Comments on: The Urban Homemaker Business is for Sale! http://www.marilynmoll.com/2009/07/the-urban-homemaker-business-is-for-sale/ Homemaking Helps for Busy Moms Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:56:51 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anita Chamblee http://www.marilynmoll.com/2009/07/the-urban-homemaker-business-is-for-sale/comment-page-1/#comment-2164 Anita Chamblee Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:56:47 +0000 http://www.marilynmoll.com/?p=126#comment-2164 Has the business been sold yet? I get your monthly newsletters but don't recall seeing anything about a sale. Curious and interested. Thanks, Anita Chamblee Has the business been sold yet? I get your monthly newsletters but don’t recall seeing anything about a sale. Curious and interested.

Thanks,

Anita Chamblee

]]> By: Donna Poelstra http://www.marilynmoll.com/2009/07/the-urban-homemaker-business-is-for-sale/comment-page-1/#comment-1999 Donna Poelstra Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:31:16 +0000 http://www.marilynmoll.com/?p=126#comment-1999 Hi Marilyn, My name is Donna. We live in Monument Colorado. I started purchasing some bulk items about 12 years ago. I started making breads with the Bosch, purchasing bulk natural and organic meats, and then expanded to organic produce. I intended to watch my family's budget, do healthy menus and be organized in our homeschooling, and God turned it into a business. My purchasing turned into a co-op when friends asked if they could purchase from me. My 3 kids and I worked at dividing up co-op items, servicing customers and holding breadmaking classes for 9 years out of the home. When we were trying to get 100 cars through my driveway every 3 weeks for product pickup we realized we had outgrown our garage. In January of 2006 we moved my "little" co-op into a storefront. My youngest was graduating from homeschool high school that year and I knew God was opening the door for new direction for our family. The store was a little refurbished house which had a commercial kitchen in the back. After about 3 months of running the co-op from the front, I decided I would use the natural and organic meats and organic produce and start making homemade style dinners. Well, God blessed and we couldn't make them fast enough. I asked my daughter Annie who was by then working at an insurance company if she would come over, take over some of the cooking and help me out. She jumped at the chance to be part of the "co-op" again. By June we realized God was telling us to have my husband Ron quit working his regular job and join me at the store. By August our oldest son Joseph came on to take over the cooking. He hadn't had much interest in cooking before (just eating) but it is definitely his God-given talent and gifting. He does phenomenal dishes now and has really blossomed in his new-found love of cooking. Our middle son Adam joined the business full-time working in the retail store and using his gifting of people skills. We offer bulk purchases in the co-op style even though we also have a regular small retail store. We order wheat from Montana Milling twice a year, we have shipments of apples from Oregon, Palisade peaches from the western slope, bulk buffalo buys, bulk honey, and more. When customers ask for items, I do the research and find the sources. I have been loyal to my sources all these years. When you find beef producers, buffalo producers, wild fish sources, etc, and know of their integrity, why change? We have definitely had our challenges in business but God has been faithful. I had heard of your husband's passing as several of my customers know you. I also spoke to Cheryl at Montana Milling about it and offered any assistance in dispersing grain to your customers if you needed help. We have been praying for God to direct every path of our business. If he wants us to diversify, change directions, move forward in what we're doing; all five of us are happy to follow His leading. I have an email list of over 3,000 customers, have a small website, am now offering breadmaking classes, jam and scone making classes and will expand into canning classes in the very near future. We run a very personal business, sharing the love of Jesus with whoever needs a hug and a listening ear. We have 4 part-time Christian ladies who help me in the store and have the heart of sharing the love of Jesus as well. Financially we are not in any position to purchase a business, unless God makes this possible and has any other creative ways to accomplish something. I wanted to let you know of our story and see if you feel any connection. Thanks for reading and we pray for God's blessing and direction for you. Donna and the Poelstra family. 719-210-4434 cell Hi Marilyn,
My name is Donna. We live in Monument Colorado. I started purchasing some bulk items about 12 years ago. I started making breads with the Bosch, purchasing bulk natural and organic meats, and then expanded to organic produce. I intended to watch my family’s budget, do healthy menus and be organized in our homeschooling, and God turned it into a business. My purchasing turned into a co-op when friends asked if they could purchase from me. My 3 kids and I worked at dividing up co-op items, servicing customers and holding breadmaking classes for 9 years out of the home. When we were trying to get 100 cars through my driveway every 3 weeks for product pickup we realized we had outgrown our garage.

In January of 2006 we moved my “little” co-op into a storefront. My youngest was graduating from homeschool high school that year and I knew God was opening the door for new direction for our family. The store was a little refurbished house which had a commercial kitchen in the back. After about 3 months of running the co-op from the front, I decided I would use the natural and organic meats and organic produce and start making homemade style dinners. Well, God blessed and we couldn’t make them fast enough. I asked my daughter Annie who was by then working at an insurance company if she would come over, take over some of the cooking and help me out. She jumped at the chance to be part of the “co-op” again. By June we realized God was telling us to have my husband Ron quit working his regular job and join me at the store. By August our oldest son Joseph came on to take over the cooking. He hadn’t had much interest in cooking before (just eating) but it is definitely his God-given talent and gifting. He does phenomenal dishes now and has really blossomed in his new-found love of cooking. Our middle son Adam joined the business full-time working in the retail store and using his gifting of people skills.

We offer bulk purchases in the co-op style even though we also have a regular small retail store. We order wheat from Montana Milling twice a year, we have shipments of apples from Oregon, Palisade peaches from the western slope, bulk buffalo buys, bulk honey, and more. When customers ask for items, I do the research and find the sources. I have been loyal to my sources all these years. When you find beef producers, buffalo producers, wild fish sources, etc, and know of their integrity, why change?

We have definitely had our challenges in business but God has been faithful. I had heard of your husband’s passing as several of my customers know you. I also spoke to Cheryl at Montana Milling about it and offered any assistance in dispersing grain to your customers if you needed help.

We have been praying for God to direct every path of our business. If he wants us to diversify, change directions, move forward in what we’re doing; all five of us are happy to follow His leading.

I have an email list of over 3,000 customers, have a small website, am now offering breadmaking classes, jam and scone making classes and will expand into canning classes in the very near future. We run a very personal business, sharing the love of Jesus with whoever needs a hug and a listening ear. We have 4 part-time Christian ladies who help me in the store and have the heart of sharing the love of Jesus as well.

Financially we are not in any position to purchase a business, unless God makes this possible and has any other creative ways to accomplish something. I wanted to let you know of our story and see if you feel any connection.

Thanks for reading and we pray for God’s blessing and direction for you.
Donna and the Poelstra family.
719-210-4434 cell

]]> By: Charles E. Thrift Sr. http://www.marilynmoll.com/2009/07/the-urban-homemaker-business-is-for-sale/comment-page-1/#comment-1985 Charles E. Thrift Sr. Sun, 26 Jul 2009 09:50:28 +0000 http://www.marilynmoll.com/?p=126#comment-1985 I am sad to hear of the loss of your husband. I am glad to know he is now in heaven. My family and I are interested in purchasing your business and we believe that God will guide you and us to the right decision according to His will. Thank you for making this opportunity available and thank God for allowing us to be considered for such a great endeavor. I am sad to hear of the loss of your husband.
I am glad to know he is now in heaven.
My family and I are interested in purchasing your business and we believe that God will guide you and us to the right decision according to His will.

Thank you for making this opportunity available and thank God for allowing us to be considered for such a great endeavor.

]]>