There are some things about Virginia that leave me awestruck. I paid $1.39 a gallon for gas yesterday. To be fair, this was at a Kroger station where my monthly grocery bill nets discounts (I had to ask the milk stocking clerk about this to learn that my 20 cents off was due to spending $200 – still, even $1.59 is a lot less than I’m accustomed to spending up north).

Found a great little place for lunch by happenstance. The Chinese restaurant I researched was closed (I was in the mood). I looked at the Asian crew in the parking lot then the door marked “closed” and hours until 2:30 (it was 2 p.m.). Never would have considered a restaurant open for lunch and dinner would be closed between the two meals (or not honor posted hours).Their loss.

This little Italian place was behind the Kroger gas station (which is why I decided to fill my car after filling my stomach at Frank’s). Had their “mini sub lunch special” with a beverage for less than $7 before tip. There seemed to be more than a pound of chicken salad between delicious bread, a crisp dill pickle and way more chips than I could eat.

Roanoke is now my home, and I’m enjoying everything new I learn about it.

I closed on a house November 30^th in what I’ve come to learn since is a sought-after area (my home will never be featured on “Rich and Famous”). It’s also convenient to the central city and just about any other destination for business or pleasure.

An apparent downside initially (mandated flood insurance – ouch) has turned monster opportunity – rich and healthy soil in an area where this isn’t the norm.

The people are great, the cost of living is low and the fun factor is high as I delve into crafting a new chapter in my life that lets me be me again.

Rebranding a small business

One of the things I’ve learned is “marketing” seems to be a dirty word around here. Apparently there’s a glut of recently unemployed hanging the “marketing consultant” shingle. So, I’m reinventing the business (overdue anyway), jettisoning the Fulcrum Communications company moniker and working on rebranding with a copy writing focus.

Thanks to a brainstorming session with Inspired Blogging co-member Amy Putkonen, you can now call me “The Wordsmith of Roanoke”. I’ll be working on repositioning this site (and the blog content) to complement the shift.

Look for RoanokeRevealed.com coming soon (I’ll occasionally refer to it here). This is designed as a fun way to keep me accountable on my promise to me to get familiar with the treasures around here while also being a fabulous marketing tool on so many fronts. I’ll be delving into a community I know nothing about with the eager energy of a child discovering a new world. Some blog posts will be area specific, but most will have widespread relevance.

Here, I’ll share my lessons learned (mistakes and wins) from RoanokeRevealed.com as they apply to small business formation, promotion and revenue with a new venture launch through the eyes of a not-so-new-to-business owner. Between these posts, primary focus will be about writing tips for small business owners.

I’ll announce when the new site goes live. In the meantime, I’m fixin’ to git educated with the help of some YouTube tutorials (warning – colorful language – launch with speakers on in suitable settings).

 

Thanks for your support, interest, comments and shares on this site over the years. I’ll continue to scribe weekly posts for the time being for you to enjoy. Once I begin posting 5-days a week (shorter content) over at RoanokeRevealed.com, posts here may be less frequent.