#Buy a company Minneapolis

[petersonacquisitionsminneapolis]

Top Business Brokers in Minneapolis: A Comprehensive Guide

Selling or buying a business is a pivotal decision that requires careful planning, market expertise, and professional support. Business brokers in Minneapolis offer the specialized services and guidance necessary to navigate these complex transactions effectively. If you’re considering working with a broker, understanding the top players in the market and their offerings can be a game-changer. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the leading business brokers in Minneapolis.

What Makes a Great Business Broker?

Before diving into the list, it’s essential to understand the qualities that set exceptional brokers apart:

Experience: A proven track record in successfully closing deals across various industries.

Market Knowledge: Insight into Minneapolis’s business landscape and buyer/seller expectations.

Confidentiality: The ability to maintain discretion throughout the process.

Comprehensive Services: Assistance with valuation, marketing, negotiation, and deal structuring.

Strong Network: Connections with potential buyers, sellers, and financial institutions.

These attributes ensure a broker can deliver a smooth and profitable transaction for their clients.

1. Peterson Acquisitions

Overview: Peterson Acquisitions is a nationwide business brokerage firm with a strong presence in Minneapolis. They specialize in helping entrepreneurs sell closely-held businesses and franchises.

Why Choose Them:

Personalized approach to understanding client goals.

Expertise in business valuation and preparing businesses for sale.

Robust marketing strategies to attract qualified buyers.

Excellent reputation for confidentiality and professionalism.

Specialties: Small-to-medium-sized businesses across various industries, including healthcare, retail, and manufacturing.

2. Sunbelt Business Brokers

Overview: Sunbelt is one of the largest business brokerage networks globally, with a branch in Minneapolis. They bring decades of experience and a vast buyer pool to the table.

Why Choose Them:

Extensive network of buyers and sellers.

Customized marketing campaigns tailored to each business.

Detailed financial analysis and valuation reports.

Support for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in addition to smaller transactions.

Specialties: A broad range of industries, from technology to hospitality.

3. Murphy Business & Financial Corporation

Overview: Known for their comprehensive business brokerage and M&A services, Murphy Business is a trusted name in Minneapolis. They focus on delivering value-driven solutions for both buyers and sellers.

Why Choose Them:

Rigorous valuation process to determine accurate business worth.

Assistance with financing options for buyers.

Experienced intermediaries skilled in complex deal negotiations.

Transparent communication and guidance throughout the process.

Specialties: Established businesses in manufacturing, distribution, and service sectors.

4. Calhoun Companies

Overview: Calhoun Companies has been serving Minneapolis business owners for over a century, making them one of the oldest and most experienced firms in the region.

Why Choose Them:

Deep understanding of the local market dynamics.

Tailored services that cater to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Comprehensive marketing and outreach strategies.

Strong emphasis on confidentiality and ethical practices.

Specialties: Family-owned businesses, retail, and professional services.

5. Transworld Business Advisors

Overview: Transworld is a global brokerage firm with a strong Minneapolis presence. They offer a broad range of services for both small business owners and larger enterprises.

Why Choose Them:

Industry-leading marketing tools and platforms.

Expert deal structuring to meet both buyer and seller needs.

Strong focus on matching businesses with the right buyers.

Professional support for franchise sales and resales.

Specialties: Startups, franchises, and established businesses in various industries.

6. Creative Business Services

Overview: With a focus on personalized service, Creative Business Services has carved a niche in Minneapolis for helping business owners achieve successful exits.

Why Choose Them:

Hands-on approach to each transaction.

Expertise in preparing businesses for sale.

Support for buyer financing and due diligence.

Commitment to long-term client satisfaction.

Specialties: Healthcare, education, and niche markets.

How to Choose the Right Broker

When selecting a business broker in Minneapolis, consider the following:

Industry Expertise: Ensure the broker has experience in your specific industry.

Track Record: Look for testimonials, case studies, or references from previous clients.

Fee Structure: Understand the broker’s commission and additional costs.

Communication: Choose a broker who values transparency and regular updates.

Personal Connection: A good rapport with your broker can make the process more comfortable and efficient.

The Benefits of Working with a Top Broker

Collaborating with an experienced broker offers numerous advantages:

Time Savings: Brokers handle the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on your business.

Better Valuation: Accurate pricing maximizes your return.

Access to Buyers: Established networks increase the chances of finding the right buyer quickly.

Professional Negotiation: Brokers mediate discussions, ensuring favorable terms for both parties.

Peace of Mind: Expertise and guidance reduce stress and uncertainty.

Conclusion

Minneapolis is home to a thriving business community, making it an ideal market for both buying and selling businesses. By partnering with a top-tier business broker, you can navigate the complexities of the transaction process with confidence and ease. Whether you’re planning to sell a family-owned business, explore franchise opportunities, or invest in a new venture, these brokers offer the expertise and resources needed to achieve your goals.

[reasonsforhope]

Article Link

"Minnetonka first started selling its “Thunderbird” moccasins in 1965. Now, for the first time, they’ve been redesigned by a Native American designer.

It’s one step in the company’s larger work to deal with its history of cultural appropriation. The Minneapolis-based company launched in the 1940s as a small business making souvenirs for roadside gift shops in the region—including Native American-inspired moccasins, though the business wasn’t started or run by Native Americans. The moccasins soon became its biggest seller.

[Photo: Minnetonka]

Adrienne Benjamin, an Anishanaabe artist and community activist who became the company’s “reconciliation advisor,” was initially reluctant when a tribal elder approached her about meeting with the company. Other activists had dismissed the idea that the company would do the work to truly transform. But Benjamin agreed to the meeting, and the conversation convinced her to move forward.

“I sensed a genuine commitment to positive change,” she says. “They had really done their homework as far as understanding and acknowledging the wrong and the appropriation. I think they knew for a long time that things needed to get better, and they just weren’t sure what a first step was.”

Pictured: Lucie Skjefte and son Animikii [Photo: Minnetonka]

In 2020, Minnetonka publicly apologized “for having benefited from selling Native-inspired designs without directly honoring Native culture or communities.” It also said that it was actively recruiting Native Americans to work at the company, reexamining its branding, looking for Native-owned businesses to partner with, continuing to support Native American nonprofits, and that it planned to collaborate with Native American artists and designers.

Benjamin partnered with the company on the first collaboration, a collection of hand-beaded hats, and then recruited the Minneapolis-based designer Lucie Skjefte, a citizen of the Red Lake Nation, who designed the beadwork for another moccasin style and a pair of slippers for the brand. Skjefte says that she felt comfortable working with the company knowing that it had already done work with Benjamin on reconciliation. And she wasn’t a stranger to the brand. “Our grandmothers and our mothers would always look for moccasins in a clutch kind of situation where they didn’t have a pair ready and available to make on their own—then they would buy Minnetonka mocs and walk into a traditional pow wow and wear them,” she says. Her mother, she says, who passed away in 2019, would have been “immensely proud” that Skjefte’s design work was part of the moccasins—and on the new version of the Thunderbird moccasin, one of the company’s top-selling styles.

[Photo: Minnetonka]

“I started thinking about all of those stories, and what resonated with me visually,” Skjefte says. The redesign, she says, is much more detailed and authentic than the previous version. “Through the redesign and beading process, we are actively reclaiming and reconnecting our Animikii or Thunderbird motif with its Indigenous roots,” she says. Skjefte will earn royalties for the design, and Minnetonka will also separately donate a portion of the sale of each shoe to Mni Sota Fund, a nonprofit that helps Native Americans in Minnesota get training and capital for home ownership and entrepreneurship.

Some companies go a step farther—Manitobah Mukluks, based in Canada, has an Indigenous founder and more than half Indigenous staff. (While Minnetonka is actively recruiting more Native American workers, the company says that employees self-report race and it can’t share any data about its current number of Indigenous employees.) Beyond its own line of products, Manitobah also has an online Indigenous Market that features artists who earn 100% of the profit for their work.

White Bear Moccasins, a Native-owned-and-made brand in Montana, makes moccasins from bison hide. Each custom pair can take six to eight hours to make; the shoes cost hundreds of dollars, though they can also be repaired and last as long as a lifetime, says owner Shauna White Bear. In interviews, White Bear has said that she wants “to take our craft back,” from companies like Minnetonka. But she also told Fast Company that she doesn’t think that Minnetonka, as a family-owned business, should have to lose its livelihood now and stop making moccasins.

The situation is arguably different for other fashion brands that might use a Native American symbol—or rip off a Native American design completely—on a single product that could easily be taken off the market. Benjamin says that she has also worked with other companies that have discontinued products.

She sees five steps in the process of reconciliation. First, the person or company who did wrong has to acknowledge the wrong. Then they need to publicly apologize, begin to change behavior, start to rebuild trust, and then, eventually, the wronged party might take the step of forgiveness. Right now, she says, Minnetonka is in the third phase of behavior change. The brand plans to continue to collaborate with Native American designers.

The company can be an example to others on how to listen and build true relationships, Benjamin says. “I think that’s the only way that these relationships are going to get any better—people have to sit down and talk about it,” she says. “People have to be real. People have to apologize. They have to want to reconcile with people.”

The leadership at Minnetonka can also be allies in pushing other companies to do better. “My voice is important at the table as an Indigenous woman,” Benjamin says. “Lucie’s voice is important. But at tables where there’s a majority of people that aren’t Indigenous, sometimes those allies’ voices are more powerful in those spaces, because that means that they’ve signed on to what we’re saying. The power has signed on to moving forward and we agree with ‘Yes, this was wrong.’ That’s the stuff that’s going to change [things] right there.”"

-via FastCompany, February 7, 2024

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Stellantis wants to make scabbing woke

I'm coming to Minneapolis! Oct 15: Presenting The Internet Con at Moon Palace Books. Oct 16: Keynoting the 26th ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

I know, I know, it's weird when the worst people you know are right, even when they're right for the wrong reasons: like, the "Intelligence Community" is genuinely terrible, pharma companies are murderous crooks, and Big Tech really does have a dangerous grip on public debate. The swivel-eyed loons have a point, is what I'm saying:

https://locusmag.com/2023/05/commentary-cory-doctorow-the-swivel-eyed-loons-have-a-point/

When conspiratorialists and reactionaries holler about how the FBI are dirty-tricking creeps who are framing Trump, it's tempting to say, "well, if Trumpists hate the FBI, then I will love the FBI. Who cares about COINTELPRO and what they did to Martin Luther King?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI%E2%80%93King_suicide_letter

It's a process called "schizmogenesis": forming new group identity beliefs based on saying the opposite of what your enemies say, and as tempting as that is, it's extraordinarily foolish and dangerous:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/12/18/schizmogenesis/

It means that canny reactionaries like Steve Bannon can trick you into taking any position merely by taking the opposite one. Bannon's followers are even more easily led, so it's easy for him to convince them that we have always been at war with Oceania. The right has created an entire mirror world of "I know you are but what am I?" politics.

Anti-vax co-opts "bodily autonomy." Climate denial becomes environmentalism ("wind turbines kill birds"). Transphobia becomes feminism ("keep women-only spaces for real women"). Support for strongmen becomes anti-imperialism ("don't feed the war machine in Ukraine"). These are the doppelgangers Naomi Klein warns us against:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/05/not-that-naomi/#if-the-naomi-be-klein-youre-doing-just-fine

The far right has even managed to co-opt anti-corporate rhetoric. Culture warriors rail against "woke capitalism," insisting that when big businesses take socially progressive positions, it's just empty "virtue signalling." And you know what? They've got a point. Partially.

As with all mirror-world politics, the anti-woke-capitalism shuck is designed to convince low-information right-wing pismires into buying "anti-woke pillows" and demanding the right to pay junk fees to "own the libs":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/04/owning-the-libs/#swiper-no-swiping

But woke capitalism is bullshit. Corporations – profit-maximizing immortal transhuman colony organisms that view workers and customers as inconvenient gut-flora – do not care about social justice. They don't care about anything, except for minimizing compensation for workers while maximizing the risk those workers bear; and locking in and gouging customers for products that are as low-quality as can be profitably sold.

Take DEI, a favored target of the right. It's undoubtably true that diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives have made some inroads on correcting bias in hiring decisions, with the result that companies get better employees who would have been excluded without this explicit corrective.

However, corporations don't value DEI because they abhor their history of hiring bias. Instead, DEI is how corporate management demonstrates to workers that their grievances are best addressed by trusting corporate leadership to correct their error of their ways – and not by forming a union.

Before the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, corporations would create fake "Company Unions" whose leadership were beholden to the company executives. These were decoy unions: they looked and sounded like unions, but when they negotiated with management, they were actually working for the bosses, not the workers.

This is more mirror-world tactics. They're the labor equivalent of the "crisis pregnancy centers" that masquerade as abortion clinics in order to fool pregnant people and trap them with endless delays until it's too late to terminate their pregnancies. Company unions get workers to trust in negotiators who are secretly working for the bosses, who emerge from the bargaining table with one-sided, abusive contracts and insist that this is the best deal workers can hope for.

Company unions were outlawed 90 years ago, and for decades, labor had a seat at the table, with wages tracking productivity gains and workers getting protection for discrimination, unsafe labor conditions, and wage-theft. Then came the neoliberal turn, and 40 years of wage stagnation, increased inequality, and corporate rule.

Anything that can't go on forever will eventually stop. Finally, finally, we have reached a turning point in labor, with public approval for unions at levels not seen since the Carter administration and thousands of strikes and protests breaking out across the country:

https://striketracker.ilr.cornell.edu/

It's not just the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, either. For the first time in history, the UAW is striking against all the major automakers, and they are winning:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/10/striking-uaw-workers-win-key-battery-plant-concession-from-general-motors/

The automakers are getting desperate. Stellantis – Chrysler's latest alias, reflecting the company's absorbtion into corporate-human-centipede of global carmakers – has mobilized its DEI programs, trying to get marginalized people to believe that scabbing is a liberatory activity:

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/10/uaw-auto-strike-stellantis/

Stellantis calls each of its DEI silos a "Business Resource Group" (BRG): there's a "Working Parents Network," an "African Ancestry Network," "Asians Connected Together," a "DiverseAbilities Network," a "Gay & Lesbian Alliance" and more:

https://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com/2021/07/20/business-resource-groups-drive-inclusion-and-diversity/

The corporate managers who lead these BRGs have established a scab rotation for each subgroup, calling on members to cross a UAW picket-line at a Michigan Parts Distribution Center run by Stellantis subsidiary Mopar:

Each BRG will pick a specific day of the week/weekend to volunteer as a team. Help continue to be the RESOURCE the BUSINESS can count on! Stellantis needs your help in running the Parts Distribution Centers (PDC) to ensure a steady supply of parts to our customers while negotiations continue. Working Parents Network has identified Friday, October 13 as WPN’s BRG Day at the PDCs!"

Now, these BRGs weren't invented by marginalized workers facing discrimination in the workplace. They come from literal union-busting playbooks produced by giant "union avoidance" firms that charge bosses millions for advice on skirting – or breaking – the law to keep workplace democracy at bay. All the biggest anti-union consultancies love BRGs, from Littler Mendelson to Jackson Lewis. IRI Strategies touts BRGs as a way to "union-proof" a business by absorbing workers' grievances in a decoy committee that will let them feel listened to.

BRGs, in other words, are the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of workplace discrimination. They're a Big Store Con, a company union dressed up as corporate social responsibility.

Now, let's not pretend that unions have a sterling record on race and gender issues. Giant labor organizations like the AFL had to be dragged into racial integration, and trade unions have sometimes been on the wrong side of anti-immigration panics:

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1997/summer/american-labor-movement.html

But unions have also been the most reliable way for people of color and women to win better workplace treatment. The struggle for racial and gender justice was fought through labor organizing. Remember that MLK's "I've Been To the Mountaintop" speech was given in support of striking sanitation workers in Memphis:

https://www.afscme.org/about/history/mlk/mountaintop

Black organizers have always been militant labor organizers. Labor Day commemorates the victory of the long, hard-fought Pullman strike, where Black workers brought one of the most powerful companies in America to its knees:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullman_Strike

And women have always fought for gender justice through the labor movement: the New York shirtwaist strike is the Ur-example, when women-led unions fought thugs and scabs on icy New York streets:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_shirtwaist_strike_of_1909

It's no surprise that labor activism, anti-racism and feminism go together. Since the earliest days, the labor justice struggle was also a social justice struggle. To learn more check out Kim Kelly's Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fight-Like-Hell/Kim-Kelly/9781982171063

The most exploited, underpaid, and abused workers in America are also the most marginalized (duh).

From nurses:

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/kaiser-healthcare-union-says-week-long-strike-possible-early-next-month-2023-10-09/

To teachers:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-04-18/l-a-teachers-win-21-wage-increase-in-new-lausd-contract

To Amazon warehouse workers:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Labor_Union

To publishing assistants:

https://apnews.com/article/harpercollins-union-strike-ends-0a94238718879066d9b21af6266be526

To baristas:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/29/business/starbucks-union-wages/index.html

To fast-food workers:

https://www.ufcw.org/about/

The vanguard of today's labor surge is Black, brown, female and queer. Without a union, workers who face discrimination are on their own, hoping that their bosses will voluntarily do something about it. Black workers in Tesla's rabidly anti-union shops face vicious racism, from slurs to threats to violence. Without a union, they have to rely on the shifting whims of an Apartheid emerald mine space-Karen for relief, or hope for help from the NLRB or a class-action lawyer:

https://apnews.com/article/tesla-racism-black-lawsuit-class-action-21c88bddf60eca702560be58429495de

The far right isn't wrong when they holler that woke capitalism is bullshit. As with so many of their mirror-world causes, they've got a point, but only a limited one. The problem with woke capitalism is that it's no substitute for a union. The problem with relying on Business Resource Groups to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia is that these struggles are all class struggles, and a BRG is never going to fight against the company that created it.

To understand how bankrupt woke capitalism is, conside this: Stellantis is calling on its "Working Parents Network" to scab this Friday. Stellantis is also being sanctioned by the Department Of Labor for discriminating against nursing mothers – the same "working parents" that the BRG is meant to protect:

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/02/08/investigation-finds-stellantis-violated-rights-of-nursing-mothers-at-sterling-heights-plant/

Woke capitalism is just another kind of "predatory inclusion," like Intuit's campaign defending its "Free File" tax-prep scam, where they're claiming that ending this ripoff is racist because it denies Black families the right to be tricked into paying for something they are entitled to get for free:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/27/predatory-inclusion/#equal-opportunity-scammers

When I learned about Intuit's wokewashing, I thought I'd found woke capitalism's rock bottom, but I was wrong. Stellantis's call for woke scabbing is a new low.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/11/equal-opportunity-class-war/#inclusive-scabbing

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

[hclib]

Minneapolis School Supply Company Catalog, 1927

With fall just around the corner, many parents and teachers are busy buying school supplies. If you were a teacher in 1927, this Minneapolis School Supply Company catalog from our Trade Catalog Collection could have come in handy. The catalog lists everything from desks and blackboards to paste and pencils. Some of the items -- like Ticonderoga pencils and Crayola crayons -- might still be on school shopping lists this year.

[follow-up-news]

Target will no longer accept personal checks from shoppers as of July 15, another sign of how a once ubiquitous payment method is going the way of outmoded objects like floppy disks and the Rolodex. The Minneapolis-based discounter confirmed the move in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday, citing “extremely low volumes” of customers who still write checks. Target said it remained committed to creating an easy and convenient checkout experience with credit and debit cards, “buy now, pay later” services and the Target Circle membership program, which applies deals automatically at checkout. “We have taken several measures to notify guests in advance” about the no-checks policy, the company said. Target’s decision leaves Walmart, Macy’s and Kohl’s among the retailers that still accept personal checks at their stores. Whole Foods Market and the Aldi supermarket chain previously stopped taking checks from customers. Shoppers have pulled out checkbooks increasingly less often since the mid-1990s. Cash-dispensing ATMs, debit cards, online banking and mobile payment systems like Venmo and Apple Pay mean many young adults may never have written a check.

[lilnasxvevo]

If you live in the Midwest US, you might live near a grocery store that stocks Baba’s hummus!

A lot of grocery stores only stock Sabra hummus which is a real pain in the ass for those of us who love hummus but don’t like supporting businesses that provide financial support to the Israeli army.

Baba’s is a great alternative because it’s a company run by two Palestinian-American siblings and it is REALLY TASTY, it’s just imho really good hummus (and really good pita bites and really good…everything else).

If you DON’T live near a store that stocks Baba’s, you can buy their pita puffs straight from their website, and honestly their pita puffs are DELICIOUS so I do recommend it.

If you live in the Twin Cities area, you can also hit up their restaurant location in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis! I’ve only eaten there once, with my sister and her partner, but all three of us agreed that the food was so mind-blowing that we can’t wait to go back.

[stevebattle]

DC-2 (Drink Caddy 2) by Gene Beley (1982), Android Amusement Corp, Irwindale CA. The DC-2 achieved TV fame, appearing in an episode of "CHiPs" called "Day of the Robot" in January 1983.

“The next model, DC-2, one of which was bought by the actor James Caan and some other friends as a present for Mr. Hefner, has a sleek fiberglass body, a color television in its chest, a videotape recorder in its midriff, a color camera in its head, a black plastic drink tray in its chest and other features. Though Mr. Beley believes that technology that could adapt DC-2 to a true robotic form is not far off, he is convinced that the home robot industry will begin with robots that have more entertainment value than practical use. ''It's nice to say you're going to make a home robot that's going to do all kinds of wonderful things,'' he commented, ''but if you ask someone if they'll spend $20,000 for it and they say: 'Are you crazy. I can buy a vacuum cleaner for $200,' it doesn't make sense.'' " – DOMESTICATING THE ROBOT FOR TOMORROW’S HOMES, Peter Applebone, The New York Times, March 4, 1982.

“Dayton’s Department Store, Minneapolis, Minnesota, utilizes a DC-2 robot on a regular basis for promotions. The 4’2” tall robot [middle photo] features a baked-on enamel grey paint job over a sleek fiberglass body with green, flashing L.E.D.s. Electronics include a 9” color TV in the chest, JVC video camera in the turning head, and a VCR.” – ANDROID AMUSEMENT CORP.

“BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – DC-2, the first robot ever arrested here, was released yesterday after two youngsters apologised in writing for creating a fuss with the 4-foot tall machine. … DC-2 took a remote-controlled walk along a block of North Beverly Drive in this wealthy Los Angeles suburb, passing out business cards bearing the name of Beley’s company, which manufactured it. Police responding to a call of a robot walking the street couldn’t find its human controller and ended up pulling DC-2’s batteries and carting it off – via a tow truck – to the pokey. “The kids had it without permission and were just screwing around.” said Lt. Russell Olson. “There will be no criminal filing.” When police neared the mechanical object, it was heard to say, “Help me! They’re trying to take me apart” ” – Robot back at home after arrest, jail stay, Associated Press.

[aquagrunt]

life update

so my husband walked out of his job last Wednesday bc they were absolutely fucking awful & an incident occurred that was so beyond mishandled and insane that he no longer felt safe working there.

we have been planning on moving to the Minneapolis/st Paul area sometime in the near future. This has been our plan for the last two years.

he had an interview with a company in the twin cities that we are waiting on hearing back from, but he felt that the interview went well. It would be the exact same job he was doing at his old job. problem is that they want him to start in like. a month.

Now MY job as some of you know is bridal store manager. the bridal store that I work for is a failing business (and has been as long as I’ve been there [10 years]) and I am the ONLY employee and work directly with my boss/the store owner. small business you know. so as you can imagine… immensely improper relationship (she thinks of me like a daughter she never had). at one point many years ago I was planning on buying the store; as I explained earlier this business is NOT profitable and any bank would laugh at anyone trying to take a loan out to buy this business. so I told her that I was not buying the business anymore like. 5/6 years ago? and told her when we made our minds up to move to the twin cities two years ago. originally gave her a timeline for the move at anywhere from 2-4 years.

well, of course she did nothing to plan for me leaving. and now that I very much could be leaving in a couple months is all like “WELL I just don’t know how you expect us to sell everything off ((for the purpose of closing the business)) by then” and is giving me intense guilt trips about this. and wants to hire someone (? literally who is going to work somewhere that’s actively trying to close ?) and all this and expects me to stay on through busy season (which will end after October) because we have weddings with tuxes on the books. and it’s just all so much!!!

AND on top of that, I have to try to find a job when I haven’t been doing that in 10 years, we have to try to find a place there that will be affordable and close enough to our jobs, AND we own our house here so we have to sell it, AND we have to move four hours away and have a shitload of junk that we have to figure out what to do with. we’re planning on renting for a year before we buy a house there just so we really know if we like it there & also so it’s not so hard to go to showings and stuff for houses (like it would be from 250 miles away)

I have lived in the town I live in my whole life. my entire family is within 15 minutes of us (minus a few). it’s not as hard for my husband who has moved away from his family before.

It’s all so sudden and so stressful and I don’t think he really understands just how scary and hard this is for me. I do want to move. But I thought I had at least until next year. My grandma is 90 years old and I don’t want to be that far away from her. my grandpa went so suddenly and I don’t know if I could live with myself if the same thing happened to my grandma and I didn’t get to say goodbye.

also unrelated but I got a bad manicure today.

[haggishlyhagging]

Jul - Dec 2023 Reading List:

Bernard, Jessie. The Future of Marriage. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1982.

Budapest, Zsuzsanna Emese. The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries. San Francisco: Weiser, 2007.

Cady Stanton, Elizabeth, “The Destructive Male.” 1868. http://edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/stanton_destructive_male.html

Chollet, Mona. In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women are Still on Trial. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2022.

Christ, Carol P. Rebirth of the Goddess: Finding Meaning in Feminist Spirituality. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1997.

Cloninger, Sally J. “A Rhetorical Analysis of Feminist Agitation.” The University of Michigan Papers in Women’s Studies 1, no. 1 (February 1974): 44-50. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mfs/acp0359.0001.001/46:4

Daly, Mary. Beyond God the Father: Toward a Philosophy of Women’s Liberation. Boston: Beacon Press, 1973.

Dworkin, Andrea. Right-Wing Women. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1983.

Echols, Alice. Daring to Be Bad: Radical Feminism in America: 1967-75. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1989.

Eisler, Riane. The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future. New York: HarperCollins, 1987.

Faludi, Susan. Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women. New York : Crown Publishers, Inc., 1991.

Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. In the Wake of the Goddesses: Women, Culture, and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth. New York: The Free Press, 1992.

Griffin, Susan. Pornography and Silence: Culture’s Revenge Against Nature. New York: Harper & Row, 1981.

Harding, M. Esther. Woman’s Mysteries: Ancient and Modern. Boston: Shambhala, 1990.

Janega, Eleanor. The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2023.

Johnson, Sonia. From Housewife to Heretic. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1981.

Jones, Ann. Women Who Kill. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1980.

Jones, Beverly and Judith Brown. “Toward a Female Liberation Movement.” Jul 1968. https://www.redstockings.org/index.php/main/classics-of-1968

Judd, Elizabeth. “Women Before the Conquest: A Study of Women in Anglo-Saxon England.” The University of Michigan Papers in Women’s Studies 1, no. 1 (February 1974): 127–49. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mfs/acp0359.0001.001/129:8

Koedt, Anne. “The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm.” 1970. https://www.cwluherstory.org/classic-feminist-writings-articles/myth-of-the-vaginal-orgasm#

New York Radical Women, Notes From the First Year (June 1968). https://www.redstockings.org/index.php/main/classics-of-1968

Raworth, Kate. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist. White River Junction: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2017.

Reed, Evelyn. “The Myth of Women’s Inferiority.” The Myth of Women’s Inferiority by Evelyn Reed 1954. Accessed July 9, 2023. https://www.marxists.org/archive/reed-evelyn/1954/myth-inferiority.htm.

Spender, Dale. There’s Always Been a Women’s Movement This Century. London: Pandora Press, 1983.

Starhawk. The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1999.

Women’s Majority Union, Lilith (Dec 1968). https://www.redstockings.org/index.php/main/classics-of-1968

Zeisler, Andi. We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement. New York: BBS PublicAffairs, 2016.

[petersonacquisitionsminneapolis]

Navigating the Business Market in Minneapolis: The Role of a Broker

When I first considered entering the business market in Minneapolis, I had no idea how complex the process would be. Minneapolis, with its diverse industries, growing tech scene, and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, is a city full of opportunities. However, it’s also filled with competition, making it hard to stand out, whether you're selling or buying a business. At first, I thought I could handle everything on my own, but quickly realized the value of having a business broker by my side.

As I began my journey, I learned that a business broker is an invaluable ally in navigating the complexities of the Minneapolis business market. A broker doesn’t just act as a middleman—they play a crucial role in both buying and selling businesses. Their expertise, local market knowledge, and negotiation skills make all the difference.

Why I Turned to a Broker

I initially thought I could handle the sale of my business on my own. But as soon as I started looking into the Minneapolis business market, I realized how much I didn’t know. The market was competitive, and I quickly found myself overwhelmed with the complexities of valuation, legal paperwork, and finding qualified buyers. I also found it challenging to stay objective about my business. As an owner, I had an emotional attachment to the company, and it was hard for me to separate my personal feelings from the financial realities of a sale.

A business broker helped me take a step back and view the process from a fresh perspective. They acted as an experienced advisor who could provide me with clear, unbiased advice. They had a deep understanding of the Minneapolis market, including which industries were seeing the most growth, what buyers were looking for, and how to position my business for maximum appeal.

The Broker’s Expertise in Valuation

One of the first things my broker did was help me determine the right price for my business. This was something I was struggling with because I didn’t know how to fairly assess its value. A broker uses a range of methods to determine the right selling price, including analyzing market trends, comparable sales, and financial performance. They helped me see the value in my business that I may have overlooked and ensured that I wasn’t overpricing or underpricing it. This gave me confidence that I was setting myself up for a successful sale.

Access to a Network of Qualified Buyers

Another benefit of working with a broker was access to their network of qualified buyers. Minneapolis has a bustling economy with many entrepreneurs looking to invest in new opportunities. However, identifying serious buyers among the crowd is a challenge. Brokers already have established networks, which means they can quickly identify interested and capable buyers. This saved me a lot of time and effort, and ultimately resulted in my business being sold to a buyer who was a perfect fit.

The Broker’s Role in Negotiations

Negotiating a sale is tricky. There’s so much at stake, and emotions can run high. When I worked with my broker, they helped me navigate the negotiations and kept things on track. They ensured that the terms were fair, helped me manage expectations, and acted as a neutral third party to resolve conflicts. This was incredibly helpful, as it allowed me to focus on the bigger picture and trust that the broker was handling the details.

Conclusion

In hindsight, I’m so glad I decided to work with a business broker when navigating the business market in Minneapolis. Their local knowledge, expertise in valuation, access to qualified buyers, and negotiation skills were invaluable in ensuring that my business transaction went smoothly. For anyone thinking about selling or buying a business in Minneapolis, I highly recommend getting in touch with a business broker. They can make all the difference in turning a complicated and stressful process into a successful one.

[notallbloodmages]

I Wanna Take a Class

So I've wanted to do some sort of accounting shit forever and...I finally am well enough that it wouldn't be hell to get through. I want to start out with something small that I already have experience in - tax filing! The course I've found goes through both individual and small business taxes, and includes physical textbooks in the tuition.

Ideally I'd like to volunteer my time to help others. I don't want to run a tax business or anything. Basically....I love filling out forms and looking at numbers, I love helping people, and I hate the USA system of scaring the public into paying big companies to file info that the gov't already has. Plus it would be relevant to my own existing small business as a bonus!

With all the stray cats we've helped survive the winter (if you're in MN and want a cat...), I'm pretty broke. So please take a look at some of my artwork that I have for sale! I also do custom work with no minimum quantity requirement, and I'm really flexible on pricing. I'll do trades, too, which wouldn't fulfill my tuition cost raising, but just in general it's a thing I accept.

If you don't need any embroidery or sewing done, I would also gratefully accept donations at my Ko-Fi OR you can buy a gift card on my site to use in the future.

Reblogs appreciated but I won't guilt trip anyone into them!

In addition for anyone trying to offer advice: -No, I can't get a loan. My bank knows I don't have much income right now so they won't give me a personal one. And it's not a college degree-related loan so they won't give me an education loan either. -My credit card isn't maxxed but I only have about a third of what I need for the course. -The course is less than $1k in case anyone wants to know. -Yes, I did look up reviews and how local colleges feel about the course in case I want to get a degree some day. That is why I chose the one that I have.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Unity's feudal gambit as class struggle between rentiers and capitalists

Today (Oct 16) I'm in Minneapolis, keynoting the 26th ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. Thursday (Oct 19), I'm in Charleston, WV to give the 41st annual McCreight Lecture in the Humanities. And on Friday (Oct 20), I'm at Charleston's Taylor Books from 12h-14h.

The outcome of this struggle is what determines whether the digital society is capitalist or feudalistic. Think of the recent grab by games toolsmith Unity, who have long extracted rents from the capitalists who used their tools to make games. Unity is “software as a service,” which means that you have to buy again it every month, for so long as your capitalist enterprise is in business.

The capitalists who rent Unity’s tools had resigned themselves to this, but then Unity went one step further, and demanded a royalty (a word with decidedly feudal origins!) every time a game made with Unity’s tools was distributed. The outcry was ferocious, and Unity eventually backed down, but even as they did, company executives insisted that they would continue to pursue a “sustainable system” for “shared success.”

“Shared success” is a pure expression of feudalism. Unity was not proposing a joint venture, where they would supply the capital to produce games and share the risk of that capital being competed away by a better games-maker.

Instead, Unity wants a rentier’s bargain: if the capitalist it rents do does well, so does Unity. But if the capitalist does badly — if a games-maker loses out to a competitor who is also a tenant of Unity’s IP — then unity also does well. Heads capitalists lose, tails the rentier wins.

When Unity speaks of this system being “sustainable,” they mean that they will seek to maximize the total amount of profits made by capitalists who rent its tools. Because the higher the total profits are, the more rent it can extract.

Profits are highest where competition is lowest. It’s in Unity’s interest for a single company — or a cartel of companies — to control entire genres or modes of games, and to be protected from innovators who might enter the market with better offers. Unity wants to pick some winners and bind them to its fields.

-A Major Defeat For Technofeudalism: We euthanized some rentiers.

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

[beardedmrbean]

An activist group and researchers tried to increase pressure on agribusiness giant Cargill on Wednesday to do more to fight deforestation and human rights abuse, releasing a report that accuses the company of not following through on commitments to help end such practices.

The report argues that the family-owned company has been misled by its managers and now should take the lead in ensuring it carries out its promises to fight forced child labor in the cocoa industry and protect forests and other natural resources. As one of the world's largest privately held companies and by far the largest grain distributor, Cargill is in a unique position to force positive changes, especially in ending deforestation, the groups said in the report.

"The destruction of the natural world is driven by agribusiness and agribusiness is driven by Cargill," said Todd Paglia, executive director of the environmental group Stand.Earth, at a news conference in Wayzata, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb where Cargill is based.

Besides the news conference, Stand.Earth highlighted the report by buying full page advertisements in The New York Times and Minneapolis Star Tribune newspapers. Later Wednesday, the group planned to deliver documents backing its report to the Wayzata headquarters of the families that own a majority of Cargill and ask that they be given to 20 leading members of the families.

Cargill did not immediately respond to a request to comment about the report.

According to its 2022 annual report, Cargill recorded $165 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022. The company says it has 155,000 employees and operates in 70 countries, with sales in 125 countries.

The report states that 193,000 square miles (499,868 square kilometers) of forest were destroyed through human activity from 2015 to 2020, primarily because of expansion of agriculture in South America, Central America and parts of Africa. Although Cargill has promised to end deforestation practices for products in its supply chain, the report argues the company has invested in ports and other infrastructure in South America that will lead to the removal of forests for land to grow soybeans.

The report, compiled with help from the Brazilian journalism organization Repórter Brasil and the nonprofit group AidEnvironment, also accuses Cargill of not following through on its commitments, first in 2001 and then in 2010, to end or at least reduce forced child labor in the cocoa industry. Cargill is one of the world's largest cocoa suppliers.

The report cited a U.S. Department of Labor-funded study that found the number of children harvesting cocoa in the Ivory Coast and Ghana and the prevalence of hazardous child labor in those countries had both increased.

“It's one thing not to meet an ambitious target,” said Mathew Jacobson, director of Stand.Earth. “It's another to have the problems you claim to be addressing get worse.”

Jacobson said he is hopeful the families that own most of Cargill will push for change if it realizes company executives are not making meaningful changes.

“We are not asking for anything the company has not already promised,” the report says in its conclusion. “We seek implementation, not new commitments.”

[mariacallous]

In February, attackers from the Russia-based BlackCat ransomware group hit a physician practice in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, that's part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). At the time, LVHN said that the attack “involved” a patient photo system related to radiation oncology treatment. The health care group said that BlackCat had issued a ransom demand, “but LVHN refused to pay this criminal enterprise.” 

After a couple of weeks, BlackCat threatened to publish data stolen from the system. “Our blog is followed by a lot of world media, the case will be widely publicized and will cause significant damage to your business,” BlackCat wrote on their dark-web extortion site. “Your time is running out. We are ready to unleash our full power on you!” The attackers then released three screenshots of cancer patients receiving radiation treatment and seven documents that included patient information.

The medical photos are graphic and intimate, depicting patients' naked breasts in various angles and positions. And while hospitals and health care facilities have long been a favorite target of ransomware gangs, researchers say the situation at LVHN may indicate a shift in attackers' desperation and willingness to go to ruthless extremes as ransomware targets increasingly refuse to pay.

 “As fewer victims pay the ransom, ransomware actors are getting more aggressive in their extortion techniques,” says Allan Liska, an analyst for the security firm Recorded Future who specializes in ransomware. “I think we’ll see more of that. It follows closely patterns in kidnapping cases, where when victims’ families refused to pay, the kidnappers might send an ear or other body part of the victim.”

Researchers say that another example of these brutal escalations came on Tuesday when the emerging ransomware gang Medusa published sample data stolen from Minneapolis Public Schools in a February attack that came with a $1 million ransom demand. The leaked screenshots include scans of handwritten notes that describe allegations of a sexual assault and the names of a male student and two female students involved in the incident.

“Please note, MPS has not paid a ransom,” the Minnesota school district said in a statement at the beginning of March. The school district enrolls more than 36,000 students, but the data apparently contains records related to students, staff, and parents dating back to 1995. Last week, Medusa posted a 50-minute-long video in which attackers appeared to scroll through and review all the data they stole from the school, an unusual technique for advertising exactly what information they currently hold. Medusa offers three buttons on its dark-web site, one for anyone to pay $1 million to buy the stolen MPS data, one for the school district itself to pay the ransom and have the stolen data deleted, and one to pay $50,000 to extend the ransom deadline by one day.

“What’s notable here, I think, is that in the past the gangs have always had to strike a balance between pressuring their victims into paying and not doing such heinous, terrible, evil things that victims don’t want to deal with them,” says Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the antivirus company Emsisoft. “But because targets are not paying as often, the gangs are now pushing harder. It's bad PR to have a ransomware attack, but not as terrible as it once was—and it's really bad PR to be seen paying an organization that does terrible, heinous things.”

The public pressure is certainly mounting. In response to the leaked patient photos this week, for example, LVHN said in a statement, “This unconscionable criminal act takes advantage of patients receiving cancer treatment, and LVHN condemns this despicable behavior.”

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) said in its annual Internet Crime Report this week that it received 2,385 reports about ransomware attacks in 2022, totaling $34.3 million in losses. The numbers were down from 3,729 ransomware complaints and $49 million in total losses in 2021. “It has been challenging for the FBI to ascertain the true number of ransomware victims as many infections go unreported to law enforcement,” the report notes.

But the report specifically calls out evolving and more aggressive extortion behavior. “In 2022, the IC3 has seen an increase in an additional extortion tactic used to facilitate ransomware,” the FBI wrote. “The threat actors pressure victims to pay by threatening to publish the stolen data if they do not pay the ransom.”

In some ways, the change is a positive sign that efforts to combat ransomware are working. If enough organizations have the resources and tools to resist paying ransoms, attackers eventually may not be able to generate the revenue they want and, ideally, would abandon ransomware entirely. But that makes this shift toward more aggressive tactics a precarious moment. 

“We really haven’t seen things like this before. Groups have done unpleasant things, but it was adults that were targeted, it wasn’t sick cancer patients or school kids,” Emsisoft's Callow says. “I hope that these tactics will bite them in the butt and that companies will say no, we cannot be seen funding an organization that does these heinous things. That’s my hope anyway. Whether they will react that way remains to be seen.”

[dancuny]

Zeiss Kolibri-The Hummingbird

The Zeiss Kolibri, which means "Hummingbird" in German, has always been a camera I wanted for my collection. I liked it mainly because it's very sleek and petite and resembles a 35mm camera, but its main attraction was its use of a larger 127 film size. The camera was built only for a few years, from 1930 through 1932, but I've seen ads for it through 1935.

 I had the opportunity to purchase one when I visited an antique store while on a trip to Minneapolis a couple of years ago. Still, I didn't pull the trigger to buy it, and ever since that trip, I've regretted it, so when I noticed an online auction for a few of the Zeiss Kolibri cameras come up for auction, I jumped on the opportunity and bid on two. At first, I thought these were different years of production, one being older than the other. One is more worn and used than the other. Both have the "cane," which keeps the camera upright, and both are in working condition.

 I won the cameras in the auction for a fair price, including the auction house commission and shipping fees. When the cameras arrived, I was pleased to see both in good working condition. One of the cameras seemed well used, and the other needed the aperture scale indicator, something I didn't notice when I bid on the items. Still, overall, I was pleased with the purchase and wanted to take one of the cameras out to see how it would perform.

History:

The story of Zeiss cameras is deeply intertwined with the evolution of optical technology and the art of photography. Founded in 1846 by Carl Zeiss in Jena, Germany, the company began as a precision mechanics and optics workshop. While its early focus was microscopes, the company's commitment to innovation soon extended to camera lenses and photographic equipment, establishing Zeiss as a pioneer in the optical and photographic industries.

 In the late 19th century, Zeiss gained prominence for its advancements in lens manufacturing. In collaboration with physicist Ernst Abbe, the company introduced revolutionary optical theories that improved lens quality and design. This partnership led to the creation of the Zeiss Anastigmat lens in 1889, which minimized distortions and chromatic aberrations, setting new standards for photographic lenses.

As photography gained popularity in the early 20th century, Zeiss partnered with other manufacturers to produce complete cameras. In 1926, Zeiss joined forces with several German camera companies to form Zeiss Ikon, consolidating its leadership in the industry. Zeiss Ikon cameras, like the Contessa-Nettel and the Ikonta, became renowned for their precision engineering and exceptional optics.

 One of Zeiss's most iconic contributions to photography was the Contax series, introduced in 1932 to compete with Leica. The Contax cameras were known for their innovative designs, including using a rangefinder system and superior Zeiss lenses like the Sonnar and Biotar. These cameras quickly became favorites among professionals and enthusiasts for their sharpness and reliability.

During this period, Zeiss also developed a range of lenses that became benchmarks in the industry. The Tessar lens, introduced in 1902, remains one of the most widely used lens designs in photographic history, praised for its sharpness and compact size.

World War II disrupted Zeiss's operations, splitting the company into East and West divisions. The East German division, headquartered in Jena, retained the Zeiss Ikon name, while the West German division, based in Oberkochen, became Carl Zeiss AG. Despite the division, both branches continued producing high-quality photographic equipment.

In the 1950s, Zeiss partnered with Japanese camera manufacturers, most notably Yashica, to produce the Contax series. This collaboration introduced groundbreaking features like TTL metering, which became an industry standard.

 By the late 20th century, Zeiss shifted its focus from producing cameras to developing advanced lenses for various manufacturers. The company collaborated with brands like Sony, Hasselblad, and Nokia, bringing Zeiss optics to a broader audience. In 1996, the Contax G2, a rangefinder camera with autofocus and electronic control, became a cult favorite, blending modern technology with classic Zeiss craftsmanship.

In the digital era, Zeiss continues to push the boundaries of optical technology. Its lenses are widely used in professional photography, cinematography, and even smartphones. The company's commitment to precision, innovation, and excellence defines its legacy.

 From its beginnings in 19th-century Jena to its status as a global leader in optical technology, Zeiss has profoundly shaped the world of photography. Its cameras and lenses have captured countless iconic moments, leaving an indelible mark on history. Today, Zeiss is synonymous with unparalleled optical quality, a testament to over 175 years of innovation and craftsmanship.

My Camera:

My Kolibri camera is 4.5" tall without the viewfinder erected and 5.5" with it erected, by 3" wide and 2" deep without the lens in the taking position and 2.75" with the lens popped out and in the taking position. My camera weighs just over 1 lbs at 1 lbs .6oz. With the viewfinder down and the lens retracted, it's a very compact and sturdy camera that takes 16, 3x4cm images on 127-size film. The Zeiss Kolibri (523/18) has a couple of different lens and shutter combinations. The one I used to take the photos has a Novar Anastigmat 5cm F4.5 lens in a TELMA shutter. The other camera I received has a Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 5cm F3.5 lens in a Compur shutter. A third model has a Zeiss Biotar 5cm F2 lens. All of the different lens/shutter combinations are in a chrome polished tube that pulls out to take the photos and to retract, grab the "wings" on either side of the lens, turn the lens slightly counter-clockwise, and press the lens back into the camera body. You also grab the "wings" to pull the lens out to take photos.

The Telma shutter has only three shutter speeds, 1/100, 1/50, and 1/25, along with "B" and "T" for timed exposures. The Compur shutter is more extensive, with shutter speeds starting at 1/300, 1/100, 1/50, etc., to 1 sec along with "B" & "T." The shutter release is on the left-hand side with the Telma shutter, and you do not need to cock the shutter; just press the shutter release and the shutter fires. On the Compur shutter, the cocking mechanism is on top of the shutter, and the shutter release is below, so there is a little difference between the two cameras in the shutter and shutter release function.

On both cameras, the aperture settings are under the lens with a little slide that points to the aperture setting. Focus on both cameras is done by a slider knob on top of the camera, with the closest focus at 1 meter. On the bottom of the ring that has the "wings" on it is a hole that the "cane" or strut fits into to keep the camera upright, with either the lens out or retracted. Using the "cane" is excellent for timed exposures, connecting a cable release to take a timed exposure. There is a cable release socket on both cameras incorporated into the shutter.

To load the film, you slide the knurled knob on the top of the camera in the direction of the arrow to open the back to load and unload the film. Once you open the back, you take the empty spool and put it on the left end, which has the winding knob, then put the fresh roll of film into the film chamber, pull the leader to the empty spool, put the leader into the slot on the reel and turn the winding knob until you see "start" on the film's paper backing. At this point, close the back of the camera and wind until you see the number 1 in the lower of the two windows. Now that you're ready to take your first photo, lift up the front and rear viewfinders so you can frame the image and take your photo.

 Since the camera has two red windows on the camera's back, the spacing between the top and bottom windows is the same as the negative size. You would take the photo once you wind the film so the number 1 appears on the bottom window. Once the photo is taken, wind until you see the number 1 in the top window, then take the picture. After you take the photo with the number 1 on the top window, roll until you see the number 2 on the bottom window and do this through the number 8.

Here's where I had some issues, and it's something I kept in mind when I was done taking the photos. In my small and simple mind, as I was holding the camera in a vertical position, it was in my mind that the camera would take a vertical photo. Unfortunately, that's not the case. If you're holding the camera in the vertical position, the camera is taking a horizontal image due to the orientation of the frame area in the camera. So, the photos I took that should have been horizontal were taken vertically and vice versa. I felt like an amateur when I finished taking the photos, only to realize I did it wrong.

 The viewfinder is tiny, and since I wear glasses, it's challenging to use. Its size also made it difficult to frame the photo accurately. Toward the end of the roll, I would just point the camera at the subject and "guess" on the framing, which seemed pretty good, with the exception of the vertical/horizontal format mishap.

 Once the photos were taken, I unloaded the film and processed them, and they turned out nicely.

 The serial numbers for my two Kolibri cameras are only 40 pieces off. The more well-used version is S.98995, and the Kolibri with the Compur shutter is S.98955, so they were built relatively close to each other. 

 My initial belief was that the camera with the Telma shutter was an older version. I believed that it was an older model because one camera was more used than the other. Now, I realize that the shutter and lens combination would be for a more or less expensive model that the consumer would purchase. If someone wanted the less expensive Telma shutter with a slower lens or the more expensive faster lens and Compur shutter, that made more sense to me.

My Results:

Here are some of the images taken with my more well-used Kolibri camera. I used it because the other camera didn't have the aperture settings, and I would have had to guess at the aperture. That would have been okay, and I'm a pretty good judge of that, as I could have marked on the camera what I thought the aperture setting should be.

Conclusion:

Except for my confusion about the vertical/horizontal format and the camera orientation, it's a fun camera. It is very well made, the photos are nice and sharp, and the camera fits nicely in my pocket when the lens is retracted and the viewfinder is down. As it is compact and sturdy, I can use it more often.

I look forward to shooting more photos with this in the future, but I must remember that when the camera is vertical, it's taking a horizontal photo.

 Thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to read about this gem of a camera. I hope to see you next week when I review another camera from my collection.

 Until next week, please be safe.

[jhontony736]

Exploring Owatonna Minnesota Real Estate: A Growing Market for Buyers and Sellers

Owatonna, Minnesota, offers a unique and attractive real estate market for both buyers and sellers. This small but vibrant city has become a popular choice for those seeking a high quality of life, a strong community, and affordable living. Whether you're interested in purchasing your first home or selling your current property, the Owatonna Minnesota real estate market provides a wealth of opportunities.

The area combines the charm of small-town living with the convenience of being near larger cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul. With a growing population and an expanding real estate market, Owatonna is an ideal place for families, retirees, and professionals looking to settle down.

Why Choose Owatonna for Your Next Home?

Owatonna’s real estate market is attractive due to its affordability, family-friendly environment, and access to natural beauty. Homebuyers will find a range of housing options, from single-family homes to townhouses and newer developments. Whether you're looking for a charming historic property or a modern build, the Owatonna Minnesota real estate market has something for everyone.

Families appreciate the city's excellent school system, which includes top-rated public and private schools. In addition, outdoor enthusiasts love Owatonna's parks, trails, and recreational areas. Places like Kaplan's Woods and Lake Kohlmier provide plenty of opportunities for hiking, boating, and fishing. These amenities make Owatonna a desirable location for those who want to enjoy the outdoors while still being close to urban centers.

Investing in Owatonna Real Estate

Real estate in Owatonna isn't just for homebuyers—it's also an excellent option for investors. The city's steady population growth and strong rental demand create an attractive environment for investment properties. From single-family homes to multi-unit buildings, there are opportunities for investors to benefit from Owatonna’s expanding real estate market.

Working with a local real estate expert is crucial when investing in Owatonna Minnesota real estate. They can provide insights into the market, identify lucrative opportunities, and guide you through the buying process. Whether you're looking to flip homes, purchase rental properties, or invest in long-term growth, Owatonna offers plenty of potential.

Joining eXp Realty: A New Era in Real Estate

For real estate professionals, joining eXp Realty offers an innovative approach to real estate sales and services. eXp Realty is a cloud-based real estate brokerage that has revolutionized the industry with its virtual business model. This cutting-edge platform allows agents to work from anywhere, providing flexibility and increased earning potential.

The decision to join eXp comes with many benefits. First, agents can leverage eXp’s robust technology platform, which includes tools for lead generation, customer relationship management (CRM), and virtual training. This platform enables agents to streamline their operations and focus on what matters most—serving their clients.

Additionally, agents who join eXp benefit from a revenue-sharing program that rewards them for referring new agents to the company. This passive income opportunity allows agents to grow their earnings beyond traditional commissions. eXp Realty also offers equity opportunities, allowing agents to earn stock in the company, further enhancing their long-term financial prospects.

The Impact of eXp Realty on the Owatonna Market

eXp Realty’s presence in Owatonna is changing the local real estate landscape. With access to advanced tools, training, and support, eXp agents are better equipped to serve the growing demand in the Owatonna Minnesota real estate market. Buyers and sellers alike benefit from eXp’s innovative approach, which includes virtual home tours, online marketing strategies, and data-driven insights.

For sellers, working with an eXp agent means faster sales and higher visibility for their property. The cloud-based platform allows agents to market homes more effectively, reaching a broader audience of potential buyers. Buyers, on the other hand, gain access to detailed property information and virtual home tours, making the home-buying process more convenient.

Conclusion

The Owatonna Minnesota real estate market is full of opportunities for buyers, sellers, and investors. With its affordable housing options, strong community, and proximity to larger cities, Owatonna is an attractive place to live and invest. Whether you're purchasing a new home or selling your current property, Owatonna’s growing real estate market offers plenty of options.

For real estate professionals, joining eXp Realty provides a chance to be part of a forward-thinking brokerage that offers flexibility, financial growth, and the latest technology. By leveraging eXp’s innovative platform, agents can thrive in the Owatonna real estate market while delivering exceptional service to their clients.

Whether you're looking for your dream home or considering a career in real estate, Owatonna and eXp Realty are ready to help you achieve your goals.