One Spark Client Interview: Old Maid Cat Lady #20158

Old Maid Cat Lady has been a long time client at the FSBDC. The owner Lynn Thompson, has an amazing website and seeks to take her line of offerings to the next level via One Spark. We caught up to her at the Landing.

Describe your creator idea.

My project is way beyond the idea phase; I've been operating this online department store for cats and cat lovers for the past four years! It goes beyond a normal e-commerce site in that it's also a resource for cat owners. Cats are often misunderstood, so I try to help people understand feline needs and how to provide for them so they can live more harmoniously together. The project I'm presenting for One Spark is to get funding for expansion of my team by two people: one to help with operations work, and the other to focus solely on SEO. That should free me up to do more marketing and outreach.

Why one spark?

I knew last year that I needed to do a project for One Spark, but was not sure exactly how to make it apply to my business. The impact of this event, and its potential to raise awareness of OldMaidCatLady.com were just too much to resist. So I attended last year to get ideas, read through the material about how to become a Creator, and figured out a way to present a project that would fit within their parameters and still give me something I needed.

How is One Spark going so far?

Traffic was slow the first few days where I'm located, which is a bit out of the main traffic flow. But the crowds picked up a lot on Day 4. Lots more people stopped by and not only voted for me, but took one of my brochures and said they'd be checking out my site. So it should lead to increased sales for me.

What is next after One Spark?

I spoke with a guy who said they're holding an event soon to match up Creators with investors, and I'll look into that. The leader of my peer-to-peer mentoring group also told me she wants to put me in touch with some venture capitalists she knows who may be a good fit. I have taken this retail site as far as I can by myself, so my team definitely needs to expand, and it's not even making enough now to pay my bills, so an injection of capital is definitely needed. Until that comes, I'll continue doing as much as I can alone, continually tweaking and improving the site, processing and following up on orders.

Location: The Landing, 2nd floor #20158

Lynn Maria Thompson
Author - Speaker - Editor
President, Thompson Writing & Editing, Inc.

Proprietor, OldMaidCatLady.com

Neptune Beach, Florida
www.thompsonwriting.com

www.oldmaidcatlady.com

Phone (904) 242-0054
Cell (904) 955-2367
Fax (904) 458-8021
E-mail lynn@thompsonwriting.com

Follow me on Twitter @gatorlynn and @OldMaidCatLady

One Spark Client Interview: USS Charles F. Adams #20372

Executive Director Joe Snowberger anf FSBDC staffer Paul Arrington outside their facility.

Joe Snowberger was out in the hallway at the Landing telling everyone about the need to bring the USS Charles F. Adams downtown. His nonprofit is leading the way...

Tell us about your idea...

 

Our idea is to establish Florida's Naval Warship Museum aboard the USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2) as Jacksonville's newest attraction.  Located on the beautiful and historic St Johns River, Downtown Jacksonville's USS ADAMS MUSEUM will be an entertainment centerpiece for area residents and visitors from around the globe. While honoring vets and sharing the story of the sea services, the USS ADAMS MUSEUM will be a center of education and vocational stimulation for kids focusing on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics plus History (STEM+H) disciplines. 

 

The USS ADAMS MUSEUM will provide 30 full time jobs, over 20 part-time jobs and 75 in-direct jobs with an annual economic impact of over $4M while stimulating other Downtown economic activities. 

 

Why did you decide to do One Spark?

 

Easiest decision ever...hundreds of thousands of people at the world's only crowd funding festival? Duh! 

 

How has One Spark been for you so far?

 

Wonderful! ONE SPARK has exposed our "Gift to Jacksonville" to many new people and engaged our whole team. We have made very significant new connections, signed up many new members and new volunteers.  

 

What is next for you after One Spark? 

 

Take advantage of the wave of momentum we have from ONE SPARK and launch a multi-tiered fund raising campaign..."BRING HOME THE ADAMS! 

Location: The Landing #20372

One Spark Client Interview: Snyder Memorial Building Renovation (Amplify) #20361

Snyder Memorial Church was founded in 1870 as Trinity Methodist Church. It was partially destroyed in the Great Fire of 1901 and later renamed for E.B.Snyder, its pastor at the time. It is a jewel in the center of downtown that needs some polishing...With Tom Patania and crew to take a closer look at their mission...

Tell us about your idea...

We have a vision to renovate, repurpose and renew the historic building of Snyder Memorial Church into a premier performing arts venue, commercial recording studio and technology training center.  We also intend to make the space available for public events that the city hosts as well as private events such as weddings and parties.

Why did you decide to do One Spark?

We believe One Spark is an amazing event for Jacksonville and the region!  Our participation is an opportunity to share our story with all of the folks participating in the event and the broader community.  Plus, our project is right in the middle of the One Spark footprint.

How has One Spark been for you so far?

Incredible!!  We have received a lot of great feedback and support.  We have a great group of volunteers and they are so excited about being able to share this story of renewal of this beautiful old building and the potential of having arts be a part of the renaissance of downtown.

What is the next for you after One Spark?
Some sleep!  But seriously, we begin our official capital campaign and the next level of conversation with the city and people connected to the project.  Our intention is to lease the building front the city and head up the capital campaign for the renovation. 

Location: Snyer and The Carling #20361

One Spark Client Interview: Grease for Fuel #20146

Creator Charles Payne with FSBDC staff Marge Cirillo and Paul Arrington

Yup, there was Charles Payne out on the Riverwalk by the Landing talking up his creator idea, Grease for Fuel. Here is what he had to say:

Tell us about your idea…
Grease for Fuel helps save the environment, household pipes and the nation’s nations sewers, soil, water systems and landfills by providing a convenient, residence-based way to collect used cooking greases and recycle them into renewable fuel and other products.

Why did not decide to do One Spark?
I wanted the project to be shown to be a valid and viable.

How has One Spark been for you so far?
Good.  My One Spark experience has allowed me to present the project and generate interest.

What is next for you after One Spark?
Follow up with the contacts I’ve made!

Location: Riverwalk # 20146

One Spark Client Interview: ThinkSpace #20592

Jackie Perry has a sweet looking booth at the Library.  They are seeing a ton of people at One Spark:

Tell Us About Your Idea

ThinkSpace is the only full service "pre-incubation" program that supports individuals who want to move their idea from concept to marketplace. We collaborate with you, then bring in additional resource partners and professionals to help cultivate your idea into a real business opportunity.

ThinkSpace Why did you decide to do One Spark

Because it was the perfect venue for presenting our expanded program within an existing successful program of business incubation. We Also were excited about the growth potential and exposure we might gain from One Spark.

How has One Spark been for you so far

Great! It has put in us front of a lot of people we would have never met. We've also been able to gauge the level of interest people have in being able to have a "One Spark" 7 days a week.

What is next for you after One Spark

We'll take the lessons learned, the valuable feedback and the marketing contacts for followup and to see how we can be a benefit after One Spark.

Location: Main Library (under the stairs) # 20592

One Spark Client Interview: Theatre On a Mission

We found Chelsey Cain and her crew working the One Spark crowd in the middle of the street. Great mission and a great location! Theatre On a Mission ( a nonprofit), has been getting a lot of votes so far at One Spark. #20124.

Tell us about your idea Chelsey.

Theatre On a Mission is a student-driven service project. It began with my

dream to meet and inspire a young orphan I sponsor in Kenya. I want to bring the joy of theatre to children whom may never get the opportunity to experience it. So I asked a few of my friends to help me take a theatre camp to the orphanage in Kenya.

Their first trip was an amazing success. The team conducted a week-long theatre camp and incorporated the children at the Foundation Stone Ministry Orphanage into a play that helped raise enough money from the surrounding Bondo community to get running water to the orphanage. The group traveled to two additional village schools, teaching those students theatre games and more. Over those two days at the schools, the sessions included over 1200 students!

Students from UNF, UF, FSCJ, Douglas Anderson, and Sandalwood High Schools have come together to make this dream come true. In July of 2014 another team of students will be making a second journey to Africa to bring theatre to the children living in the Foundation Stone Ministry Orphanage.

Why one spark? How is One Spark going so far?

One Spark seems like the perfect opportunity to let people within the Jacksonville community learn about our project and to excite those who already support us. It has been a huge challenge so far, but we believe we are growing as a team and have to strength and the confidence to over come any challenge that comes our way. As of yesterdays votes we were in the top three movers in our category.

What is next for Theatre On a Mission after One Spark?

Continuing raising money for the trip. We have a Theatre on a Mission Benefit show coming up on May 4^th at Theatre Jacksonville in San Marco.

For more information: 904-449-6019.

Kendra Lay and Ronnie Yocham, creators of Affordable Acupuncture for Jax

Creator 20289

Excited about promoting their concept at their One Spark venue in the SunTrust Building, Kendra Lay and Ronnie Yocham have created a more accessible way to deliver acupuncture services.  Both Kendra and Ronnie hold master's degrees in acupuncture and Chinese medicine.