At some point during the 1964 film The Last Man on Earth, Vincent Price, who portrays a character by the name of Dr. Robert Morgan, has to leave his fortress of a home, and head into the city in order to restock his vampire repellant supplies. [A virus has swept across the word, killing everyone, […]
Also posted in History, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | Tagged 1964, American Studies, bats, garlic, independent retail, mirrors, plague, Retail, Robert Morgan, Sears Roebuck & Company, Spatula City, The Last Man on Earth, vampires, zombies |
By Mark | December 2, 2013
There’s a lot I could say about Jeff Bezos’s recent announcement that, within four years, Amazon will be delivering by drone, but I’m exhausted. I did want to say, however, that I can’t imagine a scenario where people, seeing a swarm of free electronics, DVDs and video games just buzzing overhead, wouldn’t be tempted to […]
I’ve never liked Groupon. Rightly or wrongly, I’ve always thought that the company, and it’s well-known “daily deals,” were bad for small businesses. My sense, and I’ve had it verified by a few business owners, is that they gravitate toward Groupon when they’re desperate, offering deep, unsustainable discounts to Groupon users, who, for the most […]
By Mark | February 25, 2013
After years of shopping at Ann Arbor’s much-beloved comic book shop Vault of Midnight, I finally had the occasion a few weeks ago, at an event hosted by Concentrate Media, to meet the store’s founder Curtis Sullivan. What started as a friendly conversation on the current state of Ann Arbor retail quickly escalated into an […]
Also posted in Ann Arbor, Art and Culture, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Pop Culture, Uncategorized | Tagged Ann Arbor Skate Park, Art Prize, Batman, Comic Book Men, comic books, comics, Conan, Concentrate Media, Curtis Sullivan, Doctor Strange, Elizabeth Sullivan, entrepreneurism, entrepreneurship, Eye of Agamotto, games, Grand Rapids, graphic novels, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, Jim Ottaviani, Kevin Smith, Ming Chen, Morrison Restaurants, Norm Harris, retail in Ann Arbor, Ruby Tuesdays, Steve Fodale, superheroes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, toys, Vault of Midnight, vinyl figures, Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award |
By Mark | October 25, 2012
Next Tuesday, October 30, Think Local First will be bringing author Amy Cortese to Ann Arbor to discuss her book Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It. Following is my interview with Amy, who, in addition to being a published author, has written for the likes of the New York […]
Also posted in Ann Arbor, Economics, entrepreneurism, Local Business, Locally Owned Business, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Tagged Accelerating Community Capital, American Sustainable Business Council, Amy Cortese, Arbor Brewing Company, blood funnel, blue sky laws, butchershop, buy local, CDFI, Chamber of Commerce, Clare, community development loan funds, Cops & Doughnuts, crowdfunding, CSA, Dante Hesse, economic development, interviews, investing, Jobs Act, Judy Wicks, Jumpstart Our Business Startups, Kickstarter, LION, lobbying, local investing, Local Investing Opportunities Network, Localist, locavesting, Locavesting: The Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit From It, Main Street vs. Wall Street, Matt Greff, Milk Thistle Farm, move your money to a credit union, Obama, Occupy Wall Street, Port Townsend, Port Townsend LION, private placement, public offering, Rene Greff, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, single-payer system, Slow Money, Small Business Administration, Stacy Mitchell, subsidies, tax loopholes, tax reform, The Big Box Swindle, The Brinery, Think Local First, unaccredited investors, Woody Tasch, Zingerman's |