce happy and fulfilled worker-owners. The bakeries are best known for their more public offerings: delicious brioches, organic breads, and vegetarian pizzas with seasonal toppings that change daily. Cooperation never tasted so good.

Arizmendi's small business award pick: "Underdog on Irving street. It's a family-run hotdog and sausage place that has some great vegan options. They are very conscious of the food they prepare and where they are getting it from — and they are really nice." (Tepper)

Various Bay Area locations. www.arizmendibakery.org, valencia.arizmendi.coop, lakeshore.arizmendi.coop

 

CHAIN ALTERNATIVE AWARD

DISCOUNT BUILDERS SUPPLY

Going up against big businesses like Lowe's and Home Depot doesn't mean Discount Builders Supply needs to pull any fancy gimmicks to get customers. Indeed, some clients have been returning to the 50-year-old SoMa spot since manager Shannon Brundiek started working there two decades ago.

"A lot of big-box stores have popped up in that time," Brundiek says. "We don't handle business in the same way, or stock the same products, but they're definitely our competition. They spend a lot of money competing for the same market share."

Money national chains spend on advertising, owner Charles Goodman channels into things like employee benefit programs. The result? A business you can go to even if you're not quite sure what it is that you need. Discount Builders Supply banks on the fact that its employees know how to help whoever walks in the door.

"What stands out most to our customers is the service," says Brundiek. "Because we pay benefits, our employees work full time, and we strive to keep our employees long-term. It's a career for them — it's what they do and they love it."

All that added experience makes a difference to devoted customers who count on DBS employees to know the difference between cinder blocks and coffin locks, cable clamps and sodium lamps.

Brundiek is adamant that the store he works at is simply a good old-fashioned hardware shop — "We don't sell TVs or dog toys," he says. But the business does offer free design services for kitchen and bath and specializes in SF-specific fixtures, plumbing, and moldings common in Victorians. Plus, it caters to a huge Burning Man rush every summer. Now that's giving customers what they want.

Discount Builders Supply's small business award pick: Brundiek acknowledges that San Francisco is home to a "great group of small hardware stores that all work together." How's that for lending a helping hand? (Emily Appelbaum)

1695 Mission St., SF. (415) 621-8511, www.discountbuilderssupplysf.com

 

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD

GOOD LIFE GROCERY

It's not often that San Franciscans take to the streets to protest the closing of a grocery story. But when the Good Life Grocery on Potrero Hill faced a 1,000 percent rent increase in 1985, neighborhood activists marched, shouted, hung banners, and dragged then California Assemblymember Art Agnos into the fray. The uproar allowed the owners, Kayren Hudiburg and Lester Zeidman, to find a new location nearby.

The Good Life has been part of the hill's DNA since the early 1970s, when it started as one of a handful of community food stores. "We live down the block," Hudiberg said. "Customers come in day in and day out. We're a part of the neighborhood."

Hudiberg, who also has a store on Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights, makes a point of hiring local residents first. "We pay good wages, have a good health plan, and after two-and-a-half years, employees become part-owners," she explained.

It's not easy running an independent food store, particularly when you're under attack by the giant Whole Foods chain. "When they moved in eight blocks away, people said we'd never survive," Hudiberg said. "Whole Foods has more money than God, they can buy up a whole farmer's crop." But after taking a "big hit," the Good Life is doing fine. "It takes a lot of hard work — I'm the owner, the produce buyer, the accounts payable clerk, the payroll clerk — it never ends," Hudiberg said. "But we have a great, dedicated staff and we offer exceptional customer service."

She's also an exceptional San Franciscan. When the Board of Supervisors was moving to offer Twitter a big tax break, she took time off to trek down to City Hall and give the supes a bit of perspective. "I was just outraged," she recalled. "Here a multibillion-dollar company is asking for a tax cut. I have 65 employees; I pay my taxes and I'm proud to do it — the city needs the money."

"If my small business can pay, why can't Twitter?"

We quite agree.

Good Life Grocery's small business award pick: Goat Hill Pizza. Hudiberg says not only are its pies "wonderful," but the restaurant donates food to neighborhood events and political affairs, and meeting space to community groups. "They support everything worthwhile and are a true neighborhood institution." (Redmond)

448 Cortland, SF. (415) 648-3221

 

READER'S POLL WINNERS

For the first time, we asked Guardian winners to weigh in with their own small business awards. Who was the shining local business star in their neighborhood? Here are the winners of the most online votes.

 

FAVORITE RETAIL

THE MISSION STATEMENT

"I have always worked better when I work as part of a team," says Estrella Tadeo, owner of the Mission Statement, who runs the Mission clothing boutique with the help of six other designers. "Working as a collective helps me stay sane." All seven sell their work and work shifts on the retail floor every week, making it highly likely that if you have a question on the jungle-toned, one-shouldered flowing top you're fingering, the person that created it is only a few feet away.

"Our goal with our customers is that they identify with our work and with us. It's so much more interesting when we know the history behind something," Tadeo says.

That's likely the secret to the shop's popularity with our readers. Since Mission Statement designers swap goods through a fruitful bartering system, they're the experts — they wear a lot of the designs themselves.

The shop's hands-on approach also means that if you don't see the perfect Vanessa Gage architectural necklace or Bedouin princess skirt from oda, those designers will take custom orders or do alterations to create it for you. "It's the way of slow fashion," Tadeo says of this more personal, connective way of shopping. "We want to develop a relationship with our customers so that they can feel special, look special, and covet all that they purchase."

It would appear that the collective has achieved this goal. Even so, Tadeo admits that running a specialized boutique in a recession can be a challenge. But, she adds, "It's about staying positive and being the best we can be as business owners and people. We all want to get a good exchange of energy, and the best way to get it is to give it."

The Mission Statement's small business award pick: "Two definitely stand out," Tadeo says. "Wonderland/Chillin' Productions and Rag Co-op. Both stores have great concepts, amazing owners, and contribute so much to the local design community. Our three stores are different, but I feel they mutually enhance each other." (Donohue)

3458 18th St., SF. (415) 255-7457, www.missionstatementsf.com

 

 

FAVORITE RESTAURANT

GIALINA

"First and foremost, I always wanted Gialina to be a place that everyone — young, old, families, singles, gays, straights — would want to come," says Sharon Ardiana, chef and owner of the Glen Park Italian restaurant. Judging from the response of our readers, she's achieved her goal — Gialina got top marks for its neighborhood-focused dining room.

The first to own a business in her family, Ardiana spent 20 years in the restaurant industry until she says she "kind of got to a point where I realized that I needed to drive the bus, so to speak." Although she says she finds laying down the chef's hat to run the business to be the hardest part of her job, she's blessed with "an amazing staff in the front and back of the restaurant." Five employees have been there for Gialina's entire four years of operation, and Ardiana says the rest of the staff averages three years in the crew.

Such was the fervor over food like Gialina's Atomica pizza — a simple, flavorful pie with mushrooms, chilies, and red onions added to the tomato sauce-mozzarella base — that Ardiana recently opened Ragazza, another small Italian eatery that, in the words of a recent Guardian review, "brings haute pizza culture to a vortex of the Haights (lower and upper) and Nopa."

But for Ardiana's "fantastically loyal clientele" in Glen Park, a neighborhood that has managed to remain free from Starbucks and Denny's, it will always be about kid-friendly Gialina. "I want people to see the huge family photos on the wall and to connect with them and remember their own family members," Ardiana says. "I want everyone to walk out that door feeling like they just had a really great meal and that they want to come back again."

Gialina's small business award pick: "I would say my friends Kris Hoggerhyde and Anne Walker at Bi-Rite Creamery," Ardiana says. "I have just been blown away by the response of their customers. They work tremendously hard to make really great, delicious products." (Donohue)

2842 Diamond, SF. (415) 239-8500, www.gialina.com

 

FAVORITE BUSINESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE COMMUNITY

CHLOE'S CLOSET

"One of the things I always noticed was that second-hand kids' clothes were a little expensive," says Molly Coogan Tyson, owner of Chloe's Closet in Bernal Heights. Tyson opened the in 2003 when her two kids were four months and two years old.

Opening her store was a response to feeling cooped up at home and a desire to fill the need for a no-frills used children's clothing store. "I really didn't want Chloe's Closet to be picky about what clothes we would buy and sell. I just wanted to facilitate the trade of goods for people who have young children because I know that kids' sizes and interests change quickly."

Her shop's original location has been open for eight years and continues to grow steadily — there's also a Chloe's No. 2 in the Sunset. All Tyson's stores sell clothes on consignment. When clothes are purchased, the original seller receives 50 percent of the sale price, a generous cut.

But giving back is the main goal, Tyson says. "My husband has suggested that I take up a nonprofit status," she says, referring to the minuscule profit margins that a community-oriented store like hers must sacrifice in exchange for giving young parents a break on clothing prices.

Chloe's donates all overflow clothes that can't fit on racks to churches that serve low-income families and other organizations that can sell the clothing at fundraisers. She even makes HR decisions based on her community's needs.

"I was approached by mom of four who, due to religious beliefs, wears a full burka. She really wanted to work, and she said no one else would hire her. We didn't really need extra help, but I hired her because I was touched by her story."

Chloe's Closet's small business awards pick: "I would want to recognize Heartfelt gift shop. They have a rotating stock of interesting gifts and the owner is Darcy Lee of the Bernal Business Alliance. She does a lot for the neighborhood." (Tepper)

451 Cortland, SF. (415) 642-3300; 616 Irving, SF. (415) 664-4611. www.chloesclosetsf.com

 

Epic's space blaster is in the third week of its public beta. Here's what we've discovered out in the viscera-splattered testing zone.

Cliff Bleszinski has changed his mind about beta testing. During Microsoft's Xbox showcase event in February, the designer of Gears of War told me, "I made an inappropriate joke about it a few years back. I said it was like pointing out a girl to one of your friends and saying 'yeah, I hooked up with her already – there's no reason to hang out with her anymore'. That was very shortsighted… I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong."

So here we are then, a few weeks into the beta test for Gears of War 3, the latest chunk of testosterone-soaked gun chaos from Epic Games. It's the first time the sci-fi shooter has been opened up to public scrutiny in this way, and Bleszinski reckons his team will be getting a variety of data out of the endeavour, including game design ideas. "It's a smoke test to make sure everything works, but it's also about user feedback. We've learned that you need to listen to your users – to a point. You need to placate them, give them what they want some of the time, but every once in a while, you've got to listen to the numbers. We track every kill in the game, every weapon, where people die – and sometimes there are major discrepancies between what players say they want on games forums, and what's actually happening. It's up to us to figure out our best gut solution."

So far, the beta testing experiment seems to have been a successful one. At the moment, four maps and three game modes (Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill and Capture the Leader) are available and they're all solid, enjoyable blasts. There have been the usual grumbles about certain weapons being over or underpowered (especially controversial has been the sawn-off, with its 180 degree firing range and atomising power), but the important elements of the multiplayer experience – diverse weaponry, tactically varied environments – are all there. Gears of War 3 is a lot of big, brash, blood-splattered fun.

The first surprise, though, has been the tactical nature of the gameplay. Although it's quite possible to get by in the confined maps like Thrashball and Check Out (find out more about these in my multiplayer preview) by just sprinting through the centre of the map and blasting anything that comes at you, what tends to happen is a series of emergent team behaviours. Players will often fan out over the terrain until first contact is made with the enemy before bunching up and covering each other. I've been in lots of set-pieces where surviving team-members have got caught cooped up together in one of the Thrashball side-rooms, soaking up grenade attacks before charging out en masse like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – but with space blasters.

"One of our core design mantras is never fight alone," says Bleszinski. "We want you to play on a team and like a team. Even on public servers where you don't know anyone else, hopefully there will be players spotting for each other [holding down the left analogue stick lets you tag enemy soldiers so your team mates know where they are] and leaders calling things out using the headset. Certain weapons encourage co-op behaviours. If you look at the One Shot and the Mortar – those weapons become twice as effective once you implement the spotting mechanic. But then there will be players who throw in smoke grenades to stop their opponents from spotting, so you get this finely layered gameplay."

There's also variety. While the smaller arenas can often congest into horrendous sawn-off /gnasher blast-fests, the larger Old Town map has these ever-shifting front lines, as skirmishes flow from one cramped plaza to the next. There are also long-lines to shoot down for ranged combat fans, and the scenery – all crumbling Mediterranean villas and scuttling livestock - makes a lovely contrast to all the exploding limbs and gurgling death groans.

There are other enjoyable aspects. Lots of players have developed ninja-like skills with the Retro Lancer assault rifle, which offers a bayonet charge rather than the usual chainsaw attack. Skilled protagonists, use long cover sections to speedily sneak up on victims (I believe the kids call this cover-sliding) before hitting B and scorching out to impale unwary victims. It also seems like the placement of the big messy weapons has been well-thought out; the mortars and mulchers are deadly and potentially match-changing, but they're usually in elevated positions, and open to attack from a multitude of covered angles.

For me, the most successful element is the structure. In Team Deathmatch, each side only gets 15 spawns, and when they're gone, the last four players must engage in a tense game of cat-mouse-and-exotic-weaponry, hoping to pick off the surviving members of the other team. It's so subtle and gripping, it feels much more like the sort of gameplay dynamic we'd expect from a squad-based tactical shooter. I imagine that played with friends, these are going to be the encounters that really stick in people's heads.

So far so good, then, for Epic's push into the controversial world of the beta test. If nothing else, it'll show sceptics that there's more to the Gears universe than mindless gunplay, and it'll impress veterans of the series with its solid matchmaking, well-balanced new weapons and scenic diversity. I still occasionally struggle with the prescriptive cover and running mechanics, I'm not sure about some of the more esoteric firearms (the flamethrower-like scorcher seems a bit of a dodo), but this is a multiplayer game that just chucks out memorable moments like molten chunks from an exploding frag grenade. Roll on September 20.

Have you played the beta? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

As Apple's retail store initiative is set to turn 10 years old later this month, revenue at the company's brick and mortar stores continues to soar as visitors flock to Apple Stores to try out the iPad.

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia’s prime minister charged Tuesday that Thailand fired more than 50,000 artillery and mortar shells in more than a week of border clashes. Prime Minister Hun Sen said some shells that landed in Oddar Meanchey province have not exploded and must be disarmed before civilians return to evacuated areas. Cambodia

The death of Osama bin Laden will raise the inevitable question: What are we still doing in Afghanistan? The answer, of course, is that the mission in Afghanistan is about something bigger and more ambitious than eliminating Al Qaeda’s leaders—most of whom, in any event, are probably living in Pakistan, as bin Laden was when the United States finally tracked him down. No, the mission in Afghanistan isn’t about killing Al Qaeda members. It’s about stabilizing the country so that it can never again serve as the hotbed of extremism that it was until 2001, with all of the attendant national security and human rights problems that resulted.

But that in turn raises other questions: Is it worth prolonging a war that has stretched on for nearly ten years for that broader goal? And perhaps the most difficult question of all: Even if that goal is worth fighting for, is it actually achievable? 

Over the past few years, a consensus has formed in Washington that the answer to that last question is a resounding no. For years, war in Afghanistan has been portrayed as a hopeless failure. The government in Kabul, we have been told, is corrupt and predatory. The Afghan army is a mess. Tribal loyalties trump national loyalties. The Taliban is gaining in strength.

All of this rendered a decision made by President Obama last autumn rather odd—at least on the surface. Obama had long promised that American troops would begin leaving Afghanistan in the summer of 2011. As Vice President Joe Biden had explained: “In July 2011, you’re going to see a whole lot of people moving out. Bet on it.” But then, over the course of a week in November, the White House announced a major reversal of course: A large-scale troop presence would remain in Afghanistan for an additional three years, until 2014.

Only a handful of journalists seemed to realize the magnitude of the news. For its part, The New York Times characterized the new approach as “a change in tone,” a curious label for several more years of war.

But while Americans barely seemed to notice, people in Kabul certainly did. In December, a few weeks after Obama’s announcement, I met with Hedayat Amin Arsala, a courtly senior minister in the Afghan government and a confidant of President Hamid Karzai. We were seated in a basketball-court-sized office adorned with a massive chandelier in a nineteenth-century building in central Kabul. Arsala had been dismayed by Obama’s initial plan to begin withdrawing in 2011. “I was not very happy with it,” Arsala recalled, choosing his words carefully. “It gave the impression to the opposition that if they stick to their guns a little longer, they might be able to succeed after that.” Arsala, reflecting the views of many Afghans both inside and outside the government, expressed relief that Obama was now reversing himself. In fact, he hoped the American president would go even further, and hammer out a long-term agreement with Afghanistan so that American troops could remain in the country into 2015 and beyond. “Between now and 2014, we will be working on this together with the United States,” he told me. A range of other American and Afghan officials confirmed that such an agreement is currently being worked on.

Then came this month’s killing of Osama bin Laden—and while Americans rejoiced, many Afghans were, according to the Times, worried that the successful operation would hasten the departure of American troops. “This should not be used as a justification for premature withdrawal,” warned one former Afghan official.

What is going on here? First, Obama had concluded that a war which was widely believed to be failing was in fact still worth prosecuting. Then, Afghans had made it known that they were relieved the United States would be sticking around. Now, in the wake of bin Laden’s death, they were reminding the United States that they expected it not to renege on this promise. Is this a case of a stubborn American president—unwilling to admit defeat, egged on by Afghan allies—doubling down on a completely failed enterprise? Or is it possible that the Afghanistan war is actually succeeding?

 

Major Jim Gant of the Army Special Forces is a rangy, intense Pashto speaker with tattoos of Chinese characters on his right arm. Like many of his fellow Special Forces officers in the field, Gant sports a shaggy beard and wears an Afghan scarf loosely wrapped around his neck. He has been at the forefront of an unlikely transformation in counterinsurgency tactics, so much so that he’s been nicknamed “Lawrence of Afghanistan.” Gant’s rise to prominence started in late 2009, when he published a paper on the website of Steven Pressfield, a novelist and military veteran. The article was called “One Tribe at a Time,” and it drew on Gant’s experiences as a Special Forces team leader working with a Pashtun tribe—the Taliban’s historical base is among the Pashtuns—in eastern Afghanistan in 2003. Based on his experiences, Gant advocated that small units of autonomous Special Forces embed with Pashtun tribes and train them to fight the Taliban.

While most policy papers languish on desks or hard drives unread, Gant’s paper ricocheted around the upper echelons of the military. It even reached General David Petraeus, who called the paper “very impressive, so impressive, in fact, that I shared it widely.” After that, the Special Forces, known as the Green Berets, stepped back from “door-kicking” missions and instead began to advise and build up local forces. In what the U.S. military has termed “Village Stability Operations,” members of the Special Forces now live among the Pashtun tribesmen in remote areas where insurgents once had unfettered freedom of movement. The goal is to help train community militias, known to the U.S. military as Afghan Local Police (ALP). At present, the government of Afghanistan has authorized 10,000 ALP militiamen; American officers believe that the number will eventually rise to something more like 24,000.

Getting the ALP approved by Kabul required a significant concession from Hamid Karzai, who had feared that arming tribal militias might rejuvenate the warlordism that has plagued Afghanistan since the early 1990s. To address Karzai’s concerns, the ALP is administered by the Afghan Ministry of Interior, and everyone admitted to the program has to submit to biometric scans. On the ground, militia candidates are vetted by local village councils.

This December, at a base near Kabul, I bumped into Gant at a meeting with some senior Special Forces officers. Gant said he was pleased with the progress and noted that in the Pashtun language the community forces are known by the word Arbakai, a traditional term for forces that secure their own area. “The Taliban are very threatened by this,” Gant said. “It’s taking their safe haven away.” Other experts I spoke with affirmed that the community policemen have created “security bubbles” that didn’t exist before.

If Gant’s approach sounds familiar, it should. That’s because it draws on the same principles as the counterinsurgency tactics that worked for Petraeus in Iraq. Ultimately, the effort in Afghanistan will either succeed or fail based on the counterinsurgency practices, like Gant’s, that Petraeus has put in place. I recently got to see Petraeus—who took over the Afghanistan mission last year, and has just been nominated by Obama to head the CIA—in action during a briefing at the International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Kabul. When he walked into the briefing room, it was precisely 7:30 a.m., and a bevy of generals and a couple dozen staff officers immediately stood up. He hurriedly motioned for them to sit down and images began to be projected onto screens around the room. Some screens showed the weather in various parts of Afghanistan, others the numbers of American soldiers recently killed, and others maps of insurgent activity. Over secure videoconference lines, commanders from around Afghanistan gave status updates about their sector of the war, with Petraeus alternately quizzing, cajoling, and complimenting them. The only interruption came toward the end of the briefing, when a scuffle broke out over a recalcitrant goat. A group of officers had dragged the hapless animal, a Navy mascot, into the room in honor of the upcoming Army-Navy football game. “Thanks fellows,” said Petraeus, sounding slightly impatient. “That was really cute.”

Counterinsurgency is often misunderstood as being mostly about winning “hearts and minds”; and, as Gant’s program shows, there’s certainly an element of that. But, at the most basic level, it’s really a set of common-sense precepts about how to avoid being hated while simultaneously applying well-calibrated doses of violence—that is, killing people. The importance of killing to counterinsurgency is an unpalatable truth that often gets disguised with Orwellian neologisms such as “kinetic operations,” but Petraeus clearly understands that reaching “hearts and minds” goes only so far on its own.

As a result of stepped-up operations, many of the Taliban’s longtime safe havens in Helmand and Kandahar have been eliminated, according to the U.S. military. Of course, the Pentagon has reason to give optimistic reports; but I was struck to see that the International Council on Security and Development, an organization long critical of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, is also echoing this assessment, based on its own on-the-ground research.

Meanwhile, operations by Delta Force and Navy Seals have decimated the ranks of mid-level Taliban commanders. This March, Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee that, in a typical three-month period, 360 insurgent leaders were killed or captured. (According to a number of observers, the average age of Taliban commanders has dropped from 35 to 25 in the past year.)

On the administrative front, Petraeus has managed to put a stop to particularly senseless policies. At its worst, the Afghanistan conflict has been sustained partly by a contracting system under which U.S. funds take a perverse path from Afghan contractors to Taliban leaders. That is, a fair portion of the money paid out by Washington for a given project, such as the construction of a road, has made it into the pockets of insurgents in exchange for not attacking that road. Petraeus has put in place new contracting guidelines to try to tame this problem.

Petraeus also appears to be making progress in standing up an effective Afghan National Army. Currently, the army is the most well-regarded institution in the country, with approval ratings over 80 percent. While Tajiks are overrepresented in the officer corps, and Pashtuns from the south of the country are grossly underrepresented among the rank and file, overall, the army is ethnically balanced, retention rates (while hardly stellar) are rising, pay rates went up two years ago to $140 per month for a raw recruit (the average yearly income in Afghanistan is less than $400), and the army is on track to reach its November 2011 end-strength goal of 171,000.

 

But will all these changes in military strategy actually lead to long-term victory in Afghanistan? Unfortunately, anyone observing the country learns to live with alternating feelings of hope and despair. As heartened as I often felt when seeing the military progress, I found the corruption of key Afghan politicians to be deeply depressing. More significantly, the war is exacting a steep cost in American lives. Since Obama took office, some 890 American soldiers have died in Afghanistan. That’s around 60 percent of the total who have died there since the war began in the fall of 2001.

Most of the eastern provinces remain infested with insurgents, as do provinces near Kabul such as Ghazni. The so-called “reintegration” process, in which Taliban foot soldiers lay down their arms and reenter their communities, is largely moribund. Data from Indicium Consulting shows that incidents involving insurgent IEDs, small arms fire, rocket, mortar, and suicide attacks have more than doubled in recent years, from around 8,000 in 2008 to more than 17,000 in 2010. Efforts at striking deals with the Taliban have led nowhere. The most promising discussions occurred last year between the Karzai government and senior Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour—except that “Mullah Mansour” turned out to be a crafty Quetta shopkeeper who had spun a good yarn about his Taliban credentials in order to make some quick money. Meanwhile, official meetings held between Afghan officials and Taliban representatives in places like the Maldives to discuss “reconciliation” have produced nothing. One sardonic Afghan official offered me a simple reason for why the parties had agreed to meet for negotiations. “Everybody wanted to go to the Maldives,” he said.

When I was in Kabul, I asked a small group of leading American counterinsurgency experts if they could think of a case in which an insurgency was defeated under circumstances like the ones we see today in Afghanistan—where insurgents enjoy a safe haven, the government is corrupt, and a third-party military force is intervening on the side of the corrupt government. The experts could not think of a single example. I found just as little solace in How Insurgencies End, a rigorous RAND study, published last year, of 89 insurgencies fought around the world since World War II. Insurgents who have enjoyed a sanctuary have won almost half the conflicts where there was a clear victor. In countries with less than 40 percent urbanization, insurgents have won about three-quarters of the time. And pseudo-democracies, such as Afghanistan, have a particularly poor record of defeating insurgencies, because they neither have the stomach for total repression nor the capacity to offer accountable government. They lose about 85 percent of the time.

Then there is Pakistan, which has, to put it mildly, not always been a helpful player in Afghanistan. The Pakistani army has long sought a pliant Afghan state on its western border to balance its Indian neighbor to the east—a doctrine known as “strategic depth”—and it believes the Taliban served this purpose fairly well. Today, Pakistan’s economy is in bad shape: Its inflation rate hovers around 15 percent, and annual growth has fallen from 7 percent to 2 percent, which cannot remotely sustain what will be in 2015 the world’s fifth-largest population. Simultaneously, Pakistan is spending an astonishing 17 percent of its budget on defense and only 3 percent on education. All of these indicators are bad news for Pakistanis, but they’re also bad news for Afghans: In the long run, an unstable Pakistan means an unstable Afghanistan, since the border between the countries is basically ungovernable, and extremists can so easily drift back and forth. 

And yet, against this parade of depressing facts, one must balance some other realities. It helps to begin with some historical context. For all of Afghanistan’s problems, the country has come a long way since I first began visiting it almost two decades ago. I first came to Kabul in 1993, when it was a patchwork of vicious ethnic militias fighting block-to-block, Mogadishu-style. Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was routinely unleashing barrages of hundreds of rockets that had an unfortunate habit of landing on the heads of innocent Kabul civilians rather than on his enemies. I saw boys as young as ten fighting alongside the militiamen. Travel at night anywhere at all was out of the question, and brigands of all kinds roamed the countryside kidnapping and thieving at will. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans died, and even more fled the country.

I next visited the country in 1997, a year after the Taliban had seized power. The streets were now quiet, and all women were covered from head to foot. Fierce, black-turbaned Taliban “vice and virtue” enforcers roamed around the cities, enforcing their ordinances in fast-moving pickup trucks, stopping to harass, beat, or arrest men whose beards were of improper length or women whose feet were visible. One day, I saw a man crumpled on the street as a Taliban enforcer beat him with a stick. The man had failed to pray at the appointed hour. Days in Taliban Afghanistan passed unbearably slowly. There was nothing to do, no place to go. There were no sounds of music, no films, no entertainment. The economy was in free fall. Kabul was a ghost town, with only 500,000 inhabitants left. The rest had fled. Streets were nearly devoid of cars. My only glimpses of women were when they flitted through the empty streets like wraiths dressed in blue burkas. When I stayed in Kabul in the winter of 1999, I was the only guest in the only functioning hotel in town, an Intercontinental that had long ceased to have anything to do with the brand. There was no heat or hot water, nor were there any telephones. I was lucky to have one of the few rooms with windows that remained intact from the war. When I visited Taliban cabinet officials, we would sit shivering in unheated rooms in their ministries while they told me what a misunderstood man Osama bin Laden was.

Today, Kabul has three million inhabitants. There are restaurants and bars and social venues—and people are friendly. (Among journalists, the guilty secret is that working in Kabul today is sort of, well, fun.) A decade ago, 9 percent of Afghans had access to basic medical care. Today, 85 percent do. Under the Taliban, about one million kids (almost none of them girls) were in school, whereas now about seven million children are being educated (more than one-third of them girls, with the proportion rising). Before the U.S. occupation, a telephone system barely existed in Afghanistan. Today, one in three Afghans has a cell phone. Afghans once had access to no media outlets apart from the Taliban’s Voice of Sharia radio network. Now there are, in the words of the BBC, “scores of radio stations, dozens of TV stations and some 100 active press titles.” More than five million Afghan refugees have returned home. Kabul has becom so crowded with cars and people that the city’s pollution is statistically more lethal than the war.

Afghanistan’s economy is also booming. Thanks to the improvements in security provided by the United States and NATO, GDP growth between 2009 and 2010 was a strong 22 percent. That’s just the start. According to a thorough study released earlier this year by the Pentagon, an estimated $900 billion worth of mineral deposits is waiting to be unearthed in Afghanistan, including enough lithium to make the country a world leader in raw materials for batteries. The Chinese have already paid $3 billion for the rights to a copper mine near Kabul, and last year JP Morgan put together a $50 million deal for a gold mine in northern Afghanistan. No wonder, then, that 70 percent of Afghans told pollsters for the BBC late last year that their country is now going in the right direction. (By comparison, in a New York Times/CBS News poll released in April, 70 percent of Americans said the United States is going in the wrong direction.) It’s also why Afghans give surprisingly high marks to the U.S. military, even after nearly a decade of often bungled occupation: 68 percent favorable, according to a BBC/ABC poll released in January 2010. (By contrast, a 2007 BBC/ABC poll in Iraq found that only 22 percent of Iraqis supported the U.S. military presence in their country.)

It’s true that overall security has deteriorated recently in Afghanistan, but much of that is due to stepped-up military operations. This is what happened at the start of the surge in Iraq. Afghanistan also remains a safer place than countries such as Russia or Mexico, where political conflict and criminal violence kill proportionately more people. Residents of New Orleans are five times more likely to be murdered today than Afghan civilians are likely to be killed in war.

Even the unhappy RAND study on the success of insurgencies contained some encouraging findings. One of the most important is that when a government has a significant force superiority ratio (9:1 or greater), it “correlated strongly with success” in defeating insurgents. The projected end strength of the Afghan army and police is 375,000, and the Taliban is around one-tenth of this size. That’s not including all of the outside military forces that are also involved on the side of the Afghan government. What’s more, according to the RAND study, “[c]ontrary to conventional wisdom, insurgents do not win by trying to simply outlast the government. In fact, over the long run, governments tend to win more often than not.” While the long run can be all too long—it took more than four decades for the Colombian government to effectively defeat the FARC—the fact remains that time is working against the insurgents, especially with the new lengthening of the U.S. commitment.

 

Although the White House’s pledge to remain in Afghanistan appears to be firm, calls to pull out have been increasing. One striking example of the new emerging consensus came out earlier this year, when George W. Bush’s ambassador to India, Robert Blackwill, wrote in Foreign Affairs that “Washington should accept that the Taliban will inevitably control most of the Pashtun south and east”; he advocated de facto partition of Afghanistan as “the best available alternative to strategic defeat.” The plan was merely the most extreme expression of a now-common sentiment amongst the U.S. foreign policy establishment: Let’s just get it over with.

Partition or withdrawal sound simple and alluring; but Blackwill and others don’t seem to fully grasp the problems with such proposals. For one thing, with whom would we negotiate a partition? The so-called “moderates” in the Taliban reconciled with the Afghan government long ago. The remaining Taliban fighters have splintered into several groups, each more extreme than the next. And why would the Taliban honor their side of the bargain? Deals between the Pakistani government and the Taliban in Waziristan and in Swat were merely preludes to the Taliban establishing brutal “emirates,” regrouping, and then moving into adjoining areas to seize more territory.

The human costs of partition or withdrawal would be horrific. When the Taliban took control of the Pakistani tourist destination of Swat between 2008 and 2009, they imposed a reign of terror, beheading policemen and leaving their bodies to rot in public, burning down schools for girls, and administering public lashings to women accused of adultery.

And, finally, there are the strategic costs. Yes, Osama bin Laden is dead, but Al Qaeda still exists, and there is no reason to believe that a reconstituted Taliban government would be any less hospitable to Al Qaeda than the Taliban rulers of the 1990s. After September 11, Mullah Omar lost everything to protect bin Laden, and since then he has said nothing to distance himself from that fateful decision.

Of course, just because it would be preferable to succeed in Afghanistan does not mean we actually can. But, when I look at the hopeful signs that are starting to emerge from the country, and when I consider these indicators in tandem with the likely consequences of a hasty exit, I do think the wise choice now is for the United States to stay. In war, perceptions tend to lag behind reality by a considerable distance. In Afghanistan, our efforts were widely thought of as successful for several years after things had clearly begun to deteriorate on the ground. Today, it appears that we have the opposite problem: improvements on the ground that are widely dismissed amid a narrative of defeat.

Staying in Afghanistan isn’t the politically obvious decision: The war is going to remain controversial, and it’s going to be criticized from both the left and the right. Arguably, it could even imperil Obama’s reelection. Still, the president has made his choice and he appears to be sticking with it. This, I am convinced, is good for Afghanistan. One day, I hope, we’ll also realize that it was good for the United States.

 

Peter Bergen is a contributing editor for The New Republic and the author of The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and Al-Qaeda. This article originally ran in the May 26, 2011, issue of the magazine.

 

AN/TPQ-48 LCMR (click to view full) April 25/11: SRCTec, Inc. in North Syracuse, NY wins an unfinalized $14.1 million maximum bridge contract from the US Army, to provide spare parts for the AN/TPQ-48 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar System (LCMR). The LCMR is an artillery locating radar, with less performance than higher-end models like the Firefinder, but far [...]

Everyone loves to talk about the value of small business. There's a National Small Business Week, proclaimed by the president, and San Francisco Small Business Week, proclaimed by the mayor. There are conferences and speakers and programs. Even the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce — the mouthpiece for giant corporations in town — periodically hails the value of the little entrepreneur.

But when you get right down to it, small businesses don't have it easy in this town. Under siege from big chains (who often get their way at City Hall), faced with unfair tax burdens (the little operators pay the same rate as the biggest companies), struggling to find support from banks (many of which don't make many small business loans), the companies that create most of the new jobs in the city and preserve the lively character of the neighborhoods ultimately get little respect.

Check it out: if Twitter — worth billions — wants a tax break, City Hall leaps to the rescue. Yet a proposal that would have made the business tax burden more fair for small companies died last year without a vote.

Once a year we celebrate the people who hang in there, often against the odds, and not only survive but thrive. People who build small businesses that build cool neighborhoods and hire local workers and keep the San Francisco economy moving.

This year we've combined our editors' picks with readers' choices — and we've asked our winners who they would have picked as the best small businesses of the year. It's a wonderful lineup that looks, and feels, like San Francisco. (Tim Redmond)

 

ARTHUR JACKSON DIVERSITY IN SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

LA COCINA

Believe it or not, there was a time in this city when Le Truc did not park its chicken parmigianas in front of the Conservatory of Flowers and street food did not inspire a weekly mob scene at Off The Grid's mobile market. Back then, a lot of the people who sold food on the street were immigrant women.

"Their commonality is this incredible entrepreneurial spirit," says Caleb Zigas of La Cocina, a food business incubator created to give street food vendors the tools they need to take their business into the next realm of profitability.

Its program has proven highly successful. After taste tests of applicants' proposed cuisine ("They wouldn't be here if their product wasn't good," Zigas says. La Cocina participants are counseled on brand development and distribution. In the organization's gleaming commercial kitchen in the Mission District, eight businesses can simultaneously work at one time. On a typical morning, it's used to prepare hummus, huaraches, and traditional Yucatecan-Mayan food for a day of sales.

Some graduates, like Clairessquares — a chocolate-shortbread-caramel treat company started by the eponymous Irish immigrant — are local grocery store constants now. Some businesses have used the program to go from selling at farmers markets to owning a restaurant of their own — Veronica Salazar of El Huarache Loco will be the first La Cocina grad with a brick and mortar location, opening in Larkspur this year. Two years ago, La Cocina started the Street Food Festival, an event that consistently packs the streets where it occurs and this year plans to expand to nine blocks of vendors.

Entrepreneurs from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Japan, El Salvador, and Mexico have passed through the La Cocina program. Everyone on staff speaks English and Spanish (the languages the organization offers counseling in). Outreach is done through partnerships with other groups like the Women's Initiative and the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.

Though the center now fields applications from all socioeconomic levels as street food becomes chic food, its original purpose remains: to provide a foot up to the women who are pushing to make life work in a new country with their families. "It's important for us to remember that our mission is to provide an entry into business," Zigas says.

La Cocina's small business award pick: As the diplomatic Zigas says: "The consumers who purchase from small business owners." (Caitlin Donohue)

2948 Folsom, SF. (415) 824-2729, www.lacocinasf.org

 

GOLDEN SURVIVOR AWARD

HANS ART AUTOMOTIVE

Hans Art got his start in business in 1970, when one of his Noe Valley roommates couldn't get his car started — and was therefore unable to get to his job delivering erotic ice cream concoctions to stoners and musicians at midnight for the legendary restaurateur Magnolia Thunderpussy.

"I was your classic hippie mechanic," Art recalled. "I came out there with my screwdriver, adjusted the points, and the guy was on his way. And it occurred to me that this might not be a bad way to make a living."

His business plan: An index card with his phone number on the wall in Bud's Ice Cream. His goal: Flexible hours, plenty of time off and "a great way to have an alternative lifestyle." That didn't last long: "Pretty soon I was the hardest working hippie in San Francisco."

More than 40 years later, Hans Art Automotive is one of the city's most beloved car repair shops, a successful small business that still has a bit of the old hippie ethic.

"I have lots of customers with very moderate incomes," Art said. "I tell them what's needed now, what can wait four months ... I pare it down so the service is affordable. We're very non-pushy."

It's certainly working: more than 95 percent of his customers are regulars. "We want you to have a regular mechanic, the way you have a dentist," he said. "Our advertising is mostly word of mouth."

These days Art works from a cramped office above the shop floor, supervising around 10 employees who take extraordinary care in their work. "There are 800 opportunities for us to screw up every day," Art noted. "If we avoid 799 of them, a lot of people would think that's great — unless your car is the one we missed."

He's up against much bigger outfits in a business with low margins and constant changes in technology that require expensive investments — and that easy lifestyle is still elusive — but Art is a survivor. "I think I've made payroll more than 3,000 times," he said. "For a small business, that's quite an accomplishment."

Hans Art's small business award pick: He couldn't pick just one — Art went with Michael Bruno Luggage, Noe Valley Bakery, and Tuggy's Hardware.(Redmond)

3121 17th St., SF. (415) 621-6400, www.hansartautomotive.com

 

WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARD

KATE SOFIS

Kate Sofis is quick to tell you that she only held "one nonprofit job" prior to her work with SFMade, San Francisco's local manufacturers association. The real root of Sofis' passion lies with the manufacturing world. It's not surprising — she's seen the sector shape communities.

Raised in 1970s Buffalo, N.Y., where manufacturing was seriously struggling, Sofis later found herself drawn to studying Japanese quality practices in college. After graduation, she ran production lines for high tech companies. "I worked with Apple during the first iMac production runs on Folsom," she says. She was also there for Apple's first outsource.

Later she worked with a small South San Francisco furniture manufacturer ("back when we were still making furniture in this country.") that eventually folded. Sofis realized that although she wanted to work in manufacturing, she wanted even more for there to be a manufacturing sector to work for.

"There were no programs set up," she says, sitting in SFMade's office space within the TechShop building on Howard Street. "You couldn't get a bank loan because no one believed it was possible to actually make money in small manufacturing." Sofis knew that manufacturing created decently-paying, high-skilled jobs with good benefits. At the same time, she understood that it needed to define its identity in 21st century America — and stand up for its sector's health.

Today, the year-and-a-half-old SFMade has grown to include 150 San Francisco manufacturers — from Anchor Brewing to mid-Market garment shops, to Home Kombucha and Rickshaw Bags. May 21-27, it will sponsor SFMade Week, chockfull of local shopping events and "open factories" tours of members' production areas.

The group advocates for ways to make its members' economic contribution tenable in one of the most expensive cities in America. Sofis and other staff work to establish lines of communication to City Hall around issues like improved public transportation in areas where a lot of manufacturing gets done. "If the mattress coil spring guy is late, guess what? Mattresses don't get made," she say. But equally salient is its work on raising awareness among consumers and policymakers that San Francisco manufacturing still exists — and in the age of artisanal products, has the capacity to grow.

Her small business award pick: Greg Markoulis, manager of the American Industrial Center. "Twenty-five percent of our companies are located there, and they're there for the long haul. Without that asset. San Francisco wouldn't have half the manufacturing it does." (Donohue)

SFMade, 926 Howard, SF. www.sfmade.org

 

SPIRIT OF THE STREETS AWARD

THE TAMALE LADY

Virginia "The Tamale Lady" Ramos has been selling her own homemade tamales since 1993, when she started her business to make enough money to send her daughters to school. She didn't expect to become a local legend. Selling bar-to-bar to hungry boozehounds ever since, she's made a name for herself as one of the city's most celebrated street food vendors.

Hungry? Current tamale varieties include chicken, pork, chile cheese, sweet potato black bean, and mixed vegetable. Although Ramos' prices have gone up since the early 1990s, they're still a bargain — $4 for a hefty handful of home-cooked masa and filling, delivered right to your bar stool.

There's no disputing that the Tamale Lady has achieved T(amale)-list celebrity, but her work is far from done. With the help of her family, Ramos' treats land in rates of about 100 per day in the stomachs of soused locals in bars across the Mission, Tenderloin, and Lower Haight.

She imports her cornmeal and husks straight from Mexico. Every tamale is made by hand in her kitchen — a process that can be witnessed by watching the 2004 Cecil B. Feeder rockumentary on her life, which features a slew of original songs in homage to her work. It's physically demanding, but Ramos bears the honor of being the city's tamale angel with pride.

"I had an unpleasant life growing up [in Mexico]. I've been here for 25 years, and San Francisco gave me something I never had before: it brought me my independence. SF people came into my life as angels, they gave me the opportunity to feel like I can do my thing and nobody can mess with me."

The Tamale Lady's small business award pick: "The independent flower girls who go around selling flowers in restaurants, bars, and shops around the Mission." (Hannah Tepper)

twitter.com/tamalelady

 

EMPLOYEE-OWNED BUSINESS AWARD

ARIZMENDI BAKERY

For the worker-owners at Arizmendi Bakery, cooperation is more than just a nice idea — it's their business model. "I've worked in everyplace from Safeway to a bakery that was owned by one person," says Arizmendi worker-owner Heather Coppersmith. "Arizmendi is different because we have to worry about our own finances, cost of sales, and income. We all get a sound understanding of what it takes to run a business, but responsibilities are spread out so that no one person is bearing the full brunt."

So how does the egalitarian model function so well? "All of the work is shared," says Coppersmith. "We create an environment that makes everyone feel valuable and train everyone in all aspects of the bakery, so there is no need for management."

Arizmendi's first sister location, the Cheeseboard, opened in the mid-1990s on Lakeshore Boulevard in Oakland. The concept of a bakery that was entirely worker-owned was dreamed up by Berkeley professor Jaques Kaswan and his partner Tim Huet. The idea was a winner: today there are five bakeries in the Arizmendi family across the Bay Area. When a new Arizmendi is started, newly hired worker-owners intern and train at other locations, learning all they need to know to operate their own bakery before opening for delicious, fluffy, crusty business.

The model has worked so well that Arizmendi was one of only nine food businesses in San Francisco to be awarded a perfect worker treatment score by its employees in community group Young Workers United's yearly restaurant guide. It received high marks in wages, job mobility, health and safety, and job security — not surprising since worker-owners have the final say on workplace issues at Arizmendi.

But let's not forget — how could we, really? — that Arizmendi doesn't just produce happy and fulfilled worker-owners. The bakeries are best known for their more public offerings: delicious brioches, organic breads, and vegetarian pizzas with seasonal toppings that change daily. Cooperation never tasted so good.

Arizmendi's small business award pick: "Underdog on Irving street. It's a family-run hotdog and sausage place that has some great vegan options. They are very conscious of the food they prepare and where they are getting it from — and they are really nice." (Tepper)

Various Bay Area locations. www.arizmendibakery.org, valencia.arizmendi.coop, lakeshore.arizmendi.coop

 

CHAIN ALTERNATIVE AWARD

DISCOUNT BUILDERS SUPPLY

Going up against big businesses like Lowe's and Home Depot doesn't mean Discount Builders Supply needs to pull any fancy gimmicks to get customers. Indeed, some clients have been returning to the 50-year-old SoMa spot since manager Shannon Brundiek started working there two decades ago.

"A lot of big-box stores have popped up in that time," Brundiek says. "We don't handle business in the same way, or stock the same products, but they're definitely our competition. They spend a lot of money competing for the same market share."

Money national chains spend on advertising, owner Charles Goodman channels into things like employee benefit programs. The result? A business you can go to even if you're not quite sure what it is that you need. Discount Builders Supply banks on the fact that its employees know how to help whoever walks in the door.

"What stands out most to our customers is the service," says Brundiek. "Because we pay benefits, our employees work full time, and we strive to keep our employees long-term. It's a career for them — it's what they do and they love it."

All that added experience makes a difference to devoted customers who count on DBS employees to know the difference between cinder blocks and coffin locks, cable clamps and sodium lamps.

Brundiek is adamant that the store he works at is simply a good old-fashioned hardware shop — "We don't sell TVs or dog toys," he says. But the business does offer free design services for kitchen and bath and specializes in SF-specific fixtures, plumbing, and moldings common in Victorians. Plus, it caters to a huge Burning Man rush every summer. Now that's giving customers what they want.

Discount Builders Supply's small business award pick: Brundiek acknowledges that San Francisco is home to a "great group of small hardware stores that all work together." How's that for lending a helping hand? (Emily Appelbaum)

1695 Mission St., SF. (415) 621-8511, www.discountbuilderssupplysf.com

 

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD

GOOD LIFE GROCERY

It's not often that San Franciscans take to the streets to protest the closing of a grocery story. But when the Good Life Grocery on Potrero Hill faced a 1,000 percent rent increase in 1985, neighborhood activists marched, shouted, hung banners, and dragged then California Assemblymember Art Agnos into the fray. The uproar allowed the owners, Kayren Hudiburg and Lester Zeidman, to find a new location nearby.

The Good Life has been part of the hill's DNA since the early 1970s, when it started as one of a handful of community food stores. "We live down the block," Hudiberg said. "Customers come in day in and day out. We're a part of the neighborhood."

Hudiberg, who also has a store on Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights, makes a point of hiring local residents first. "We pay good wages, have a good health plan, and after two-and-a-half years, employees become part-owners," she explained.

It's not easy running an independent food store, particularly when you're under attack by the giant Whole Foods chain. "When they moved in eight blocks away, people said we'd never survive," Hudiberg said. "Whole Foods has more money than God, they can buy up a whole farmer's crop." But after taking a "big hit," the Good Life is doing fine. "It takes a lot of hard work — I'm the owner, the produce buyer, the accounts payable clerk, the payroll clerk — it never ends," Hudiberg said. "But we have a great, dedicated staff and we offer exceptional customer service."

She's also an exceptional San Franciscan. When the Board of Supervisors was moving to offer Twitter a big tax break, she took time off to trek down to City Hall and give the supes a bit of perspective. "I was just outraged," she recalled. "Here a multibillion-dollar company is asking for a tax cut. I have 65 employees; I pay my taxes and I'm proud to do it — the city needs the money."

"If my small business can pay, why can't Twitter?"

We quite agree.

Good Life Grocery's small business award pick: Goat Hill Pizza. Hudiberg says not only are its pies "wonderful," but the restaurant donates food to neighborhood events and political affairs, and meeting space to community groups. "They support everything worthwhile and are a true neighborhood institution." (Redmond)

448 Cortland, SF. (415) 648-3221

 

READER'S POLL WINNERS

For the first time, we asked Guardian winners to weigh in with their own small business awards. Who was the shining local business star in their neighborhood? Here are the winners of the most online votes.

 

FAVORITE RETAIL

THE MISSION STATEMENT

"I have always worked better when I work as part of a team," says Estrella Tadeo, owner of the Mission Statement, who runs the Mission clothing boutique with the help of six other designers. "Working as a collective helps me stay sane." All seven sell their work and work shifts on the retail floor every week, making it highly likely that if you have a question on the jungle-toned, one-shouldered flowing top you're fingering, the person that created it is only a few feet away.

"Our goal with our customers is that they identify with our work and with us. It's so much more interesting when we know the history behind something," Tadeo says.

That's likely the secret to the shop's popularity with our readers. Since Mission Statement designers swap goods through a fruitful bartering system, they're the experts — they wear a lot of the designs themselves.

The shop's hands-on approach also means that if you don't see the perfect Vanessa Gage architectural necklace or Bedouin princess skirt from oda, those designers will take custom orders or do alterations to create it for you. "It's the way of slow fashion," Tadeo says of this more personal, connective way of shopping. "We want to develop a relationship with our customers so that they can feel special, look special, and covet all that they purchase."

It would appear that the collective has achieved this goal. Even so, Tadeo admits that running a specialized boutique in a recession can be a challenge. But, she adds, "It's about staying positive and being the best we can be as business owners and people. We all want to get a good exchange of energy, and the best way to get it is to give it."

The Mission Statement's small business award pick: "Two definitely stand out," Tadeo says. "Wonderland/Chillin' Productions and Rag Co-op. Both stores have great concepts, amazing owners, and contribute so much to the local design community. Our three stores are different, but I feel they mutually enhance each other." (Donohue)

3458 18th St., SF. (415) 255-7457, www.missionstatementsf.com

 

 

FAVORITE RESTAURANT

GIALINA

"First and foremost, I always wanted Gialina to be a place that everyone — young, old, families, singles, gays, straights — would want to come," says Sharon Ardiana, chef and owner of the Glen Park Italian restaurant. Judging from the response of our readers, she's achieved her goal — Gialina got top marks for its neighborhood-focused dining room.

The first to own a business in her family, Ardiana spent 20 years in the restaurant industry until she says she "kind of got to a point where I realized that I needed to drive the bus, so to speak." Although she says she finds laying down the chef's hat to run the business to be the hardest part of her job, she's blessed with "an amazing staff in the front and back of the restaurant." Five employees have been there for Gialina's entire four years of operation, and Ardiana says the rest of the staff averages three years in the crew.

Such was the fervor over food like Gialina's Atomica pizza — a simple, flavorful pie with mushrooms, chilies, and red onions added to the tomato sauce-mozzarella base — that Ardiana recently opened Ragazza, another small Italian eatery that, in the words of a recent Guardian review, "brings haute pizza culture to a vortex of the Haights (lower and upper) and Nopa."

But for Ardiana's "fantastically loyal clientele" in Glen Park, a neighborhood that has managed to remain free from Starbucks and Denny's, it will always be about kid-friendly Gialina. "I want people to see the huge family photos on the wall and to connect with them and remember their own family members," Ardiana says. "I want everyone to walk out that door feeling like they just had a really great meal and that they want to come back again."

Gialina's small business award pick: "I would say my friends Kris Hoggerhyde and Anne Walker at Bi-Rite Creamery," Ardiana says. "I have just been blown away by the response of their customers. They work tremendously hard to make really great, delicious products." (Donohue)

2842 Diamond, SF. (415) 239-8500, www.gialina.com

 

FAVORITE BUSINESS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE COMMUNITY

CHLOE'S CLOSET

"One of the things I always noticed was that second-hand kids' clothes were a little expensive," says Molly Coogan Tyson, owner of Chloe's Closet in Bernal Heights. Tyson opened the in 2003 when her two kids were four months and two years old.

Opening her store was a response to feeling cooped up at home and a desire to fill the need for a no-frills used children's clothing store. "I really didn't want Chloe's Closet to be picky about what clothes we would buy and sell. I just wanted to facilitate the trade of goods for people who have young children because I know that kids' sizes and interests change quickly."

Her shop's original location has been open for eight years and continues to grow steadily — there's also a Chloe's No. 2 in the Sunset. All Tyson's stores sell clothes on consignment. When clothes are purchased, the original seller receives 50 percent of the sale price, a generous cut.

But giving back is the main goal, Tyson says. "My husband has suggested that I take up a nonprofit status," she says, referring to the minuscule profit margins that a community-oriented store like hers must sacrifice in exchange for giving young parents a break on clothing prices.

Chloe's donates all overflow clothes that can't fit on racks to churches that serve low-income families and other organizations that can sell the clothing at fundraisers. She even makes HR decisions based on her community's needs.

"I was approached by mom of four who, due to religious beliefs, wears a full burka. She really wanted to work, and she said no one else would hire her. We didn't really need extra help, but I hired her because I was touched by her story."

Chloe's Closet's small business awards pick: "I would want to recognize Heartfelt gift shop. They have a rotating stock of interesting gifts and the owner is Darcy Lee of the Bernal Business Alliance. She does a lot for the neighborhood." (Tepper)

451 Cortland, SF. (415) 642-3300; 616 Irving, SF. (415) 664-4611. www.chloesclosetsf.com

 

Kansas City Star

Cambodian leader claims Thailand fired 50000 shells over border, some remain ... The Canadian Press PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodia's prime minister has accused Thailand of firing more than 50000 artillery and mortar shells in more than a week of border clashes. Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that some shells that landed in Oddar Meanchey ... Cambodia says Thailand shot 50000 shells in clasheTaiwan News Cambodia asks for ICJ clarity on templeUPI.com Bangkok Post : Thai Rath columnist Likit JongsakulBangkok Post Jakarta Post -The Irrawaddy News Magazine -Voice of America all 214 news articles »

This story first appeared on the TomDispatch website.

What if, from the beginning, everyone killed in the Iraq and Afghan wars had been buried in a single large cemetery easily accessible to the American public? Would it bring the fighting to a halt more quickly if we could see hundreds of thousands of tombstones, military and civilian, spreading hill after hill, field after field, across our landscape?

I found myself thinking about this recently while visiting the narrow strip of northern France and Belgium that has the densest concentration of young men's graves in the world. This is the old Western Front of the First World War. Today, it is the final resting place for several million soldiers. Nearly half their bodies, blown into unrecognizable fragments by some 700 million artillery and mortar shells fired here between 1914 and 1918, lie in unmarked graves; the remainder are in hundreds upon hundreds of military cemeteries, still carefully groomed and weeded, the orderly rows of headstones or crosses covering hillsides and meadows.

Stand on a hilltop in one of the sites of greatest slaughter—Ypres, the Somme, Verdun—and you can see up to half-a-dozen cemeteries, large and small, surrounding you. In just one, Tyn Cot in Belgium, there are nearly 12,000 British, Canadian, South African, Australian, New Zealander, and West Indian graves.

Continue Reading »

The first device of its kind small enough for one person to use, the Prism 200c can "see" through concrete, bricks and mortar to help law enforcement personnel determine how many people are in a room (via Daily Mail).

Users will put the machine against the wall of a structure, and using wide-band radio frequencies the machine will scan the interior for people.

Cambridge is also working on a model that can locate inanimate objects such as drugs and weapons.

Here's a demonstration from Cambridge:

For the latest news, visit Business Insider. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

We are putting tile in our bathroom! what do we need to know? or what do YOU wish YOU had known before your bathroom tile project?

We are doing porcelain tile in an upstairs bathroom. We have already emptied the room of the toilet and cabinetry, and cut out the hardie backer boards. Apparently they must be set in mortar onto the plywood floor? (This surprised me, as I had seen someone once just screw them down) Also, we want to cut little pieces to use as "baseboards." Is there anything you can think of to share?
Thanks in advance!!

Name: Brandi Walsh and Beth Hickey
Title: Creators and Executive Editors
Outlet: www.LocalLily.com
LocalLily.com features “Lily,” a good friend with exceptional taste who enjoys living seasonally and sharing the best locally owned places to dine, shop and experience Arizona.
Lily’s persona is key to the site’s strategy. Contrary to the popularity of self-made Internet personalities, Co-Founders Walsh and Hickey are never in the limelight. Lily was created so the quality of the information would always be center stage.
We are passionate about our community, our economy and improving the perception of Arizona’s culture. That’s why Lily is on a mission to discover ‘What business blooms in your backyard?’
Phone: 480-703-3027
Email

1. What are your main daily duties?
To deliver quality content with a focus on exceptional locally owned businesses.

2. What kinds of stories are you looking for?
Hyper local events, locally owned businesses with an inspired living slant for example stories related to dining, shopping, art, culture, yoga, healthy living, music, pets, kids, holidays, seasonal, destinations. Please visit our Categories page for more detail.

3. What’s the best way to approach you with a pitch?
Email us at submissions@locallily.com. To ensure we only include the most interesting, independent local businesses, we visit each one to experience it for ourselves. We’d love to add your submission to our list and will notify you if it is featured.

4. What recommendations do you have for PR professionals?
We typically write about brick and mortar businesses that are not part of a larger franchise and that are local and independently owned.

5. What’s the strangest/weirdest pitch you’ve ever received?
Nothing immediately comes to mind.

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Section: Business News, Video, DVD/DVR/Blu-ray, Video Providers

The Digital Entertainment Group released a report today detailing home entertainment expenditures in the Unites States for the first quarter of 2011. Based on this report, it appears as if traditional video rental establishments are losing a lot of business to alternative business models. Blu-ray adaptation is also on the rise.

According to the report, brick and mortar rental sales were down by 36.14% in the first quarter of 2011 compared to 2010. By comparison, subscription rentals (both streaming and physical) are up by 33.04%. This suggests that services such as Netflix are gaining more market share as the Blockbuster-like stores of the country are losing traction with customers.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that people are moving away from physical forms of media at a rapid pace. Kiosk movie rentals (such as Redbox) are up by 30.82%. There is still room for DVDs and Blu-ray discs in the current market environment. In fact, Blu-ray sales for the quarter were up by almost 10%. Blu-ray compatible hardware are also up by over 13%. An estimated 30 million residences have access to a Blu-ray player.

Via [DVD Information] Read [Electronista]

Full Story » | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

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This story first appeared on the TomDispatch website.

What if, from the beginning, everyone killed in the Iraq and Afghan wars had been buried in a single large cemetery easily accessible to the American public? Would it bring the fighting to a halt more quickly if we could see hundreds of thousands of tombstones, military and civilian, spreading hill after hill, field after field, across our landscape?

I found myself thinking about this recently while visiting the narrow strip of northern France and Belgium that has the densest concentration of young men's graves in the world. This is the old Western Front of the First World War. Today, it is the final resting place for several million soldiers. Nearly half their bodies, blown into unrecognizable fragments by some 700 million artillery and mortar shells fired here between 1914 and 1918, lie in unmarked graves; the remainder are in hundreds upon hundreds of military cemeteries, still carefully groomed and weeded, the orderly rows of headstones or crosses covering hillsides and meadows.

Stand on a hilltop in one of the sites of greatest slaughter—Ypres, the Somme, Verdun—and you can see up to half-a-dozen cemeteries, large and small, surrounding you. In just one, Tyn Cot in Belgium, there are nearly 12,000 British, Canadian, South African, Australian, New Zealander, and West Indian graves.

Continue Reading »

Semtex and a mortar were among weapons found during searches over the Easter weekend, the PSNI has revealed.

Tell us about your previous working situation and how you discovered Etsy.
I worked in the printing industry around fifteen years before finally going after my dream of becoming an independent business owner. I started from the bottom and worked my way up running a series of bindery equipment such as collating, folding and book binding machines before running an offset printing press. I had to work extremely hard to prove that I was capable of critical thinking and that, despite my feminine appearance, I was also mechanically inclined.

Though I found Etsy in early 2006 a few months after my son was born, it went on the back burner for almost two years so I could focus on being a new mom. I switched shifts at the print shop and found myself with a little extra free time. I soon opened Autumn Equinox with just a few pieces of simple wire jewelry. I am a completely self taught silversmith and I feel as though my business and my craftsmanship have grown equally over the last few years. I sometimes enjoy going through shops here on Etsy and looking at some of the first items they ever sold to see how they have grown as well. You can definitely see their progress and it gives reassurance that we all start out somewhere and as long as we keep working on growing our business, it will succeed.

How did your experience in the printing press industry lend to your skills of being an independent business owner?
My experience in the printing industry taught me that things don’t always go as planned, but a little ingenuity and creativity can get the job done. Sometimes the press ran poorly, parts wore out and broke down. When parts weren’t on hand, I had to make do with things like rubber bands, tape, and metal strapping to make the printing press run. It may not have been pretty and the press may have run slow, but the job got done and it got done faster than if I had waited for new parts to arrive.

How did you prepare for transitioning into full time Etsy selling?
Being a single mom meant it was going to take a lot more work for me to quit my day job. I worked day and night with no real days off for almost two years. While I was working at the print shop, I had a part-time job cleaning offices on the weekends to earn extra money in addition to running Autumn Equinox. It was good for me because I could bring my son to work with me and I didn’t have to pay a babysitter. It was good for him, because he got to see just how hard mommy works in addition to making jewelry and keeping up our home.

I also cut out a lot of extra luxuries from my budget:

• I moved to a less expensive area in Maine.
• I shopped around for new car insurance.
• Got rid of cable television.
• Switched cell phone plans. 

Cutting back helped me save hundreds of dollars a month and with the savings, I can afford a discount health plan for me and my son. I’m also definitely saving a lot more money now that I am not commuting back and forth to work. I went from using almost two tanks of gas a week to less than one tank of gas a month.

Do you have any specific words of advice for single parents considering a similar path?
Be prepared for anything and always have a backup plan. I am currently attending college for a medical degree as I have always had a fascination with science and biology. If the business were to fall on hard times, I have the peace of mind knowing that I would still be able to support my family. 

The best advice I could give to someone who is considering quitting their day job is to do your research and figure out what it is going to take for you to be able to quit. Figure out how much money you need to have saved for the slow sales periods and how much you actually must make to cover business costs and to be able to pay yourself.

What's been your most popular item or line to date?
My most popular items are my small gold and silver rings and earrings. They are simple, classic pieces that work with any outfit.

What are your best marketing tips?

• If you make it and it is wearable, wear it. I wear my own jewelry and I am always getting compliments and people asking me about it.
• Keep business cards on you at all times. It's also great because when people ask about the jewelry I am wearing, I have a few cards on hand.
• Join your local area team on Etsy and get to know its members. It’s a great way to meet fellow Etsy business owners, chat about common interests and a fantastic way to promote your business. Meeting fellow teammates in person can also lead to great friendships.
• List new items in your shop frequently. A few new listings a week will help keep your shop looking fresh and keep people interested in your business.
• Offer as many choices as you can in your shop. Offering different variations of items in your shop will broaden your target market and increase sales. Be open about the possibility of changing something around to get the sale.

What have you found to be an unsuccessful promotion? 
I personally have not tried any promotion that was unsuccessful to date. I have a Twitter account, a Facebook fan page, a blog and a personal site. Although I don't have a huge amount of followers, I'm happy for those I have and feel I am successfully promoting when I see a few likes and comments. Updating these sites a few days a week has definitely had an impact on my business.

Made any business mistakes you regret?
The only regret I have about my business is that I did not buy more precious metal when it was much cheaper. The precious metal market is at an all time high, and is another big factor in my business. I have to price items in my shop based on the price of silver when I buy it and I really dislike having to raise my prices to compensate.

What is the biggest challenge you face during your daily schedule?
The biggest challenge I face during my day is getting everything done in a timely fashion. I still set my alarm and wake up at five in the morning as I did when I was working a day job. This gives me a few hours before my son gets up to relist items that sold overnight and respond to emails. I then start working on orders that need to be finished and in the mailbox before the mailman comes in the early afternoon. With a young child running around, I can get side tracked and forget all about the task at hand. I am able to put him in preschool a day or two a week and on those days, I work the entire time he is gone to get as much done as I possibly can.

What's the hardest part about running your own business?
The hardest part about running my own business is making sure I do not get backed up with paper work — the un-fun stuff about the business that has to be done that no business owner really wants to do.

What do you enjoy most about not having a day job? 
I enjoy that I can be creative all day long and not feel stressed. The day job came with a tremendous amount of stress and since I’ve quit, my body does not ache from standing on concrete floors for ten to twelve hours at a time. My sciatic nerve used to cause me debilitating pain and I had to endure many hours of physical therapy just to make it feel better for only a little while. Since quitting my day job, I have not had to go to physical therapy, and I have not had any leg or back pain.

I do miss my friends from work. We were a jovial bunch who played pranks on each other to break up the hum drum of the day job. Work wasn't fun, but we tried to make the best of it.

What goals do you have in store for the future of your businesses?
I would love to eventually run my own brick and mortar shop filled with handmade items. In addition to making jewelry, I also love to sew, knit, crochet and paint. I enjoy making soap as well and I have just opened up a soap shop here on Etsy, soapymoosebathco.

Anything else you would like to share?
I would just like to say thank you to everyone for reading my story. I never thought that I would actually be able to quit my day job and do something that I love to do. It took a lot of hard work, determination and sacrifice, but I’m the happiest I have ever been. My last little bit of advice is: if you are not doing something that makes you happy, change it so that you are; you won’t regret it.

Thanks for sharing your story, Jenna. Also see Jenna's accessories shop, autumnalequinox. Check out her pieces in the Seller's Items below.

 

Previous Quit Your Day Job posts

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Semtex explosives and a horizontal mortar were among weapons found during searches targeting dissident republicans over Easter weekend.

From top to bottom:

Limestone mortar and pestle. Syria. Neolithic period: late 8th millennium B.C.

Kansas City Star

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