Mobile banking arrived at Coconino Federal Credit Union on Sept. 19, making it the very first local bank to offer the service. Jennifer Harris, president and CEO of the credit union, is excited about the new technology. “Mobile banking allows our customer members to access their accounts 24/7 from their cell phones,” she said. “They can download an app and transfer money, pay bills and get alerts – if their balance goes below $100, they get a text message.” She said when customers are … [Read more...] about Credit Union Utilizing Latest Technology
A Born Entrepreneur
Mike Funk, owner of Fire Creek Coffee, has had a lot of careers. “I was that kid who banged his head against the wall wanting to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “I had many different companies, like futon stores. I built and sold futons. I built coffee carts. I had a promotional company that had t-shirts and pens, that sort of thing. I had a catering lunch box company.” He was also into Real Estate and remodeling houses. Funk, who grew up in Seattle, said he was always more into individual … [Read more...] about A Born Entrepreneur
Making a Business Online
Several years ago, a friend told Dan Gitomer that a person could make a living selling things on eBay. He remembers thinking the notion was pretty funny. “I laughed because he is always doing schemes all the time,” Gitomer said. Now, more than a decade later, he has learned his friend was right. Gitpmer is the owner of Mile Wide Sports in Flagstaff, where he sells mainly bicycle parts of all types over the Internet on eBay and Amazon. Mile Wide carries a broad spectrum of bike parts and … [Read more...] about Making a Business Online
The Business of Beauty
At least half of the due diligence is complete when you have been a happy client of a business you decide to buy. That is how it happened for Leona Bix, the owner of Flagstaff Face & Body. “I had been a client of the company,” Bix said. “I told them if they ever considered selling, to talk with me. I knew what I liked about the business and I could be passionate about it.” About a year and a half later, in 2009, the owners approached her about selling the nine-year-old business. As … [Read more...] about The Business of Beauty
Running Flagstaff Store for 37 Years
People often say “Wow!” when they walk into HomCo Ace Hardware for the first time, says Mike Brackin, the store’s owner. “They are surprised about how big our store is, the color on the walls, the color on the floors. It’s not a stale, dull store. It’s alive,” he said. “We are trying to give a ‘wow’ experience at the store. We do a very good job and we can always do better, so we keep working on doing better,” he said. One of the things that make HomCo stand out among other similar and … [Read more...] about Running Flagstaff Store for 37 Years
Family Owned Business Earning Loyalty
Many of the customers who return year after year to Garland’s Oak Creek Lodge consider it upscale camping. Nestled in the gorgeous Oak Creek Canyon, it’s just the place to unplug from civilization and just relax in a homey little log cabin. And summer is one of the best times to go to the lodge. “The canyon is a cool, green haven,” said Mary Garland, who has been one of the proprietors of the lodge for the past 40 years, along with her husband Gary. “They can walk through the orchard; the … [Read more...] about Family Owned Business Earning Loyalty
Downtown Shop Offering Local History
Jeffrey Bonner says he has a lot of fun teaching today’s high-tech kids how to use the old-fashioned bottle opener affixed to the wall of his store. “We had to teach about 500 kids how to use it. I enjoy teaching them. They think it’s crazy. They get a big kick out of it. They want to do it themselves,” he said. The opener is an important fixture at Bonner’s Route 66 Mini Market because he sells an assortment of about 100 brands of bottled beverages made the original way – with cane sugar … [Read more...] about Downtown Shop Offering Local History
Serving Arizonans in Several Capacities
Kurt Davis views each of his jobs as a learning experience. He then takes that knowledge with him to his next job and begins learning all over again. “Everywhere I’ve gone, I tried to learn and use those lessons,” he said. Some of the jobs he has held over the years include working for two governors, working for an attorney general and being the spokesman for a firefighting association in 27 states. He was also the head of Arizona’s Republican party, a vice president at NAU and now runs … [Read more...] about Serving Arizonans in Several Capacities
Northern Arizonans Invited to Learn About Health Care Options
If you own or work for a small business, chances are you are pretty busy all the time. But, take a break sometime between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on April 13 and take in the Small Business Health Fair at the Flagstaff Aquaplex hosted by North Country HealthCare. This will be an opportunity to learn a little about your health, perhaps get a free blood screening and gain knowledge about local services that will help keep you healthy. Flagstaff resident Ruth Austin, who owns PS Printing with … [Read more...] about Northern Arizonans Invited to Learn About Health Care Options
A Family Business of Connections
Mike Merrill of CommSpeed was born to be in the family business. “I grew up in large storage yards with huge spools of cable and huge communication dishes. I would have great games of hide-and-go-seek with my cousins,” he said. But, out of a large number of cousins, he is the only one to have picked up the torch for the business started by Bruce Merrill, Mike’s grandfather. “He was a bonafied pioneer in the telecom industry. He absolutely loved the business. He lived it. Breathed it. … [Read more...] about A Family Business of Connections