Get ready for Aiken's Makin'
September 11 & 12
Meet 7 new local crafters
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Quality craftsmanship and excellent design are the hallmarks of Aiken’s Makin’. Held annually since 1976 by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce, the 44
th
Aiken’s Makin’ will feature the handiwork of 172 fine artisans and 20 food vendors from across the southeast.
A new layout along Park Avenue will be revealed in August and will feature booth spaces that are socially distanced from one another. This will give shoppers and crafters more space to safely enjoy the show.
Aiken’s Makin’ has a well-deserved reputation for an ambiance that is relaxed, hospitable and fun. There is no charge to attend the event. Hours are Friday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Palmetto Crafting, LLC - Lauren Durden
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The Durden family of North Augusta has been crafting for friends and family for years. They opened Palmetto Crafting, LLC in the spring of this year and make hand-crafted items such as benches, tables and signs out of wood. They also create custom embroidery projects.
“Creating something from our imagination and people wanting to buy it is both exciting and fulfilling,” said Laruen Durden.
Every item the Durden family makes is unique and custom orders are welcome. Palmetto Crafting does many items based on the seasons and is a great resource for gifts and home décor.
“Aiken’s Makin’ is the perfect place to showcase our wood projects and embroidery items,” Durden said.
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Focus on Light - Dean Dillinger
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Dean Dillinger has been making unique lamps for about three years. Two of those years have been in Aiken where he works at the Savannah River Site.
Dillinger’s functional art pieces feature vintage items such as cameras with flash reflectors and tripods, dial telephones, power pole insulators, electric fans and heaters, blowtorches, bicycle parts, flashlights, and many other distinctive items.
“I love the problem-solving that goes with installing lighting in things that were never meant for that purpose,” Dillinger said.
Dillinger’s best-selling items are the figurine lamps he makes from copper pipe that has been sweat soldered together, polished and accented with additional treasures. A hinge becomes a book on the piece
The Reader and a copper fisherman catches a mermaid on another aptly called
The Fisherman. These whimsical pieces are fun and functional with a Pixar-esque polished aluminum outdoor light socket providing the light.
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Marbleous Soaps - Paige Donahue
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Marbleous Soaps has been in business for a little over a year now. The business began out of necessity. Several family members, including the family dog, have skin allergies to store bought products. Paige Donahue began making vegan soap with skin loving oils and coconut milk and the products worked.
“Friends and family loved our soaps as much as we love making it - so we decided to start our business venture,” Donahue said.
The family enjoys trying new scents and color combinations, but always has plenty of their best sellers on hand - lavender breeze and Burberry. Marbleous Soaps will also take custom orders.
The family has supported Aiken’s Makin’ for more than 30 years as customers, and they are excited to have the opportunity to be a part of it themselves this year.
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Creative Clay - David Gordon
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After two different and successful careers, one in media and the other in designing and manufacturing electronic devices for children and adults with disabilities, David Gordon took a ceramic clay class with a friend. He quickly learned he had no desire to make the typical cups and bowls and began exploring free form work.
Gordon says he never makes the same piece twice because each starts out with no preconception of the outcome. He keeps working on it, sometimes off and on for days, until something (or the creation itself) says stop.
“I've always been a lover of nature and its exotic creations. I would see the beauty of a giant tropical waterfall and in a rotting log accented with green moss and grey and white lichen. I love the intriguing diversity nature creates with lines, color, substance and texture,” Gordon said.
Aiken’s Makin’ will be Gordon’s first significant public display of his vases, birdhouses, and other unique creations.
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Nong Von B Painting - Nong Von Buedingen
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Von Buedingen, a native of Thailand who now calls Aiken home, began painting in middle school and loved it. Being self-taught, she worried about entering her paintings in art competitions, but to her amazement won several awards for her work. This solidified her love for art.
Life intervened, and between university, traveling, and work, her art was put on hold. Recently, Von Buedingen has had the opportunity to dedicate time to her passion. She is teaching her children to paint and focuses on Aiken and her family for inspiration.
Von Buedingen’s work is typically acrylic on canvas, but she has recently started painting on reclaimed wood from the fences of area horse pastures and other unusual sources. Her paintings on reclaimed wood have proven popular.
“My family and I have attended Aiken Makin’ every year since I moved here. Seeing all the beautiful crafts, has always left me wanting to be a part of it, and this year I will be,” she said.
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Erica's Delights, LLC - Erica Burke
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Erica Burke began Erica’s Delights, LLC in 2017 while she was working towards her baking degree at Johnson & Wales University. Yet, her career in baking began much earlier as she learned to make pancakes at the counter with her dad at the age of three.
“I decided to do my own business in the last year because of my personality. I like to be extremely hands-on and make everything beautiful. I was not having any luck finding a like minded boss, so I became my own,” Burke said.
Burke bakes most everything except soft sliced bread, and most recently has incorporated gluten and dairy free products. Burke’s most popular items are her decorative cookies.
“Making people happy. That is what inspires me. When taking orders, I am super detail oriented to give the customer exactly what they want. My family also inspires me with what they like to eat,” she said.
Burke is excited about showing her work to the public at such a large local platform and hopes the attendees will enjoy a little something sweet and homemade as they shop at the event.
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New Members & Ribbon Cutting
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Designed by Purpose Counseling & Consulting, LLC
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Therapy
Quickly becoming the premier practice in Aiken to help you learn to “Take back control of your life & discover your greatest self!” We offer counseling, coaching and consulting.
2000 Woodside Executive Court
Aiken, SC 29803
Contact: Amanda Gilchrist
Phone: (803) 470-4076
MEGAH, LLC
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Pressure Washing & Exterior Cleaning
Our highly trained team provides safe and proven soft wash methods, utilize professional grade equipment and non-damaging, eco-friendly, biodegradable cleaning solutions for your exterior home or business.
2240 William Few Parkway
Evans, GA 30809
Contact: Andrew Tyson
Phone: (706) 825-6132
Hitchcock Animal Hospital
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Veterinary Services
102 Summerwood Way
Aiken, SC 29803
Contact: Jennifer Ray
Phone: (803) 679-5001
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Hitchcock Animal Hospital celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 18. Pictured front and center are Aiken Chamber President/CEO J. David Jameson, Dr. Jennifer Ray and husband Greg Baughman. Their hours are 8 am-6 pm, Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 8 am - 12 pm. If your pet needs a vet, swing by and check out their state-of-the-art facility at 101 Summerwood Way. You can connect with staff at (803) 679 - 5001 or check out their website to learn more about the array of services that they can provide:
http://www.hitchcockanimalhospital.com/
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Always learning with SCORE
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SCORE remains dedicated to its mission of fostering vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. These past few months have taken a toll on many of the small businesses and communities SCORE serves, first with the pandemic that continues to persist and now with the protests taking place across the country. SCORE’s network of 10,000 volunteer men and women stands ready to support the small-business owners.
Entrepreneurs are, by nature, courageous and resilient. Small businesses can and will rebuild, and SCORE is here to help. Valuable free resources for small-business owners and entrepreneurs are available at
www.score.org
and include remote mentoring, recorded webinars, courses on demand and registration for the following upcoming live webinars.
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Service companies have been among the worst hit by the pandemic. Consumers and businesses have drastically cut their expenditures on services to conserve cash and avoid human contact. However, consumers are still buying products that meet an immediate need.
To capitalize on this flight to purchase products that meet an immediate need, service providers need to "productize their service."
Join this webinar presented by one of the U.S. top business-to-business marketers John Warrillow, The Value Builder System™, and MassMutual Director of Business Market Development Brian Trzcinski who will share how to “productize your service.”
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Can your business effectively stay connected to customers while working from home during the coronavirus outbreak? With the right tools and communication plan, you can build long lasting connections with your clients and customers, from any location.
This webinar, presented by Grow with Google Digital Marketing Expert Randi Penfil, will introduce digital tools that can help business owners strengthen connections while working and managing their business remotely.
Penfil will discuss how to:
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Update critical business information online
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Keep customers informed
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Conduct virtual meetings
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Access important files from anywhere
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Plus, get insights on more online and timely resources for small businesses
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The coronavirus crisis will be the catalyst for small businesses to make big changes now, and in the future, in order to persevere and thrive.
Join Steve Hoffman, investor, author and CEO of Founders Space, as he discusses the latest trends in technology and how they will affect businesses. Hoffman will discuss new opportunities and where venture capitalists are focusing their attention and investments.
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Attendees will discover:
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Where to find new opportunities
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Technological breakthroughs that will shape industries and our economy in the coming years
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How you can prepare to take advantage of new trends in technology
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With the world changing every day, publishing and updating your website can feel like a daunting task.
Even with a template that takes care of the look and feel of your website, you still need to create the content for your pages that reflects current events and COVID guidelines surrounding your business.
This process is easy once you know where to focus. You can publish your website quickly with just the essential pages you need to get yourself online.
Join us for this presentation led by Jenna Shaffer with Constant Contact, where she will share the following best practices:
Four questions your homepage must answer before you hit publish
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The real purpose of your ‘about page” and how to create one your visitors want to read
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How to make it easy for visitors to find and contact you
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Tips for using images on these pages
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e-commerce and shopping cart landing pages
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Engage and stay connected
with customers
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From small businesses to large corporations, no business has been immune to COVID-19. Thinking of new ways to engage and stay connected to customers is more important than ever.
The Aiken Chamber has found a great resource in FACEBOOK for Business. The following information is gathered from
www.facebook.com/business
and will help small business owners stay connected through posting, messaging and going live on Facebook and Instagram.
Let customers know how they can contact you to place orders
Create quick eye-catching posts to share important updates with customer. Let customers know how they can contact you and place orders. Share measures you are taking to keep safe. Several free images are available to use on the site.
Keep up customer relationships
Stay connected to your customers even if you can’t be there in person. Answer customer questions your business receives from Messenger and
Instagram
right from your Facebook Page Inbox. Consider setting up
automated responses
to frequently asked questions such as business hours and how to place orders.
Take your events online
If you have to postpone or cancel an in-person event, try hosting a Live on
Facebook
or
Instagram
instead. Live is a great way to broadcast real-time video on Facebook with just your camera on a desktop or mobile device. Think of it as a chance to take your customers behind-the-scenes.
5 ideas for going Live
- Host a Q&A
- Go Live with someone in your audience and interview them
- Showcase and explain your products or services
- Teach your audience how to do something
- Create a Live series
Facebook and Instagram Live Tips:
- Go live with Wi-Fi instead of cellular data for a smoother video.
- For steadier shots, use a tripod or prop your phone up against a wall or a book.
- Interact with your audience and respond to comments during your broadcast.
- To get more viewers, post about your event ahead of time. You can create an event post on Facebook, or a Story with the countdown sticker on Instagram.
- When your Live concludes, you can save or post the video to keep it.
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