Welcome from the Deputy City Manager |
Last issue I noted that I’ve been walking more downtown. I should have noted that in order to get there, I either walk down Fourth Street or Washington Street depending on my route. In either case, I have noticed the same thing occurring: people embracing agriculture in their front yards. These are smaller lots, and they have tight areas between the front of the home and the sidewalk or street. There are a few houses where the grass strip between the sidewalk and the street has been planted with flowers and fruit-bearing plants. Cooler still, there is a house on Washington Street with a garden in the front yard. This is a really inviting and encouraging sight.
When we talk about resiliency, this is part of what we need to consider. How can we make small changes to our own lives to help improve the community's overall resiliency? A few vegetables in the front yard and some plantings instead of grass may seem inconsequential but are quite the opposite. Resiliency and providing our own incremental improvements contribute to the overall community reinvestment and work to inform others and provide room for growth and evolution for our surroundings.
Another aspect of this is accountability. When we take care of ourselves, we take care of the community too. Below, Reid will walk you through how passion can be harnessed into businesses. Part of that creation process involves a business plan and knowing how to create a business that is based on passion as opposed to a hobby that seems like it could also bring in some revenue.
Also, part of accountability and being part of a community is being engaged. This past week’s podcast episode of the Dover Download focuses on public engagement. Toward the end of the episode, the City Manager speaks to the need for the community to provide feedback on services and needs as part of that engagement process. This is such a true thing. We can provide information and means for sharing data, but just as important is getting feedback and input from the public. The community evolves daily, and the best way to ensure we evolve together is for us all to be working together and learning from each other.
A special thanks to the folks who reached out about my dog. Her bum leg is on the mend, but she is almost 10, so we’ll see what our next steps (no pun intended) are. Now, go and enjoy the beautiful fall weekend and celebrate both Columbus and the indigenous people and culture.
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Enjoy,
Christopher G. Parker, AICP
Deputy City Manager: Development and Strategic Initiatives
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Dover Download podcast: Your guide
to what's happening this week
In addition to each week's email edition of Dover Download, the City of Dover offers a weekly podcast. The podcast is hosted by Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker, who chats each week about the city's programs, services, public bodies and projects. Each episode also takes a brief detour to the past with a look back at the week in Dover's history.
In this episode of Dover Download, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker talks with City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. and Director of Media Services Mike Gillis about how citizens can stay informed and be engaged.
The Lothrop family businesses were once staples in the downtown. In this segment of This Week in Dover History, we look back to a day when the J.E. Lothrop Piano Company turned potential tragedy into good business.
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What's New?
by Reid Amy, Business Development Specialist
A Burning Passion for Business
Owning a business is one of the most challenging, rewarding, and exciting adventures that someone can embark on. It takes problem-solving skills, determination, and passion to create a successful business. Over the years, I have noticed a few characteristics that all small business owners share, and I thought it would be interesting to share them with our readers.
One distinctive trait that every business owner has is an excitement and passion for what they do. Usually, this passion starts off as a hobby, skill, or a great idea. As the business owner learns more, the business becomes more successful and grows over time. Finding something that you love to do, and having a need to share that with others, is the fuel that keeps the entrepreneurial fire burning.
Another characteristic is determination and a “never give up” attitude. Successful small business owners will do whatever it takes to fulfill their dream, and they are, almost always, serial innovators and problem solvers. They usually surround themselves with a strong support system who are often peers, mentors, and financial advisors.
All entrepreneurs also share a competitive spirit. This is probably the most exciting characteristic because this is also where innovation comes into play. They usually see an opportunity to improve upon an existing idea or a need in the market to fulfill a demand. Instead of viewing competition as an obstacle, they view it as an opportunity to thrive.
One final observation I have noticed about almost all entrepreneurs is their ability to keep going after a failure. These risk-takers tend to ignore the naysayers and continue to persevere even after a setback. It is probably the most important characteristic of all.
Over the last couple of weeks, I had the opportunity to meet with a few entrepreneurs that turned their passions into businesses, their innovations into revenue, and their skills into a future.
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Sheyne Branconnier, Cleo Huggins, and Troy Payne are the founding farmers of NESO New England Superior Oysters. When I toured the farm with Sheyne, he told me about how his passion for the ocean, ocean life, and marine aquaculture has been an almost 7-year labor of love that only recently has yielded results. The Dover-based company utilizes the Bellamy River as its oyster farm location. I learned much from Sheyne on this day, but the most impressive thing I took away from our meeting was how knowledgeable he was about the business he shared with his partners and how much passion he had put into his business, even when faced with some seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The partners never gave up on their dream and have begun to harvest oysters for the first time this year. Throughout my tour, I also got an opportunity to learn some amazing facts about oysters, such as they require no feed inputs and feed on naturally occurring phytoplankton and algae in the water. Their feeding alone prevents harmful algal blooms that are becoming more prevalent due to fertilizer runoff. The oysters actually filter the water, and one adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water each day. |
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The pandemic was a very difficult time for many artisans and artists. Public events and gallery tours were closed, but some used this time to innovate and create. Aaron Stanley is one such innovator whom I had the pleasure to meet with last week. It was Christmas time, and Aaron and his wife had recently had a new baby. He was watching one of his kinetic art sculptures that hung over his daughters’ crib, at the same time his wife was opening a pop-up Christmas card. The dots connected, and Aaron wondered if anyone had ever considered putting a mobile into a greeting card, and thus Kinetic Cards was born! This innovative idea that turns greeting cards into gifts of art was the basis of a new beginning for the Stanley family. |
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My final business visit was with the owners of Rothrock Carpentry LLC. Ben and Kelly Rothrock moved to the Granite State from New York after spending their honeymoon here. The couple recently resettled in Dover and brought Ben’s excellent carpentry skills and Kelly’s eye for details along with them. The duo specializes in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, as well as custom cabinetry. Feel free to reach out to them, and welcome them to Dover! |
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Special Announcement
We want to bid a fond farewell to the Wong family as they celebrate Asia’s farewell party on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 5:00 p.m. Please take some time to stop by and tell the owners and crew at Asia how much they’ll be missed. Congratulations, and we wish you all the best!
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Northeast Color, 116 Crosby Road, is a Dover-based company specializing in producing branded interiors for the franchise industry. Northeast Color annually organizes a Community Day, where their team members, both local and remote, gather in Dover for a day of service projects throughout the City of Dover. Past projects have included citywide cleanup efforts and beautification projects.
This year, Northeast Color volunteers were hard at work on the Dover Community Trail, at Henry Law Park, and at the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. We appreciate all their donated time and materials on these projects and contributing to making Dover such a wonderful place to live and work.
Be sure to check out the brand new art installation by the Northeast Color team in the tunnel in Henry Law Park between the Indoor Pool, Rotary Arts Pavilion, and Children's Museum of New Hampshire. You'll notice some familiar characters from the Children's Museum featured in the design.
Thank you, Northeast Color!
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Business Event Happenings
Looking for something to do this holiday weekend? The Office of Business Development has created a community calendar to cover all the amazing Dover business events. Please click here or on the calendar below to find an event! |
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Resources for Businesses
The Office of Business Development has gathered a collection of free resources for starting or expanding your business in Dover, you can access them by clicking here. |
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Let us know about your business
Do you have a question, story, or upcoming event related to businesses in Dover? Please get in touch at [email protected] to see it featured here!
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OFFICE OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
CITY OF DOVER NEW HAMPSHIRE
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City Hall, 288 Central Avenue
Dover, NH 03820
(603) 516-1560
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Monday - Thursday
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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