This past week, the focus regarding the Sustainable Business Directory has shifted slightly from growing to maintaining. Meaning, the goal for the final few days is to ensure that the Sustainable Business Directory is ready to be launched and presented to the public. I am still adding businesses to the directory, but that is no longer the top priority. There are enough local businesses within the website now. It is just a matter of if the website itself is easy to navigate and find specific businesses effectively. Some day this week, we are going to have a focus group meeting with a few board members and other people close to Simply Living. The purpose of the meeting is for people that have not interacted with the Sustainable Business Directory to offer suggestions that will help improve the website. The Sustainable Business Directory is going to live on well beyond my fellowship this summer which means maintaining an effective directory is crucial. I am looking forward to the ideas presented at the focus group meeting.

Over the weekend, Simply Living had a table set up at the annual Grove City EcoFest. The EcoFest is a “naturally fun celebration showcasing green exhibitors and interactive family activities to inspire healthier living and preserving our environment.” Simply Living’s booth was set up in the Sustainability Zone. I was working the booth by myself for a few hours which gave me an opportunity to promote both Simply Living and The Sustainable Business Directory. We had flyers to distribute about the directory. When I gave my quick spiel to people passing by our booth, they seemed excited about it. We also had information about the Simply Living Garden Tour which is this coming weekend (August 13 & 14). The Garden Tour is a great way to learn about various urban gardening/farming methods. Overall, the Grove City EcoFest was a success and offered Simply Living more exposure to our community.