Picture this: you’re shopping for your next plant baby + fur baby all in one place. No, it isn’t a dream, it is Botany Cats, a new small biz hoping to take off this year.
The mission of this up-and-coming business is to bring the first mobile cat lounge + plant nursery to Lakeland. Owner, founder, and animal expert Janette plans to house all of this in a converted bus full of houseplants and 4-6 kitties that traverse the Central Florida region to find forever homes for plant lovers + cat lovers alike.
“My driving motivation in creating a cat adoption center is to find happy homes for lonely cats and free up space in our local shelters so that more feline wanderers can be taken off the streets," Janette said. "Botany Cats will be a fun and meditative space where visitors can find their next love, be it feline or botanical, while learning how to best care for them.”
With a background in veterinary medicine, Janette plans to adopt the cats out of her bus to suitable adoptees, and the same goes for the plant babies. Presently, the mobile biz is in need of funding now that Botany Cats reached its lender goal + is currently 41% funded on donation platform, Kiva.
A visual of what you could be seeing at Botany Cats | Photo via @botany_cats
With the funding, Janette hopes to purchase a school bus, half for a nursery + the other half for the cat lounge. Another goal of Botany Cats is to bring local cat + plant artwork to the bus to help support other small local businesses.
Janette says that "the decision to do business out of a converted school bus came from my love of community events such as the weekly market, First Friday, etc.; I wanted the flexibility to travel to the action and build relationships between vendors and patrons."
To read more about Botany Cats or to contribute to the biz, click here.
We aren't kitten around here, plant this news into all of your friends inboxes + social feeds.
Today
- Yoga for Pain Relief | Tues., Sept. 14 | 6-7 p.m. | Soul Tree Yoga Studio | $10 | Try this yoga class to relieve your pain from migraines, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other common ailments.
Wednesday
- Sunset Sounds: Eric Whitener | Wed., Sept. 15 | 6-8 p.m. | Keel Farms | Free | Take your mid-week load off and enjoy a drink or 2 while listening to Tampa Bay singer, Eric Whitener.
- Free Coworking Day | Wed., Sept. 15 | 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. | Catapult Lakeland | Free | Enjoy free coffee, snacks, wifi, and all of the perks that this co-working space has to offer. 🖥️
Thursday
- Just Between Friends Exclusive Pre-sale | Thurs., Sept. 16 | 12-7 p.m. | RP Funding Center | Free | Be one of the first to peruse the goods at this large-scale consignment event in the RP Funding Center’s Sikes Hall.
Friday
- Let’s Ride | Fri., Sept. 17 | 8 p.m. | Union Hall | $10+ | Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door to see Union Hall’s concert series headliner and brass band, Let’s Ride. 🎤
Saturday
- POWer in Pink 5K | Sat., Sept. 18 | 8-11 a.m. | Tiger Town | $35+ | This in-person 5K starts from Tiger Town at Joker Marchant Stadium and awards will be given to 13+ racers in different categories.
- J Holiday | Sat., Sept. 18 | 7-10 p.m. | Polk Theatre | $25+ | R&B sensation J Holiday and the Fish and Grits band are coming to the Polk Theatre to bring live poetry and music to Lakeland.
Sunday
- Central Florida Arms Show | Sun., Sept. 19 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus, 4175 Medulla Rd. | $12 | The Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club Educational Center is hosting this year’s arms show, where parking is free and children 16 and under get free admission with an adult.
Monday
- For the Love of Chocolate | Mon., Sept. 20 | 6 p.m. | Publix Aprons Cooking School, 4730 Florida Ave. S. | $50 | Take part in a hands-on cooking class where you’ll learn all about new + interesting ways to incorporate chocolate into your cooking routine. 🍴
Tuesday
- Tasty Tuesdays | Tues., Sept. 21 | 4:30-9 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland | $25 | Purchase your ticket package + sample selections from participating downtown local restaurants.
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Launching a business isn’t easy. Entrepreneurs must be resilient, passionate + knowledgeable. They must defend their craft to countless critics and inspire others to believe in a new way of doing things.
Crystal Mathews and Amber Kossak with Bank of Central Florida Relationship Manager Randy Hollen | Photo provided
They’ve also got to have a solid plan to help finance their goals. Without financial support, even the best-laid business plan can fail. It’s vital for entrepreneurs to choose a bank, like Bank of Central Florida, that understands their localized needs.
With 15+ years of experience, Bank of Central Florida’s team of business bankers can guide and support entrepreneurs in Lakeland to help make the best choices for their business — from cash deposits to business loans.
A local connection:
When Lakelanders Amber Kossak and Crystal Mathews opened their business, Solid Start, in 2010, they needed a bank that would hear their story. The team at Bank of Central Florida listened — and provided the business loan information they needed within 24 hours. Ⓟ
Weather
- 89º | Scattered thunderstorms | 60% chance of rain
Ranked
Coming Soon
- New restaurants are beginning to pop up around Lakeland, like Plaza Mexico Mariscos coming to the old Ruby Tuesday’s location, according to Reader LJ B. + a new ramen joint coming to Lake Miriam Plaza called Oksumi Ramen. Who’s hungry?
Award
- Winter Haven native Mercy Moore placed second in the Female Actor of the Year category at the 2021 International Modeling and Talent Association Conference. Mercy took classes at Polk State College before going on to pursue acting and modeling in Los Angeles. (The Ledger)
- Hold your horses, because Lakeland native Susannah Morrel won the 2020 Medium Green Pony Hunter National Championship held in Lexington, KY. Susannah won the competition by more than 70 points and trained at the English Oaks Equestrian Center. 🏇 (The Ledger)
Opening
- Local florist, Uli & Co., officially has a grand opening date for the brand new storefront at 1216 S. Florida Ave., this Saturday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 💐
Legacy
- William Frederick Bateman, a former Marine + local McDonald’s franchise owner in both Lakeland and Bartow passed away last week at the age of 96, with a Bronze Star citation, an award his family was unaware of until recently for his heroism during World War II. 🎖️ (News Channel 8)
Try This
- Tickets are on sale for the 2022 Florida State Fair, starting at $5. The fair kicks off Feb. 10, with limited ticketing, so don’t wait to get yours. 🎡
Drink
- Brew Hub introduced its new IPA, Goon Squad. This drink has a 9.8% ABV and is described as being agreeable for fans of both hoppy beers and IPAs. Brew Hub suggests you pair this drink with spicy dishes, fried foods, and specifically not a salad. 🍺
Lakelander
- Meet Catapult members Jarrett Benavides and Michelle Crawford, founders of Cult Legume. After discovering a void in easy + ready-to-go food options that were also healthy, they decided to find a solution. Read their story. Ⓟ
Home
- Did you know installing UV lights in a HVAC system can help reduce biological contaminants — even when the system isn’t running? While filters can help to eliminate airborne particulates like dust, UV lights cleanse the air of harmful viruses, germs, and mold spores. Learn more about improving your home's indoor air quality. 🌬️ Ⓟ
Finance
- Score an easy $200 bonus after spending just $500 in the first 3 months with this no annual fee cashback card. (That's like getting 40% cashback on your first $500 spent.) After that, keep racking up rewards with unlimited 1.5% cashback on every purchase. Ⓟ
The Lashery Makeup Studio’s brand new location is coming right along. The space, located at 4140 Post Ave., near the Fields Motorcars Mercedez Benz Dealership, is new construction, in the spot of the businesses’ old building, which burned down in 2017.
Now, the new studio plans to start the move-in process within the next month or so after passing inspections.
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Yesterday we asked you to vote on which lake you’d like to see in our next lakes guide. Here’s how almost 200 of you voted:
- 38% said “Lake Morton”
- 36.3% said “Lake Mirror”
- 14.5% said “Lake Hunter”
- 11.2% said “Lake Bonny”
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