Flagstaff City Council passed a number of new programs in the summer of 2020 to help Flagstaff businesses. This is a celebration for two of the programs and the two Flagstaff companies on their way to growing in Flagstaff, making the world a better place. A little encouragement from two new small business aid programs from the City of Flagstaff.
The programs are the Innovate Waste / Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Challenge and the Business Retention and Expansion Incentive. The Innovate Waste / PPE Challenge 2020 marks the second year of the challenge, which asked entrepreneurs to examine the materials at the Flagstaff City Landfill and then divert material by converting that material into a product or service that also does a new product is launched on the company. As the world learned about COVID-19, the challenge expanded to invite entrepreneurs to also consider a PPE item.
Bee Well didn’t exist a year ago. Alex Kaufman and Dan Dunn were friends who worked in a local cafe / restaurant. They had both been in Flagstaff for years. Kaufman was a trainer at Flag High, worked at OVRLND, and generally spent time helping people do their best and be outside. When Kaufman and Dunn, like so many other companies, were laid off from the coffeeshop in March and April 2020, their staff closed or drastically reduced, they wondered what to do next. As the tragic death stories were heard every day and in increasing numbers, especially among Navajo and Hopi populations, Kaufman and Dunn sought to positively influence those who did not have critical infrastructure such as running water. When the world learned that hand washing should be done very regularly to stop the spread of COVID-19, what did these families do without running water? With a background in biology and chemistry and a keg of isopropyl alcohol, the idea became clear: hand sanitizer.
Bee Well handcrafted hand sanitizer kills viruses using 70% vol isopropyl alcohol, purified water, and organic vegetable glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, organic geraniums and eucalyptus oils without the strong aroma of alcohol. Your hand sanitizer is great for applications where access to soap and water is limited. Bee Well is affiliated with Moonshot @ NACET and moved into the facility in July and has grown since then. In December, Kaufman and Dunn attended Moonshot @ NACET’s Makers & Shakers Week, which also included the pitch event known as the Innovate Waste / PPE Challenge. Bee Well has received $ 5,000 in business development funding to buy equipment, such as a labeling machine, to streamline the most time-consuming part of their business: labeling bottles. A testament to its mission, Bee Well has donated more than 1,000 bottles of its products to schools, hospitals, frontline workers and shelters so that people without running water can get hand sanitizer. Find Bee Well products around Flagstaff or visit https://beewell.care/ today.
The Business Retention and Expansion Incentive is a competitive grant that helps small businesses stay and grow in Flagstaff. The first round accepted applications between July 1 and August 31, 2020. CozyHome, which has been operating in Flagstaff since 2012, receives an award!
CozyHome is a licensed contractor based in Flagstaff that conducts energy audits to help homeowners and businesses reduce their energy bills. The landing page of the website says, “CozyHome’s $ 99 Energy Audit Shows You Why Your Energy Bills Are So High.” Auditors come to your home or business and identify ways to reduce energy bills. Eli Chamberlain grew up in southern Arizona with a father who was a general contractor. He was more involved in construction than most. After coming to Northern Arizona University to study forestry, he found construction work that called him again when he was interested in the science of building and designing that helps the environment. In 2012 Chamberlain founded CozyHome. Energy audits are a big part of business, but most importantly, converting homes and buildings into more efficient spaces. Many people think of replacing windows, but Chamberlain has found that replacing windows often doesn’t bring the greatest return on those investment funds for the homeowner. Fixing leaks in a home or replacing insulation brings a higher return on investment, as homeowners like to see. One element of the business that sets Chamberlain apart is the inclusion of phase change materials, which act as a kind of energy bank to minimize large temperature swings in households while using less external energy.
What is phase change material (PCM)? Any material that can go back and forth from a solid to a liquid and back can be used as a phase change material. Waxes, for example, have different melting points. When the temperature is relatively low, the wax is solid. When the temperature is high, the wax melts and changes phases from solid to liquid. The changes release an enormous amount of energy that can be stored and released depending on the temperature. Then imagine a material that can store energy (heat) during the day and release that energy at night to minimize temperature fluctuations in your home. This technology can be used in any structure and could be a valuable tool in combating climate change.
With the corporate retention and expansion incentive, Chamberlain can run a pilot program to retrofit homes and businesses with phase change materials. The roll-out also means hiring and training employees to use this PCM. With trained personnel and the installation of PCMs, Chamberlain will be able to increase the use of PCMs across the region and tackle climate change house by house. Learn more at http://cozyhomeaz.com/.
Running a business is difficult, and not every business has stood the test of time. Bee Well and CozyHome are the result of passion, opportunity and more work than most can imagine. Both companies participated in small business aid programs offered by Flagstaff City Council.
Both companies are recognized for their innovation and perseverance in making the world a better place.
Congratulations to Bee Well and CozyHome! FBN
By John Saltonstall
John Saltonstall is the business retention and expansion manager for the City of Flagstaff.
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