BizMojo Idaho's pageview count passed the 1,500 mark this morning, which is very good news in my estimation. We started Sept. 5, and even a week ago I was optimistic about hitting 1,000 by Halloween.
One thing mystifies me, however. Looking at the stats from the past 24 hours, I noticed a huge spike at 2 a.m. -- 99 page views. This isn't the first time I've seen a spike at an odd hour, either, so I'd love for someone to explain to me what's happening. Maybe these numbers are skewed or weird, but when it comes to the Internet everybody wants to hear about numbers.
Google Analytics (which I only signed up for last week) show that between Saturday and Tuesday 131 people visited BizMojo Idaho, viewing an average of 1.89 pages and staying for an average of 3:02 minutes. Good or no? You tell me.
Most of our visits are coming from Facebook, where BizMojo Idaho posts show up automatically, but we've managed to forge links with two sites, http://www.city-data.com/forum/idaho/1410667-new-blogs-idaho-falls-development-junkies.html and http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=111280&page=55, and we're getting traffic from them as well.
In a few weeks, BizMojo Idaho will appear in Idaho Falls magazine, complete with a logo and a handsome head shot that I've asked to be Photoshopped to make me look 20 years younger and 20 pounds lighter. I'm still a great believer in the power of print, but I must admit that although I intend to be entertaining and informative my real motive is to bring readers to the blog. There will be a QR tag, and I'm very eager to see how this works. Old fogey that I am, I didn't even know what a QR tag was until a month ago.
I really appreciate the reception this project has gotten so far and look forward to where things go from here.
Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
5 Buck Pizza receives help from E Center
Being on the lookout at all times for new restaurants, chain or homegrown, I had to find out about 5 Buck Pizza when I noticed it at 1585 West Broadway, where The Shoe Box used to be.
I suppose it would be enough to report on a new pizzeria, because I know readers here can’t get enough restaurant news, but there’s much more to the story than that. In addition to Idaho Falls, the Utah-based 5 Buck has locations in Blackfoot, Rexburg and Rigby. For its entry into the region, it received consulting help from the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center in Rexburg, better known as the E Center.
The E Center, which takes students from BYU-Idaho and sets them up on projects with professional guidance, did a competitive analysis and marketing strategy for company owner Rick Hancock. “We wanted to see what our competition was doing and what we needed to do to improve our customer visits, what products somebody may want to try and how to get our name out there,” Hancock said, in an article in the E Center’s August newsletter.
The team, comprised of a lead intern and several senior-level business students, researched the local competition and compiled best practices for each of the companies, helping 5 Buck recognize its differentiation opportunities and potential market niches. The team identified market opportunities with social media and mobile applications, and performed a price analysis on different strategies.
Being in a hurry, I didn't have a chance to check it out, but I'm sure a diligent BizMojo Idaho reader will after reading this.
Here's a link to 5 Buck Pizza's Web page: http://5buckpizza.com/stores.html
And here's a link to the E Center: http://www.idahoecenter.org/idahoecenter/
I suppose it would be enough to report on a new pizzeria, because I know readers here can’t get enough restaurant news, but there’s much more to the story than that. In addition to Idaho Falls, the Utah-based 5 Buck has locations in Blackfoot, Rexburg and Rigby. For its entry into the region, it received consulting help from the Eastern Idaho Entrepreneurial Center in Rexburg, better known as the E Center.
The E Center, which takes students from BYU-Idaho and sets them up on projects with professional guidance, did a competitive analysis and marketing strategy for company owner Rick Hancock. “We wanted to see what our competition was doing and what we needed to do to improve our customer visits, what products somebody may want to try and how to get our name out there,” Hancock said, in an article in the E Center’s August newsletter.
The team, comprised of a lead intern and several senior-level business students, researched the local competition and compiled best practices for each of the companies, helping 5 Buck recognize its differentiation opportunities and potential market niches. The team identified market opportunities with social media and mobile applications, and performed a price analysis on different strategies.
Being in a hurry, I didn't have a chance to check it out, but I'm sure a diligent BizMojo Idaho reader will after reading this.
Here's a link to 5 Buck Pizza's Web page: http://5buckpizza.com/stores.html
And here's a link to the E Center: http://www.idahoecenter.org/idahoecenter/
Monday, October 24, 2011
Blast Off! for sale; owners plan vacation
On the eve of their 15th year in business, Robert and Deanna Goody are looking for someone to buy Blast Off!, their North Yellowstone fun emporium. It's not a sad story or one involving economic distress.
Said Dena, "When we opened Blast Off! we wanted a business we could operate as a family and as you know our kids pretty much grew up at Blast Off! We are now empty nesters and want to spend some time traveling and having some fun."
The Goodys' children have all moved to Boise, where they are busy with jobs and school. None are interested in moving back to the Idaho Falls area. As for Robert and Dena, they recently celebrated their 25th anniversary and are planning to go to Europe for a week next month ("Our first real vacation in 15 years!")
As a business, Blast Off! is doing very well, she said. "We would like to find a family who has the same passion as we do about having fun. If we sell Blast Off! we will move on to the next chapter. If we don't we will continue to offer AWESOME fun, to the people of this area."
Said Dena, "When we opened Blast Off! we wanted a business we could operate as a family and as you know our kids pretty much grew up at Blast Off! We are now empty nesters and want to spend some time traveling and having some fun."
The Goodys' children have all moved to Boise, where they are busy with jobs and school. None are interested in moving back to the Idaho Falls area. As for Robert and Dena, they recently celebrated their 25th anniversary and are planning to go to Europe for a week next month ("Our first real vacation in 15 years!")
As a business, Blast Off! is doing very well, she said. "We would like to find a family who has the same passion as we do about having fun. If we sell Blast Off! we will move on to the next chapter. If we don't we will continue to offer AWESOME fun, to the people of this area."
Idaho Falls: Where the rich ride mass transit
I am always interested when Idaho Falls makes some magazine's national listings. Such articles are usually rating the area's quality of life (which, let's admit it, is pretty good for any number of reasons), but this one is way more unique, which is why I'm passing it along.
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/10/5-cities-where-rich-ride-transit/257/
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/10/5-cities-where-rich-ride-transit/257/
Ammon Marketplace looking for tenants
If you're wondering what's happening with the dirt being moved at the southeastern corner of Hitt and Sunnyside (where Wendy's already is), it's the site of a development called Ammon Marketplace, a joint venture of Ball Ventures and the Woodbury Corp.
The concept for the development is mixed retail and dining. Total space available is 175,000 square feet, with a minimum of 13,000 square feet. Rental rates are negotiable.
The development is being marketed by Pentad Properties, which has worked locally with such companies as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Wells Fargo, T-Mobile, Family Dollar Stores, Artic Circle Restaurants and Harbor Freight Tools. For a look at their Web site, visit http://www.pentadidaho.com/.
The concept for the development is mixed retail and dining. Total space available is 175,000 square feet, with a minimum of 13,000 square feet. Rental rates are negotiable.
The development is being marketed by Pentad Properties, which has worked locally with such companies as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Wells Fargo, T-Mobile, Family Dollar Stores, Artic Circle Restaurants and Harbor Freight Tools. For a look at their Web site, visit http://www.pentadidaho.com/.
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| The site of Ammon Marketplace, a development proposed for the southeastern corner of Sunnyside and Hitt Road. |
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Ammon Chick-Fil-A owners plan Dec. 8 opening
Chick-Fil-A of Ammon is looking at a Dec. 8 opening, say the owners Lauren and Nate Mosteller. The restaurant is located in the old Fazoli's, at 3003 S. 25th East.
Applications are being taken now, and the Mostellers plan to employ 65 people, including a cow mascot. You can apply in the trailer behind the construction site -- Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. -- or online at http://www.snagajob.com.
The Mostellers hope to start interviewing people in early November. The couple moved to Idaho Falls from Georgia earlier this year.
The restaurant's Facebook page address is:
http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=c52c3caa688cc567015910dcc6f0288b&#!/ammoncfa
Applications are being taken now, and the Mostellers plan to employ 65 people, including a cow mascot. You can apply in the trailer behind the construction site -- Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. -- or online at http://www.snagajob.com.
The Mostellers hope to start interviewing people in early November. The couple moved to Idaho Falls from Georgia earlier this year.
The restaurant's Facebook page address is:
http://www.facebook.com/index.php?lh=c52c3caa688cc567015910dcc6f0288b&#!/ammoncfa
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| Lauren Mosteller, who is opening the Ammon Chick-Fil-A with her husband, Nate, and the company's mascot. |
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Peaches moves, focuses on grooming business
Peaches Pets has moved from its longtime location on North Yellowstone to 1585 Hollipark Drive, off Lincoln Road.
Owner Chaz Houpt said they have closed the retail end of the business to focus solely on pet grooming. The move took place Aug. 8, and the name of the business has been changed to Peaches Parlor Grooming.
The new location has 1,500 square feet and a drive-thru drop-off bay. They employ three groomers, and have the capacity to handle about 20 pets a day.
Houpt said they've incorporated a lot of things they've wanted all along -- a regulated water system, a livestock dryer and a cool air cabinet dryers. Pets are bathed on an elevated rack, which is much more effective than a tub. The whole purpose is to get rid of dead undercoat and skin, which makes for a happier and better looking pet, not to mention a lot less shedding around the house.
As for the old location, near Fred and Wayne's Tire, Houpt said they decided to put it up for auction after a few unsuccessful tries at selling it. "We had a lot of people who were interested, but no one could come up with the money," he said.
Here is the video that Web Impakt did for Peaches Web site, http://www.peachesparlor.com/
Owner Chaz Houpt said they have closed the retail end of the business to focus solely on pet grooming. The move took place Aug. 8, and the name of the business has been changed to Peaches Parlor Grooming.
The new location has 1,500 square feet and a drive-thru drop-off bay. They employ three groomers, and have the capacity to handle about 20 pets a day.
Houpt said they've incorporated a lot of things they've wanted all along -- a regulated water system, a livestock dryer and a cool air cabinet dryers. Pets are bathed on an elevated rack, which is much more effective than a tub. The whole purpose is to get rid of dead undercoat and skin, which makes for a happier and better looking pet, not to mention a lot less shedding around the house.
As for the old location, near Fred and Wayne's Tire, Houpt said they decided to put it up for auction after a few unsuccessful tries at selling it. "We had a lot of people who were interested, but no one could come up with the money," he said.
Here is the video that Web Impakt did for Peaches Web site, http://www.peachesparlor.com/
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