AV Beat - Block Shop

Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Home Office Makeover contest, targeting telecommuters and home-based business. The contest is a collaborative effort from Microsoft Office, HGTV’s Vern Yip (formerly of Trading Spaces) and HP to provide one lucky winner with a home office makeover designed by Vern Yip, formerly of the highly popular television series "Trading Places."

With the growing trend in telecommuting and home-based businesses, having an aesthetically pleasing, highly functional, and productive work space has become crucial. The efficiency of design featured in the latest version of Microsoft Office, the functionality of the latest HP products, and the inspiring design creations of Vern Yip would make anyone’s home office a dream space to grow their business.

“People agonize over which window treatments or patio furniture to buy, and then relegate their home office to a dark corner of some cluttered room,” said Yip, the designer whose handiwork is now featured on HGTV’s “Design Star” and “Deserving Design” and who will lead the contest design team. “The home office has become the area people bypass when they’re giving guests the grand tour, but is arguably one of the most important rooms of the house. Given how critical being productive is for people working from home, it really needs to be comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and optimized for efficiency.”

Interested business owners are encouraged to use the link below for more information.

For Rich Bartlett, running two businesses isn’t a job. It’s an adventure.

The owner of Block Alternatives, the uniform and apparel store, and the Block Shop, a full-service bicycle shop, has created his own little business utopia in Lancaster. Not only does he have two thriving enterprises, but they both provide a constant outlet for his true love, competitive bike riding.

Bartlett opened Block Alternatives in 1991. Originally, the store specialized in bike riding apparel and accessories, but they quickly branched into various sports uniforms, especially hockey. Now, they provide designs, uniforms, screen printing, and transfer printing for many local organizations, from firemen groups to youth football leagues. They still have a big footprint in the hockey business, mostly with college teams across the country.

“It’s amazing how specialized riding has become, and how many different directions riders can go in,” said Bartlett. “Most of the serious riders specialize in a discipline, and within each discipline, there are even more specialized sub-disciplines.”

The four primary biking disciplines are mountain biking, road racing, adventure racing, and BMX. “It’s very important for beginners to make sure they get fitted with the right bike,” explained Bartlett. “Being comfortable on the bike is critical and can be the difference between sticking with the sport, and ultimately becoming successful at it.” That’s one of the niches that Block fills as good as any shop in the region. “It’s our responsibility to make sure customers are aware of the different options, and to ensure you’re on a bike that fits you.”

Despite a low profile location, the Block Shop is thriving. It’s great evidence that they have an excellent reputation. “We don’t get much drive by traffic,” said Bartlett. “Our business is 100% either referrals or return customers.”

Over the years, Bartlett has developed relationships with some of the big names in the biking world. One of his protégés is Bubba Stewart. “Bubba is an early favorite for the 2008 Olympic team,” said Bartlett. Stewart is a 2002 graduate of Quartz Hill High School. The shop has a significant role in developing local riding talent. At any given time, the shop might be sponsoring as many as 30 youth BMX riders.

The store is a dealer for one of the foremost brands in the world, Specialized. “They’re on top right now,” said Bartlett.

Bartlett makes it clear that they are not just about high quality racing bikes. “We’ve got something for everyone here.”