The Simply Living Sustainable Business Directory project is in full swing this week.  I began adding around twenty businesses daily to the directory and it now holds just under 200 locally-owned businesses within the database. Data entry is not always the most exciting activity to do on a daily basis. However, this week’s fellows meeting at the Columbus Foundation about purpose and a phone call with a local business owner made me remember the importance of entering business information into the Sustainable Business Directory.

On Tuesday, Chuck (Simply Living founder) and I had a phone call to discuss the businesses that did not have sufficient information available online. One of those businesses was Kombucha Bob’s Kombu-Tea. Chuck arranged a phone call with Bob and he gave us the missing information. We also discussed both the importance and struggles of being a local small business. What resonated with me after our conversation was Bob acknowledging the difficulty of marketing his product. That part of the conversation reminded me of the importance of constantly adding information to the Sustainable Business Directory. Although the actual task of data entry may be tedious, it is crucial to the purpose of Simply Living.

It comes as no surprise that Kombucha Bob’s product faces difficulty competing with global kombucha brands. Bob said it himself that he is having a hard time with marketing. Once the Sustainable Business Directory is launched, it will act as a resource for people in Central Ohio looking for kombucha and related products. Furthermore, the purpose of the directory reverts back to the mission of Simply Living: to connect people with learning opportunities that promote sustainability, environmental justice, and the local economy. I was unaware of Bob’s product before this summer. Simply Living gave me the opportunity to learn about Bob’s product and help spread the word which has a positive impact on our local economy.