Tea retailer expands to space on Division

Alice Beattie is expanding her business, B's Teas, to a space inside Spencer's Antiques & Collectibles Emporium, at 1325 N. Division, in Spokane. It also will continue to operate inside the Simply Northwest gift shop, at 11806 E. Sprague, in Spokane Valley.

"A lot of my customers live on the South Hill or in North Spokane. I want to accommodate them," Beattie says. Her granddaughter, Krista Beattie, will help run the two outlets.

Beattie says she has a climate- and humidity-controlled room in her Spokane Valley home where she stores and repackages 95 varieties of bulk tea purchased from importing companies. She says about 20 percent of her business is special orders. Besides bulk teas, B's Teas carries teapots, tea strainers, and tea infusers.

A retired transportation administrator with the Central Valley School District, Beattie says she decided to purchase the assets and customer rights of Mad Hattie's Boutique & Teas, formerly located at 618 N. Sullivan, in Spokane Valley, when that business closed in 2009. She moved to the space inside Simply Northwest a little over a year ago, she says.

Computer-repair shop opens along Sullivan

A computer service and repair shop, Friendly Computers, has opened in a 1,250-square-foot space at 328 N. Sullivan, in Spokane Valley.

Jim Dixson says he and his wife purchased the franchise rights to Friendly Computers through their company, Jim & Delphine Enterprises LLC. He declines to disclose the purchase price.

Dixson has a 30-year military career that includes a background in information technology, as well as business management experience in the private sector. He says he chose to go with the Friendly Computers franchise because it provides a network of expertise, giving him access to business advice and technical data for computer repair and service.

The business handles troubleshooting on desktop and laptop computers, iPads, iPods, and wireless networks. In addition to its repair shop, it works on site in homes and businesses. Friendly Computers also builds custom computers and sells all brands of refurbished computers, Dixson says.

Friendly Computers is headquartered in North Las Vegas, Nev., and has about 100 franchised locations, he says. The Spokane Valley operation has two full-time employees in addition to Dixson.

Online city guide expands offerings

BizSpokane.com LLC, owner of an online Spokane employment guide, says it has expanded its website to include more information and has changed its name to Spokane City Guide.

Owner Barry Seward says the website, still located at www.bizspokane.com, now offers job listings free of charge. It also has an interactive events calendar, listings for real estate and auto sales, volunteer opportunities, and a section for lost-and-found pets. There is a page with coupons for restaurants and other businesses, and Seward says he plans to add a visitor information page this month, as well as high school sports coverage next fall.

Seward started a city website in St. Louis in 1999, but sold it when he left that area.

"One thing I love about doing (a city website) is that I'm always learning about new areas of the city," he says.

Spokane City Guide derives income from business sponsorships and online advertising. It has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Merchant Circle, and Seward says those efforts drive visits to the city guide website.

An Internet marketing consultant for a Spokane nonprofit organization by day, Seward says he works on the website at home in the evenings. Spokane City Guide has no other employees at this time.

Valley couple start prepaid-phone outlet

A new cell phone outlet, KEK Communications, has opened in a 1,200-square-foot space at 13908 E. Sprague, in Spokane Valley.

The outlet, owned by Carol and Jerry Carter, sells Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile no-contract, prepaid-service plans, as well as cell phones and accessories. Boost Mobile is owned by Sprint Nextel Corp., of Overland Park, Kan. Virgin Mobile is a United Kingdom company that operates in the U.S. on the Sprint Nextel network.

The Carters have owned Carter Construction, a building and remodeling contracting firm, since 1997, but that business isn't active right now, Carol Carter says.

KEK is the combination of the first initials of the Carters' three children, she says. Jerry Carter is the company's only full-time employee, and the couple's 17-year-old daughter is the only other employee at this time.

Mattress store takes new space in Valley

Mattress Center has moved to a 3,100-square-foot space at 13524 E. Sprague in Spokane Valley, from a slightly larger space at 14210 E. Sprague.

Wesley Miller, manager at Mattress Center, says the new space formerly was occupied by Mattress Land of Washington, owned by Sleep Fit Corp., of Fresno, Calif. He says the Mattress Center owner, Jale LLC, which includes James Eklund and a silent partner, decided to move the store to improve its visibility from the street, increase customer parking space, and improve the store's floor space arrangement.

The two-year-old Mattress Center specializes in the Spring Air brand of mattresses, Miller says. It has no employees besides Eklund and Miller.

Women's fitness club opens in Deer Park

FitZone LLC has opened Deer Park FitZone, an exercise club for women, in a long-vacant, 3,000-square-foot space at 857 S. Main, in Deer Park.

Rachel Leibrant, who co-owns FitZone with Janice Wacenske, says the two women opened the facility within five weeks of committing to start FitZone LLC.

Deer Park FitZone memberships each cost $25 to $40 a month, and the club offers circuit training, cardio equipment, fitness classes, tanning, and an infrared sauna. A play area is available for children. "There has been a phenomenal response from the community," Leibrant says. "Women want a place where they can go and feel comfortable. We have space for them to sit down and visit. It doesn%u2019t look like an athletic club. It's very feminine."

The club contracts with a personal trainer and a class instructor, but it has no employees besides Leibrant.