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Sweet marketing music

Tanner Montague came to town from Seattle having never owned his own music venue before. He’s a musician himself, so he has a pretty good sense of good music, but he also wandered into a crowded music scene filled with concert venues large and small.But the owner of Green Room thinks he found a void in the market. It’s lacking, he says, in places serving between 200 and 500 people, a sweet spot he thinks could be a draw for both some national acts not quite big enough yet for arena gigs and local acts looking for a launching pad.“I felt that size would do well in the city to offer more options,” he says. “My goal was to A, bring another option for national acts but then, B, have a great spot for local bands to start.”Right or wrong, something seems to be working, he says. He’s got a full calendar of concerts booked out several months. How did he, as a newcomer to the market in an industry filled with competition, get the attention of the local concertgoer?

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by Andrew Tellijohn
December 2007

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Best Practices: Community Impa

BEST PRACTICES: COMMUNITY IMPACT

reaching out
Five firms spread influence outside their own doors
FINALIST RUNDOWN
Another Land Inc, travel planner and fashion accessories: links its business with the health of more than 200 traditional artisans; has given its African communities more than 7 percent of annual revenue.

Marguerite von Duerckheim is sales manager: 612.821.6465; marguerite@anotherland.com; www.anotherland.com.
Evolve Systems, Web development and point-of-purchase: requests that each employee donate eight working hours per month volunteering; closes doors once a quarter for ?random acts of kindness.?

Marnie Ochs-Raleigh is CEO: 651.628.4000; marnie@evolve-systems.com;
www.evolve-systems.com
Intertech Inc, technology consulting and software: founded Intertech Foundation, a not-for-profit private foundation, to provide financial support to families of terminally ill children.

Tom Salonek is CEO:  651.994.8558; tsalonek@intertech.com; www.intertech.com
Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, veterinary services: provides a safe place for animals displaced by domestic violence; provides dental services to Humane Society adoptees.

Kate Knutson is co-founder: 952.884.8248; kate.knutson@petcrossing.com;
www.petcrossing.com
Reside LLC, Web development: to focus charitable efforts, launched TheResiders.com in January, a virtual band of bobbleheads that is ?rockin? for a cause? year round to raise funds.
Matt Meents
is CEO: 612.767.2000; mmeents@reside.biz; www.reside.biz
by Sarah Brouillard

The five finalists for Best Practices in Community Impact are small, with fewer than 100 employees as required by the Upsize contest rules. But they all focus their efforts to positively affect their communities, and as a result make significant marks.

Linking continents
Since its inception, Another Land Inc. has been a planner of tours and safaris in East Africa. But founder Nichole Smaglick became discouraged when travelers preferred exploring the wildlife and scenery to meeting the people and learning their culture.

That?s when she decided to expand her vision for the Minneapolis-based company. She began partnering with East African villagers, making them active participants ? and investors ? in the cultural programs that Another Land offers.

The result has been a business model linked to the development of more than seven African villages and the prosperity of 200 traditional artisans. Instead of charitable do