Today is Spending Saturday!

Today, Saturday 21st is our first SPENDING SATURDAY!

Where in Norwood Center will you Spend your Saturday?
Friends of Norwood Center hope you'll keep the Earth in mind in honor of Earth Day, tomorrow, April 22nd.

Events and Specials for our Earth Day Inspired SPENDING SATURDAY:

Babel's Paint and Decorating:  Sale on Benjamin Moore low VOC paint
Envy Boutique: 10% off non-sale items in the store, including Alex and Ani recycled metal bracelets
Custom Art Framing: 15% off custom framing orders using Eco-friendly moulding selection
Twice is Nice: Sale available on selected resale clothing items
Hill Jewelers: Up to 60% off selected jewelry selections
Silver and Sage: Enter a raffle to win a Mother's Day bouquet with 10% off all preorders today.

While in Norwood Center consider these Green Options:

Perks doesn't use styrofoam in its packaging
Antiques Roadhouse is an environmentally friendly business model of reusing goods
ReMARKable Clean Outs is also an environmentally friendly business of resale and repurposing.
Hill's Jewelers has been in Norwood Center for 30 years! And they recycle!

Working on your business

FNC photo. Silver and Sage on Washington Street

As Downtown Manager, my focus is on getting residents to enjoy all that downtown Norwood has to offer.

I also focus on our merchants and listening to what they have to say. The opportunity to share the opinions of residents with merchants is my bridge between my two focus areas.  


Some of my blog posts will discuss retail business and the perspective of the customer. This post is about business owners working on their business. 
It's from Christine Moynihan of Retail Visioning:

"Here are a few things you can do to actively work ON your business (not just IN it!) and a few questions that might just challenge the status quo and prepare your business for healthier days ahead!

• Write an “elevator speech” that says what is special about your business, believe it in it, share it with your staff and repeat it frequently!  (No more than 12 words!)
•  KNOW your customers – talk to them, conduct (fun) surveys and leverage this knowledge to improve your relationships with them.
•  Maintain a month-at-a-glance calendar and look well ahead at opportunities for your store or restaurant.
• LOOK at your finances every week.  Understand YOUR financial snapshot.
• Establish sales AND marketing goals. 
•  “Hire for attitude, train for skill” – keep training!
•  Step outside your store with one of those good friends who will tell you the truth!  How does it look?  Could the signage or façade be refreshed?  Are the windows clean and telling a compelling story that will bring customers inside?  Now… walk in and ask for the truth again!"

The above checklist is from Retail Visioning by Christine Moynihan

What do you think about items on this checklist? 

Thanks for reading and caring about Norwood Center!
~Kim Weineck, Downtown Manager

Perfect for Valentine's Day

Last week I ventured into Silver and Sage, a fantastic florist in Norwood Center. Ronald Charles Wight was preparing for Valentine's Day and his shop looked as beautiful as it smelled. 

FNC photo of Silver and Sage's engaging storefront

We chatted for a spell, and it was obvious how willing Ron is to work with the community to be a relevant part of our town center. He has already been a part of the Norwood Evening Garden Club's events and explained he offers floral classes, too. 

FNC photo of Ron in his shop, discussing his business

I left with a few stems to brighten my own home and was delighted to be supporting my local neighbor. Remember that when you spend money locally more of it stays in the community. With wonderful options like Silver and Sage, the choice is easy to make!