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The Tip is 'Manufacturer's sites' I recently ran out of my favorite pancake syrup. I loved the brand we had been using but when I went to the grocery store, I couldn't find it. The syrup was made in Indiana and I was living in Florida at the time. I tried unsuccessfully to find it on an internet. The manufacturer is small and their products are not readily available so I thought I would try their website. They did, in fact, have their own internet store so I ordered it directly from them. Now, I always buy their made in USA maple syrup from their website and never run out. Made in America Secrets has thousands of made in USA products offered by hundreds of small manufacturers. These small Made in America companies are a large contributor to our economy. In fact, according to the 2008 US Census Bureau small businesses, those employing 1 to 99 employees comprise 98% of all the USA businesses. This is equivalent to 5.8 million businesses that employee over 40 million people. Most American's are unaware of how significant small business is when compared to the total size of the US economy. This website is aware of it and that is why 99% of the businesses that advertise on Made in America Secrets are small businesses. Use this web site to for a list of products made in the US- especially since it is likely that a small US manufacturer employs someone you know- your husband, wife, children, or grandchildren. When using Google to search for Made in America products often times these small made in the United States businesses never show up on page one- and most folks don't look past page one. What does this mean? The consumer has a difficult time locating that US made product. Made in America Secrets was conceived to provide a solution to that problem. As an example search for motorcycles Made in America using Google and you will likely miss many of the companies that make this country great. Use Made in America Secrets for the search and you will likely find a hidden jewel. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Toby Weston Handbags Toby Weston Handbags was born out of necessity 37 years ago when Toby, whose two children were out of the nest, decided to attend a local community college. Unhappy with the inability of the then current handbags to permit her to quickly locate her pens and pencils, personal items, car keys, notepads, etc., she designed and made a bag that fulfilled this need. The following Xmas she gave a friend her newly designed bag as a gift. Sometime after Xmas, her friend contacted her and told her that she had sold the bag Toby had given her! However, she added that she took orders for eight more bags from friends of hers! inside_home_06 Sewing in a remodeled closet, Toby did produce the eight bags and others as well. It wasn't long before she was contacted by the upscale division of a major department store and invited to come in and show her line. (She had to ask what they meant by line.) She put together some samples and met with the bag buyer and manager of the store. As the bag buyer was going over her bags and ordering them in dozens, Toby stopped her with, Whoa, wait a minute, I'm just a little lady sewing in her bedroom closet. The ensuing laughter was good natured and a reasonable order was placed for Easter delivery. The store manager asked her to please stay as naive as she was. To validate the old adage that timing is everything, it was suggested to Toby that since she now had a rather large satisfied customer, why not call Disneyland. After much mental anguish (she did not view herself as a sales person), she did finally contact one of the buyers at Disneyland and his response was, How soon can you get here? That was the call that took Toby out of the bedroom closet and into a real business. After selling Disneyland, the phone did not stop ringing with stores from all over the country calling and the owners telling Toby that a friend or relative had bought one of her bags at Disneyland and could they order for their stores. From that time to this, Toby's bags are still made the same way (not in a closet), attention to detail and unmatched quality being the norm. In 2005 Toby retired and her daughter Wendy took over all of the day to day wndy2workings of Toby Weston Handbags. Wendy came from a design and retail background so it was a no- brainer for her to step in and take the reins from Toby. Wendy has added additonal designs to the TWH lineup but she is well aware that the star of the show is the original classic Toby Weston Handbag and that will not change. If you asked Toby and Wendy what is the most important thing that has come out of a 37 year old, family owned business, they would tell you it's the people all the wonderful women that are die hard Toby Weston Handbag fans and the great store owners who have been an important part of our success. We thank you all. |
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