Created by former bride, Haley Dotson
www.TheBrideLink.com

After planning my wedding in 2010, I realized a wedding could possibly be the most complicated, time-consuming, and stressful event a woman will ever plan. From the wedding venue to hair and make-up, there are over twenty different vendor professionals a bride may hire to make her dream wedding come true. Brides usually work full time in school or in the office, causing it to be a challenge to find time to search for available and affordable vendors. From my experience as a bride, I created The Bride Link to save brides valuable time and relieve the stress of finding local, affordable wedding vendors. Here’s how…

The Bride Profile
One of the most frustrating and inefficient parts of planning my wedding was having to repeat my wedding details again and again to vendors to see if they were in my price range and available on my wedding date. Through The Bride Link, brides create a profile which includes all their wedding details. When they see a vendor that interests them, they are able to send a link request to that vendor. This is like a “friend” request on Facebook. This allows the vendor to see all the bride’s wedding details, including her budget and wedding date. From this point, the vendor and bride can communicate back and forth over The Bride Link’s messaging system in order to exchange quotes, availability, and other ideas for the wedding.

Shopping for Vendors
The Bride Link is designed to give brides all their vendor options in one place. It feels like an online bridal show, except the brides have access to free consolidated vendor information anytime they want and solely at their convenience. Instead of a booth, vendors have a profile providing brides with the most important information about their services including prices and pictures. The Bride Link even uses the bride’s profile information to match her with vendors in her price range. Through one click, the bride can send her wedding information to any vendor to see if they are available on her wedding date.

Problem Solved!
The Bride Link skips the time consuming work of searching on Google, emailing vendors, and calling to check for availability. After viewing a vendor’s prices and pictures, the bride can send her wedding information to any vendor for review. Brides do not need to worry about being spammed by wedding vendors ever again. On The Bride Link, the power is completely in the hands of the bride to initiate the relationship with the vendor. The Bride Link does not permit a vendor to see a bride’s profile until a link request is sent. During this extremely important time in a bride’s life, she will find The Bride Link is fun, innovative, and will revolutionize the way she connects with vendors.

Brides Who Love The Bride Link

“I never realized how many choices there were for flowers, cakes, decorations, and other vendors until I got engaged. The Bride Link makes it easy to connect with vendors who can work with my budget and my needs. The vendors on The Bride Link showed me that they wanted my business and would work with me to give me what I wanted to the best of their abilities.” – Jamie DeChaine and Kelsey Feldmann

“The Bride Link was a great starting point for me in my search for wedding venues and vendors that are located in my area. You can link with the vendors that you like and correspond in one place. It makes it very easy and stress free to plan a wedding. The inspiration boards have by far been my favorite part of the site. The boards give me ideas and inspiration for my own wedding.” – Paul Watson and Debbie Perry

“Haley and The Bride Link have been a valuable resource during my wedding planning process, especially The Bride Link vendor page. It introduced me to providers I didn’t know about! I think all Knoxville brides should explore the site. It’s so nice to have so much information about local vendors in one place, and Haley’s helpful and professional personality help to ensure that you find whatever you’re looking for!” – Jason Phillips and Lindsay Taylor

“The Bride Link has been absolutely amazing! They have all the vendors I was interested in, with contact information, all in one place! The emails I receive from The Bride Link have wonderful ideas and tips for how to make your wedding something focused on what you want and who you are as a person. It has shown me that if a classic, traditional wedding is not exactly for me, that’s ok! A wedding is supposed to be what you and your fiancé want. And at The Bride Link, I have been able to find exactly what I want for my wedding.” – James Krause and Emily Kiraly

Vendor Testimonials

“The Bride Link provides a unique service, offering the best of all worlds. It’s a convenient ‘one-stop shop’ where brides can learn more about vendors with the click of a mouse. In addition, the site delivers vendors the opportunity to reach a target-specific audience. For brides and vendors alike, The Bride Link provides excellent results with minimal effort. Strength definitely exists in numbers. By joining The Bride Link, I have seen a marked increase in customer inquiries.” – Nathan Manning, owner of Timeless Transportations

“Haley Dotson with The Bride Link has created a wonderful online meeting place for brides and vendors. With a functional, user-friendly website, the planning process is made easier for brides, and vendors have increased interest in their business. Haley has done a great job keeping up with social media trends, making The Bride Link easily accessible to many brides and therefore increasing traffic in our store!” – Cheryl Hyland, owner of White Table.

The Bride Link
www.TheBrideLink.com

Does Knoxville really need another health club? According to Tricia Kilgore, owner and area developer of two Koko FitClub locations in Knoxville, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes.” Based on the accolades for Koko FitClub locations across the country, we expect that many Knoxvillians will agree.

Winner of the prestigious Nova7 award for innovation in the fitness industry, Koko FitClub’s automated virtual personal training studios are currently in 26 states and Canada. The Knoxville locations are in Farragut at 153 Brooklawn Street (near Kroger Marketplace) and in Bearden at 4614 Kingston Pike (near Long’s Drug Store).

Kilgore, a registered nurse and wife of an area surgeon, first experienced Koko FitClub when her daughter, Lauren, was a student at Vanderbilt University Law School. Lauren was a Koko FitClub member and self-proclaimed “Koko nut.”

“Lauren was able to fit law school and Koko workouts into her busy schedule while achieving amazing results,” Kilgore said. “My husband and I tried it ourselves and were blown away by the revolutionary technology and convenience of Koko FitClub.”

The system is tailor-made for people who are short on time, watching their budget, and tired of the typical gym experience.

Dubbed “the future of fitness” by The Los Angeles Times, Koko offers a fast, effective, technology-fueled way to exercise. Its one-of-a-kind mix of technological efficiency and personalized guidance provide members with results typically achieved only through expensive personal training regimens. Participants complete their entire workout on one machine that uses patented technology to ensure they are doing precisely the right exercise, the right way, at the right pace, for the best possible results. The entire workout takes 30 minutes or less.

To join Koko FitClub or to schedule a complimentary session, contact the Farragut location at 865-671-4005 or http://farragut.kokofitclub.com or the Bearden location at 865-558-1236 or http://bearden.kokofitclub.com.

Koko FitClub
865.671.4005 Farragut
865.558.1236 Bearden

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. You’re looking at one of the marvels of new technology in today’s kitchen – the induction cooktop. With induction cooking, the element located under the glass heats up the cookware, yet the actual glass surface maintains a cooler temperature. This new induction kitchen technology offers an easier, faster, safer cooking experience in the kitchen, and for many homeowners induction cooking is a great way to get the conveniences of gas cooking without the headaches of adding a gas line to your kitchen.

The main reason homeowners choose gas ranges over electric is because gas ranges have better control; they can turn on and off instantly whereas electric can’t. Induction cooking has the same type of instant on and off capability as gas. And most units automatically turn the burner off if the pan is not returned to the same burner within a certain time frame. Now that’s safety! Another great benefit of induction cooking is that induction cooktops clean up quickly and easily because it’s not the glass surface that provides heat to the pot. Spills become much easier to clean up since the cooking surface stays cooler than your cookware.

Induction in appliances is a simple technology, but many homeowners are not sure how it works. An induction cooktop has unique copper elements under the glass ceramic surface that use electricity to produce a magnetic field. The magnetic field reacts with the iron in metal cookware and transfers the heat to the cookware. The bottom line performance of induction is based on your cookware. An easy way to see if your current cookware will work is to do the magnet test. If a magnet will stick to the outside bottom of your pot, it will work.

An additional bonus that most homeowners don’t know is that induction cooktops are faster at cooking. The induction element technology heats up the pan faster and with less energy. The best example of the induction’s speed is the time it takes to boil water. With induction your time to boil water is greatly reduced; you can bring one quart of water to boil in as little as 90 seconds. Food gets to the table faster, so you can spend more time enjoying the food and less time waiting for food to cook.

Induction cooking is revolutionizing the kitchen. You can cook faster, gain the same convenient features as gas, have a safer cooking environment, and spend less time cleaning up. Life just got easier in the kitchen and induction cooking is leading the way.

If you want to see a live demonstration of these cooktops in action, just visit the new Friedman’s showroom and they’ll give you the surprise of your life. 

Friedman’s Appliances
9296 Kingston Pike
Knoxville, TN 37922
865.693.4344
www.friedmansappliances.com

Volunteers, board members, and the staff of Random Acts of Flowers gathered in January at Tennova’s Physician’s Regional Medical Center to celebrate the 10,000th floral delivery to a patient in a health care facility.

Random Acts of Flowers is a Knoxville based 501(c)(3) non-profit charity whose volunteers collect flowers from weddings, memorial services, florists, special events, grocery stores, and churches to recycle and re-purpose them into beautiful bouquets for delivery to patients in area hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care centers. The charitable service of Random Acts of Flowers supports mental health, spreads joy, and offers comfort through random, thoughtful, botanical deliveries.

Random Acts of Flowers blossomed in 2008 after a near-fatal accident.  Founder and Executive Director, Larsen Jay, felt the ladder he was standing on give way during a roof repair.  His story and a half fall left him hospitalized and wheelchair bound for months. During his recovery friends and family showered Jay with flowers and filled his hospital room. Overwhelmed by their generosity and encouragement, Jay made it his mission to pass on those gifts to other patients in much worse shape on his floor who hadn’t had any visitors.  His personal deliveries served as the inspiration for the charity.  In a little more than three years’ time, Random Acts of Flowers’ volunteers now make bi-weekly deliveries to patients across Knoxville and the surrounding community.  Partners include seven hospitals, over thirty nursing homes/assisted living facilities, and four hospice care centers in the East Tennessee area.

“As people make their New Year’s resolutions, I think it’s important to focus on what we can all do for others,” says Larsen. “I’m constantly amazed how we turn leftover flowers into smiles by recycling them into bouquets for patients in need.  Every week we see first-hand the power of this simple gesture of kindness.  And I know we’ve positively impacted that person’s life, if only for a moment.”

Each floral donation to Random Acts of Flowers gets deconstructed to its core elements. Then, a team of volunteers rearrange each bouquet from scratch in just a few hours, using as many elements as possible. Other parts of the floral arrangements are then recycled through resale outlets or recycling centers. The result is a beautiful new bouquet of flowers ready to be delivered to a patient in area hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care centers.

“The joy of flowers is reinforced when I see one large centerpiece turn into ten smaller arrangements,” says Ellie Gardner, longtime RAF volunteer. “I know that the time I’m giving today will help brighten a patient’s day tomorrow.”

The 10,000th delivery not only marks a major milestone, but also launches a year of strategic planning to expand Random Acts of Flowers into other cities around the country.

To learn more about Random Acts of Flowers, make a donation, participate in an event or sign up to be a volunteer, visit www.RandomActsofFlowers.org.

More than 2,000 pieces of art by 70-plus acclaimed artists, hailing from across the Southeast and beyond, will be available for purchase at this year’s ArtXtravaganza Art Show & Sale, March 9-11, at Webb School of Knoxville’s Lee Athletic Center. Featuring a wide variety of media, including oil painting, watercolor, sculpture, photography, metal works, printmaking, glass, metal, and jewelry, ArtXtravaganza promises something in everyone’s price range. The event is open to the public, and admission and on-site parking are free.

ArtXtravaganza is one of the premier art shows in the Southeast and has played a significant role in helping to establish Knoxville as a community aligned with the arts, and to further the careers of prominent artists. Reflecting Webb’s staunch commitment to excellence in the arts, ArtXtravaganza supports Webb’s Artist-In-Residence Program, an on-campus teaching and learning experience for students. The school hosted Chicago-based photographer/educator Cecil McDonald Jr. in fall 2011, and will welcome New York-based mixed media artist Michael Bramwell this spring.

New this year is the launch of an arts outreach initiative in which a portion of the proceeds from ArtXtravaganza will go to benefit the arts program of a local school. According to Danielle Nutt, chair of ArtXtravaganza 2012, the new effort expands on Webb’s tradition of fostering community by enhancing lives through art education and appreciation. “That tradition is not isolated to just our school community,” says Nutt. “We recognize that we are part of something bigger and with ArtXtravaganza, we have the opportunity as a school to support the arts in the community at large.”

ArtXtravaganza 2012’s featured artists are Ohio-based father and son painters Gary Stretar and Luke Stretar. Focusing on the American landscape, Gary describes many of his vivid paintings as simple, straightforward views of rural America, while others feature more textures, color or American themes. Luke’s richly pigmented pieces currently focus on rural industrial images and studies of cows and bulls.

Doors to ArtXtravaganza open at 1 pm on Friday, March 9. The art sale continues Saturday, March 10, from 10 am-5 pm and Sunday, March 11, from 11 am-5 pm. Many thanks to Rothchild Catering and Sodexo for providing the event’s hospitality. For more information, visit www.artxtravaganza.org or call 865-291-3846.

If you’re like most Americans you no doubt are already experiencing Profound Political Information Overload Syndrome, or PPIOS. And if you find yourself shouting at your car’s radio or disputing your version of the truth with a television political pundit, your PPIOS might be much more severe than you might have imagined.

The first tip for survival this political season is to keep your small business on its present trajectory for recovery during this period of modest, yet improving economic growth. Businesses that are “off-message” or that ignore the opportunities to prosper during this recovery do so at their own peril and to your advantage.

Secondly, and despite the outcome of the upcoming elections, accept the fact that our republic has survived countless elections over its more than two-century history, and we will survive this November’s election regardless of the best efforts of politicians from each party to divide our nation’s populace.


Thirdly, dial down the emotions a notch by limiting your exposure to the news. I preferred the good old days when television featured 30-minute newscasts; one in the morning and a second in the late evening. Today we are bombarded with 24/7 news coverage from multiple media outlets that are competing for viewers for the sole purpose of generating greater advertising revenues.

Don’t kid yourself. Media outlets feast on advertising dollars and the field of journalism is transforming itself into the field of entertainment in many instances. Close your eyes when you next watch cable news. What’s the deal with all the music? My guess is that its purpose is to heighten our emotions. I call that “theatre.”

I’d suggest that you catch five minutes of news in the morning, over the lunch hour and in the evening from varied media outlets.

Fourth, exercise your right to vote. Cynicism appears to be at an all time high this election season. It does every election season. But vote. Conjure up in your mind those brave Iraqi citizens who walked miles under the threat of death to exercise their first ever opportunity to vote in what they could only hope would be a legitimate and fair election that would help to determine the future course of their fledging democracy.

And finally, return to the first tip if you’re still experiencing PPIOS.

The best decision you can make for your small business, your family, your employees, your customers, and our local economy is to adhere to well thought-out and carefully implemented strategy for success. And try to ignore the fact that the next election season begins on November the 5th.

‘Tis the season for love. Yes, I’m talking about the canine variety. Thanks to the newest addition to the Alpert family, puppy love has become contagious. It is amazing how much joy a 1.9 lb. Tea Cup Chihuahua has brought to our lives. Her name is Dinky, but her name does not even come close to fitting her big personality. Since Dinky has joined our family, not only have we had a lot of cuddle time, walks, and laughs together as a family, but we all seem to be a little bit happier. I got to thinking, and there has to be something to this. So, I did a little digging.

Veterinarians and Sociologists have been talking about this subject for decades, and when I stumbled across the book entitled “100 Simple Secrets Why Dogs Make Us Happy” by David Niven, Ph.D., I knew that it wasn’t just a coincidence. The first secret makes the most sense to me. Dogs have personality. How many people have you encountered in your life that cannot even make eye contact, let alone offer a firm handshake or a friendly smile? My mother used to describe people like that as having the personality of a mayonnaise sandwich. I would look at her funny and reply with “I didn’t know sandwiches had personalities.” Then again, I suppose that was her whole point.

Every dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning never had a problem expressing any of these things (yes, dogs can smile), not to mention feel emotions and express affection, although often times in the form of slobber and kisses. I thought the most compelling simple secret in the book was that people who own dogs live longer. Research shows that dog owners walk their dogs, and walking not only burns calories but decreases stress. Dr. Niven says dog owners walk 79% farther in an average week than people who do not own a dog.

I consulted our local Veterinarian, Dr. Sam Meisler of My Pet’s Animal Hospital, on the topic during a visit the other day, and here’s what he had to say about dog ownership and happiness. “Dogs give us unconditional love – no questions asked. They also are very attuned to us and can read and interpret our expressions. They know when we are upset and when we are happy, and they respond. What more could you ask for?”

Now a new study reports that dogs, like infants, are able to study minor details in human communication and correctly interpret intent. The New York Times recently posted an article describing what researchers in Hungary have discovered about canine behavior. They presented dogs with two videos. In the first, a woman says “hi dog” while looking straight at the camera. The woman then turns her head toward a container and the dog follows her gaze. However, when the woman is looking down, the dog does not follow her subsequent gaze. Adam Miklosi, a behavioral biologist at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, says the study shows dogs can read human behavior and understand when they are being addressed.

I know what you are thinking. DUH… we already knew this. Just look at how my dog becomes putty in my hand when I talk baby talk to him or check out Mr. Jealous sulking in the corner because I’m giving the new puppy some love. (I was referring to our other dog, not my husband.) But it’s nice to know that science is confirming what most of us already know. Miklosi makes a good point in the article. “Being in a human family gives the dogs the ability to interact in a human way.” He goes on to say that you can really treat your dog as an infant, which you wouldn’t really do with a goat or another domesticated animal.

I believe a happy dog can make for a happier human, but happiness works both ways. Owning a pet of any kind takes responsibility, commitment, and a special place in your heart to love the animal. There are so many pets that need homes and want to love us back. If you are considering a dog or cat, a good place to start is the Humane Society of The Tennessee Valley. For more information, visit www.humanesocietytennessee.com.

Sound impossible? Not at all, thanks to GreenWorks Energy Consultants and the cutting edge technology provided by a unique, state-of-the-art energy controller called a KVAR Energy Controller (KVAR EC™).

The KVAR EC™ system optimizes your electrical usage by reducing the consumption of excess electrical power required when appliances such as air conditioners, washers, dryers, heat pumps, refrigerators, and more operate in your home or business.


Have you ever noticed how lights appear to dim when, say, your air conditioner begins operation? Motors in appliances, such as air conditioners, frequently consume much more electricity than what is required for their safe and efficient operation. This results not only in wasted electrical consumption, but also shortens the life expectancy of these often expensive motors.

Once GreenWorks installs the KVAR EC™ system to your home’s electrical panel, a task typically requiring less than 30 minutes, you will begin experiencing an immediate reduction in electrical energy consumption while extending the lives of your appliances’ motors and other electrical devices located throughout your home including computers, HDTV’s, and more.


Just how much money you will save depends on any one of a number of variables, but electrical savings alone in the first year often provide for a 12 month payback on the total cost of installing the KVAR EC™. And it gets even better as GreenWorks guarantees a minimum of 6% savings within the first 90 days or your money back, plus a 12-year manufacturer warranty against defects in the KVAR Energy Controller.

You will also be delighted to learn the KVAR EC™ from GreenWorks also provides whole house protection against unexpected electrical surges so common today while significantly reducing our carbon footprint.

If you’re ready to begin shaving wasted dollars from your home or business’ electrical bills, call GreenWorks and discover how you too can take a bite out of rising energy costs. Most homes can curb electricity usage for as little as $499 installed. That’s the no brainer! Call today!

GreenWorks Energy Consultants
4109 Barbara Drive

Knoxville, TN 37918 

865.386.6623 

www.GreenWorksKvar.com

If all the stuff that you’ve been accumulating over the years has rendered your home’s original interior design unrecognizable, then know you’re not alone. You know what we’re talking about. You try to find the perfect accessory but nothing works, so you wind up with a house full of beautiful pieces that suddenly don’t seem as beautiful as they did in the store. Or you inherit your grandmother’s antiques and you’re not sure how to incorporate them into your existing furnishings. Or you feel like you can’t get rid of the (fill-in-the-blank here) because you paid too much for it back in the day. The list goes on and on.

No matter how or why you attained your stuff, it’s actually a common problem. And the solution is easier than you might have imagined. Hayden Garrett Interiors can reshape your home with a color and style makeover or a complete overhaul, offering design solutions that will put new life into your tired home.

Hayden Garrett Interiors founders and owners, Shanda Hayden and Ginger Garrett, formed the full-service design firm in 2009, then called It’s All Arranged, which highlighted room makeovers. The name change to Hayden Garrett Interiors more accurately captures the scope of their work. “Yes, we still do room makeovers!” says Ginger. “Sometimes it’s the perfect solution. Other times, not so. We’ll create a custom-designed home if that’s what the client would like.”

“Sometimes it’s hard for homeowners to see the forest for the trees,” said Shanda. “Most times, Ginger and I walk in and immediately see what needs to be done. It may be something as simple as changing a paint color or a home may truly need some major updating.”

What you will enjoy most about Hayden Garrett Interiors is their ability to develop an interior design plan that will meet your specific needs and budget. “We feel we give homeowners honest and valuable feedback on what improvements they should invest in for their home,” said Ginger.

You may recognize their talent from the rooms they designed for the 2010 and 2011 Knoxville Symphony League show houses. Both Hayden and Garrett are members of the national and East Tennessee chapter of the Interior Design Society, a trade organization that specializes in residential interior design. To meet the real estate needs of clients, they each hold certificates from STIR (Staging Transformations and Interior Redesign). Each have extensive backgrounds in interior design and fine furniture sales.

If you’re sincere about helping your home to lose weight in 2012, then both Ginger and Shanda are prepared to help you set your New Year’s resolution into motion. The Before & After portfolio on the Hayden Garrett Interiors website will inspire you to start your home’s diet. Browse through their photos and see if any of the rooms remind you of your home and the work that needs to be done. Just a friendly reminder that it’s 2012, not 1992!

Ginger and Shanda look forward to helping your home shed its old image and discovering a brand new look for 2012. So what are you waiting for? America’s first Interior Decorator, Dorothy Draper, put it simply when she said, “My theory has always been to get started.” Give them a call today and get started.

Meet the Designer – Ginger Garrett
My favorite projects are the ones where we’re totally immersed in the whole house; everything’s clicking and there’s a lot of adrenaline in the air! And it never fails to amaze me how one little change in the room can make such a huge difference for the better. Knowing our clients are happy with the results is my greatest reward.

Meet the Designer – Shanda Hayden
I consider getting to know our clients one of the many perks of our job. Not only is it enjoyable and interesting, it is essential. Creating a beautiful room takes effort, and taking the extra time to discover a client’s needs and wishes makes all the difference. It also ensures that the outcome reflects their personality, not ours!

Hayden Garrett Interiors
Ginger Garrett 865.966.0334
Shanda Hayden 865.481.8804
www.haydengarrett.com

Not content to rest on last year’s success, Granite Transformations, having just opened a new and expanded Design and Discovery Showroom in Knoxville, recently announced the opening of their brand new Design and Discovery Showroom in Chattanooga. And the results speak for themselves as customer response has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.

Once again, we are pleased to interview local area entrepreneurs and husband and wife team, Buddy and Patti Baker.

Everything Knoxville: 2011 was a year of unprecedented success and growth for Granite Transformations. Were you ever tempted to take some time off and relax for a while?

Buddy Baker: We’ll relax later. The current economic environment is ripe with opportunities for aggressive companies with a great business model and a well thought-out marketing strategy.

EK: While you have meticulously implemented your well thought-out marketing strategy, how important was the quality of Granite Transformations’ products to your success?

Buddy: Even before launching Granite Transformations in Knoxville we were committed to identifying a product that was far superior to anything our competition might offer. We recognized that no marketing message, no matter how carefully crafted, could overcome inferior quality.

EK: So with a superior product and a carefully crafted marketing message, you launched your newly expanded Design and Discovery Showroom. Tell us, what were the results?

Patti Baker: Our new design center allows our customers both to plan and visualize their dream kitchen or bath in advance. Showing our expanded product offering has also helped our customers to discover how easy and cost effective their transformation can be.

EK: And now, on the heels of this success, you will be launching an all new Design and Discover Showroom in Chattanooga. What has the response been?


Patti: We have had a great response to our advertising in Chattanooga and have already established a base of satisfied Granite Transformations customers. We look forward to opening our new design center there so that our Chattanooga area customers have the same opportunity to come in and create their dream transformation.

EK: You had to know that your strategy of expanding during these troubled economic times almost seems counter-intuitive, and yet your strategy has been far more successful than even you had imagined. How do you account for that?

Buddy: In times like these, hunkering down and waiting for things to get better is a dangerous game of chance. We offer the best products, warranty, and service commitment, so why not make it known for those people who are interested in adding value to their homes.


EK: Tell us a little more about your new Chattanooga endeavor.

Patti: We are in the process finishing our design center there and anticipate having our grand opening celebration in the first quarter of this year. We expect the same level of success there as we have experienced here in Knoxville.

EK: You’ve successfully navigated a deep recession and housing industry collapse. What words of encouragement can you offer to other small business owners who might have hunkered down during these last several years?

Buddy: Start marketing heavily, but do it strategically and smart. Know your customers’ demographics and figure out how to reach them, and when it begins to work, expand your marketing proportionately.

EK: Any last thoughts you would like to share?

Buddy: Thanks to the great people of Knoxville, and watch out for information about our annual anniversary celebration in the coming months. It’s going to be a great time to discover your dream kitchen or bathroom that awaits you in your home.

Granite Transformations
10539 Lexington Drive
Knoxville, TN 37932
865.622.2381
www.granitetransformations.com