I wrote 10 Google reviews this month and here’s why that matters. More than ever, people are searching online for recommended professionals, retailers, service providers and small businesses. Many people are using AI (artificial intelligence) to find out more about these businesses. If you love a small business, take the time to write a good review about them. If you had a less than stellar experience with one–I’m sure the business owners would appreciate you reaching out to them directly before posting a negative review.
New to this and want to know how to write a Google review? Visit maps.google.com and search for the business by name. Click on the business name and it will bring you to their reviews and you’ll see a WRITE A REVIEW button. OR Google the name of the business and if they have a Google business presence, it will show on the right on a desktop device, or at the top of your mobile device screen. Click right on the number of reviews (highlighted in blue below) and write your review (and read reviews that others have left).
Consignment Gallery at 56
I love the Consignment Gallery at 56! Just like any other consignment type of store, the inventory changes daily, so I go frequently – – just in case! I don’t always find something, but more times than I care to admit, I find furniture, decor, and household goods that are very reasonably priced. The staff is friendly, the items are always in excellent condition. A quick walk around my house shows some of the fun finds I’ve gotten at the Consignment Gallery at 56. My favorites? A 4‘ x 8‘ mirror from India, and a large Italian painting of two women and their chickens, and a full bar setup for my family room.
Dr. Rowe and Dr. Canary Orthodontists
At 55 years old, I found my teeth were shifting. I learned that we all have something called a frenum in our mouths, and mine was aggressive and bossy – – resulting in my teeth moving around in a very unattractive way. I had to get a frenectomy, which is zero stars/no fun/do not recommend. After that, I decided to explore either braces or Invisalign. I met with Dr. Rowe and Dr. Canary in Leominster and I’m now almost halfway through the Invisalign protocol. The office staff is very friendly, they run on time which is important to me, and my teeth are doing exactly what they said they would. I have nothing but praise for this office. I’m happy that Dr. Rowe has such a history of satisfied patients, and upon his retirement, the transition to Dr. Canary has been seamless.
Harmony In Your Home
I help home buyers and sellers throughout Central Massachusetts to achieve their real estate goals. It’s no surprise that when I’m talking with sellers–one of their primary goals is to net as much money as possible. It’s pretty common that their second top goal is to get through the showings process pretty quickly, not dragging out for weeks or months. I offer a staging consultation with Bonnie Garceau of Harmony In Your Home to all of my sellers, and most of them take me up on it! Bonnie is amazing! If you’re not planning to sell your home, but want to reset your layout, need decorating advice, paint color recommendations, or you just need a big decluttering – – Bonnie can help with that! If you’re planning to sell your home, soon or even in the distant future, Bonnie‘s advice is gold! A consultation with her is what you need to help keep your sanity in check from today and until your house is ready for professional photos. My clients love her room-by-room recommendations. Some sellers do every single thing on her list, others just pick away at what they feel comfortable doing. Some sellers work with their own furniture and decor, and others hire Bonnie to bring in staging items – – it really runs quite the range from a few accent pieces to a whole house staging. You owe it to yourself to have staging advice before listing your home if you want to net top dollar. Bonnie has been my exclusive stager since 2019, with dozens and dozens of satisfied sellers. Smart sellers (and realtors) recognize that doing a little more and possibly spending a little more will absolutely net you more!
Rattle Root Farm
I’ve been a member of Rattle Root Farm organic CSA since they opened in 2023. I was skeptical at first, having been a member of a CSA before. We were blown away with the consistent quality of the produce. Pick up options are Tuesday and Friday. We currently have a half share, which allows us six points per week. A point might be two heads of lettuce, or 8 ounces of spinach, two pounds of tomatoes, etc. The farmers – – Joey, Peter and Hannah are friendly, happy to explain anything you want to know about the farm, and are very progressive in their approach and techniques. We also love that we can go to the farm at any time and step herbs and fresh flower bouquets. They also have farm stand hours when non-members can stop by and purchase fresh produce. My advice – – check out their website and get on their CSA waiting list ASAP!
Add-A-Sign
I’m a local realtor and buy all of my custom signs through Tim at Add-A-Sign. From design and materials advice, through timely production of top-quality attractive signage at reasonable prices – – I wouldn’t go anywhere else!
Masterman’s
I’m involved in a local tennis tournament, with the task of creating the promotional apparel for each year’s tournament. I typically need guidance on what materials to use, colors that are on point for what I’m hoping to accomplish, and creativity in working with my limited artistic skills. My experience with Masterman’s, every year running, has been seamless and friendly, pricing is fair, items are delivered when promised, and the quality is fantastic. I highly recommend Masterman’s for your business apparel printing needs.
Black & White Grill
My daughter and I stopped at the Black & White Grill in Spencer late on a recent Saturday afternoon. We were literally just driving by and saw that the parking lot was full, which is always a good sign for a restaurant and it was 3:30 PM, to boot! We were seated right away, our server Malachi was very attentive. I had a huge garden salad, which was delicious and although I didn’t make the healthiest choices for my main dish – – the fried mozzarella circles and homemade potato skins were great! The restaurant was clean, the service was friendly, and the food was delicious. Highly recommend! ***EDITED to note that I just saw that Black & White Grill has over 1,800 reviews!
East Coast Thrift
While on a recent mystery ride, my daughter and I stopped at East Coast Thrift in Spencer. This is a huge thrift shop with a mix of new and used items–men’s and women’s clothing, household items and small decor. I had recently been shopping with my other daughter, who is very fancy, and I was not interested in paying $70 for a pair of jeans at the mall. My more frugal daughter and I hit East Coast Thrift and I got two pairs of jeans that I liked just the same as the $70 jeans, for $7 each. They have great hours, a wide selection, the store is very clean and the employees are very friendly. I’m not usually a fan of shopping, but I’ll be back!
Sneakerama
I wasn’t in the market for sneakers. I had taken a friend to the emergency room at UMASS and after waiting in the car for a few hours, my computer was low on charge and I needed a ladies room. I drove around a bit and noticed Sneakerama, where I’ve gotten my last few pairs of sneakers. I walked in and said that I’d kind of like to buy a pair of sneakers and could I charge my computer at the same time? From the minute I walked in, I was met with friendly employees who let me charge my computer, and saw a supply of sneakers that fit my rare size. They analyzed my gait, they didn’t push anything–and I left Sneakerama with a fantastic pair of sneakers, some fabulous On Cloud hikers, a Nike shell and an appreciation for their spectacular customer service.
These last two businesses are new to me, and they don’t yet have a Google presence, but I’ve had great experiences with both. You can find their contact info on my Recommended Professionals page!
Chuck’s Handyman and Painting Services
Do you know how difficult it is to find a decent handyman who will return your calls, show up when they say they will, do a decent job and charge a fair price? In my business of selling homes, competent and responsive handyperson services are tough to find. I happened upon Chuck Boudreau of Chuck’s Handyman and Painting Services, and in the first few weeks of knowing him, he helped my clients with an assortment of things–a random incident of a showerhead spraying a ceiling, some very bright walls that needed to be painted over immediately, and just some other assorted tasks that the homeowners didn’t have the time or skills to take care of themselves.
Onpoint Overhead
I sell houses, and I recently had an incident where a buyer somehow broke the garage door opener while testing it. It was a Saturday afternoon and I sure didn’t want to leave the house before that was fixed. I had been given Ray’s contact info and reached out. He was at the house within an hour, and an hour later I was able to leave, with the problem having been completely solved. I now have Ray and Onpoint Overhead on my list of recommended professionals, and expect to be reaching out to him in the future – – hopefully on a less of an emergency basis.
