Annual List Revealed

As a reader and follower you know each December I release a list of business professionals or organizations that have been great, or not so great, to work with throughout the year. Thankfully in 2016 my family didn’t relocate, buy and furnish a house, or experience any major medical issues like we did in 2015. According to Ken, my husband, 2016 was boring. Adding, “boring is good.”

What we did do in 2016 was shore up our financial life. Moving to another state meant we needed to get our wills and estate in order with Nebraska rules. A local, experienced attorney guided us.  Our annual financial checkup was done via video conference, saving us time and travel.  We also replaced a vehicle in 2016.

Despite my widened and improved technology skills, I again relied on experts in 2016 to make my professional life easier. Instead of time-consuming problem-solving, I called experts. Boom! Fixed! Back to work! As a small business owner, I’m cautious about spending funds. However, when an expert can solve the problem in minutes, that’s money well spent.

Ken and I hosted two special occasion catered events in 2016. As strong supporters of small business, we hired two local companies to feed our guests. We’d use each again, without question. We recommend both to you.

Now that we are settled into our new hometown, we sought out local entertainment. We found it at the Omaha Community Playhouse. The productions and talent are outstanding. Go see a play or two. You will be entertained.

Finally, someone found me this year. My enjoyment of nature and photography was rewarded by partnering with San Francisco, California based company Vida. Together we use my photography to produce fashion art. A store link is found under “Linda’s Store” and “Meet Linda” on this website. I am deeply touched and thankful for each of you who purchased a piece of my art to wear or accent your home. One can never go wrong supporting artists, or a small business.

Making the 2016 Nice List

1. Ashly Voss Beauty First Salon & Store– Omaha Nebraska http://beautyfirstnebraska.com/. This young professional, working in a local business, made my list two years in a row. She is not only a talented stylist but also an emerging business professional. She represents all that a professional should be-customer oriented, skilled in her trade, dedicated, and curious about her industry. Looking for a new style? Visit Ashly. Tell her Ken and I sent you. You will not be disappointed with her talent or her customer service skills.  Congratulations Ashly! You are the first to land on my annual nice list twice.
2. Clipper Vacations headquartered in Seattle, Washington. http://www.clippervacations.com/. Our family chose the Pacific Northwest for a vacation in 2016. Though we consider ourselves fairly expert in travel planning, we relied on Clipper Vacations. What a time and money saver. There is a reason travel agencies are necessary. Professional agents make travel smoother and less worrisome. If you’re heading to that region, contact them. You can see trip planning details under the “Travel” tab on this website. We also visited Victoria and Vancouver, Canada.
3. Randy Finch—Vern Eide Honda–Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Vehicle shopping has always been at the top of my least favorite things to do. However, Randy is changing that. Several years ago we bought a vehicle from him. We did again this year. Only this time the purchase was made over the telephone. Then he drove it to Omaha for us.  Want a hassle-free car buying experience from a no-nonsense salesperson? Contact Randy.
4. Mangia Italiana--Omaha, Nebraska They advertise in our church bulletin. We support businesses that do that. We have dined in and liked their food and service so well that we had them deliver food for one of our special occasion events this year. A drive by this restaurant will entice you inside. The smell of garlic and baked Italian dishes is ever so delicious. Try Mangia. Go hungry! Leave happier!
5. Omaha Community Playhouse–Omaha, Nebraska What a great find! Here’s another example of supporting local. The nation’s largest community theatre produces plays and musicals to entertain all. There’s not a bad seat in the house and the talent is top-notch. Do yourself a favor. Get tickets in 2017! We will. Watch for my blog posts reviewing select productions and occasional ticket giveaways.
6. Kyle Bottorff–Bottorff Tax & Accounting–Vermillion, South Dakota. Have you ever tried finding student housing for 5 months in a university town? It’s near impossible. Kyle stepped forward and rented our son, Alex, a room in his home. As his parents, we are grateful for this gesture. As small business supporters, we encourage anyone needing accounting services to contact Kyle.
7. Richard A. Drews, Attorney at Law–Omaha, Nebraska Lawyers get a bad rap. Richard (Rick) shouldn’t. We found his ad in our St. James Church bulletin and sought his advice on updating our wills, etc. It was an efficient, painless process. Some put this off because of cost and/or because they don’t want to think of death. Planning ahead and getting one’s affairs in order are gifts for those one leaves behind. Rick is professional, knowledgeable and just a darn good guy. Contact him for a consultation. Be ready to talk baseball. He’s a fan!
8. Darwyn Sprik–Sprik Financial Group–Sioux Falls, South Dakota You don’t need a treasure trove of cash to work with a financial expert. If you’re interested in making your money work for you, contact Darwyn. He’s Midwestern practical and works with clients in numerous states. Most importantly, he listens. We’re sure thankful we partnered with him years ago.
9. Jeremy Johnson–TechToGo–Omaha, Nebraska Area I purchased a new computer and dreaded transferring everything from one to the other. To save time and not lose anything, I hired Jeremy. While in my office, he also schooled me on technology shortcuts to  make my workday more productive. When I’ve run into technology roadblocks that take too long for me to solve, I contact him. He fixes them remote. Time is money. My money is always well spent with Jeremy.
10. Vida--San Francisco, California My photography is featured on clothing, tote bags, accent pillows and more. Remember, you are buying a piece of art and supporting a small business when you purchase from my collection. I love sharing my work with you. Find it on this website under “Linda’s Store” and “Meet Linda”. Or, www.shopvida.com/collections/linda-leier-thomason
11. Pleasure Your Palate Catering–Omaha, Nebraska Ted and his team provide outstanding event and menu planning, great tasting food and polished customer service. We hired them for an April brunch. Today, guests are still raving about their food quality and service. Call Ted when you need to cater an event that will have guests raving months later.
12. Phone Surgeons https://phonesurgeons.com/locations/omaha/ Sadly, within days of purchasing a phone after the new year, I drowned it. A TV ad introduced me to Phone Surgeons. 12 months later I’m still using my revived phone, saving me hundreds of dollars. I cannot say enough good about Phone Surgeons. I’m hoping not to use them in 2017. I plan to be more cautious. You should, if your phone needs repair.

Naughty List

My family and I reviewed the year in detail. Other than a horrible experience at one Omaha Taco Bell drive-thru, we cannot identify any others in 2016. [It is my practice to inform any business on the naughty list. I did speak to the store manager after the incident.] Taco Bell is not a bad company. This store had one employee who wasn’t meant to work there.

Our home sustained significant hail damage while we were on vacation in the Pacific Northwest. Each home repair supplier and vendor was outstanding to work with, as was our insurance company.

Perhaps we’ve gotten better at choosing businesses to work with. It could be businesses are doing a better job of delivering great products and services. Maybe we’ve chilled out and expect less. I don’t think so. Whatever the reason, we are grateful for each of these favorable interactions in 2016. And, we look forward to continuing our partnership with each person and business. Afterall,  at the most basic level, business is about establishing trusting, long-term relationships.

Which business professional or organization made your 2016 better?

Tell them! Write them a testimonial. Send them a note. Deliver them a tray of homemade treats. Get to know the people in the business. It makes doing business all that more meaningful.

Share this with others as a testimonial of outstanding businesses and business professionals.

©Copyright. December 2016. Linda Leier Thomason

All Rights Reserved.