Multimedia Reporting (Kuhr-Musser)

On the inside, the building looks just like an instrument shop should. Violins and violas line the walls from front to back. On the floor, glistening cellos sit upright, ready to be sold to any musician, accomplished or aspiring. The back room is small for a repair area. A work station covered in tools and instrument parts is on one side; a computer desk with paper work lies on the other. The workers think the space is big enough, though.

At first glance, Keller Strings in downtown Lawrence is an ordinary music store. In one small section, however, the store becomes unique; separating itself from the others in Lawrence. Keller Strings is not just in the business of repairing and selling stringed instruments, it’s in the business of dyeing horse hair.

Keller Strings has a business inside a business. The officially recognized company, Wild Hair, specializes in dyeing imported horse hair in a variety of colors. The hair is used to string bows used to play instruments like the violin and cello. Dyed horse hair in bow strings is a trend that began to take off around 2002. Its growing popularity, however, has hurt the small Wild Hair business.

In 1991, Paula Keller-Smith became the owner of the store, which belonged to her father. The store has been in her family since 1974. In 1995, Keller-Smith and her husband began dyeing horse hair in their Topeka home.

“We just started doing it for fun,” Keller-Smith said.

They started by selling it to business friends and local musicians. Once they realized there was a market for it, they began advertising it on their website.

(graph by Matt Doubrava)

In 2001, they recorded about $11,000 in sales of dyed horse hair. That was their biggest selling year. Since then, however, sales have dropped. Wild Hair has only recorded an average of $4,500 a year in the past four years. The problem, Smith said, is “big business.”

Large companies, many based in China, got into the business dyeing horse hair in lavish colors for musicians. Most of Wild Hair’s business is conducted on a national level. Once larger companies could mass produce it easily, it took a drastic toll on Wild Hair’s sales.

“I would say that sales dropped about half,” Keller-Smith said. “But it [Wild Hair] is such a small part of our overall business, that we weren’t too bad.”

Compared to the total Keller Strings revenue, the Wild Hair company only constitutes about three percent. However, the company had to modify its website in 2003 to cope with the decrease in sales.
Wild Hair used to offer a total online payment and shipping method. When sales began to drop, the company could no longer afford to keep that system. The company still advertises online, but buyers must contact Wild Hair through email in order to swap payment and shipping information.

Andrew Glasser, owner of Glasser Bows in the Bronx, creates bows for these instruments. He decided to get into the business of stringing his bows with dyed horse hair around 2001 because of the growing popularity.

“Horse hair has been getting more expensive the past few years,” he said. “It reflects supply and demand.”

Glasser and Keller-Smith consider themselves friends in the business, although they are competitors. They each have a piece of the instrument “puzzle.”

“I supply Paula with hair,” Glasser said. “She dyes it and then I install it into my bows for her. She’s a great lady.”

The relationship between Glasser Bows and Keller Strings has grown even with the obvious difference in locations. From Lawrence to the Bronx, the dyed horse hair industry keeps tight communication between buyers and sellers.

According to Wendell Simpson, owner of Atlantic Violin Supplies in Moncton, New Brunswick, the market for dyed horse hair is continuously increasing.

“The market is there for it,” Simpson said. “Colored hair is a trend that picked up in the past few years and these Chinese businesses wanted to get involved.”

Simpson buys Siberian stallion hair that has already been colored from these businesses. He gets the hair from China.

Wild Hair buys Siberian and Mongolian horse hair from numerous vendors. Keller-Smith said she also has a contact in Bejiing and conducts business by email. The most recent purchase was $140 for 9 ounces of horse hair.

Her customers are usually students. She says colored bows are relatively popular with the younger musicians. Although Wild Hair is a part of the Keller Strings company, Keller-Smith says that the main part of their business is to supply people with instruments. The most important thing to her is the relationships she has developed since she became the owner of Keller Strings.

“Like most other small businesses, we have customers that we’ve had for 15 years,” she said. “It’s fun to watch [the students] grow up.”

(chart by Matt Doubrava)

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With college costs on the rise and more students responsible for paying for their own classes, students are maxing out the amount of money they can borrow from the federal government. David Linhardt explains where students go for more loan money when the cash flow runs dry.

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Students are increasingly shouldering the costs of college from their parents, and they're at least partly using private education loans to do it, according to student aid figures from CollegeBoard.com and an April 10 article in The New York Times.

College Board, which collects and publishes student financial aid data, tracked a 734 percent increase in non-federal loans over the last 10 years. Over the same period, federal loans increased only 89 percent. Last year private lenders issued $13.8 billion in loans, which accounted for about 18 percent of all loan funds issued in 2005.

Students turn to private loans because they can only borrow from the government up to the cost of attendance at their chosen school.

Students make transactions at Commerce Bank's branch inside the Kansas Union. Commerce Bank is one of many financial institutions providing private education loans to students. Photo by David Linhardt.

Ginny D’Angelo, vice president of Commerce Bank, said she had definitely seen an increase in the number of loan applications from students. Commerce Bank operates a small branch inside the Kansas Union.

D’Angelo said Commerce Bank has experienced the same trend that College Board documented at the end of last year: an increase in non-traditional students who aren’t dependent on parental money, and simply more students paying their own way. Roughly 40 percent of undergraduates are non-traditional students, according to College Board.

“Especially the graduate population, students who go back and get their MBAs,” D’Angelo said. “We obviously hope the growth of student loans will continue.”

An online loan company, MyRichUncle.com, offers clear advice to those seeking private education loans: if you can get scholarships, grants, or loans from the federal government, then choose that before trying private loans.

The fine print explains why. Private loans from MyRichUncle.com or Commerce Bank typically come with higher interest rates—sometimes four times as high as loans from the Federal Direct Loan (FDL) program. Repayment schedules are shorter: a short-term loan from the University of Kansas Endowment Association must be repaid in full a year after disbursement.

Commerce Bank has had such success with education loans in Missouri and Kansas that it began seeking new markets in Oklahoma and Arkansas in the last year. The bank aggressively targets the student population, sending bank representatives to individual schools to offer loan options to cash-strapped students.

Suzette Runyon, Lyndon junior, is among the growing number of students whose parents don’t pay for their children’s college expenses. Runyon’s parents told her before she finished high school that she’d pay for college. They wanted her to learn the value of a dollar, Runyon said, and to appreciate her time at KU.

Last year, Runyon took every loan dollar she could get from the FDL program, and added a $2,000 loan from KU Endowment on top of that.

“It’s really hard right now because I’m going to be a fifth year senior, and I’ll have to take out even more for my education degree,” Runyon said. “Going into education, I know it’s going to be really hard to pay back my loans.”

Linsie Eriksen, Aurora, Colo. sophomore, said education loans are hugely important for her. Without them, she could never attend college—much less an out-of-state school like KU.

“I didn't really have a choice when it came to paying for college, it was this or nothing,” said Eriksen. “My parents can't afford to send my brother or me to college, so we took the role of paying for college upon ourselves.”

College Board estimates that the average student who borrows money to pay for a bachelor’s degree with graduate with $15,500 of debt. Over 60 percent of public university students will graduate with some type of debt.

Though Commerce Bank continues to push its private loan program, D’Angelo acknowledges the drawbacks of non-federal borrowing.

“Alternative loans aren’t necessarily the best way to go,” D’Angelo said. “Students can get into a lot of debt.”

For more information:

KU Office of Student Financial Aid

College Board's website, including extensive student aid trends and college costs

Federal Direct Loan consolidation information for students

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Grown in the Kansas prairies, distilled in Leavenworth, and available at your local liquor store, new vodka distilled from Kansas grain is available for the first time ever.

High Plains Inc. in Leavenworth is producing the first ever liquor to be distilled legally in Kansas since the state banned the manufacture of liquor in 1880.

Most Wanted Vodka is the brainchild of Seth Fox, a former process engineer and amateur distiller who converted a profitable electronics company he started in 1984 into High Plains in 2004.

By July 2005, the first cases of Most Wanted Vodka were hitting the shelves. At the end of 2005, Fox had shipped about 3000 cases of vodka to 180-190 covering the four corners of Kansas. He hopes to double that number by the end of 2006.

Fox is the 7th generation of a family with a history of moon shining in the hills of North Carolina.

“I’m not the first to do it in my family,” Fox said, “But I am the first to do it legally.”

Talking with Fox, you get a strong feeling of a man who is proud of his work and the history behind it. Fox started High Plains with absolutely no loans or investors. He used only personal funds for his start up capital.

Fox feels that buy starting the business entirely on is own, he feels less pressure to please investors and feels more flexible with his business plan. It also gives him a sense of security in his job.

“If you take it really slow, and do it all yourself, it’s pretty fail safe. Worst-case scenario, I’ll bottle water,” said Fox.

Self-sustainability permeates through High Plains. Fox literally built the distillery from the ground up. He hand built his filling machine from scratch using spare junkyards parts.

The rest of the shop at High Plains is filled with converted equipment. A coffee grinder from an old coffee shop is used to grind the grain for the vodka. A boiler from an old Kansas City home heats up the vodka and pushes it through the still. In fact the only new thing Fox bought in his endeavor was a scale to weigh the containers. Every other component was either bought used or pieced together from scrap in Fox’s machine shop.

Fox, who lives on a farm in northwestern Kansas, wouldn’t have it any other way. He approaches each job as a learning experience

“That’s the key is you have to be industrious like any farmer. He might not go out and buy a new part he might make one work or he’ll fix it himself or he might find something better,” Fox said.

Fox takes pride in the fact that his vodka is made from Kansas grain. “The best grain in the world,” he says. In fact, the best grain in the world grows right around the corner from his home; Fox buys all the grain used for production from his neighbor. Every component of Most Wanted Vodka is produced either right here in Kansas, or in the United States.

With the current outsourcing of jobs, Fox prides himself on supporting US workers like him. He uses a unique example to prove just how far the outsourcing has gone. While on vacation at Mount Rushmore, Fox went to the gift shop and checked the souvenirs to see where they were made. He was discouraged that he found a lot more “made in China” than “made in the USA”.

Now that Fox has conquered the homemade vodka market, he is looking to expand his product line to offer a wider variety of homemade Kansas liquors. Fox has recently been buying whiskey barrels from the McCormick distillery in Weston, MO and will begin distilling, aging, and shipping 5 types of whiskey later this year. Future projects also include 3 types of rum and two types of tequila.

Fox doesn’t see himself quitting the liquor business anytime soon, but he already has a back-up plan if business begins to dwindle.

“The next thing I’ll probably do, if I sell this or go on, I’m probably going to make cigars,” Fox said.

And his source for the tobacco? His neighbor grows it, right around the corner from his house, just another product of the fruitful Kansas plains.

For more information on the history of Kansas liquor laws visit: A History of Alcoholic Beverages in Kansas

If you or someone you know has a drinking problem please visit: Alcoholics Anonymous

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Keri Davenport will walk down the aisle at St. John’s church holding bright pink and orange lilies and roses on June 2, 2007. In front of 250 guests, she will be wed to Phillip Rodriquez.

As grooms pop the question, and brides say “I do”, small florists feel business stress this wedding season.

“They don’t see it as a profitable part of the flower business," said Susan Engle, owner of Englewood Florist. "I think that’s a mistake.”

At a Kansas State Floral Association conference a couple weeks ago, Engle learned that many small florists are getting out of the wedding business. In order for a florist to be profitable, there should be 12,000 people per florist, Engle said.

“We have too many florists for this size of community,” Engle said. “We should have half the number of florists we have now.”

She said because Lawrence is so saturated, it is hard for small shops to find a customer base to pull from. This makes business highly competitive.

“They don’t have the volume,” Engle said. “You have to have a pretty good daily business to have a profitable wedding business. If we have old flowers that have to be thrown out, we loose money.”

Not every shop can afford this loss, but larger companies like Hy-Vee have more latitude.

“We have a pretty much unlimited cash flow that gives the freedom for variety,” said Dee Seetin, Hy-Vee floral designer. “As a company, we are ordering thousands of dollars per week.”

“It’s a challenge because they have more buying power than we do,” said Sharon Reynolds, president of Owens Flower Shop Inc. “They buy volume, we buy quality.”

Franchise florists aren’t trending well, Engle said, and FTD stock is down. However, she says the thing that hurts Lawrence business is the lack of facilities that can hold 300 plus people.

“If the Holidome is booked, people go to Topeka or Overland Park companies,” Engle said. “The convention center will be good for us. It levels the playing field.”

The cost of wedding flowers depends on attendance and decorating at the church and reception. Laura Landgrebe, owner of University Floral, says that floral budgets are higher in Lawrence this year, but Katie Mitchell, Owens wedding specialist, says many people are doing receptions without flowers to save more money for the honeymoon.

This year, Mitchell sees less church weddings and more at venues like Liberty Hall and the Eldridge Hotel. It’s also becoming popular to have the wedding and reception all in one place. For local florists, this means smaller orders. Same-sex weddings can also mean fewer flowers, Engle said.

Because Hy-Vee owns their own wholesalers, they get flowers a lot cheaper, Seetin said. On the other hand, Owens gets their flowers directly from the grower which skips the wholesaler and saves about 24 hours.

“We have lots of people tell us that our flowers last longer,” Reynolds said.

Seetin says the difference is negligible.

“Our stuff gets pulled first so we get the best,” she said.

Local florists agree that June has always been a big wedding month, but that September and October are becoming bigger. Because flowers are so gorgeous in October, this time of year is becoming popular, said Cindy Goldring, Hy-Vee floral manager. More weddings are being booked in the fall than in June because of the colors. Fall colors like orange, yellow, red and burgundy are popular, and brides like to accent them with lime green, Seetin said. She also said there are better honeymoon deals in the fall and it’s harder to book churches in June.

“People are just really busy in May with other holidays so it’s an economic thing too,” Seeting said.

The amount of time people take to plan their weddings is changing too. Englewood Florist does more weddings with people planning within a couple of months rather than in the long-term. Engle said since they are located across from the courthouse, they sometimes get orders two hours before the wedding.

However, with a floral budget around $600, Keri Davenport is planning her big day more than a year in advance.

“I think that’s an interesting trend,” said Engle. “This is, for many people, the biggest day of their life. One wilted rose makes the difference.”

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April showers are bringing more than flowers on Saturday, April 29th. Lawrence Farmers’ Market is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a new location at 824 New Hampshire. The move to the new site, located at Pachamama’s parking lot, has been under discussion since the mid 90’s.
Lawrence Farmers Market new logo

Mercedes Taylor-Puckett, Market Coordinator, is excited about the new location despite challenges that come along with the long-awaited move. “We’ve been waiting to move for approximately ten years. The waiting list had grown to four or five years” said Taylor-Puckett.

Why the long wait? Over the past years, the city was unable to grant approval for the Weekday Market to also move to the New Hampshire Street location. Taylor-Puckett said, “We weren’t able to move the weekday market as well, because that area of downtown is heavily used by employees and shoppers. We just couldn’t kick everyone out of the parking lot at three o’clock on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

The lack of lot space during the week led to the final decision of holding different locations. The new Saturday market will be open from 7 to 11 a.m. at the 800 block of New Hampshire. The original location at 1020 Vermont will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. Both lots will stay open for business until the season winds down on November 11th. map taken from mapquest.com

The new lot is almost doubling the size of the market’s old site, jumping from 65 stalls to 102 at the New Hampshire location. But Lawrence isn’t the only farmer’s market expanding its stalls. Pat Randleas is the Market Coordinator for Wichita’s Old Town Farmers’ Market. According to Randleas, this is Wichita’s first year for the east market. Randleas had problems with city ordinances and the zoning department similar to Lawrence’s Market. The same problems led to the same solution, adding a new location. According to Randleas, the separate location “opens us up to a lot of new customers.”

Neither Randleas nor Taylor-Puckett seem to be too worried about the separate locations. Randleas believes “Lawrence has a lot of good support.” It’s the support of the community that keeps the market going. Ashley Smarker, a market customer says “the new location just means there will be more stalls for me to choose from.”

Jill Elmers is Downtown Lawrence Farmer’s Market treasurer, as well as a vendor. As treasurer, Elmers’ handles the market’s different fees. To be a vendor, a DLFM membership fee of $30.00 is required. In addition to membership, vendors must pay varying stall fees. These stall fees can be bought as a seasonal pass, guaranteeing vendors a stall until November 11th. Vendors can also choose from weekday only passes, Saturday only passes or even pay a daily stall fee.

Because of the long waiting list, many vendors choose the latter option. Taylor-Puckett says the first year of being a vendor is about “letting people see your face.” Beginning vendors are labeled floaters. Floaters usually show up to the market early in hopes of finding an empty stall. According to Elmers, “the bigger vendors buy seasonal passes, but they don’t always show up every week.”

“Most vendors are really good about letting me know if they will be filling their stalls or not” said Taylor-Puckett. It’s the market coordinator’s job then to fill the empty slots with floaters.

Both floaters and seasonal stall holders provide varying produce for Lawrence shoppers. John and Karen Pendleton have their own country market off of Highway 10, but they are also vendors at Lawrence Farmers’ Market. According to Karen Pendleton Lawrence’s farmers market is different than most other Kansas markets. “Lawrence Farmers’ Market is a growers market. Anything you sell (as a vendor) you have to grow yourself or raise on your farm” said Pendleton.

While growing their own produce might seem obvious, most Kansas farmers markets do not require vendors to raise their own produce. Wichita’s farmers market is one of the many that allow reselling. Randleas said that while reselling is allowed, vendors must display a sign to let customers know that the produce is not their own. “We are currently switching over from no management and trying to refine our market to producers only, but we are still in a transition stage” said Randleas.

Lawrence’s farmers market is well past the produce transition stage. Vendors must follow guidelines made by the DLFM. These guidelines include different vending categories such as: Producers, Processors, Value-Added Crafters and Prepared Food Vendors. While there are separate vendor categories, everyone follows the same agricultural admission guidelines. To see a detailed list of what can or cannot be sold, see Admission of Agricultural Products to the Market

After 30 years of service, the market has grown from ideas of locally grown produce to having a Board that helps run the market. Shirley Domer wrote 1979 Farmers Market: Notes and Recipes. In it, Domer expresses her definition of a farmer. “I like to remember words spoken by Daniel Webster in 1840: ‘When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers therefore are the founders of human civilization.’ Taking Webster’s point of view, one might say that farmers markets are helping strengthen the foundation of our civilization.”

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The March 12th microburst that struck Lawrence toppled both 60-foot silos and damaged nearly every building at Pendleton's Country Market, but Karen and John Pendleton were able to patch their farm in time for the spring harvest. Now they must decide whether to rebuild or leave farming, Mrs. Pendleton said.

“It is an opportunity to change directions,” she said. “We need to decide if we want to repair or not. And if not, then what?”

Mrs. Pendleton said the couple will make their decision by the end of May. The decision will not be easy.

After WWII, John's father, Albert, first started farming on the plot of land that is now Pendleton's Country Market. Albert's operation was much different from the Pendleton's of today. He raised mostly corn, wheat and soy beans, as well as about 500 head of cattle per year.

John and Karen took over the business about 25 years ago. They diversified the family farm by planting asparagus, lettuce, flowers, pumpkins and various flower species in addition to 450 acres of corn and soy beans. They employ about 20 part-time workers who, among other tasks, hand-pick the farm's 20 acres of asparagus. Pendleton's also allows people to pick their own produce.

“Normally I come out here with my son,” said Tiffany Saturday, Lawrence. “They don't use pesticides on their plants, and I love the texture of the spinach.”

Several Lawrence and Kansas City restaurants, including Free State Brewery and Pachamama's, purchase produce from Pendleton's. But despite the farm's location three miles east of Lawrence, Mrs. Pendleton estimates 75 percent of business comes from Johnson County. She said Pendleton's isn't as much of a novelty to Lawrence residents.

“Lawrence is not our biggest customer base. I wish it were, but I understand it,” Mrs. Pendleton said. Mr. Pendleton added, “Olathe people look at Lawrence as the day trip. We'll take those Johnson County tax dollars.”

Mrs. Pendleton estimates the business grosses about $200,000 per year. They do not employ migrant labor, so employee wages are a significant expense for the Pendletons. Mrs. Pendleton estimates 50 percent of the business' costs are employee wages, as compared to a typical expense of 30 percent.

Pendleton's is one of more than 60 area farms that offer everything from locally made wine to locally grown chickens. Mrs. Pendleton said there is a lot of cooperation between the local farms, and even area retailers.

“We care about each other and we respect each other,” she said. “This is something you don't find everywhere.”

Jeanie Wells, general manager of the Lawrence Community Mercantile, agreed with the amount of cooperation in the local farming and food retail industry.

“We absolutely view [Pendleton's] as local producers who work hard to bring great local food to people in our community,” Wells said. “They do sell directly to our community, so I suppose they are competing with us, but, honestly, we have always had a great, supportive relationship with them.”

So supportive, in fact, that the Community Mercantile is organizing a day for their staff to help the Pendleton's with any storm-related clean-up that still needs to be done.

The Community Mercantile isn't the only area business to offer help. Pendleton said more than 300 people helped clean-up after the storm. Reed Dillon sent a crew to help clean, and the owners of Henry's Plant Farm arrived an hour after the storm to repair damaged greenhouses.

“They just showed up and began working without even asking,” Mr. Pendleton said.

There are a lot of repairs left to do. With the volunteers' help, the Pendleton's built temporary greenhouses and reinforced a sagging wall on the farm's main store building. The building – a converted machine shop – has no modern amenities. There is no bathroom, no running water and dust from a nearby county road coats the shop's interior overnight. Mr. Pendleton said they would renovate the shop if they decide to stay.

Mrs. Pendleton mentions many reasons why she and her husband might continue farming. The Pendleton's children grew up on the farm, but Mrs. Pendleton isn't sure the children want to be career farmers. Two of the Pendleton's children are in college, and the youngest is in high school. Farming allows John and Karen to work together everyday, but if the Pendletons want to make a change, now would be the time, Mrs. Pendleton said.

“It is not something we want to get out of. We enjoy it,” she said. “But this isn't the most profitable business by any means. I got my degree in journalism, public relations. I could always do that. We are lucky because John's father was a first generation farmer. This is not a century farm, like we can't forsake our forefathers.”

More Information: Lawrence Journal-World article about storm damage at Pendleton's Country Market

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Some KU students may not remember a time that Starbucks coffee was served on campus, but that is probably because ever since 2004, The Roasterie brand coffee has been served in the Kansas Union and the Underground in Wescoe instead, and starting in Fall 2006, The Roasterie will have to send more coffee to the University.

Timeline of companies

The Studio, a new dining area located on the second floor of the newly renovated Hashinger Hall, will feature various dining options and another “Pulse” coffee shop featuring The Roasterie coffee. “It will be cool to have a coffee shop so close to my room. I normally have to drive all the way to Mass Street to get a good cup of coffee,” said Ali Kreideweis, Dallas sophomore, who lives in Lewis Residence Hall. Danny O’Neill founded The Roasterie in his Kansas City basement in 1993, and the business has been growing ever since. Today, the company sells more than $5 million worth of coffee to restaurants and other businesses throughout the Midwest and beyond. According to KU dining, The Roasterie coffee was first sold in few snack bars and bookstores then expanded to Anschutz Library. Once the planning stages for the Underground began, the company was invited to help with the design, the equipment and its placement. Because of The Roasterie’s success in Wescoe, when the Starbucks contract expired at The Market in the Kansas Union, the University began to offer The Roasterie at all campus locations. In addition to clients like the University of Kansas, The Roasterie coffee is found at locations as close as Warrensburg, Mo., or as far as the campus of the University of Sothern California or in New York state, but you can also find a free-standing coffeehouse called the Roasterie Café in Kansas City. “We buy the best beans, we take care of them, we air-roast them the best way possible, we work long, hard hours, we have a blast together, we are all about freshness and quality,” said Jason Burton, “Bean Booster” and Marketing Director for the Roasterie. Burton says having the University as a client has certainly helped the overall brand image. “Any company that has a positive image or position at a major University almost always develops a stronger brand in the market place, whether through name recognition, merchandise, etc.” Kelli Haug, Salina sophomore, said, “I go to the Underground before class and then I see people walking around with The Roasterie coffee cups on campus all day. It’s pretty good, and always busy.”

The company says perfect coffee is achieved by air-roasting their coffee beans which they buy from small, specialty farmers across the world.

Besides paying prices that are generally four times more than the commercial coffee companies pay, they contribute a percent of every pound of coffee they purchase and send it back to the communities where the coffee is grown. This money is apart of a fund the company established, which has wired schools to the Internet, built a preschool, and made contributions to schools in Brazil, Costa Rica and Columbia.

The company also donates their product, time and money to more than 150 local charities each year. They participate in just about every community event that takes place in Kansas City: the Trolley Run, Young Friends of the Art, Jingle Bell Run, Forks & Corks, and Oscar Night, plus many more.

“Our sales continue to grow because of the relationship we have built,” said Dave Wallace, “Coffee Counselor” and Sales Representative.

With a more specialty coffeehouses springing up around Lawrence and Kansas City, The Roasterie’s competition is not hard to find, though.

In Topeka, the company is challenged by PT’s Coffee Adventure, the Broadway Café in Kansas City, and Stumptown Coffee Roasters from Portland, Ore., who recently spent time with The Roasterie team in Kansas City.

Danny O’Neill, founder of The Roasterie said, "It's a big market, and there's a market for everything. We've pretty much set ourselves at the top of the market, and that's where we're staying at the top."

The company will have to watch out for more local competition from former employees. John Welsh, a former coffee roaster for The Roasterie, and Phil Thomas, a sales manager for the company from 1999 to 2002, have teamed up to distribute a new line of coffee to the Kansas City area. Despite this, O'Neill said he isn't worried about the new competition.

Next fall, the company will have a chance to introduce their brand of coffee to more than 3,000 KU students living on Daisy Hill near the renovated Hashinger Hall, in addition to students passing by The Underground and both Unions every day, a chance few local coffeehouses get to take.

Useful links:

The Roasterie

KU Dining Services

Starbucks

Fair Trade Coffee

Coffee Review: The World's Leading Coffee Buying Guide

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On May 25, Rosie Hull will apply her makeup; get into her formal dress and go to get her hair done. Dinner in the basement of Paisanos Italian Restaurant will add to the elegance of the evening, and a bus ride will take her to her final destination, formal. The only unique part of this night for Hull is that she is in only the ninth grade.

All four Lawrence middle schools have had ninth grade formals for at least the last ten years. In the last five years the formals have changed.

"Ninth-grade formals used to your Sunday’s best," said Aneita Baker, owner of Aneita's Alterations in Lawrence. "Now it is like they are trying to compete with the high-school kids."

Students continue to put an emphasis on the formal aspect of these dances, but the principals are reluctant to use the word formal.

Baker, who also rents tuxedos as well, says that other students put pressure on girls to buy the perfect dress. According to her, girls spend around $200 or more on a dress, while guys spend $100 or more on tuxes. She admits that dresses are not the entire equation either. Baker said that students are renting limousines and going out to eat in Kansas City, as well.

Joe Flannery, owner of Weavers Department Store, is surprised at what junior high students are doing.

“I think the amount of money spent is amazing.” Flannery said. “It started in the high schools and it has been somewhat of a surprise to see it filter down into the junior highs.”

Flannery did not give specific numbers on his sales, but he said that Weavers is enjoying a “nice increase from 2005.” He confirmed that the age of girls buying dresses has become younger as well. Flannery has seen girls as young as 14 buying dresses, but dresses don’t tell the whole story.

Limousines fit into this expensive puzzle as well.

“We have had sixth-graders rent limos before for their graduation,” said Larry Ojeleye, owner of Affordable Limousines in Lawrence. “It is getting kind of crazy.”

Ojeleye is the owner of Affordable Limousines in Lawrence. He said that younger students are renting limos just to show off and improve their status. He said his most popular limousine, the Hummer, runs $195 an hour and is popular with the younger kids. Ojeleye said last years sales from March through May were $75,000 with $45,000 of the $ 75,000 coming from prom or formal rentals. He said each year younger kids are renting limos with around a ten percent increase each year.

One assistant principal agrees that kids are renting limousines and buying expensive dresses, but he does not see it as a problem.

“I haven’t seen it on the increase.” said Matt Fearing, assistant principal for Southwest Junior High in Lawrence. “I don’t think it is getting more out-of-hand.”

Fearing said that he has seen more students going with limos for the dances. He said someone even arrived in a horse-drawn carriage five years ago. Fearing admits that the carriage was too much, but he said that the limos are not getting out-of-hand.

Will Fernandez, principal of South Junior High in Lawrence, said that kids are renting limos and dressing up, but he continues to say it is not a formal dance. He said that kids just call these dances formals, but the school tries to shy away from the word formal.

Bill Montgomery, assistant principal for West Junior High in Lawrence agrees.

“We try to downplay the limos, tuxes and dresses.” Montgomery said. “It is too expensive especially for ninth graders.”

Central Junior High wants to downplay the formal aspect of the dance as well, but they are still having their dance at the Marriott.

Allison Ice, West ninth-grader, said she does not have time for a job but did not mind paying for the formal because it was “compensation for being in junior high one more year.”

Hull, West ninth-grader, said that these formals are important despite what the schools think.

“I don’t think that they should not make it a formal.” Hull said. “People will not be very happy if it is not a formal.”

Ice added that everyone comes to these formals, and according to her, people are getting stretch escalades and party buses at other schools.

Hull confirmed this because she said her brother rented a stretch escalade two years ago for his West formal just to go from downtown to the school. She said renting a limo seems like a waste of money because most people do not go to Kansas City for dinner, so they pay a lot of money to go from downtown to West Junior High in a limo.

Despite the high cost and preparation, these formals are still very popular. Ice said that some people have planned where they are going, whom they are going with and how the evening will go one to two years in advance.

“These formals are that big of a deal.” Ice said.

For more information:

ABC News Report:Prom Cancelled

Helicopter Rides

Wichita Eagle Prom Prices

Prom Fashion

Posted by James Pinick at 03:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Significant growth in the recreational boating industry over the past five years has helped business owners to survive a decline in sales this year caused by higher fuel prices.

Steady growth in the boating industry slowed this season with the rise of fuel costs. However, the industry has been growing in other ways that compensate for the recent loss in sales. Local businesses aren't suffering too bad because of growth in prior years, but many worry about the effects the fuel factor will have on the future of the industry.

“There is growth, definitely,” said Linda Morginson of Arnie’s Boat Sales and Service in Lawrence, "but with the gas prices, we’re not sure what to expect.”

Morgison said the cost to fill her twin-engine boat with fuel has increased from approximately 100 dollars to 300 dollars, and said that some boats cost twice as much to fuel.

“Right now because all the fuel prices have gone up, people aren’t buying as much,” Garett Nolte, owner of Mid-Kansas Marine in Hutchinson, said. “They still have the boats and the accessories, but they aren’t going out as much." Nolte said this has caused the market for used parts and service work to increase.

Linda Morgison of Arnie's Sales and Services in Lawrence agrees about the demand for services and used parts. She reported a 40 percent increase in service work at Arnie's over the past few years, as well as a higher demand for parts and accessories. But Morgison said that she has seen more people going boating in the area, not the decline that Nolte reported.

“People are staying around and doing more boating here, which increases our business,” said Morgison. Beginning after September 11, 2001, Morgison said she's noticed more people within a 50 to 75 mile radius going to nearby lakes rather than traveling places. Her father-in-law, who owns Arnie's Sales and Service, said that the high fuel prices have continued this trend, causing even more people to stay close to home and try to save money rather than taking expensive vacations. Joe Finnegan, manager of Boater’s World Marine Center in Topeka, said that more families are going boating. It's a way for them to vacation together and spend time together.

Chris Coffman, assistant manager of Clinton Marina, has noticed several other factors causing growth in the industry in recent years.

"Rates on loans are excellent right now," Coffman said. "Also, the state is really trying to accommodate for boaters." Two years ago it recognized National Marina Day, and a number of classes on boating safety are offered through the coast guard auxiliary. The number of registered boaters in Kansas increased by 3,000 from 1996 to 2000, according to registration numbers provided by the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

Around Lawrence, businesses report growth as well. Joe Finnegan, manager of Boater's World Marine Center in Kansas City, Mo., says his business has grown between 8 and ten percent in the past three years. Half of the boats at Clinton Marina are less than five years old. Coffman said the Marina added dozens of new boat slips a few years ago and might add more in the near future. The Marina has a waiting list of 100 people. Morgison said that they are backed up with repair work and customers sometimes have to wait a month for repairs. That's a lot of time out of the boating season.

Preliminary development plans for a new boat dealership at the intersection of Clinton Parkway and Lake Pointe Drive were approved by the City Planning Commission in February. Coffman says that the community could probably support a boat dealership. Morgison said a new business would help them keep up with the overwhelming demand for boat services.

The boating industry is expected to keep growing, according to a study published by Freedonia Group, an international business research company. The report estimated that recreational boating in the United States would continue to grow at a 4.8 percent annual rate through 2009, to reach $16.7 billion dollars. Globally, the industry was projected to grow from $23.7 billion in 2005 to $33 billion in 2010, an annual growth rate of 7 percent, according to the same study.

A number of factors might account for this future growth. According to the study done by Freedonia, there has been a shift toward larger, more expensive boats. Mike Preston of Blue Springs Marine shop in Blue Springs, Mo., said that the growth he’s seen has been primarily this shift to larger boats. The Freedonia study also said that development of higher performance, more environmentally friendly engines might attract customers. Also, a rise in the population of people age 45 or older would cause growth in the industry because this age group is the primary consumer base for boats.

The boating industry is a tough business because it is seasonal. Rising fuel prices add to the difficulties this season. But the industry has been growing in recent years and businesses hope that growth will continue when the economy improves. Until then, they hope that the growth of business in recent years will carry them through.

“We’re just trying to stay above water,” Morgison said.

(Source: Licensing Section of the Kansas Department of Parks and Wildlife)

For more information:

grow boating

National Marine Manufacturers Association

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

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An increasing number of people no longer want or know how to drive a manual transmission. Manual transmissions, otherwise known as stick shifts, have been on the decline for years.

Joe Nobo, sales and leasing consultant for Crown Toyota, said there are maybe three or four stick shifts on the lot out of about 300 cars.

“The automatic is taking over,” Nobo said.

A similar trend is evidenced at Dale Willey. Gary Turpin, sales and leasing consultant, said that there are probably four or five stick shifts on the lot out of about 150 cars.

There are several reasons why manuals continue to be on the decline, “I think part of it is convenience,” Nobo said.

Nobo gives the example of a customer he sold a car to. The customer was a commuter and was going to get a stick shift for the better gas mileage. Nobo then asked the customer if he was going to like shifting in downtown Kansas City traffic. The customer then ended up getting an automatic, Nobo said.

Another segment of the car market at Toyota, luxury cars, rarely comes as stick shifts. Customers do not usually buy luxury cars in stick shifts.

“High end cars don’t come as five speeds,” Nobo said. In the year that he has been employed at Toyota, he has never seen a customer buy a Camry or Avalon in a stick shift, Nobo said.

The traditional stronghold of stick shifts, good gas mileage, is almost a non-issue. The new Yaris, just released at Toyota, has a mile difference between gas mileage in the automatic and manual transmissions.

When buying a stick shift, the customer should consider the value of a stick shift versus an automatic when they are going to either sell the car or trade it in, Nobo said.

At Crown Toyota, money is deducted for a stick shift in trade-ins, Nobo said. A stick shift is harder to sell because not as many people know how to drive them, Nobo said.

There is, however, still a market for stick shifts. A variety of people ranging from young to old buy stick shifts, Nobo said.

The older people tend to buy stick shifts because they had them before and liked them.

The younger people tend to buy stick shifts either because they want a sporty car or because stick shifts tend to be slightly cheaper than automatics, Nobo said.

Bethany Maynard-Moody, Lawrence junior, currently owns an automatic, but would get a manual if it were less money.

“I want a manual because you have more control of what is going on in your car,” Maynard-Moody, said.

Neil Wakefield, general manager at En-Tire car care center and in the automotive business for 36 years, has also evidenced the decline Nobo has.

“Everything has to do with comfort, not with performance,” Wakefield said.

Laci Gerhart, Hutchinson senior, is an example of someone who would rather buy an automatic even though a manual would be cheaper.

Gerhart knows how to drive a manual, but not very well.

Gerhart’s father currently owns a manual, but is planning on getting an automatic when he needs a new car, Gerhart said.

The automatic transmission is more popular in the United States than in Europe, Wakefield said. Honda did not have an automatic transmission for its cars until it moved into the North American market, Wakefield said.

A manual driver for years, Wakefield is an example of a customer who is going to make the shift to an automatic car.

“I’m tired of driving them [stick shifts],” Wakefield said.

Contrary to what the dealers are saying about gas mileage being virtually the same for automatic and manual transmissions, gas mileage is always going to be better for stick-shifts on the highway because the manual transmission weighs a lot less than an automatic transmission, Wakefield said.

Equipment required for fixing an automatic transmission is extensive. For manual transmissions, not as much equipment is needed, Wakefield said.

If there is a major problem with an automatic transmission, En-Tire, will not work on it, Wakefield said.

En-Tire will recommend a mechanic shop that specializes in automatic transmissions, Wakefield said.

A relatively recent invention, the shifttronic, combines features of the automatic transmission with those of a manual transmission. A shifttronic is an automatic transmission, which can be switched into manual mode that allows the driver to shift the gears themselves, Nobo said.

At Dale Willey, shifttronics are very popular, Turpin said.

Although the future of manual transmissions is murky, in one form or another, the manual transmission will endure.

“There are people who drive them, who want them,” Wakefield said.

Some Useful Links:

Projected decline of stick shifts

Information on the automotive industry and manual transmissions

How automatic transmissions work

(Photo by Kim Lynch) New model cars with stick shifts are becoming rare. This brand new Corolla S, is a model which Crown Toyota sells quite a few stick shifts in because the buyers are looking for the sports car feel.

Posted by Kimberly Lynch at 03:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Local video stores have battled the online, through-the-mail DVD rental service Netflix since it opened in 1999. Since then, they have come up with several approaches to compete. The “brick and mortar” stores have used strategies from ending late fees to prepaying for flicks and monthly membership fees. One store even considers relying on the mail itself.

According to Hoovers.com, a website that provides sales information for several companies and industries, the online movie-rental powerhouse more than tripled its net income from $6.5 million to $21.5 million between 2003 and 2004. They nearly doubled up the next year by bumping up to $42.2 million by the end of 2005, Video Business Magazine said that Ingram Entertainment Inc. cut 4 percent of their workforce in the middle of February. IEI is the nation’s largest distributor of DVD hardware and software, and supplies rental chains including Miracle Video, Family Video, Hastings and Blockbuster. VBM added that Movie Gallery will reduce salaried and administrative office staff by about 300 positions, 17 percent of the staff, by the end of 2006.

“It’s no secret that the business has been flat, and I think all the distributors have been affected by the weakness in the business,” IEI president David Ingram said.

To be a member of Netflix, you pay a monthly fee. You get online and create a list of the movies you want to see in the order you want to see them. They have about 60,000 to pick from. They will send you the DVD’s you want to see, starting from the top of your list (shipping is free). The more movies you want out at one time, the more you pay per month. Netflix says their most popular plan allows you to have out up to three DVD’s out at a time and you can rent an unlimited number per month for $17.99. Once you receive your movies, you keep them as long as you want and then send them back in the prepaid envelope they came with. After you watch something, send it back, and they receive it, they’ll send you the next title on your list.

In January of 2005, both Blockbusters in Lawrence, which are privately owned, started a “no late fee” membership along with the other corporately owned stores across the nation. The membership was free to all customers. They stopped offering it this March. The no late fee concept was good, said Andy Rumsey, store manager at Blockbuster on 23rd Street and Lenexa senior. But the stores didn’t have the inventory to keep up with the demand he said.
“If a popular movie came out, everyone would rent it the first weekend and it might be checked out for two weeks,” Rumsey said.

Craig Gerfen, owner of T & S Video Inc. in Tonganoxie, believed Blockbuster’s decision was poor.

“Anyone in industry knows no video store can get rid of late fees and be successful or profitable,” Gerfen said.

According to MSNmoney.com, overdue movies cost renters more than $1 billion a year.

Blockbuster turned to its Movie Pass, which is similar to Netflix in that you pay a monthly fee and can have out one or two movies at a time (depending on which package you buy) and have them out as long as you want. Rumsey said that as soon as they went to that method, profits didn’t increase, but customer traffic did. Couch Potato Video in Desoto also has a monthly subscription account with their “platinum membership.”

Gerfen says that Netflix’s platform is actually good for the video rental business, online or not, because it keeps people renting and leaves the door open for the brick and mortar stores.

“Overall it strengthens the industry because people are still renting other than doing ‘on demand’ and people are still getting the discs and keeping out of whole computer downloading,” Gerfen said.

Family Video opened their first Lawrence location on 19th and Massachusetts Street earlier this year. Before opening, they conducted a study that measured the outlook of video stores in division-one college towns. Jeremy Underwood, one of the managers at Lawrence’s Family Video, said that the study found that expanding to Lawrence made sense. Their version of a monthly membership costs $9.99 and entitles the owner to pay half price for an unlimited amount of rentals for the month. Nick Haaland, who also manages Lawrence’s Family Video, questioned Netflix’s method of no return dates.

“(It) might be nice, but how many times are you actually going to watch it?”

Pre-paying is another strategy local stores have used to stay in the game. Movie Gallery’s “value card” allows a customer to buy a $24 gift certificate for $19.99, or a $65 gift card for $49.99. Gerfen’s store also offers his rendition of pre-pay with the “gold card,” which is $30 for a yearly membership and adds seven free rentals to your account. It also allows customers to reserve movies among other perks.

Local video store managers say they have two advantages over Netflix: convenience and customer service.

“You actually have one-on-one help, and you don’t have to wait for the mail,” said Sherry Morris, manager at the Movie Gallery on 6th Street. She said that her store often receives new releases the weekend before they come out to rent. This allows employees to take them home and watch them and then give advice to any customer that has questions about a title.

Chris Jones, who manages Hastings in Lawrence, agreed convenience is important. He added that by actually going in a store, customers could not only get advice from employees but could buy concessions as well.

“We have people come in just to visit, socialize and spend time in the store,” he said.

Gerfen concurred.

“If you’re sitting on the couch with your wife and say “Honey, let’s go rent a movie,’ you can do that instead of waiting for the mail,” he said.

Gerfen hasn’t ruled out using the mail to his advantage. While still in its initial stages, he’s considered including prepaid envelopes with his rentals so after customers have checked out their selection in the store, they can return it by dropping it in the mail. The pre-printing stage has involved speaking with the postmaster and getting the artwork approved, but he is still looking at how cost-effective the program would be, considering replacement costs for films lost in the mail and membership fees.

“It just always comes down to a lot of money.”

Posted by Nicholas Nelson at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As the weather outside gets warmer, Craig Nowatzke, owner of the Sun Dog Hot Dog stand on Massachsetts street in Lawrence, prepares for a boost in sales.

It’s getting hot, and so is the food at the Sun Dog hot dog stand on 8th and Massachusetts Street. Owner, Craig Nowatzke is starting his first full year in the business. “I opened up last Christmas and ran it through the summer, then I opened it back up on St. Pattys day this year.

Craig Nowatzke, a Lawrence native, decided to start the business when his friend opened a stand a few years ago and did well. “It seemed like an easy way to break in on being a business man,” he said.

The Sun Dog hot dog stand has all the standard items that commonly come with the territory. Nowatzke sells hot dogs, large and small, smoked sausage, polish sausage, veggie bratwurst, chips, and drinks. ”Then I do a specialty sandwich from time to time like a Rueben, which was a big hit on St. Patty’s day,” said Nowatzke. He also has a variety of toppings such as relish, onions, saurkraut, horse radish, chipotle mustard, jalepenos, and ketchup.

Nowatzke said his sales are fairly unpredictable, but as expected, warm sunny days bring in business. “When it is sunny, people are in a good mood, and they are more likely to buy a dog on a whim,” he said. His stand, which has been open for a total of six months, has broke even on profits. “I didn’t expect much more than that and I am pleased with breaking even for now,” he said. He said his selling goal every week is $1,000 in order to make a profit. He believes the peak of his sales hit around Christmas time last year. “Last year the business steadily grew the whole year. This year has picked up recently, but I don’t think I have hit the ceiling yet,” he said.
However, Nowatzke does have a portrait photography business to fall back on. “I am reworking it now, but it needs more dollars to be successful,” he said. Nowatzke said he can always count on his regulars. “The good thing about being on Mass Street is that so many businesses surround me, and it is an easy walk for someone who is on their lunch break,” he said. Tim Nauman, a regular customer and good friend, comes around twice a week to get his fix. “I come for some good conversation, and I think it is great for Lawrence to have something like this, it’s great to be outside enjoying the weather.” Although, Nauman’s taste buds are a bit boring, according to Nowatske. “All he gets is a hot dog, plain, with just the bun,” Nowatzke joked.

Nowatzke admits that running his own business is tough at times. Nowatzke, who is in a wheelchair, said stocking the cart is hard for him because he usually has to go to three different stores. “Cases of soda and bags of ice get pretty heavy,” he said.

Natalie Mason, who works on Massachusetts street, said that she admires his work ethic. “I walk by here every morning when he is setting up the stand, all by himself, and he is done in the blink of an eye. His handicap is not noticeable, he doesn’t let it slow him down in the least,” she said.

The hot dog vending business is one that has a long history attached to it. In 1871, Charles Feltman, a German butcher, opened up the first Coney Island Hot Dog stand in Brooklyn, New York. In 1893, Chris Ahe, the owner of the St. Louis browns, started selling hot dogs at the ballpark. But, it wasn’t until 1936 that Oscar Mayer rolled out the first portable Hot Dog cart. They called it the “Wiener Mobile.”

And, while hot dog vending may not sound like a very lucrative business, one might be surprised. In New York City, a hot dog vendor can make anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 a year.

According to Nowatzke, he said there is one key to the business. “It is all about being in a high traffic area,” said Nowatske. “Downtown Lawrence is thriving, and I am happy to be here.”

Photo by Beth Breitenstein A customer buys a can of coke at the Sun Dog hot dog stand. Owner, Craig Nowatzke, sells chips and drinks along with his other items.

Photo by Beth Breitenstein Craig Nowatzke, owner of Sun Dog Hot Dogs sets up his shade umbrellas to keep his products out of the sun on a hot day. Nowatzke has been in business for about 6 months.

TImeline by Beth Breitenstein

Hot Dog Cart Facts

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He orders his shoes online. He buys his clothes online He even bought his last car online. George Marakas, KU business professor, says he makes an estimated 75% of his annual purchases on the Internet. If Marakas needs anything, he turns first to the Internet.

“I can’t remember the last time I picked up a phone book,” Marakas said.

Yet even with national online retail sales totaling almost $2 billion per week, some local businesses choose to remain out of the online marketplace.

Third Planet, 2 E. Ninth St., has locations in Lawrence, Wichita and Topeka, but no locations online. Trish Jess, director of operations for Third Planet, said that although the store had a couple of websites in the past, site maintenance became too difficult compared to the relatively low profits generated by their online business.

“We really just didn’t have the time to keep it up to date so that we could do more business,” Jess said.

With hundreds of products in the store, from clothing to bumper stickers, Jess said keeping up with constantly changing merchandise would not be practical for Third Planet.

“We haven’t had a full service retail website because we have too much stuff,” Jess said. “Our stock changes so frequently.”

Jess said that most customers buy products at Third Planet on impulse in the store. Clothes cannot be tried on when ordering online, and after the cost of shipping, items like bumper stickers and body jewelry may not be worth the cost.

“So much of what we sell is touch-and-feel stuff,” Jess said.

Chris Cardwell, Lawrence senior, works at Third Planet and said people call frequently to order products or ask if the store has a website. However, he does not think that the absence of a website hurts the store’s sales.

“We’re successful without it,” Cardwell said.

Third Planet does not plan to resume e-commerce any time soon.

“For us it’s just not really viable,” Jess said.

Two blocks away on the downtown strip, Bloom Bath & Body, 704 Massachusetts St., also conducts its business in-store rather than online. Bloom manager Lisa Sanders said time was the biggest factor in not yet having a website for the store.

“We just haven’t had time, basically,” Sanders said.

Bloom sells mostly products created especially for the store. The owner, Margot Wells, designs two lines of bath products and a new line of pajamas. She makes the formulas for the bath products and designs the packaging herself.

The two lines, archivebath.com and lollialife.com, have respective websites, while the store does not. The store websites went online quickly when the products were featured on Oprah's Favorite Things show in November 2004.

“When you have four products featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things, you have to have a website,” Sanders said.

Although customers call the Bloom store to order products over the phone, Sanders said she does not think that a store website would significantly increase sales. She says most of Bloom’s customers prefer to shop in-store, but a website may help KU students to continue to shop there after they graduate.

“The only advantage for a website is for customers around the country,” Sanders said.

A survey by Pew Internet & American Life Project shows that 73 percent of Americans go online. However, not everyone takes advantage of the Internet marketplace. Bloom worker Daniel Ellsworth says he does not shop online.

“With sites like eBay, it’s such a hassle,” Ellsworth said. “You have to set up an account. Plus I really just don’t trust people who sell stuff online.”

George Marakas, KU business professor, says that most businesses need some sort of website in order to remain competitive.

“It should be business as usual for a business to have a web presence,” Marakas said.

A web presence does not necessarily mean an online store. Marakas said that businesses need something on the web with basic contact information at the very least.

“At the least, it is certainly an advertising medium,” Marakas said. “The Internet evolved as the Yellow pages. I can’t remember the last time I picked up a phone book.”

Marakas said most businesses without websites need more education on the simplicity of web design and hosting, not persuasion of the significance of e-commerce.

“There’s a lack of understanding at the local level of how to do it – not of the value,” Marakas said. E-commerce is not just for eBay and Amazon. Even a small store in Lawrence like Au Marche, 931 Massachusetts St., can profit from a well designed website.

“Ever since we launched our current web site, we have seen our web sales grow and grow and grow,” Lora Wiley, Au Marche owner, said. “We do know that during the summers people traveling cross-country will make a special stop in Lawrence to visit us because they've visited our web site.”

With the growing success of online sales, Marakas recognizes that in-store shopping will not disappear any time soon. Like Trish Jess said, people still enjoy trying things on and buying items on the spur of the moment.

“Women still look at shopping as a sport,” Marakas said.

Read about the Internet today on Business Week's website.

See Time Magazine's listing of the best websites.

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