Why - "The Boy Next Door?"

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

So... in preparing to psyche myself up enough to go for it and start my own business with my own ideas and my own strategies, I realized that this business had to have a name to make it work the way I wanted it to. "So, let's see... what is it that I do exactly?" I kept asking myself. Well - the long and short of it was that I wanted to use the talents of friends of mine (artists, performers, photographers, designers, etc.) and introduce their abilities to the owners of local, small businesses that I enjoy frequenting. I believe in the small business owner, especially when they have been able to keep their heads above water during this economic crunch.

A lot of local businesses have had to knuckle down and tighten up on their budget for marketing. Many have had to rely on recycled photos, images, websites and artwork to save money. But I also realized that a lot of my newly unemployed friends whose passions gravitate towards The Arts were just looking for new ways to get their work promoted. "Why don't I network my creative friends and their abilities with these business owners I enjoy and give them all a little help and exposure in a new way?" was the solution that popped into my head.

So, basically - I network neighbors. But all of the business names that I initially brainstormed were stuffy, trite, too far out there, or just plain dorky. Being a theatre kid from the time I broke out of the womb and into the spotlight (and a gay man with a passion for the dramatic,) I was drawn to song titles that might have some relevance or familiarity to Joe & Jane Q. Public. Then it hit me - uniting neighbors!! Who knows a neighborhood better than The Boy Next Door? A great song from a musical "Meet Me In St' Louis" which carries fun memories for me from both viewing the Judy Garland film and performing it in college with my close friends.

A cute song. A familiar context. An appropriate amount of kitsch to define my personality a bit more closely. (And a damn fine ringtone once the business license was official!!) So, like it or don't - I am the guy on the other side of the fence celebrating on a cozy patio of some great eatery, or enjoying the fabulous installations at that new gallery down the street. I am the guy who can tell you which bartender in your neighborhood mixes a mean martini, and which new business owner stocks the best martini shakers for your next cocktail party.

And as the song says - "I just adore him, so I can't ignore him... The Boy Next Door!"

Give me a chance to show you why!!