Forging a New Path Together

In these unprecedented times, our greatest strength comes from one another. Creative solutions & working together are the KEY.

January 8th, 2023

Dear Vashon Loop Readers,

We are so glad you are here, reading our content and sharing it forward.

This month, we are offering all of our content to you, whether your subscription is paid or unpaid. Beginning in February, fresh, new and unique content will be offered to paid subscribers only. Don’t miss a single story! Sign up now…

Today’s article will soon land on island shelves everywhere. We are exceptionally proud of our mission, as a community newspaper, and our strong support of independently owned businesses. Without you - our local business owners, managers and staff - life would be harder and far less colorful.

Our January Issue offers our island business owners a unique opportunity, while also reminding you - our readers - that we can creatively support one another during these difficult times. This article speaks to a strategy we hope will benefit everyone.

In your community. Your parent’s community. Your children’s community. Everywhere! Let us improve the future, one small act at a time, with a focus on finding the best win-win-win options possible!

Introducing the Not Uptown Vashon Business Lowdown!

Do you have a business on Vashon? If so, are you like the majority of Vashon businesses in that you’re not located uptown?

Vashon businesses are everywhere on the Island – really, everywhere. But many are effectively hidden, without the storefront or drive-by appeal that would let you know they exist. 

Because Vashon is not zoned like a suburb, our businesses are scattered all over. Outside of town, you will find hairdressers, massage practitioners, and even a couple of places to work out. 

You’ll find creative people in studios producing paintings, photographs, pottery, and sculpture – among other art forms too numerous to list.  

There are also many local service companies that will help you fix what you have, or build something new from the ground up. These include cement, construction, electric, milling, plumbing, and tree management, to list just a few.

Not-Uptown businesses are the businesses that Islanders often only learn about at the last minute or in an emergency. Islanders share the existence of these businesses by word of mouth and on social media. But newer Islanders and visitors are less likely to find these places, and even long-term Islanders probably don’t understand just how many businesses exist here. At The Vashon Loop, we want to help change that.

People are reading The Loop, and the companies that advertise in our pages are seeing results. We recently increased our print run by 50%, and we still can't restock papers fast enough. People are looking at The Loop, and eventually these people will be looking for you.

In February, we are introducing a new feature – the “Not Uptown Business Lowdown” – an organized, creative ad-spread providing background and contact information for local businesses "not" located in Vashon Town (ie, Uptown). 

The Lowdown Registry provides a great and affordable opportunity to increase your businesses’ visibility – and it costs only $20.

What will the Registry look like? We will give you enough space to briefly describe your business and contact information. Businesses will be organized by categories, so it will be easy to find specific services. The Registry will be formatted so readers want to read it when looking for services on-island or help with a project. And, it'll be pretty enough to clip and save (like, on the refrigerator).

This will be an ongoing project. At The Vashon Loop, we will brainstorm new ways to add value to the Registry, while maintaining its reasonable price.

The first version of the Lowdown Registry will be printed in February – that’s very soon – so please get in touch. Contact sales@vashonloop.com to take part.

Let’s show Vashon what (businesses) we are made of.