Biz Buzz: She was struggling to make ends meet until a batch of cookies changed her life
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Do you want to know what’s happening on the east Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered.
Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BRIEF
IONA
How a batch of cookies changed the lives of a local family
IONA – Somewhere along Iona Road is the home of the neighborhood “cookie momster.”
Timanee Olsen is a stay at home mom who owns a custom cookie business under that name. It is taking off like wildfire and changing her family’s life in the process.
Last December, Olsen and her husband were living on food stamps and struggling to make ends meet for their family. Olsen made some “ugly christmas sweater” cookies for a christmas party and posted a picture on Facebook. Someone saw the post and wanted some for their christmas party too.
“I figured out how much it would cost to make them for her. I made like 75 of them,” Olsen tells EastIdahoNews.com.
From there, word continued to spread and the orders just kept coming.
“It literally fell into my lap. I didn’t do anything (to advertise). It just happened,” says Olsen.
Today, Olsen says she has orders booked six weeks in advance and doesn’t have time for anything else. But she is grateful for the work because those food stamps are now a thing of the past.
“We have struggled for a couple years and we’ve worked hard,” Olsen recalls with emotion. “This has completely changed our world. I never thought I’d be 32 years old making cookies seven days a week. I feel so lucky.”
Each cookie is made from scratch out of her home. She’s working on getting a business license in hopes of opening her own storefront.
EastIdahoNews.com will have a more in-depth story on her later this week.
Olsen says she is happy to work with any budget. If you’d like to place an order, call (208) 569-5883. You can also visit her Facebook page to learn more.
IDAHO FALLS
8 local organizations want you to have fun this summer
IDAHO FALLS – Four different Idaho Falls businesses are coming together to help families have fun this summer.
The new Idaho Falls Adventure Pass allows you to get free admission and other discounts into the businesses listed in the photo above.
Georgina Goodlander, Idaho Falls Arts Council’s Visual Arts Director tells EastIdahoNews.com this pass was created to raise funds for the nonprofit organizations listed, including The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, Museum of Idaho, Artitorium on Broadway and the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park.
“We want to target the local market (by offering this pass), but we’re hoping that tourists will be interested as well,” says Goodlander.
In addition to getting one free admission to each of the four nonprofits, the pass also offers discounts to the other businesses listed. Those businesses include iJump, Kidstown, Battle Zone and East Idaho Aquarium. Individual and Family Passes are available. An individual pass covers one person of any age and a family pass covers two adults and four kids.
Goodlander says this pass has been in the works for several years. They hope to be able to expand and improve upon it in years to come.
“This is the first time we’ve offered it with all these organizations, so this summer is a trial run. We’d love to hear from people about how it works when they try it out,” Goodlander says.
The IF Adventure Pass is available for purchase now by CLICKING HERE.
RELATED | Idaho Falls attractions launch discounted summer adventure pass
BIZ BITS
REXBURG – Rexburg Rapids will be fully open June 25th with the completion of the activity and zero depth entry pool. The park will continue to be partially open to the public while the mandatory pool repairs are being completed. Rexburg Rapids was anticipating opening on the 16th of June but due to a manufacture error with the tiles the date has been pushed back.
IDAHO FALLS – The Alliance for Aviation Across America today commended Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper for proclaiming June “General Aviation Appreciation Month.” In Idaho, general aviation contributes over $1.1 billion to the state’s total economic output.
POCATELLO – Concepts of what could be for a section of a Pocatello street will be the focus of a conversation this summer. Over the course of the coming months, people in Pocatello will have the opportunity to contribute their ideas for improvements to the East Terry Street and South First Avenue corridor. The City of Pocatello Planning and Development Services Department recently won an award for free technical assistance from Community Builders, a Montana-based non-profit organization, to help with this effort.
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
AMMON
New halotherapy at Ahhhsome Relaxation has many health benefits, owners say
AMMON – Ahhhsome Relaxation, a 24 hour, seven day a week “stress reduction center” in Ammon has a new therapy treatment they want you to know about. It’s called halotherapy.
BIZ BUGS
TOPIC: DOOR TO DOOR SCAMS
The following is a news release from the Better Business Bureau.
With summer selling season just around the corner, homeowners should take caution when salespeople knock at their doors. Scammers will often pose as door-to-door salespeople from home improvement or home security system companies. Many trustworthy companies solicit door-to-door, but residents should be alert of high-pressure or deceptive sales practices.
Do your research. If you are interested in what they are selling, tell the salesperson to come back at a later time. Get as much information about the business as possible and then look them up online. You can find their business profile at bbb.org/northwest-pacific. If a door-to-door solicitor is claiming to be affiliated with your utility company or someone you do business with, it’s best to follow-up directly using verifiable contact information. Don’t freely hand over personal information if you aren’t certain the representative is who they say they are.
Ask for the salesperson’s identification. Any legitimate salesperson should be able to provide identification for both themselves and their company such as a permit, business license or business card.
Resist high-pressure sales tactics. A reputable seller will give consumers time to think through the deal. Avoid sellers who need an immediate answer, offer “once in a lifetime” or “today only” deals and put pressure into signing a contract.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…
Popular Mexican, pizza restaurants under construction in Ammon
Newly released map shows 4th of July Riverfest event areas
EastIdahoNews.com offering helicopter rides on the Fourth of July