By The Hampton Herald Staff
Valerie Tutson, a storyteller, hosted a virtual assembly for Hampton students on Tuesday March 1st to celebrate Black History Month. Initially, the assembly was scheduled for February 28th but was postponed due to weather. Hampton students attended one of two sessions, and during each session, Ms. Tutson shared a different folktale. Each story had a lesson for the students to learn. During the folktales, she encouraged the students to participate with songs and responses. After Ms. Tutson finished telling the folktales, she shared a story of Zora Neale Hurston. She told the story of Zora’ childhood and her attempts to fly. Through her story-telling, Ms. Tutson was able to share some history and culture with Hampton students.
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By The Hampton Herald Staff
Hampton Elementary celebrated Read Across America from Monday, February 28th through Friday, March 4th to promote the importance of reading in education and to encourage students to read more. To start each morning, a Hampton teacher read a story over WHES, the morning announcements. Students were encouraged to dress according to a new theme each day. Students wore pajamas on Monday, dressed to travel on Tuesday, wore a grade color on Wednesday, dressed as a superhero on Thursday, and dressed as a favorite book character on Friday. Throughout the week, students came to school dressed as Draco Malfoy, the Mandalorian, Harry Potter, wolves, and Spiderman. According to Ducksters, Read Across America began in 1998 by the National Education Association as a special day to celebrate reading. They chose March 2nd, which is Dr. Seuss’s birthday, a famous children’s author. The celebration has moved away from just Dr. Seuss and towards celebrating all kinds of diverse books. by The Hampton Herald Staff
To celebrate Black History Month, our Hampton Herald staff members did some research about influential and important African Americans. Please read below: Bass Reeves Bass Reeves is one of the most inspirational black people ever. He wa a sheriff in Oklahoma and only killed nine people on the job. He caught hundreds of crooks in his career. He helped make the wild lands safer. Katherine Johnson Katherine Johnson was a calculator for NASA. She calculated paths for rockets for space missions. The work she did was important for human space flight. She also helped John Glenn be the first American to orbit earth, because of that she helped America win the space race. In 2015 President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal Of Freedom for her work. You may be wondering how she got here. She was selected from three black students to integrate West Virginia's graduate schools. And by 13, she was attending high school. Henrietta Lacks Henrietta Lacks was born August 1, 1920 and died at the age of 31 due to her illness, cancer. Her cells helped create the polio vaccine and the covid-19 vaccine. They also took her cells to space to see what would happen to cells in zero gravity. Octavius V. Catto Another influential African American would be Octavius V. Catto. He was born in 1839 and died in 1871 when he was only 32 because he was shot and killed. In 2017 a statue was unveiled of him. He fought for an end to slavery and for civil rights for all. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Martin Luther King was born in Georgia in 1929, and at the time people were segregated and he was civil right worker. Martin was a good speaker. He won a big speech contest in high school. Martin Luther King was smart as well. In 1948, he became the minister. He also gave speeches and led marches. He did not want to have violence. He sometimes went to jail or faced violence for his ideas. In 1963 Martin gave his famous speech “I have a dream speech.” in Washington D.C. In 1964, Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize. Also, in 1963 the civil right act was passed when President Johnson signed the act of civil right. In 1968, Martin Luther King was shot in Memphis Tn, and they would still remember him by Martin Luther King Day. Bayard Rustin Bayard Rustin was born on March 17, 1912 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He went to college at the City College of New York and became active in the Young Communists League because of its opposition to racial justice. Bayard Rustin was one of the main organizers for the March on Washington and he was a very important advisor for Martin Luther King Jr. He also became a main founder of the SCLC or the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Sadly, he died on August 24, 1987 in Manhattan, New York but he still remains a very important Black leader. By Hampton Herald Staff Masks will be optional at Hampton starting tomorrow, March 1st. Baltimore County Public Schools chose to allow optional masking in alignment with new CDC guidelines. In addition to school buildings, masks will also be optional on buses. Lots of students are excited about this update. “I’m really excited about not having to wear a mask because they are really annoying,” said Tyler, a fifth-grade student. Currently students are unmasked during lunch time and during recess, but now that will extend the full school day. There are some instances where people will still need to wear masks. People with symptoms of COVId-19 being seen in the Health Suite will need to wear masks as well as people who return to school buildings after a shortened quarantine. Baltimore County Public Schools is adamant that mask wearing be a personal choice and has stated that they will not tolerate bullying or harassment concerning mask wearing. If you’d like to read the full statement, please click the link below: https://www.bcps.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=2828&pageId=68382537 Even though Black History Month is coming to a close, students can still read about influential African Americans all year long. Our Hampton Herald staff reached out to our school librarians at Hampton and also to the Towson branch of the Baltimore County Library to get their suggestions.
One of our Hampton Librarians, Mrs. Schnirel, told us that there are special sections in the school library devoted to African American literature. She also displays books all year round from the American Library Association Coretta Scott King Book Awards. When we reached out to the Towson Branch of the Baltimore County Library, their librarians gave us a lot of great recommendations for all different age groups. "We have a lot of great books about important African Americans in history. I've listed a few below. This is just a small selection of what we have at the library. Ask a librarian for more great reads--call, email, or visit us in person! I've attached a photo of some of our books about Black history on display at the Towson branch that you can check out with a BCPS student account. " Ages 4-8 R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford - Children Bio FRANKLIN Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy – Picture Book JOY The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall’s Life, Leadership, and Legacy by Kekla Magoon – Children Bio MARSHALL Look Up with Me: Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the Stars by Jennifer Berne - Children 523 B Ages 6-9 Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson - Picture Book CLA She Persisted: Claudette Colvin by Lesa Cline-Ransome - Children Bio COLVIN A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan - Children 305.8 L Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport – Children Bio KING 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith Jr. - Children 973.0496 S The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca – Children Bio BATH Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade – Children Bio BROOKS The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez - Children 973.0496 C Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson – Children Bio WOODSON Ages 7-10 Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present by Jamia Wilson - Children 920 W Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou by Bethany Hegedus - Children 810.9 H She was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm by Katheryn Russell-Brown – Children Bio CHISOLM Ages 8-12 Who Is Kamala Harris? by Kirsten Anderson - Children Bio HARRIS We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson - Children 796.357 N Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World by Cheryl Hudson - Children 920.72 H Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman - Children 781.65 B Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison – Children 920 H Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison Children 920.72 H Hidden Figures: The Untold True Story of Four African-American Women Who Helped Launch Our Nation into Space (Young Readers' Edition) by Margot Lee Shetterly – Children 510.92 S Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford – Children Bio SCHOMBURG Ages 9-12 Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter by Shani King - Children 305.8 K Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies – Children 909 T Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith - Children Graphic Novel 978.02 S Ages 10-13 Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson – Children Bio WOODSON Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy by Misty Copeland - Children 792.8092 C Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies - Children 909 T BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford – Children Bio BROWN By The Hampton Herald Staff
Hampton Elementary School is participating in the Kids Heart Challenge during the month of February to help raise money for families with kids who have heart defects and diseases. The Kids Heart Challenge first started in 1949 by The American Heart Association. Since 1949 all states have participated in the Kids Heart Challenge to help raise money for kids with heart defects and heart diseases. Also, since 1949 they have made over four billion dollars. The money has gone to research and surgeries. Students at Hampton received information about the Kids Heart Challenge from their physical education teacher, Mrs. Cavender, during their classes. Students took that information home, and shared it with their families, friends, and anyone else who wants to donate money. Mrs. Cavender has been in charge of the Kids Heart Challenge for three years, but because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, she was only able to lead it for two years. She enjoys running the program for Hampton. “It’s very gratifying because of the money we’ve raised, and because it helps these kids,” said Mrs. Cavender. Although Mrs. Cavender really enjoys running the program, there are some challenges. “It’s very fun to do this but it’s really difficult because I had to get all the prizes, and they had to ship it to me,” said Mrs.Cavender. To encourage participation, students receive prizes when they sign up for the Kids Hearts Challenge and when they raise certain amounts of money. The goal for this year at Hampton was to raise $10,000. Right now they have raise $13,494.62. Students have until the end of February to sign up and donate. Since winter break is the perfect time for reading, our Hampton Herald staff chose 12 books that they would recommend to read during the break.
Book 1: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. In the fourth book of Harry Potter Harry encounters a surprise ,and is forced into it by someone. People wanting a great plot twist, fantasy, and the only known survivor of You-Know-Who will enjoy it. It is available in the Baltimore County Library and most bookstores. Book 2: A Tale Of Magic… By: Chris Colfer When Brystal Evergreen stumbles upon a secret area in a library, she finds a book about a world beyond her imagination, and figures out that she is capable of magic! Brystal lives in a society where magic is strictly forbidden, so Brystal embarks on a quest to find other magical people like her. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books and fiction books. You can find this book at local bookstores, bcpl, and department stores. Book 3: The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel When Emmy has to be sent away to a boarding school called Wellsworth, she finds clues leading to secret societies and mysteries hidden within the school. Later, she finds clues that lead to information about her dad who had gone to the school also. The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane is a very good story that I would recommend to people who like fiction and mystery books. You can find this book at bookstores, department stores, and Baltimore County Public Library. Book 4: Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories Written & Illustrated by Jeff Kinney This book is about a boy named Rowley Jefferson and, in this book, he is telling us about all his spooky stories I like this book because it is funny, and Jeff Kinney and his team really put work in all the books he made The book is in Target, Walmart, Barnes and noble, Walmart supercenter Book 5: The invention of Hugo cabret by Brian Sezlnick. It is a book about how a boy lives at a train station. Who collects parts for an invention that he is building which you will figure out later in the book. People who like mystery in books, cliff hangers, and good endings. You can find this book in the Baltimore County Public library. There are lots of fun holiday activities to do throughout the month of December. Two of those traditional activities are seeing light displays and visiting train gardens. Our staff found some local Holiday Light Displays and Train Gardens for you to check out:
Light Displays: Miracle on 34th Street, Hampden Christmas Street Holiday Show Open until 12/31 Light Up Frederick! Holiday Decorations Tour & Contest Dec 11, 2021, 5 PM – Jan 1, 2022, 9 PM Lights on the Bay Open until 1/2/22 Train Gardens: Jarrettsville VFC Train Garden 3825 Federal Hill Road Jarettsville, MD 1 PM - 9PM ____________________________ 2. Firehouse Train Garden 2700 Glen Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21215 4PM - 8PM ____________________________ 3. Marley Station Model Train Garden Glen Burnie, MD 21061 10AM - 9PM Monday - Saturday Sunday 11AM - 6PM __________________________ Our reporters asked members of the Hampton community what traditions they have in December. Read below for what they had to say:
"I stay up all night until 12:00," said Gabriela C. "I bake cookies," said Emily F. "I spend time with her family," said Sanna. "Every year my family hides a pickle (a fake one) in our Christmas tree, and whoever finds it in the tree, gets to open the first gift. Also, every year I make a spice cake for my family," said Sam D. “Every year my Elf on the Shelf comes,” said Jasen C. “My family makes christmas cookies every year,” said Kareem K. "I started to celebrate Christmas and my birthday," said Clara B. "I go sledding, go on trips, and have a fire with my friends," said Claire L. "I get presents. We do a secret Santa before and after christmas we also bake and eat cookies we have baked," said Dylan S. "I make a gingerbread house," said Tyler R. "I have a big dinner and say gace," said Miles W. I Decorate the house, hang stockings, and make cookies," said Mr. Wilmore. "I go to my auntie’s house and open present’s and eat food," said Ruhaan. "I Open presents and go to my grandparents house and opens more presents and eat," said Jaylin. "I open presents and go to my grandparents'," said Lang. “I go to Virginia and go ice skating with my family.” said by Calvin “I will visit my family in Canada and stay there until the end of winter break.” Said by mathew. I interviewed Mihalis and one of the things that he said was that he opens presents and that they eat ham and his family comes over to his house and that they also play holiday related games and that he celebrates his grandmother's birthday birthday on christmas eve and that they usually go sledding if it snows but you know climate change exists and he said that he watches christmas movies. In celebration of “Small Business” Saturday, The Hampton Herald Staff reached out to some small business owned by Hampton families. Several business owners answered our questions, and the staff was able to interview two of the business owners. Please take a look below to learn more about these local businesses owned by Hampton families.
Interview with Mr. & Mrs. VanWagner, owners of Binder Kitchen & Bath Remodeling What type of small business do you run? Two businesses under one roof. The main business is Binder Kitchen and Bath. What we do is kitchen and bath remodels. We also provide plumbing services for their homes. The other part our business is a handyman service, so if you need shelf installed, or fireplace mantle built, or a door installed, or any number of things need to be done around the house we do pretty much everything there. How long have you owned your business? So, we’ve owned it for almost four years now. In December it will be four years. Is it a family business? It is. Actually, we purchased the business from the family that started it. The name Binder is the name of the family who started it. I would still consider it a family business since myself and Sam both own it jointly. What do you think the most challenging thing in your business is? Well, there’s lots of things that are challenging with owning a business. Any time you have customers involved, which is really in any business, in particular with our business since we’re making improvements or repairs to a customer’s home. It’s something very personal to them and their expectations are very high. Sometimes it’s challenging to satisfy those expectations. One of the challenges for us is to work with them up front to understand what is most important to them to make sure that we try to fulfill those requests. The work can be challenging itself, but understanding those customer needs and wants is one of the more challenging things. Do you have any other employees in your business? We do, we do. We have five other employees, who work directly with us, and then we also have a great network of what we call subcontractors. So, they’re people that own their own business, they practice a certain trade, they might be electricians, or drywall installers, or flooring installers. And as you can imagine, some of our projects are big enough that our five employees can’t do all of the work. There’s more work to do, or there’s a skill we don’t have on our team that someone else has in their business, so in addition to our own employees, we use the skills, the talents, and the capacity of our subcontractors to get some of the work done as well. What made you start the business? Sam’s parents own a small business, and my parents owned a small business while I was growing up. Sam and I have started and run small businesses before. You could say it’s in our family or in our blood, it’s something we really enjoy. There’s something about running a business that yours or starting something from scratch that can be very rewarding. It can be very stressful as well, but it’s something that we really enjoy. I’ve had small business owners tell me that once they go into business for themselves no matter how stressful it is some days, they would never go back to working for someone else. The really enjoy the challenges and the good stuff from owning and running your own business. How can the Hampton community learn more about your small business? One of the things that hard for small business is just getting the word out about your small business. You might have the most talented employees or the best products ever, but if no one knows about your business no one is going to buy your product or use your services. The best form of advertising is word of mouth, which means that if we do a good job on a plumbing service call or remodeling someone’s kitchen, we would love for them to tell five of their friends. We would love for them to tell their friends what we did well and what we might not have done so well so their friends can make the right decision on if we are the right people to work with them or not. On the employee side of things, one of the things that Sam and I find is it difficult to find people in our trade—carpenters, plumbers, electricians—those are very highly skilled trades and require training and certifications. We would love to encourage kids and teenagers who are interested in doing that type of work in learning more about it. We’d be happy to talk with anyone who’s interested—tell them about the good stuff, the bad stuff, and all that’s in between. I think it’s always good to educate people about what it’s like to work in your profession. What was your happiest time and why? I think that when we first purchased this business that was a stressful but happy time. I would say there’s been many of our projects when we’ve done a large remodel for a customer that’s changed their house to make it usable for their family and their kids or made it much more beautiful than it was before that were really great experiences. You get to the very end of that project, and you’ve worked very hard on it with the customer for several weeks or even months. When they have good feedback about how everything went and seem happy with how it turned out, that’s a feeling that’s tough to describe--that you and your team were a part of helping them get there. Luckily for us we’ve had multiple projects where we’ve had that same experience--that last day where everyone’s happy and your team gets to look around at something you created and helped the customer with and it’s really a great feeling. Do you always get along when working together? There’s definitely hard days, especially during COVID where we didn’t know what was going to happen. In March when everything shut down, every time there was a news conference it was very stressful to figure out what was going to happen. Are we going to remain essential or are we going to have to shut down? And we have a team of employees who rely on us. Thar was a very stressful time for the two of us and for the company as a whole, and that caused tension between all of us. We have a really good team that we worked really hard to cultivate that we treat like family. Just like a family, you have some good days, you have some bad days, but at the end of the day you work really hard to make sure you’re communicating well with each other. Did you have any struggles during COVID? We definitely did. Especially when COVID first started last year, it was tough for everyone to figure out was it safe to keep working, was it safe for our customers for us to keep working in their homes. One side of our business is an essential service--the plumbing service side--so luckily, we were able to maintain a pretty strong level of business, but definitely the remodeling side of the business for about four to five months tapered off while us and our customers were trying to figure out what was the right thing to do. Just like so many businesses it was very stressful, and our business definitely decreased for a good bit of time last year. Luckily for us and many businesses, its rebounded and between masks and vaccines and things we can do to keep everyone safe, it’s been easier and easier with each passing day to do business again. Where are you located? We have a physical office location in Parkville, so about 10 minutes away from Hampton. We have a small set of offices in the building where our staff come in to work and then we have a small showroom area where customers can come in and pick out items for their remodels. As you can imagine the bulk of the work we do actually happens at customers’ houses, so whether we’re remodeling a kitchen or a bathroom or providing a plumbing service that all happens physically on site at the customers houses. Do you ever worry about losing business or the competition? We always encourage our customers to get multiple quotations. If all of you were looking at something to buy or if your parents were thinking of getting something remodeled in your own house, it’s always good to look around and make sure you’re picking the right person to provide that service that matches up with your needs and picking a person who’s providing a fair service at the right price. There are definitely times when we think we’ve made a competitive price and bid for a job and our customer selects another contractor or remodeler. That’s a natural part of the business. There’s that phrase “you can’t win ‘em all.” Sam I firmly believe that we hopefully are the right contractor for many people but we’re definitely not the right contractor for everyone. It’s really up to to each person or family to make their own decision. That’s always hard to not get the job that we’ve spent time working with the customer on, but it’s a natural part of doing business. Has anyone gotten injured on the job? Luckily, we haven’t and none of our employees have been seriously injured since we’ve owned the business. It’s definitely a risk though. We work with sharp tools, we work with power tools, we work up on ladders and in situations where a lot of accidents could happen. We encourage our employees to wear safety gear—eye wear, ear protection, safety shoes, long pants, things like that--and more so than anything else, one of my jobs is to make sure that I’m setting a good example. When I’m working on a job with my employees, or checking in on a job, I make sure that I’m strongly encouraging them to work safely, to work intelligently, and if they need a partner or spotter to do what they need to do in a safe manner, I make sure they have a second employee on site. It’s something that’s always a concern for us. The last thing we want is for any one of our employees to be injured. It’s something that’s always at the top of our minds to make sure we’ve promoting a safe environment and safe working procedures. Do you have ads? We do. We advertise a little bit on Google. So, if you were to type in Google search for kitchen and bath remodelers or plumbers, very likely you would see our name pop up on the list. We don’t spend a lot of effort and we don’t spend a lot on money on that type of advertising. We found that the best type of advertising, and free type of advertising, is great word of mouth. We provide a good job or service for somebody and then they tell a friend, and that friend then comes to us to do work for them. In many small businesses, it’s really the best kind of advertising there is. If someone was thinking about starting a small business what would your advice be to them? The first piece of advice would be to just go for it because so many people get nervous and worried and decide not to do it. If you have any thinking that small business is something you might want, you should absolutely do it because it can be very rewarding and challenging. The second piece of advice I would give them is to try and find a way to get a good basic accounting and finance education. That could be talking to a friend or relative who's in those fields who can give you some pointers or to get later on in your own schooling. It could be taking some accounting and finance classes if you have those to take as options. In high school or even college it is very easy to learn the trade that is involved with your business, but what many small business owners don't learn until it is too late is the accounting and finance side of running a business is making sure the business is able to make a certain amount of money and stay profitable and pay all of its bills. Mrs. Lauren Potts What is your small business/What type of small business do you own? I am a self-employed acupuncturist and holistic health practitioner. I operate my business out of a shared office space in Roland Park. How long have you owned your business? 14 years What made you decide/want to open your own business? The decision to become an acupuncturist came first, and that grew out of a desire to help people experience balance and wellness on all levels of their being - mind, body and spirit. By being a self-employed practitioner, I have the freedom to operate my business exactly as I see fit, which means I can make my own schedule, spend as much time on patient care as I deem necessary, and I have the freedom to let my business grow and evolve as I grow and evolve as a practitioner. What are some challenges of owning a small business, especially during the past year and a half? In mid-March 2020 I had to close the doors of my practice due to Covid-19 and it was unclear when I would be able to practice in person again. It was scary, but it also stimulated my creativity, and I was able to support my patients virtually with sessions that included life coaching, Reiki (a form of energy work that can be sent through distance), and other skills that weren't always at the forefront for me pre-Covid. Once I re-opened for in-person sessions in May 2020 I had to increase the time for each treatment to allow for more rigorous cleaning and disinfecting between patients, which meant I couldn't see as many patients in a day and I had the additional expenses of air purifiers, masks and more cleaning supplies. There were frequent cancellations due to potential Covid exposures. Plus, many of my patients were not yet comfortable coming back for in-person appointments, and so my income really took a big hit in 2020. Additionally, I had to adjust my schedule to work mostly nights and weekends due to schools being closed and homeschooling my kids last year since my partner was a teacher and unavailable to be with the kids. It was a challenging year but I'm happy to say things are back to normal in my practice now (even if we are still masking all day). What is your favorite thing about owning your own business? I love being in charge of my work life entirely. My responsibilities are to my patients and providing them excellent care, but there is no one else I need to answer to regarding business decisions. This allows me to let my business develop to match my life and my personal growth. Besides using a service or buying something, how can people support your business or small businesses in general? Referrals are the biggest help for me! If you know someone who could benefit from acupuncture, which can be used to treat a wide variety of concerns including mental health, insomnia, pain conditions, headaches, digestive concerns and reproductive health, please think of me! In general, we can all support small businesses by being aware of the small businesses in our community and shopping locally as often as we can. Mrs. Liz Kent What is your small business/What type of small business do you own? I own a psychotherapy private practice. We provide counseling services for adults and specialize in maternal mental health. How long have you owned your business? I started practice in 2017. What made you decide/want to open your own business? I’d gone into private practice when I had my first son so I could have a more flexible schedule. I was working as a therapist for another practice from 2015-2017 and my husband encouraged me to try it on my own. What are some challenges of owning a small business, especially during the past year and a half? My business has grown a lot since the pandemic started. It’s been difficult balancing a busy workload with decreased childcare (especially in 2020). It’s also difficult to keep track of everything that has to get done for the business. Luckily, I have an amazing executive assistant! What is your favorite thing about owning your own business? I love the flexibility of making my own schedule. I also like being able to handpick the team with whom I get to work, as well as choose which clients are the best fit for me. Besides using a service or buying something, how can people support your business or small businesses in general? Just by telling others who may benefit from our services about us! How can people in the Hampton community learn more about your business? https://www.perissostherapy.com/ https://m.facebook.com/perissostherapy/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/perissos-therapy-llc https://www.instagram.com/perissostherapy/ @perissostherapy Mrs. Katarina Pfund What is your small business/What type of small business do you own? Our business is Zerodraft Maryland, LLC. We are an energy conservation business and install energy savings equipment such es energy efficient lighting, efficient flow water measures, insulation and much more in buildings. We help residential customers, multifamily communities and other commercial facilities (businesses, grocery stores, churches, schools and universities) save energy and money. Since we are an approved contractor for local utility companies we can apply for rebates on behalf of our customers and in some cases residential customers can get some items installed at no additional cost. How long have you owned your business? 12 years What made you decide/want to open your own business? My husband and his dad started the business in 2009 when the economy was really bad - they are both entrepreneurs and thought they could bring great value to their customers by helping them save money on energy. They both also liked the environmental aspect of their work. What are some challenges of owning a small business, especially during the past year and a half? We were very worried about the safety and health of all our employees and customers. We also had to shut our business down for about 2 months during the COVID19 lockdown which was obviously challenging on numerous levels. What is your favorite thing about owning your own business? It's that we can design a company that reflects our values, and we have the freedom to design a work place, work procedures and strategies the way we feel like make the most sense. Besides using a service or buying something, how can people support your business or small businesses in general? In general, we would encourage people to use reputable local contractors to enhance the local economy. If you have a good experience with a contractor leave a positive review on Google or their social media page. Nowadays, many customers are looking for companies with good reviews and the more positive reviews a contractor or small business receives the more likely customer would like to utilize this company. For us specifically, residential customers can sign up for an energy assessment which is funded by the local utility company and is at no additional cost to them. During the assessment our company can install LED bulbs, water measures and in some cases even a smart thermostat. How can people in the Hampton community learn more about your business? We have a website and FB page that outlines what we do: www.zerodraftmd.com |
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