Small Business Growth Story !
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Small Business Growth Story !
Kodi Keith co-owns Yagi Noodles in Newport with her husband , chef Basil Hu . She recently graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses ( 10KSB ) program at CCRI .
How has 10KSB changed the way you run your business ? In the program I gained a paradigm shift in my business operations . I now manage my time differently , striking a balance between working in my business and working on my business . It ’ s transformative .
Before 10KSB , we focused only on operations . Now we also focus on enhancing processes and identifying growth opportunities , enabling us to determine where and when to adopt impactful improvements .
What was one unexpected benefit of the program ? The networking and collaboration was unexpected and invaluable , enabling participants to tap into our shared experiences , exchange ideas , and draw inspiration from one another ’ s journeys .
What are you currently working on ?
We are adding pantry and graband-go items , and with guidance from SCORE we are obtaining a liquor license .
Discover more about Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at ccri . edu / 10ksb
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CityState : Reporter
now corporate acquisitions . In recent years , Lark Hotels , a boutique hotel chain , purchased the Surf and the Gables . TPG Hotels , Resorts & Marinas bought Champlin ’ s Marina and Resort . Islanders are grappling with clotted roads and a lack of parking that requires a plan to pick up mail at the post office .
“ It ’ s a lot of people . And last year , we definitely reached the tipping point of what our services could support — police , rescue — and the businesses themselves trying to find help . So , it ’ s really a puzzle ,” says Lisa Sprague , a full-time resident since the 1970s . “ Last year I entertained the thought of putting my house on the market , because this is not the same island that I ’ ve loved my entire life .”
Tourism has long been a part of the island economy . The Spring House , first of the dowager inns , was erected in 1852 . Block Island was generally considered a cheap vacation spot , where a Providence policeman could bring the whole family for a week at the old Surf Hotel , with its fresh-air conditioning and shared bathrooms . The summer season began on July Fourth and ended after Labor Day , whereupon the sidewalks would be promptly rolled up . Now , the shoulder seasons have broadened well into the spring and fall . Interstate Navigation Co ., which operates the Block Island Ferry , had six round-trip daily runs a week before Memorial Day .
“ None of us who are not retired who live out here year-round could be here without tourism , and so there ’ s a line you have to walk . More isn ’ t always better ,” says Jessica Willi , executive director of the Block Island Tourism Council . “ We have always marketed Block Island as a family-friendly destination , a place to get away from it all and a step back in time — and we still do . But our messaging has shifted a bit to include stewardship .”
Overtourism is a problem everywhere , with environmentally fragile destinations , such as islands , particularly affected . In 2017 , from winter to summer , energy use on the island skyrocketed by 139 percent , according to a 2022 sustainability report . The average daily water usage from winter to the summer ’ s highest peak increases by 800 percent , says John Breunig , superintendent of the Block Island Water Company . This spring , the hotels , which once dumped their raw sewage directly into
36 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l AUGUST 2023