Honoring small businesses
Smitty’s, Green Door receive awards from FD chamber TuesdayBy JESSE HELLING Messenger city editor
In running a family business, family and business matters often become intertwined.
But it is important to remember to put family first, said Jon Baedke, owner of Smitty's Lawn & Landscape, 1770 Lainson Ave.
Baedke addressed a crowd of approximately 50 at the 2010 Small Business Recognition Breakfast Tuesday.
For Baedke, family business has been his way of life since birth.
His mother and father, Greg and Bev Baedke, own Community Orchards - where the young Jon weeded, mowed and painted to help keep things in top form.
"A successful small business takes hard work and determination," he said.
Sharing the podium with her son, Bev Baedke related the life cycle to a business to that of a family.
In "infancy," a fledgling business needs to be nurtured, while owners learn important lessons for success, Bev Baedke said.
By the time a business reaches "middle age," owners can often relax a bit and enjoy what they've earned over years of hard work, she said.
That's also the time when business owners should set out their exit plans, deciding to whom to pass the enterprise when they decide to retire, said Baedke.
In addition to serving as one of the event's keynote speakers, Jon Baedke received one of two awards presented.
Smitty's was named Small Business of the Year by the Fort Dodge Area Chamber of Commerce.
The award had previously been given to Community Orchards, according to Jon Baedke, who runs Smitty's with his wife, Heather Baedke.
"This is an award I also wanted to hang on our wall," he said.
Nominations for the award were open to local small businesses that have operated for more than five years.
The ceremony also recognized 2010's "Rookie of the Year," an award bestowed upon an outstanding small business that has been up and running less than five years.
That honor went to Green Door Photography, founded by Rochelle Green and her husband, Jeffrey Halter, in 2006.
"Customers have really, really supported the business," said Green, who handles behind-the-camera work for the studio.
Halter said his job is more on the support side.
"Everything I do, I just make it about her," he said. "I tell people how awesome she is."
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
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extrucker
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05-19-10 3:27 PM
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well 2 cents i do call it progress,i bet if you go back in the record books of this town and anytown, there has been a lot of this going on, remeber Ft Dodge started as a little fort and then grew to what it is now, and i would bet my paycheck that lots and lots of people got moved if they wanted to our not.
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2cents
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05-19-10 3:19 PM
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extrucker: The Larsens had to really stand their ground to come out as they did. I doubt if you would have called it "progress" if it happened to you. Anyway, congratulations to Smitty's Lawn Care & The Green Door Photography people & wishing you all many successful years.
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ThinkFD
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05-19-10 10:59 AM
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All the Vance family has been through? What?
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extrucker
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05-19-10 9:33 AM
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are they still in business? did they not get a new building? are people still going to use Larson? did we not get a lot of constuction jobs from the building of 2 new places? is not fareway a iowa based store and going to hire more people to run a bigger store. i think we can all say yes to these questions. quit crying happens all the time, all over the world. called progress
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threenotsoblindmice
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05-19-10 6:15 AM
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from mouse # 3: After all the Vance Larsen family has been through, this article is more sickening than anything.
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Ackerman
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05-19-10 2:44 AM
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"A successful small business takes hard work and determination." To this I would add: And a city not willing to evict you from your land so that it can be turned over to a corporation; to be used for the benefit/profit of the corporate entity.
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