The group was founded by five women in home-based service businesses: Barbara McDonell, Clutter Queen Services; Sarala Godine, Options for Health, Debbie Yorke, Elder Connections Ltd.; Sandra Tennent, Urban-life Healing; and Kelly Hewkin, Intuitive Graphic Design.

Initially we were inspired by Sarala's participation in a delegation to boost a friend's sagging business morale. But our desire was also to meet the challenge of Canadian marketing guru Donald Cooper (www.donaldcooper.com) to create out-of-the-box marketing and incorporate a Random Act of Kindness.

• In order to be chosen, Grapevine candidates must meet two or more of the following criteria:
• Be a newly established business (one business that was only two weeks old, but generally they are within their first year of operation)
• Provide exceptional service
• Be a hidden treasure (several were hidden within industrial areas where most locals hadn't ventured)
• Offer a unique product
  

Our first graping was to Granola Groovy Eco-store* on October 30, 2004. We emailed Grapevine members with a nearby meeting place only. Participants did not know our destination and the business owners had no clue that we were coming! (Participants love the surprise element of Grapevine events and often try to trick us into divulging our secret destination). Just as Granola Groovy opened for business that morning, 26 excited folks filed into the store and handed the owners a big bouquet of purple helium balloons, announcing "Congratulations, you've just been chosen the best of the bunch for the month!"

Owners Ian and Alain said they "were gob-smacked" and later reported: "We have never experienced such a huge influx of new customers all at once and we were totally overwhelmed at the community spirit and generosity shown by Grapevine participants."

Attendants mixed and mingled, made new friends, discovered and bought new products, giving Granola Groovy its best income day since opening. Even two years later, 'passing the word down the grapevine' continues to happen as owners report that occasionally first-time customers mention that they heard about the store through The Grapevine.

After each event we email our 400 members with a report, which then becomes a permanent web page for the company under "Best of the Bunch" (www.wegrape.com). Those who cannot attend check out the graped establishments on their own, telling owners that "The Grapevine sent me".

Our email list is growing by leaps and bounds. Many of the business owners we have graped now join us in graping other businesses.

We recently added a draw each month for a $25 gift certificate from one of the previously graped businesses. This allows us to give establishments a little added promotion and keeps the business in the minds of participants who love the potential of winning a prize as well as having such a good time.