For Starters is the essential weekly briefing for the next generation of small business owners. Inspiration and ideas, every Friday – for free. It’s curated by Danny Giacopelli, formerly of Monocle and Courier magazines.
Hey, starter! Read on for…
Inspiration ➠ Lemons & vinyl
Advice ➠ A hospitality playbook
Ideas ➠ The least stressful city
Resources ➠ In-demand skills
Town Hall ➠ Community shoutouts
👋 For Starters is read by 10,000+ business-builders around the world, from coffee roasters in Melbourne to creative directors in Lisbon. Welcome!
➠ Get inspired
Lemon Appeal | Credit
1. When life gives you lemons… I’ve been following Lemon Appeal for a while and love what they're doing. The business was founded by Canadian-British mother-daughter duo Anik and Sophie, who have a serious obsession with Italian citrus. After Anik’s 30-year corporate career, the two partnered with artisan communities on the Amalfi Coast – ceramicists in Vietri Sul Mare, linen weavers in Abruzzo, etc – and created new products and a lifestyle brand around them. Everything’s made in small workshops and celebrates the legendary Sfusato Amalfitano lemon. 🍋
2. The song remains the same. Meanwhile in California, Sound Spectrum has been selling records in Laguna Beach since 1967 – making it the city’s oldest (and now only) record store. When founder Jimmy Otto passed away in 2023, sibling trio Audrey, James and Sadie Jean Wilcox swept in to purchase it, gave the place a remodel and swung the doors back open. → I’ll bang on about this forever, but being a starter doesn’t mean you have to be the founder. See: ‘The great ownership transfer’ in Ideas section, below… 🎵
3. Tell a yarn. And keep your eye on unspun, which makes the “3D weaving tech” for the clothes industry. The process is apparently like making a textile and a garment at the same time, and different from circular knitting and 3D printing. Ex North Face global brand president Arne Arens just joined as CEO... 🧵
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