Business owner hopes city council is listening

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A resident and business owner had a simple message for city council Tuesday evening at its meeting. The request was for council to be more involved in helping and supporting local businesses.

Sue Carlisle, who has owned Entrees Made Easy on Honeycutt Road for some seven months with her husband, Brett, told council she was at the meeting as a business owner in the community.

“Like other business owners in our community, we are chamber members, we network, we promote each other’s businesses and do what we can to serve our community,” Carlisle said. “There is no greater pleasure than to give to others. Part of our official business plan is ‘to give back to the community’ and we gladly do so.”

Noting that city council is really not that different than the businesses that have opened thus far in Maricopa, Carlisle stated that both the city and local businesses are experiencing growing pains and have a limited amount of monies to spend before the well runs dry. “We both try to find out what works and what doesn’t,” Carlisle noted. “We both try to not only satisfy but exceed customers’ expectations. I do not envy the difficult tasks that are put before you on a daily basis.”

Carlisle told the council that she and her husband have put everything into this business including heart, soul and all of their capital. “We’re not giving up even though every day is a struggle as a new business to make ends meet, especially when you have everything you own on the line and you’re responsible for employees’ income streams as well,” Carlisle said.

It was then that Carlisle said she had major concerns with the city and how it is or isn’t helping local businesses.

“I must let you know that I was recently outraged together with other business leaders in the community on a communication that came from the city to the business owners,” Carlisle said. “It stated that by the gathering of key data about the existing business community in Maricopa it will allow for improved understanding of the city as a business location, and will help to create an early warning system of business intelligence in terms of opportunities and challenges that inevitably will emerge as the city develops.”

Carlisle continued by saying that the city does not need to wait for the interviews to be conducted and surveys to be completed.

“The vast majority of businesses that rent space are suffering, the early warning signs were months ago, and we already are constantly facing the challenges on a daily basis,” Carlisle said. “What can the council do for me and other businesses that rent space here in Maricopa?”

Carlisle said the best thing that the council and key personnel for the city can do is to get to know the stores that are opened and refer business to them.

“I’ll use Entrees Made Easy as an example,” Carlisle continued. “Some of you were at Entrees Made Easy’s ribbon cutting, but haven’t been back. Some of you and key city personnel have said that you’d try us, but I haven’t seen any orders yet from any of you except one from the city months ago for a lunch meeting. If you don’t want to be our customer, that is fine. What you can do for Entrees and other businesses though, as leaders of our community, is to get to know your local business to help promote us. Please get to know the Maricopa businesses, as it is vital to our success and yours as well.”

Carlisle also told council that there is no signage on the west side of the intersection at Honeycutt Road and John Wayne Parkway to direct people to the Maricopa Business Center. “I can’t tell you how many people don’t know where Honeycutt is or Maricopa Business Center,” Carlisle added.

Saying she was not running for a chamber seat or city council, Carlisle concluded by noting she was just trying to keep her business afloat.

Carlisle now waits to see if her message was heard.

Photo by Dave Thomas