Chamber Chat

Networking, Expectations, Goofus and Gallant

2012-01-30T06:01:00.000-05:00

Recently a chamber member brought a concern to my attention.

This person is what I would refer to as a "Great Networker." They noted that there are people out there that think just because you've been introduced and exchanged business cards that you're now obligated to purchase their services or send a referral. The member with Great Expectations may (or more likely may not) have done the same as they're expecting, but the expectation is there.

Now stop and think about this for a minute. Is everyone you meet a prospective customer or client? Is it possible to give business to everyone you meet for the first time WHEN you meet them for the first time? (We have nearly 600 members in our Chamber alone--and many of our members belong to multiple networking groups.)

Yes, networking can pay off with valuable referrals--but there's a difference between being a Great Networker and getting those referrals and being a "Great Expectations" kind of networker. Which one are you?

Great Networker
People do business with people they know.
Great Expectations
I gave you my business card--so now we know each other--give me business.

Great Networker
People do business with people they like and trust.
Great Expectations
I'll like you better when you give me business.

Great Networker
Relationships are about the lifetime value of a connection--not a flash in the pan.
Great Expectations
If you're not giving me business--there's no lifetime value.

Great Networker
It's not just the person I'm meeting and getting to know--it's about all of their connections too. Maybe you aren't a good prospect for my goods or services--but I'll bet you know someone who is. I treat our relationship with respect and care--it's an example of how I treat customers and clients. So even if you don't use my services or products--you know I have high integrity and value. Hopefully that makes it easy for you to think of me when a referral opportunity crops up.

Great Expectations
I'll give you some more business cards you can give your friends.

Great Networker
I ask questions about your business, learning more about you, your goals, how things are going.
Great Expectations
Why are you asking me all of these questions about my business? If you're not a potential customer or client, stop wasting my time.

Great Networker
After learning about your business, I often am asked similar questions about my own business.
Great Expecations
Well I told you all about my business--time to move on.

Rereading this before posting, I am reminded of the old Highlights Magazine cartoon strip "Goofus and Gallant." Yes, I'm a baby boomer--this was long before the days of Dilbert or Calvin & Hobbs.

Basically these are classic themes about having good manners. I strongly urge you to NOT be a Goofus.

Women in Business series 2012 begins today!

2012-01-24T05:57:00.003-05:00

Women in Business series 2012 begins today!
One of the things that gets us through the winter months is the 4 part Women in Business series. Once a month, January through April, Clarkston Area Chamber hosts a WiB (Women in Business) event.
These events are designed for women business leaders, but are open to everyone--you don't have to be a business leader, chamber member, or female to attend these events.

What exactly do we mean by "Designed for Women Business leaders?"

Our topics and speakers are motivational, inspirational--presenting 45 minute keynote addresses of high quality information and energy.

WiB events include extra time for networking and relationship building. I've observed over the years that when you put Clarkston's women business leaders together at a networking event, they prefer time to build friendships and advisory partners that lead to strategic referral partnerships. They don't like to be rushed.

They DO like for events to start on time and end on time. They enjoy surprises and are game to participate in activities.

All that in mind--I know that today's event with Terry Bean and his presentation 6 Degrees of Connectedness will be rewarding, enriching--and fun!

2012-01-17T10:43:00.000-05:00

Get Connected and Stay Connected

This month, the Chamber will host a member orientation on Wednesday January 25, 2012 9-10 a.m. at the Chamber office.

We've been holding these events every other month for almost three years. They've been targeted for our newest members to help them jump start their participation in the Chamber value offerings.

We cover the basics:

Where do you go for information and updates?

How can you promote your business within the Chamber network?

What are the best fit for marketing opportunities within the Chamber?

What kind of savings and discounts are available for Chamber members?

We also bring in a member from the Ambassadors and the Board of Directors to share their experiences on what's worked for them, what tips they suggest for getting the most out of your membership and more.

Beginning in 2012, we are now publicizing these orientation dates and opening them up to all Chamber members. We only ask that you RSVP so we are sure to have enough materials printed and on hand for the meeting.

If you're not sure what's new, what's the best fit, or how to ramp up the value you're getting from your Chamber membership, then plan to attend an orientation.

WEDS January 25, 2012 9-10 a.m. at the Chamber

2012-01-10T11:21:00.001-05:00

In a short while, the Chamber Ambassadors will descend upon the Chamber office. There will be laughter and loud voices--but more than that, there will be a wave of positive energy and excitement. It's like a high tide of opportunity and "can-do!" that fills the office.

Our Ambassadors serve as volunteers. They do what they do, because they LOVE it! Each year, it's hard to believe, but the pool of Ambassadors gets better and better and better.

While an Ambassadors act as hosts as events, greet new members and facilitate networking--what they really do (and do so very well) is set the "temperature."

Are you comfortable?
Do you feel welcomed?

Thank the Ambassadors.

Are you able to talk, as well as listen while you network? Do you find that Chamber members you meet touch base, talk with you, send referrals in an ongoing fashion?

Thank the Ambassadors.

Do you laugh, have fun and look forward to Chamber events?

Thank the Ambassadors!

Our Chamber Networking Brand is well known, positive and copied by many surrounding groups. It's that good, because our Ambassadors are that good!

Thank you Ambassadors! You totally Rock!

What do you resolve to do?

2012-01-03T09:04:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

Yes, I am one of those people who enjoy looking at January 1 as a lightswitch opportunity. I'm full of hope, anticipation and ambition as I approach the fresh new calendar pages.

This is an opportunity to assess, align and repurpose yourself to be the best you can be.

This year, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of some of the great talent in our area. The Chamber is deploying our secret weapon--YOU!

Sharpen the Saw
Stephen Covey talks about Shapening the Saw (you'll cut down trees faster if you take time to sharpen your saw)--and we're going to help you. Throughout the year you'll find Business Bootcamps scheduled--beginning with January 11, 2012 with the Microsoft Office 365 Cloud bootcamp.

Bootcamps will be held at different times of the day, different days of the week and offer different themes, topics, presenters and price points. While we don't expect members to attend every bootcamp, we do encourage you to attend as many as you can.

The skills, tips and connections you'll make at these events will be well worth the investment of your time and dollars.

Get connected and stay connected with your Chamber peers.
The best investment to grow your business is finding and aligning with strategic referral partners.

Measure your success
Start thinking now about how you'll track and measure your success. How many referrals do you get from other Chamber members? What dollar amount does that bring in for you?

And for my part . . . I'm renewing my commitment to keep this blog updated. It's easy to fall back and let time zip by as you race from deadline to deadline. It's IMPORTANT to follow through on what you start.

This WILL be a prosperous New Year!

Marketing Secrets for Silent Auctions and Raffles

2011-06-07T10:20:00.001-04:00

It seems everyone has a fundraiser, auction or raffle that they'd like you to donate to. The Chamber too has two silent auctions coming up in the near future

Should you or shouldn't you consider donating something to these events?

I think you should really consider it. But you don't have to take my word for it.
ChamberSmallBusiness.com calls this “Masterful Marketing, when you donate a prize, giveaway or auction item you can generate some low cost exposure and publicity for your company."

But before you rush out to donate something--I urge you to do a little strategic analysis.

STEP ONE: Who's the target audience for this event?

Donating can be a good decision if the audience at the event is your target audience/customer base.

Donating can be a good decision if the audience is your strongest pool for referral partners and leads.

Donating does not make sense if the audience is completely unrelated to potential leads or customers.

STEP TWO: You've decided to donate something, now what will you give?
Think about that audience and identify the broadest common denominator.

You want the winner of your donation to be thrilled to have won. That means what they bid on or win in the raffle needs to be

something they can use immediately
something they would be proud to show off to others (all the more marketing mileage when they show off their winnings)
something that makes them connect with your business name and helps brand you as a thoughtful, customer oriented business
You get extra credit if you can donate something that cannot be purchased or obtained easily--if at all. (One of a kind items are hot commodities at auctions).

STEP THREE--Need some ideas?
If you're a season ticket holder for sporting or entertainment events, consider donating a set of tickets.
How about a week at your vacation condo, cottage or time share?
Maybe you have connections to get autographed sports memorabilia

Don't waste the opportunity to emphasize one of your services or value propositions. Is your company brand include: Great Customer Service; Easy communications and follow up; timely delivery of services . . . then create a donation that reinforces that message.

Tried and true items like a gift certificate for "dinner out" at a local restaurant can be coupled with a bottle of champagne and your gift card that says, "Congratulations! Celebrate your next memorable event with our compliments!" and be sure to add a tag line that matches your business.

Insurance companies: "Always here for you when you need us."
Financial planners: "We are pleased to help customers and clients have more to celebrate."
Mortgage specialists: "We can help you celebrate a new home or renovations."
Attorneys: "Good planning leads to more celebrations. We can help."
Or consider the ever popular spa or salon gift certificate.
"Relax. We're ready to help you lower your stress in other ways too--call us when you'd like more information."
"Our customers and clients agree, everyone can use a little pampering."

Or maybe you'd like to donate a gift certificate for your company's services.
A free hour of consulting, or a free evaluation . . . jazz up your donation by coupling it with a couple of your logo mugs, a pound of gourmet coffee and a sampler of chocolates.

Is somebody in your office a good baker? Add two dozen home baked cookies, an apple pie (with small American Flag!), or decadent brownies to your donation. While bidders want your company's services, the homebaked goodies provide instant gratification and urgency for them to BID ON YOUR CERTIFICATE IMMEDIATELY!

STEP FOUR--DO NOT FORGET that this is a marketing opportunity! Include your business cards, or a hand written note congratulating the "winner" of your item.

Donate your item early so the event hosts can coordinate custom signage that includes your logo

STEP FIVE--Be the "stickiest" business at the auction!
Marketers agree that it's important to create a brand, image or message that's sticky. (Meaning you stay in the audience's mind long after they've seen your advertisement.)
Auction donations and raffle prizes are a great opportunity to develop that sticky message.

What can you donate that will intrigue most of the audience? In a silent auction, your goal is to get them to bid! In fact--you want audience members to get in a bidding war for your donation.

Taking the extra time to design a dazzling basket display or creative presentation pays off big time when people talk about you AT the event and AFTER the event. Better yet--will people take pictures of your donation and post it on their Facebook pages?

Get them talking! With a little creativity, your auction item could be the buzz of the event.

Two step Technology Slide

2011-03-18T10:18:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days--when everything you start moves you one step forward and two steps backwards?

I will confess right now that part of the issue is technology. We're upgrading to a new server and in the process we will also be implementing 2 replacement work stations. Which means we need to upgrade software . . . which means we have to convert old data files . . .which means those files don't talk to the website anymore . . . which means we need to fix the translation . . . which means . . . .

I am learning way more about software and hardware than I truly ever wanted to.

On the plus side--this transition has been much easier thanks to the expertise of chamber members. Knowing I have great go-to resources to ask questions, get advice and help implementing has made this so much easier.

Jackie Kopp, ATD Solutions is helping us upgrade our Quickbooks software and in the process helping us categorize classes to improve the ease of event program and project reports. She and Steve Hyer, IGD Solutions are helping us coordinate the newest release of Quickbooks with our online registration system.

The end result will be very nice for our members and reduce the bookkeeping time required to re-enter registrations. A direct sync with the online payments will save a lot of time!

It will also allow us to go to online invoicing and statements--saving postage. And we are looking into ACH processing as an option in addition to credit cards.

As part of this upgrade--we're also replacing our server. It's nearly 10 years old and has performed well. Periodic piecemeal upgrades have extended it's life--but it's time is done. It needs to be retired.

PC Miracles (who does our off site back ups) is taking care of the server and also the two new workstations. The computer workstations will replace our oldest machines . . . which . . . we got used from Clarkston Schools 5 years ago. These two units have had major failures this winter--and were recovered enough to limp along while we coordinated the replacement plan.

The new hardware, means we will be upgrading operating systems and therefore upgrading our database management systems. Which is where I learned that the upgraded software doesn't talk to our website . . . yet . . . but it will.

This black hole of interrelated technology woes could have been avoided with a regular technology upgrade plan.

I will admit to being, at times, too thrifty. If there's a mile left in that baby--I'm going to run it that mile! The motivation has been simple--out of necessity, I've needed to get the biggest bang for every dollar. The budget has been squeaky tight.

The thrill of dancing close to total technology failure, though, is not in the best interest of the Chamber--or you--our members. While I don't care for the adage "penny wise, pound foolish" it does apply here.

The board of directors supports and is funding a technology plan that includes regular upgrades and replacements--before we have catastrophic failures.

So if you're reading this . . . (thanks, by the way) . . . consider what you're doing to keep your data safe, your productivity high and your future clear.

Invest in offsite back up services for your data. It will help you sleep at night. Trust me.
Take time to inventory what your technology status is right now--today. And pay special attention to how old your hardware is and whether or not your software has the latest updated version.
Make a plan for your recommended replacement schedule.
Include in that plan an annual check up--where you update your technology audit.

And just do it.

Saving a few pennies today will be of little comfort when your technology decides to die.

History of Clarkston--An Interview with Buck & Joan Kopietz

2011-03-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

Interview with Buck & Joan Kopietz:
March 2005—interviewed by Geri Batt

Buck and Joan moved to Clarkston in 1973 opening their first business, Tierra Arts and Design at 3 S. Washington Street.

In 1975, they moved their business to 20 N. Main Street.
They recall the downtown area doubling in retail businesses between 1975 and 1980, hitting its peak in the early 1980’s. The current Prudential Building, the apartment building across from the current Tierra, and Mill Street Mall housed a number of small shops and a large restaurant. Clarkston was booming!

The Kopietz’s referred to this time frame as the “Camelot Era”. There were approximately 45 stores in downtown during that time frame and visitors came from all around including Birmingham to shop in Clarkston. The business district at this time was primarily between Washington and Church Street.

Some examples of stores included: Clarkston Auto Parts in the Clarkston Travel Building, Reekwald Realty where the Village Grill is, Hallman Apothecary in the Essence on Main space, Yea Coffee Shop, Pam’s Sewing Basket, Pat’s Beauty Salon, and the Clarkston Bar, where the Clarkston Café is today. Across the street there was a clothing store owned by Fred and Sheila Ritter.

The Kopietz’s described this era as a time when the resident primary shopping needs could be met in downtown Clarkston. It was a busy small town atmosphere with the streets filled with local walking traffic and visitors. The current Summit Place Mall, then known as Pontiac Mall, was available for more extensive shopping. During this time frame, Concerts in the Park were sponsored by BAIT (Business Association of Independence Township), which later started the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce. Joan Kopietz, a BAIT member, was responsible for Concerts in the Park for 10 years before they were taken over by the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce.

Business changed drastically in the early 80’s due to a financial crunch in the United States and local government. Interest rates soared and small businesses in the Clarkston area folded. Retail buildings were sold and converted to office space, primarily Real Estate. The morale of the business community suffered and the draw of residents and visitors to Clarkston for shopping decreased dramatically. Tierra Arts and Crafts moved to 64 N. Main in 1982 upon the closing of one of the towns hardware stores. Buck recalls town folks thinking he was crazy for moving south of Church Street. However, in time this extended the downtown area of Clarkston. The building across Main from the new Tierra which was mini mall was sold and converted to apartments. The Mill Street Mall building on Washington also gradually changed from a restaurant and retail shops to offices.

The Clarkston Union Bar and Kitchen was opened in 1996 when the Catallo Family converted an old church into the current restaurant. The Kopietz closed their art and office supply in the late 90’s and concentrated their efforts on the Tierra Fine Jewelry portion of their store renting additional space out to other small businesses. The Hallman’s Apothecary also closed in the early 90’s and after remaining vacant for awhile became a gift store and is now Essence on Main. The Kopietz opened the Millpond Bed and Breakfast at 155 N. Main Street in the 90’s.

History of Clarkston--1st person interview with Dick Morgan (2005--when Dick was 90 years old)

2011-02-22T09:09:00.002-05:00

History of Business in Clarkston
Info gathered by Geri Batt
March 8, 2005

Interview with Dick Morgan (born in 1915)

In 1932, Dick opened his business in Clarkston, Morgan’s Service, a full service auto repair with a gasoline pump. At that time the town was full of retail businesses: 4 grocery stores, 2 hardware stores, 3 car dealerships, 3 barber shops, an apothecary and a bank. There was also a grist mill, central telephone operator, and a restaurant. Dick described Clarkston as a “thriving town”. Farmers would bring their crops into the mill, go eat, and shop in town. He mentioned enjoying conversations with who he referred to now as the “old timers”. Personal service was important in those years. If you dropped off a prescription, it was filled and delivered to you when requested. At the grocery stores, 2 men worked to fill your order. Customers were treated with kindness and waited on. Dick said, “Fifty years ago, no one was in a hurry”. He too prided himself on giving personal service.

Through the years, the village has remained the same size, one square mile but the downtown area has changed considerably. The grist mill is now a real estate office as is one of the old dealerships. Dick believes the development of franchise businesses forced the independent business owner out. Pharmacies like Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS of today replaced the small business owner. The independent town hardware stores were also slowly driven out of business first by franchise stores and then “big box” businesses like Home Depot. While this was a gradual process in the town of Clarkston, the 80’s brought forth the greatest changes. Offices replaced retail in many buildings.

Dick stated that “Time waits for no one”. Dick, who has lived on Washington Street since 1945, says he continues to spend 10 hours a day at work.

(Dick Morgan passed away October 2005. He was 90 years old)

Anniversaries--and Core Values

2011-02-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

This February, my parents will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. So much has changed since 1951. They raised 5 kids, have 13 grand children and 5 great grandchildren.

My father turns 80 this year and he's still a techie. He's got 2 computers--a super fast desk top and an efficient lap top. He's on Facebook (but thinks Twitter is ridiculous) and regularly reads newspapers, blogs and sports columns online.

While he's an early adopter, mom is more traditional. She makes Dad type up her volunteer organization newsletters. She knows what data bases can deliver in terms of customized letters and mailing labels, but she pretends not to know how to "turn the computer on."

In 1951, when my parents got married, they had no idea or expectation that their children and grandchildren would be speaking multiple foreign languages, travel all over the world on a regular basis to do business. That 7 of the 13 grandchildren are working in careers that didn't exist in 1951.

What got me thinking about this was the fact that Royal Oak Chamber and Ferndale Chambers are celebrating 75 years in 2011 . . . . 75 years! Do the math--it means they were founded in 1936.

Think about it. All of the changes in the world, the business world--technology, communication, marketing, radio, TV, Internet. Think about how different Detroit is--How different Michigan is.

Did the charter members of these Chambers dream about what their chambers would look like, or be in 75 years? Where would you begin to even dream? The context of what the world is like and how businesses interact in it--is so different from 1936.

Perhaps that's why we build our foundation with core values. Values that do not change even when technology or the world changes.

The Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce is member focused. We intentionally include new members and rotate leadership opportunities. We believe in positive promotion of our member businesses--not high pressure sales and spiteful competition.

Lifelong learning is important and it requires continual investment in listening, learning and evaluating what works. This isn't 1936 . . . or 1951.

How you grow your business is different than what you might have done in 1970. The tools available are certainly different. And the value of your personal brand--your honesty, integrity and value offerings have never carried so much weight.

A glitzy marketing campaign no longer covers up a lackluster product.
Miserable customer service isn't a secret for long and is a business killer.
The command performance expectation of, "you should do business with me because I'm here." just doesn't cut it anymore. (if it ever did)

When I think about our Chamber 75 years from now, I believe the core values will be the same. What we look like, how we do business--flying cars--that remains to be seen.

A word from one of our Ambassadors

2011-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Town Planner Community Calendar
www.TownPlanner.com
Jay/Deb Gordinier
248-620-5332
11632 Old Oaks Dr
Davisburg , MI 48350-3447
gordinier@townplanner.com

On the hunt for great values?

2011-02-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

Did you know that Chamber member businesses that host BOBs (Business Over Breakfasts) often have special offers/values available while you're at the event?

I'm just saying, that if you're looking for the perfect Valentine's gift, you may want to check out the February BOB at Belle Visage Spa.

February 10, 2011

7:45-9:00 a.m.

Belle Visage

6507 Town Center Dr.

Clarkston, MI 43846

A word from one of our Ambassadors

2011-01-31T09:11:00.000-05:00

Allstate Insurance Company
www.vaughnallstate.com
Ron Vaughn
248-673-9430
3093 Sashabaw Rd
Waterford , MI 48329
Fax: 248-673-9450
ron@vaughnallstate.com

Great Networkers--Great Expectations (A Goofus & Gallant Blog)

2011-01-25T09:00:00.003-05:00

Chamber Luncheon Mixers are BACK!

2011-01-17T09:56:00.003-05:00

Join us Thursday, January 20, 2011 11:45-1 pm at Outback Steakhouse, Clarkston.
They're opening special just for our luncheon!

After our holiday season hiatus, Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon mixers are back!
January -August + October, the Chamber holds monthly luncheon mixers at various Chamber member restaurants in our area. This year we'll return to some familiar haunts and also stop by some new locations. This gives you a chance to experience the culinary treasures of our area while networking--meeting new and old friends.

We have spent years evaluating and designing our events based on member needs, member feedback and keeping things member focused.

1. We value your time and pledge not to waste it or keep you waiting. All Chamber events start on time and end on time. We know you have busy schedules. We will not keep you waiting for an event to start or finish. You can count on us.

2. Early bird registration saves you money and will save you time at check in. How many times have to gone to an event, stood in line to register or check in and waited while the people in front of you take forever at the registration table--either to make a name badge, pick up a name badge, pay for the event or chit chat with the registration staff.

We don't have a registration table. We greet you at the door with our clipboards. Your name badges are on the luncheon tables. When you're preregistered you breeze right through check in and get to the fun stuff--meeting friends and new businesses!

Not to be too blunt about this--but we offer that early bird discount to help us help YOU get the most out of an event. That's why the discount is only offered up to 48 hours prior to the event. In the last 48 hours we're already in motion, planning seating, pulling name badges, placing strategic seating charts together. We do a lot behind the scenes to make it EASY when you get there.

3. A little of this--a little of that.
If you observe an event, you learn that people have predictable behaviors. When you enter a room you gravitate to a familiar face. You smile, say hi and catch up. It feels familiar and comfortable.

Out of politeness, you'll often reserve a table and invite your friends to sit with you.

To a newcomer, it's intimidating to break into that clique--and yes--you're being cliquey. You may not mean to be--but it's a clique.

At our events, we let you meet and greet on your own and when it comes time to sit down, we've got a place for everyone with our reserve seating. We do table seating charts to help you meet more people. Who's your target audience? Tell us and we'll seat you at their table. Where possible your table will include at least one ambassador or board member. They're there to help facilitate conversation, make introductions, answer questions and help YOU get the most out of this event.

4. Eat first--and you will Listen better.

Okay--we really learned this lesson when we were raising our families--but it's true at networking events too. People will not pay attention and listen if they are hungry. That's why we serve food first at luncheon mixers and bring the speaker out after everyone has been served.

5. Keep it Short and Sweet (The KISS rule)
We carefully select chamber speakers and presentations. It must be timely. It must be applicable to the largest target audience attending the event and it has to be short--15-20 minutes. On rare occasions for special speakers, (like L. Brooks Patterson) we juggle the schedule to allow for more time.

6. We close our event with the Rolling Jackpot Drawing. Our treasure box has every chamber member's name in it. When we draw a name (you must be present to win) we plan to give away $50! If you're not there--the $50 is rolled into the next month's drawing and builds until we give it away. Then we start it all up again.
JANUARY 2011--the Rolling Jackpot is at $100.

7. And we're done! At 1:00 we conclude the event, though many people may stay after to ask questions of the speaker or continue networking. We never kick you out of the restaurant.

Do you have the Right Stuff?

2011-01-10T08:07:00.001-05:00

January 27, 2011 kicks off our Women in Business Season with guest speaker Charlie Wollborg, Curve Detroit.

The theme is: The Right Stuff

Baby boomers (or movie fans) will understand that we're talking about the undefinable qualities that make a few exceptional individuals candidates for being an Astronaut: The Right Stuff.

We're not going to submit you to a plethora of medical tests and g-force experiments--but we will help you tap into your Right Stuff in this fun, motivational and interactive networking event.

Women in Business events aren't just for women, but they are designed for women business leaders. You can register online for these and other Chamber events at: www.clarkston.org

Women in Business 2011 Season

2011-01-03T08:03:00.003-05:00

Not just for women, these events are hosted January-April. Topics are selected and themed to be of particular interest to women business owners but all members are welcome to attend. Events are the last Thursday of each month January-April. 10:45-1:00 p.m. (though sometimes these times vary, based on presentation/activity) Events include a keynote speaker or workshop component.

Vision: A strong network of member-to-member support, camaraderie, inspiration and motivation, helping women business leaders to be successful in meeting their personal and professional goals.

2011 Registration $50 per person/per event BEST VALUE! Members SAVE with early bird pricing! (Just $30 per person/per event) Planning to attend all 4 events? Check out our WIB All Access Pass and guarantee your spot!

The Right Stuff! With speaker Charlie Wollborg January 27, 2011 10:45-1 pm Clarkston Schools Administration Bldg. 6389 Clarkston Rd. Clarkston, MI 48346 Lunch is included

The Best Defense With speaker and demonstration by Clarkston Self Defense Darwin Bannister February 24, 2011 10:45-1 pm Fountains Golf & Banquet 6060 Maybee Rd. Clarkston, MI 48346 Lunch is included

Go Red for Women With speaker from Crittenton Hospital March 24, 2011 10:45-1 pm Red Knapps 6722 Dixie Hwy. Clarkston MI 48346 Lunch is included

Who's Your Gladys? With speaker Marilyn Suttle Author, Who's Your Gladys? April 28, 2011 3:00-5:00 pm Location tba Networking Cocktail Hour included (Calling all Women who Wine!) TOPIC: Customer Service A dynamic presentation suited for all types of business & service industries.

Sponsorship packages for WIB 2011 events are now being offered.
SPONSOR VALUE: Logo on website and registration materials Display table at the event 3-5 minutes at the event to address the group 2 complimentary tickets to the event and more SPONSORSHIP PRICE $250 per event. LIMIT 4 sponsors per event.

Check out PHOTOS from the 2010 Season

How to Perfect an Elevator Pitch About Yourself

2010-12-20T08:01:00.000-05:00

--Reprinted from the Harvard Business Review May 2009

You're in the elevator with the hiring manager of Dream-Job Corporation. As the door slides shut, you feel a combination of adrenaline and slight nausea: you've got 15 seconds, if that, to communicate your value as a potential employee in a compelling way — just 15 seconds to cram in a whole resume's worth of work and accomplishments and late nights and successes. There's so much you want to say, but your message has got to be crisp, tailored, to-the-point. Handle this one right, and you'll be the newest member of the Dream-Job team. Flub it up, and you're back to scanning listings on Monster.com. What are you supposed to say?

Here are the five key things to know and do in order to make your elevator pitch successful:

Practice, practice, practice. Very few people have the oratorical power to make compelling 15-second speech about their entire professional lives on demand and under pressure. Practice your speech 100 times — literally. Know it, get comfortable with it, be able to tilt it effectively for a different audience. Practice your body language with it: how will you give the speech differently sitting down vs while walking down a hall? How will it be different over the phone vs in person?

Focus on impact. Two weeks ago, 60 Minutes aired a segment set at a white-collar job fair. One of the interviewees, a laid-off Wall Street secretary, looked straight into the camera and said, with total conviction, "I can make any boss shine." I wanted to hire her on the spot. Who doesn't want to shine? Describing the impact you've had, and can continue to have, is much more compelling than talking about your number of years of experience.

Ditch the cultural baggage. A lot of us have been taught — by parents, teachers, or team-oriented corporate environments — not to toot our own horns, and to use "we" instead of "I". Elevator pitches are all about "I". You've got to get comfortable with bragging about your own individual contributions (in a graceful way).

Be slow and steady. Whether out of nervousness or a desire to cram in a lot of information, people giving elevator speeches tend to talk at breakneck pace — which is extremely off-putting to potential employers. Speak at a pace that shows your calm and confidence. You want them to think of you as thoughtful and deliberate — not as some manic babbler.

See the whole world as an elevator. Too many people looking for jobs save their elevator speeches for job fairs and interviews. Remember the first rule of sales: ABC (Always Be Closing). Give your elevator speech to everyone — at family gatherings, in the waiting room of the dentist, at coffee hour at your church or temple. You never know where the next job is coming from.

How do you pitch yourself to prospective employers? What advice do you have for other people doing the same? What works — and what doesn't?

New online registration features include All Access Pass

2010-12-13T07:55:00.000-05:00

We hear you!

You told us that registering individually for the many Chamber networking events, especially when you're doing it online, can be time consuming.

So we're launching All Access Pass options. We're starting with Monthly All Access Pass options that allow you to click once and register for all of that month's networking events. This generates one bill, one receipt and guarantees you the early bird registration discount for those events.

We're also launching the Women in Business All Access Pass-for those of you who plan to attend all 4 events, you can sign up once and be guaranteed a spot at each event.

All Access Passes are only available for a limited time each month. (After each month's BOB, that month's All Access Pass is no longer available. You'll have to wait until next month.

Watch for additional new options--including an annual All Access Pass, annual Chamber Marketing Plans and Sponsorship packages. Take advantage of everything the Chamber has to offer while spreading payments over 12 months!

Life long learning--keep your competitive edge

2010-12-07T06:59:00.005-05:00

This month I've had the opportunity to attend a variety of presentations on new ways for small businesses to leverage internet based tools which can help grow your business.

The impact of iPhones/Droids, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and YouTube on how people get their information (and how they spend their free time) cannot be underestimated.

It's important to know what the right fit is for you, your business and the amount of time you want to dedicate to social media or online exposure. It's also important to know that "It's too complicated, I'm going to ignore it." is not going to help you grow your business.

Why would you willingly hand a leg up to your competition?

I'm not saying you have to be an expert in all areas--but you do need to listen, be informed and think outside of the box (your store front). Just because you've always advertised or marketed the same way doesn't mean it will continue to be effective. This is true of early adopters for Twitter and Facebook too.

Keep sharp. Keep learning. Keep strengthening your strategic edge--and you will see success!

TWITTER 101

Every day, millions of people use Twitter to create, discover and share ideas with others. Now, people are turning to Twitter as an effective way to reach out to businesses, too. From local stores to big brands, and from brick-and-mortar to internet-based or service sector, people are finding great value in the connections they make with businesses on Twitter.

EXPO--10 Steps to a Strategic Booth Display

2010-10-19T13:45:00.004-04:00

Planning Your Booth is very important. If you set up without a plan you may feel frustrated when it doesn't come together and you may be missing something you need.

Step 1--plan the look of your booth so it passes the 3-30-3 rule.
Can someone glancing at your booth for 3 seconds know who you are?Make sure your business name is part of your booth display. (You'd be surprised how many people overlook the obvious.)
Can someone looking at your booth for 30 seconds understand who you are, what you do and one key benefit they'd get by contracting your services?
Do you have materials, handouts or other additional information that would draw someone in for 3 minutes or more?

Step 2-- Select a color scheme. Color is good--it's eye catching and makes a statement before anyone's even started to look closely. Even Black and White can be dramatic. Make sure your colors look like they belong together and don't clash with your logo or give aways.

Step 3--Invest in good signage and professional printing. Poor copies from your office copiers don't reflect well on the quality of work that you do, your ability to plan or your professionalism. Having a few 4-color glossy high end printed pieces for display and special customers is great--and it's also okay to have some less expensive black and white copies for the general public.

Step 4--Draw a quick sketch of what your booth will look like. The Chamber provides an 8 foot table and white table cloth. Don't let that table be bare. And don't bring so much stuff that there's no way it will fit in your exhibit area. It can help to do a practice run to set up your booth at your office. Do you know how the banner goes together? Can you put it up and take it down easily?

Step 5--Take Design tips from HGTV, TLC and magazines. Enhance your display and create drama on a dime. Use empty boxes to build height under the table cloth. Pick up some fresh flowers or pumpkins to add a natural element for nominal cost to your display. Trifold foam board displays are available at Office Depot. Bring a table top easle to display a plaque, photograph or award.

Step 6--When ordering give away items, consider how they can be displayed at the EXPO further enhancing your color scheme and/or messages. Add that into your planned exhibit space.

Step 7--Decide how you will capture business leads. Are you doing a fish bowl raffle? What prize are you offering for people to "enter to win?" Keeping the prize related to your business will keep your fish bowl primed with pre-qualified leads. Only people who want to win your prize will enter!

Step 8--Make sure you have a plan for how you'll keep track of special notes and necessary follow up from contacts made the evening of the EXPO. Have a note pad, use your cell phone or have a lap top handy.

Step 9--Pack a supply kit. Things you will need to set up your booth and handle any event day emergency. Tape, Safety pins, scissors, pens, stapler, breath mints, water and comfortable shoes.

Step 10--After you set up your practice run for your display--walk away and come back later to look it over. Be objective. Is the booth attractive? Is it enticing? Would you want to learn more about the business is represents? If need be--tweak your display.

Best of the Best EXPO Exhibitor Tips: 10 Ways you can help Promote the EXPO

2010-10-19T09:20:00.001-04:00

November 11, 2010 is the 24th Annual Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce EXPO.

I've been to 13 EXPOs and I've seen really good ones--and really outstanding ones.

What makes a great EXPO? Good participation by the exhibitors. Not just signing up and being at the EXPO, but engaging their customers, clients, employees, friends and family to come to the EXPO and check out the local businesses and service organizations.

Promotion is key!
We all have a role to play in promoting this event.
Here are 10 ways you can help ensure that the 2010 EXPO will be a GREAT EXPO

1. Invite your clients and potential clients to come to the NOV 11 EXPO We've said it before and we'll say it again--the most effective decision influencer is word of mouth. Seed the audience at the EXPO with people who know you, have used your services and think highly of you. That's your existing customer base. Motivate them to come by offering them a free gift, coupon or special benefit if they stop by your booth. Make this an offer that's ONLY available on EXPO night.

2. Add a tag line of "See you at the November 11, 2010 Best of the Best Chamber EXPO" to your signature on your emails.

November 11, 2010
FREE Admission 6-8 pm
Clarkston High School

3. Post a banner link on your website promoting the EXPO.

4. Make copies of the EXPO flyer and post them at your business or have copies on counter for customers to take.

5. Take flyers with you when you attend business, networking or personal events between now and the EXPO so you can share them when you personally invite people to attend the EXPO.

6. Utilize your connections with the local media to invite them to do a story. Perhaps you're announcing a new product, service or employee at the EXPO--talk to the press ahead of time so they have an opportunity to do a story that promotes you AND the EXPO.

7. Contact your collegues and friends in other companies and ask them to post and EXPO flyer on their bulletin boards.

8. Offer to put up a yard sign promoting EXPO (Signs are available now but should only go up November 5-11)

9. Post the Best of the Best EXPO on your social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter and Linked In. Invite your networks to attend.

10. Think about promotional giveaways--are they right for you? EXPO is about EXPOsing your business. It's not Trick or Treating, however strategic use of promotional items can enhance your visibility.

Best of the Best EXPO Exhibitor Tips: Why am I here?

2010-10-15T09:41:00.003-04:00

In your eagerness not to be left out, have you ever found yourself--say in the middle of an EXPO--and wondered, "Why am I here?" Perhaps you're hoping a little of the enthusiasm of your fellow exhibitors will rub off on you. After all--they seem to know what they're doing.

Happy accidental business success is not the best game plan.
Strategic planning is the secret to true, long lasting success.

Are you new to being strategic? Don't worry--it's easy. Start by asking yourself that key question now! Why am I here? What do I want to get out of the EXPO?

Remember--you're looking for SMART goals. Strategic, Measurable, Achievable, Relavent and Timely.

When we've asked exhibitors this question we get answers like these:

To generate sales and sales leads
To add to our contact list
To enhance our image and visibility
To establish a presence in the marketplace
To improve the effectiveness of our marketing efforts
To reach a specific audience
To practice self-promotion
To introduce a new product or service
To recruit distributors or salespeople
To demonstrate our product or service
To educate the public

Whatever your reason for being at the EXPO--be CLEAR on why you want to be there.

What are your expectations? Are they measurable? Are they realistic?

Do the math--the EXPO is open for 3 hours (5-6 pm is a business social hour and 6-8 the EXPO is open to the public). How many people can you expect to greet and interact with in that time period? Of the over 1000 people coming through the EXPO, what percentage is likely to be your primary audience?

And of your primary audience, how many can you identify and start a relationship with?

Really think about what a successful EXPO looks like to you. Then develop a plan so your expectaions can be met.

Chamber Mixers--Lunch with the Chamber is a good investment

2010-10-11T06:34:00.000-04:00

Chamber luncheon mixers have been a standard since 1987, when the Chamber was founded. With over 250 successful luncheons the Chamber has learned a few things about what you want out of these events.

1. Start on time and end on time.
Luncheon mixers are in the middle of a work day. You have appointments and work to do. You do not want to be caught at a midday event that runs late and makes you late for the rest of your day.

2. Don't make us stand in line
Chamber members do not want to stand in line to register, check in or pay for their luncheon mixer. Every minute standing in line is a minute of valuable networking that's been missed.
This is why the Chamber offers a discount when you sign up and pay in advance. We want to give you incentive to help us keep the registration/check in quick and easy. Think of early bird registration as your eTicket Fastpass.

3. Let me talk to my friends
By streamlining registration, we make sure you have time to greet friends and familiar faces. We don't encourage you to take your seats until we're ready to start the program. That's because you meet more people when you're standing and mingling.

4. Help me meet new people
Chamber luncheon mixers utilize reserve seating. When you sign up in advance, we are able to strategize who you'll be seated with. Looking to connect with a particular industry--let us know and we can keep that in mind as we coordinate the table seatings.

5. Give me information I can use
Luncheon speakers are carefully selected to offer timely information and updates--news businesses can use. Speakers may be elected officials, public policy makers, community groups an initiatives--or business services, advisors or regional resources.

6. I want to be a speaker/presenter
There are 11 mixers each year and the Chamber books speakers up to 12 months in advance. Members who are interested in speaking to a group should submit their information for the Chamber's "Speakers Bureau." This information is posted on the Chamber's website and shared with the community groups in our area.
We do keep all member's speaking requests on file--however we do not guarantee that all requests will be worked into our strategic plan. Frankly, we have many more speaking requests than we have speaking opportunities.

7. I want to have fun
Chamber luncheon mixers are an opportunity to recharge, have fun--laugh and build relationships with fellow business leaders in our community. We know that if you enjoy your luncheon mixer experience, you will be more likely to attend a future event.

And that's the real key to our Mixers. We help you get connected and keep you connected to your peers, to public policy makers, to key information that can help you grow your business and to people who can be strategic referral partners.

Get more out of your EXPO experience!

2010-10-04T07:28:00.001-04:00

The Chamber's annual EXPO is fast approaching--November 11, 2010 6-8 pm at Clarkston High School.

Are you in?

How do I prepare for the EXPO?
First- Get in the game! I know this sounds basic--but REGISTER. You'll save money with an early bird discount. And you may not know this, but when placing EXPO booths, we do the corporate sponsors first, the hospitality second, the premium sponsors third--and then we work through the registrations in the order they were received. So early registration may increase your chances of a preferred EXPO position.

You'll also have a chance to order a logo self-inking stamp so you can participate in the EXPO Bingo game. Visitors will be asked to get their card fully stamped in order to enter the door prize drawing. If you want to be part of the Bingo game--be an early bird and get a logo stamp.

Second--Create a Game Plan! Take a few minutes to strategize what your booth will look like, what colors, what message, who will be staffing it?
With over 1,000 people coming through the EXPO how will your booth draw the public in? You don't want everyone just walking on by--or hurrying to the booth that's 2 spots down from you because that display has something more interesting, attractive or dynamic.

What message can you use that intrigues a potential customer or client? How will your booth's display help you pre-qualify a lead?

Here's an Example:
I was intrigued at the recent Taste of Clarkston by the way the restaurants creatively drew people in--not only to taste their food--but to think about them for future business.
What was the best example of this creative, eye catching marketing? Scott Lake Banquet Center. If you were at the Taste, you may have seen the 2 couples dressed in formal wear. They were helping to promote Scott Lake as the place to have your wedding reception. Eye catching--no one else was wearing an evening gown or tuxedo--and an instantly recognizable message--"Oh! Weddings!" If you were thinking about getting married--you would definitely want to go check out the food and information at their booth.

Third--Seed the EXPO audience with testimonials! Send an invitation (email or postcard) to your existing customer list and invite them to visit you at the EXPO. Perhaps offer them a special incentive for stopping by your booth. Consider this "seeding the crowd with your personal advocates." Your current customers love the work you do--make sure they're at the EXPO and can share with their friends and other visitors their opinion (and endorsement) for your business. It's the "Reading Rainbow" effect. Remember Levar Burton's famous "But you don't have to take my word for it," catch phrase at the end of the PBS show as he introduced the segment where every day readers gave a quick promo for their favorite book?

It's very effective. User ratings, opinions and referrals are HUGE! (So get your satisfied customers to come to the EXPO--they'll help you market your message!)

Fourth--Be Memorable! Think about what you may give away or hand out. Not all booths have give aways any more, and that's okay. The EXPO shouldn't be about Trick or Treating--but you DO want to be in people's memory when they suddenly need your services.

Make your give away something of quality. You want your future customer or client to view your give away as an indication of the kind of service and value they'll get from you when they purchase your services.

Don't feel you have to give your item to everyone. Hold your items, or keep them behind the table--and share them only with the potential customers or clients you pre-qualify.

Need new and fresh ideas? Contact one of the promotional and marketing companies that belong to the Chamber. Let them know your budget and goals--and they'll do the leg work to find options that may fit your needs.

DO THIS NOW so you don't have to pay express shipping or production prices!

Fifth--Clean up your Data base and create a plan to follow up with your pre-qualified leads IMMEDIATELY.
The goal at EXPO is NOT to do your entire sales presentation to the visitors to your booth. Your goal is to identify who might be a customer or client. Get their contact information (fish bowl drawings are a great tool for this) and then follow up within the next week.

How do you follow up? While a phone call may seem like the easiest and quickest way to follow up, it may not be the most effective.

Consider sending a thank you card. Be sure the thank you card includes a "call to action." A discount or free offer if they respond within a short time period.

If you asked for email addresses to sign up for your company eblasts--make sure you DO an eblast or enewsletter right away. Keep it short, fun and intriguing. Include a "call to action," inspiring them to click to your website, stop by your business or call you for more information.

Sixth--train your staff. Make sure that the representatives at your booth know how to spot a pre-qualified lead. Develop 2 or 3 quick questions that they can use to intrigue and discern who might be a potential lead. (eg: If you're a Veterinarian--finding out if the people coming by are pet owners is essential. You could ask if they have a pet--or your staff could ask if they have a picture of their pet with them. Perhaps you have a special gift item for visitors that can show a picture of their pet. That's a fun way to find out who's a pet owner, what kind of a pet do they own and clearly--they LOVE their pet if they have a picture of them in their purse or wallet.)

And finally--Plan to visit the other booths. Learning about the other Chamber member businesses, striking up relationships and reinforcing existing relationships is the foundation of a really strong local economy.

Don't forget that at the end of the evening, after you've broken down your booth and packed up the car--head over to Fountains for the EXPO afterglow. It's a cash bar and some appetizer nibbles to close out a very fun and effective evening of networking.

Chamber BOBs--Why the Chamber offers the best networking opportunity in Clarkston

2010-09-27T07:24:00.003-04:00

Since 1987, the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce has been uniting local businesses to work together to improve the business opportunities in the Clarkston Area.

One of the most popular and successful ways that we do that is by facilitating the introduction, connection and respectful relationship building between business owners, managers, sales representatives, service organizations and community.

Chamber BOBs--(Business Over Breakfast) are a key example of how this works. Strategically designed, these morning events are hosted by a different business each month.

Members, guests and visitors have a chance to see a new business, get a behind the scenes tour and familiarize themselves with another cornerstone business in our community.

We respect your time, and understand that we're all juggling many responsibilities during the day, so we start on time and end on time. Simple concept--but very important!

When you arrive at a BOB you're greeted by the smiling faces of Chamber staff and Chamber Ambassadors. We help introduce you to others during the social networking portion of the BOB.

Coffee and continental breakfast is offered while you mix and mingle. We don't offer tables and chairs because tables and chairs encourage you to stop networking. Once you plant yourself--you don't meet as many people.

Once everyone arrives we'll make a few announcements, hear from our host business and then move into a fun facilitated networking activity.

With years of networking experience, the Chamber has developed strategic systems, games and activities that increase the opportunity for you to meaningfully connect, reconnect and stay connected to referral partners.

You won't find yourself giving a one minute elevator speech and then sitting and listening to everyone else's speech (again and again) when you come to our events.

There's a place for elevator speeches, but to meaningfully connect, you need to find things in common, share ideas and inspiration. And you need to do it in ways that are fresh, exciting and interactive. You'll find yourself talking as much as listening when you participate in facilitated networking.

You'll have face to face time with business leaders and public policy makers.

Chamber BOBs take into account our natural desire to greet and talk to people we know at events--and the gathering time (social networking portion) lets you do this at the front end of our event. Then we mix and match, shuffle and reshuffle the group. Sometimes we break into small groups. Sometimes it's one on one. Sometimes we have large group interaction. Facilitated Networking is like a rototiller cultivating the fertile soil of business.

People do business with people they know.
People do business with people they like.
People do business with people they trust.

Chamber BOBs help you find out who you know, who you like and who you trust. And they help others find that out about you too.

Build your business by investing in Chamber BOBs.

Fall Check List

2010-09-20T07:08:00.003-04:00

Ah, September.
Back to school. Cleaning out closets to find the fall clothes that the kids haven't outgrown, setting alarm clocks for the entire family and creating the fire drill that is known as "the bus is coming!"

September is also start up time for many service clubs and organizations to kick back into full gear now that members and volunteers are no longer on vacation. Time is at a premium--there's just so much to get done--and a limited number of free hours left after soccer games, football games, band practice and church committees.

For the Chamber, September is turbo charge time. With so much happening here's a quick reference check list to help you navigate.

1. Register to attend the Chamber's Annual Meeting
This evening event is a great venue to bring your spouse. With a social hour prior to buffet dinner, the program of awards, recognition, fun and surprises is a great way to celebrate doing business in the Clarkston area.

2. Sign up to volunteer at Taste of Clarkston. Shifts run as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 8 pm. Give 2-3 hours, wear your business logo shirt and connect with other business leaders while you serve the community.

3. Get your registration in for the November EXPO. Earlybird discount registration is going on now--Save money by planning ahead.

4. Get your registration in for the October Bulls Eye Business Conference. Three keynote speakers will be at this multi-chamber event at the end of October. The agenda includes networking time--so you get the most out of this event.

5. Update your chamber profile at www.clarkston.org. You can include a current photo, company logo, list of services, discounts and member to member offers when you log in to Members Only.

And take heart. It does get better once we move into October. The routine of a carefully scheduled family calendar starts to sink in--and we get an extra hour when daylight savings time changes.

Buy Local- Make a Difference!

2010-08-09T09:05:00.000-04:00

Do you want to make a difference in today’s tough economic climate? You can, by supporting your fellow Chamber members. Many companies in our area are struggling, some are even closing their doors. We need to support our friends and neighbors. We can do this by shopping locally. If the community has a strong business base, it encourages new growth and jobs in the area. It’s environmentally friendly because there is less traffic and pollution.

The money spent at local businesses is reinvested back into our community. This, in turn, helps other local businesses, creating greater product diversity while maintaining our communities unique appeal.

According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture if every household started spending $10.00 of their grocery budget per week on locally grown foods, we would keep more than $37 million each week circulating in Michigan’s economy. Many local stores carry Michigan grown/made products. Check to see where the products you are buying are produced.
Over the past year, I have really made an effort to shop locally. Instead of shopping as I have in the past, I consult the Chamber’s member directory and make it a point to shop with one of the Chamber members.

Within the past few months alone I’ve made purchases from at least five Chamber members that I hadn’t patronized in the past. This was money I was going to spend anyway, but by making a choice to use a Chamber member, I can be sure the money stays in our community.
When $1 is spent locally, that $1 impacts three to seven different local businesses before leaving the local economy.

Just think what a difference it would make in our local economy if one person at each of the 639 businesses in the Chamber did the same.

Visit our online directory at www.clarkston.org or the printed member directory to find some Chamber members you can support.

Promoting your business at Taste of Clarkston

2010-08-02T09:00:00.002-04:00

If you’ve been a Chamber member for any length of time, I hope you’ve noticed that the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce is all about BUSINESS!

Every activity/mixer/meeting/committee that we do focuses on one thing and that is promoting business opportunities for our members.

Taste of Clarkston, while seemingly all about food and restaurants on the surface, is no exception to our business focus. Taste of Clarkston is the most effective way to reach over 18,000 of our community members on the day of the event (September 26, 2010 Noon to 6pm.)

We have surveyed our crowd in past years and found that the vast majority of participants are from Clarkston and the surrounding areas. We have surveyed our members in past years and found that the majority of our members are interested in reaching consumers.

Taste of Clarkston has opportunities for members of all sizes to participate and take advantage of this consumer audience that we have built. Any of our members can participate by exhibiting downtown during the Taste of Clarkston ($1000/$500/$250 levels.) We have structured the pricing so that any size business can participate and get the benefits of this consumer audience during Taste of Clarkston.

We also have opportunities for businesses that cannot exhibit but wish to show the community that they are involved and support this event through Restaurant Sponsorship ($500/$350) and also through Shuttle Sponsorship ($100). Anyone can participate at these levels and the reason we want you to be a part of this event is so that you can see the increase in BUSINESS that will result! If you have any questions on how you can be involved, please contact us and we can work with you and answer any questions.

Restaurant sponsorships and Booth spaces are assigned on a first-come first-served basis, so for the best spot, get your paperwork in to the Chamber quickly.

WE NEED YOUR HELP
As we move through August and into September, we realize that to build our event and increase our crowd to record numbers to the benefit of all of our members, we need to continue to promote this event. We are focusing on Clarkston and the surrounding areas to promote this event and we need your help:
 Do you have a location you can post a yard sign?
 Can you help us by displaying a poster in your office/store?
 Will you hand out flyers with your invoices/receipts or at your counter?
 Is there a newsletter you can post an announcement in?
 Can you email the information to a list you belong to?
 Will you take the time to help us by volunteering at the event itself?

PLEASE consider helping us with the promotion of the event so we can benefit ALL of our members and our community with this flagship event that has gained recognition state wide. We look forward to seeing all of you downtown for the event and please let us know if you can help us!

How to Use Your Chamber Membership

2010-07-28T13:25:00.000-04:00

1. The Membership Team helps you navigate our programs and projects.
Teri Robinson with support from Geri Batt make up our membership team. They are familiar with all Chamber events, programs and projects and are good resources to help you take advantage of what the Chamber has to offer. Looking for the best Business to Business Opportunities, Teri or Geri can help. How about finding ways to better reach the Business to Consumer audience? They can help you find your target audience.

2. Check out the FREEBIES
As a Chamber member you can have a member profile in our eNewsletter at no cost to you. Write up your profile (about 250 words) and submit with a photo or logo to Penny@clarkston.org.

The email address you give us when you sign up, automatically generates access to the MEMBERS ONLY area of the Chamber's website. There you'll find a .txt file of the Chamber membership database that you can download for free and import into Excel or other database software to generate customized direct mail, telephone and email pieces.

The Chamber has a brochure on Ribbon Cutting Tips, address labels of local officials, ribbon and scissors for your grand opening. If you're a new business, celebrating a special anniversary or remodeling, you might want to do a Ribbon Cutting ceremony.

Chamber eNewsletterand eBlasts
Criteria for qualifying for an eBlast include:
 Chamber members only
 Clearly advertising the member business only
 Must be time sensitive and include a special invitation or member to member offer available only for Chamber members.
 Limit one eBlast per event/activity per member per month.

3. Advertise your membership!
Put your membership sticker in the window.
Ask Teri for a Membership window cling--great for cars, interior office windows and more.
Include the Chamber logo in your print advertising and on your website.

4. Investigate cost savings opportunities you may qualify for now that you're a Chamber member.
Access to group rates for health insurance, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Office Depot Discount program--sign up on line and start saving with your next order! (link at www.clarkston.org)
Access to employee benefit resources such as 401k's, liaibility insurance and more.
**The Chamber has a brochure of our Chamber members who offer employee benefits and which benefit programs they work with--ask Teri or Trisha for an updated copy.**

5. Read your mailings from the Chamber to get to know other Chamber members and learn more about Chamber events.

6. Include your flyer in Advertising Advantage (monthly mailing to 1000 area businesses.) for just $150 (Special price through December 2010)

7. Begin to meet other Chamber members at BOBs, Luncheon Mixers, Open Houses and Ribbon Cuttings. There are many opportunities throughout the year to jump in and meet some fellow members. If you're a little shy about coming to an event, connect with an Ambassador ahead of time and ask them to meet you there. Ambassadors are excellent at making it comfortable and fun to meet new people.

8. Consider volunteering on a committee or for just a few hours at an event. Every opportunity that you have to work with and meet other Chamber members is an opportunity to grow your personal referral network!
There are many ways to take advantage of your Chamber Membership, even if you have limited time and resources.
These are just a few suggestions to help you get started!

No, we are not raising your dues investment for 2011

2010-07-22T13:02:00.004-04:00

The summer months are planning months for the upcoming fiscal year. Our programs, projects and budget are researched and developed.

It's a time for data collection and analysis. And for review of past strategies, goals and outcomes.
I ran across this column that I wrote 2 years ago and decided to share it with you

SEPTEMBER 2008
It's Budget Time. Or shall I say, Budget Crunch time?
As the Board of Directors set the parameters and guidelines for the 2009 Fiscal Budget, they have engaged in more serious discussion and debate than we have ever experienced at the Chamber.
Like you, we are experiencing inflationary increases in overhead costs such as utilities, banquet/meal costs, shipping and postage.
The gap between the amount of revenue brought in by Dues Membership and the actual expenses to run the Chamber continues to be a challenge.
The Board has discussed raising Dues and/or raising the registration fees for our networking events. Unanimously, however, they are selecting HOLD THE LINE on any increases.
Overhead expenses have been trimmed back.
We've returned (and not replaced) office equipment whose leases are up and we are seeking out more in kind trades and donations to help us meet our capital expenses and maintenance goals.
Like you, we know that business is out there and it takes more work to get it.
Like you, we are taking care with all of our resources to make sure we are strategically maximizing every dollar and every volunteer hour.
We appreciate you.
We know that you are loyal and committed Chamber members.
In today's economy, we are doing all we can to hold the line--without cutting the service, chamber value, programs and projects that you need to help your business be successful.

So as I read this, I realized that while the Board may change, the Presidents may change--the Chamber Vision continues to be true to putting MEMBERS first!

With careful budget planning, the Chamber is no longer in a severe financial crunch. We are close to meeting our target goal for fund equity. Our membership is slowly rising again and our events are growing in attendance and reputation.

The Board continues to hold the line on membership dues. There will not be an increase for 2011. We continue to review overhead expenses and critique events carefully to make sure we are doing the best we can with the resources at hand--for our members.

Congratulations to all our Graduates!

2010-06-08T10:48:00.008-04:00

Tis the Season for many fresh faced, nervous, full of knowledge graduates to leave the classroom and head out in to the brave new world.

This morning we asked our Ambassadors to share some advice for new graduates.

Follow Your Dream

There will never be a better time to pursue your dream than TODAY.

As the Chinese Proverb goes: The Best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.

Don't Worry

If you don't know what your dream is yet, or what you're truly passionate about--you're not alone. It will come to you. In the meantime--Never stop looking for that dream!

Be patient

It is the journey that is the wisdom, grasshopper, not the destination. It is easy to want it all and want it immediately. Take care not to get so wrapped up in the goal that you missed the journey.

Make good choices
Each day, we make an average of 32,000 choices. Make good ones. Together the little ones add up to big results.

Strive for balance
Balance isn't just the scales of justice, with things being exactly even. Balance is keeping your footing on a surfboard as you ride a wave towards shore. You have to shift your weight at times to stay on the board--that applies in life too. The goal is also the same. Don't wipe out!

Find a mentor
Throughout your life, you may have one or many mentors. People you look up to, who have knowledge, wisdom and advice that can help you achieve your goals. It's not unusal to have a collection of mentors whom you turn to for advice in different areas. You are not an island. It is good to learn from peers and role models.

Learn from your mistakes
We all make mistakes. Successful people learn from that experience and move beyond it.

Do what YOU want to do
And take responsibility for owning your own life's decisions. It is easier to let someone else make key decisions for you. (That way you can blame them if things don't turn out as planned.) Be strong--and do what YOU want to do. And OWN it if things aren't exactly as you expected. (see: Learn from your mistakes)

Be a lifelong learner. The diploma you earned is a license to learn. It demonstrates that you have the skill set necessary to continue learning, exploring and growing as a person, a partner, a parent and a citizen.

Oh, and sorry to break the news . . . .however . . .

The easiest part of your life just ended. You won't want to believe us now, but it's true.

Go forth with confidence and remember that one person can change the world in fact, it's the only thing that ever has. (Margaret Mead)

Motivation--I am not a quitter! Are you?

2010-06-03T11:47:00.004-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about motivation this past month.

1) Reward is motivating.

I prefer the "carrot approach" when it comes to motivation.

Knowing what the reward is, helps me align resources and push harder. I didn't really understand this until I started running. I'm not fast. But I will finish. Especially if I earn a medal for doing so. I am surprisingly gullible when it comes to medals.

2) Motivational mantras are . . . guess what? Motivating

One of the best advertising slogans ever is Nike's "Just Do It" It cuts to the chase and moves you to action. Stop the debate about 20 minutes more sleep vs the weather report and long term fitness goals. Just Do it!

3) Motivational mantras can override common sense.

This past weekend I participated in the Traverse City Bay Shore 1/2 Marathon. This was my first race without a pacing partner. The usual suspects hadn't signed up before the event sold out, so they were doing the 10K race, making signs of support and promising to be at the finish line. I was on my own.

It was a beautiful day to race. I watched the sun come up over the Bay and as the race started, I was feeling good. Real good. This was going to be THE race to set a personal best.

The 1/2 Marathon starts at the end of Mission point and runs back to the city. The full Marathon starts a 1/2 hour earlier at the city--comes out to the point and then runs back to the city.

At mile 2--I saw the elite runners zip by. This was the perfect seat to watch the marathon. I got to see every runner.

By mile 3 my leg started to hurt. I'd injured it 3 weeks earlier--shin splints, I figured. So I dropped back to a fast walk and as the pain eased, kept trying to kick it up to a run again.

At mile 4 the elite runners zipped by again . . . lapping me. My mile 4, their mile 17. As the clock ticked by, more marathoners lapped me. I kept pushing--instead of working my game plan.

By mile 10 I was in a lot of pain. My support team greeted me with a classic sign "The End is Near!" and I felt uplifted--tried to run a little for the camera and then dropped back to a walk.

Just as I reached mile 11, a marathon runner was coming up to my left to pass me. We both heard this loud crack/gunshot and paused--looking at each other--what was that? Then a huge rustle from the trees to our right and a dead tree slammed into the road in front of us--shattering.

Was this an omen? Should we stop?

A little freaked out--and the adrenaline kicking in--we both navigated around the log and stepped it up, trying to speed away from the wreckage. I admit, he was running a lot faster than I was.

By mile 12, with just 1 mile left, I'm thinking this has been a really really bad idea. My leg hurts so bad I'm having trouble walking. I try to remember the last time the race support bicyclists had zipped by. If I stop and sit on the curb, how long before they come to get me?

And that's when the Motivational Burma Shave signs started to get to me. "You can Do it!"
"This is what you trained for!" "Pain is Temporary--Quitting is forever!"

Quitting is FOREVER . . . I'm not a quitter. I'm NOT a quitter!

I pushed on.

And it hurt.

The race ended in the high school stadium and the crowd cheers you in as you run the last lap. There was no walking for this--you really need to run. Give it everything you have.

Pain is temporary.
Quitting is forever.

I finished. I got my medal. I sat down on the first clear piece of grass and waited for my support team to come find me.

After ice, rest and a trip to Ready Care--it was confirmed as a stress fracture. It's now 5 days after the race and I'll be on crutches another week and a half. No running for a minimum of 8 weeks--likely more like 12 weeks.

The pain has lessened tremendously. The crutches help. If I forget to use them, I remember REAL FAST!

I have a medal, though.

And I have to say . . . Pain is temporary . . . Quitting is forever.

I now know that I can finish a 1/2 Marathon even in pain. I'm not a quitter.

There are things I will do differently in my next race. Things that will prevent another injury--I hope. Things like--Work your PLAN, don't get caught up in the moment.

There WILL be a next race, though.

I am not a quitter!

What's YOUR Boston Marathon? Are you Dreaming Big Enough?

2010-04-19T14:56:00.006-04:00

It's Patriot's Day. April 19, 2010.
So you know what that means?
It's the Boston Marathon!

Many of you know that when I turned 50, I decided to do a marathon to celebrate. Not QUITE sure what I was thinking, but it sounded like an appropriate challenge. It took 11 months of training to get off the couch and conditioned enough that I could finish the race.

Afterwards I expected some brilliant enlightened moment to hit me. Something profound. Something magical.

Sorry to dissappoint. Perhaps I'm a slow learner, but there was no profound inspiration . . . not at that moment. I learned I could set goals, keep an exercise schedule, enjoy sweating and not freak out when my heart reached aerobic target areas.

Upon reflection, though--I realize I didn't set my goals high enough.

I spent 11 months visualizing finishing the marathon. I trained so that I could sustain the minimum pace to win a medal. (For non-marathoners, EVERY person who finishes the race in the prescribed time gets a medal--not just the top 3. Thus part of the appeal is definately race bling.)

So guess what? I finished the race. And I did it with 4 minutes to spare. If I had taken 1 more potty stop or slowed 9 seconds a mile . . . I wouldn't have qualified for my medal. Nothing like cutting it close!

After the race--it felt goooooood to relax. It felt great to sleep in on a Sunday morning instead of hitting the treadmill for a long run. I was a "Marathoner!" I'd already proved to myself I could do it, so it was time to slack off a little on the training and ENJOY being an athlete.

I continued racing (shorter races), but stopped putting the effort into it. My next race results reflected my lack of effort.

A year after doing my first marathon, I had returned to being a couch potato. One that could finish a race--but not an athlete. It wasn't my knees or legs that let me down--it was my head. I had stopped dreaming goals.

What if I had dreamed a higher goal? That I would not only finish a marathon--but do it faster? what if I dreamed of a regular set of races, working towards a faster marathon? What if I dreamed of winning my age class?

What if I dreamed of the Boston Marathon? I'm very aware of how much work it would take to qualify and it scares me. But if you don't even dream it . . . how will it ever happen?

I believe this is true in business as well. We can have all the right tools, all the right aptitudes --but without the dream--the goal--we won't get very far. We'll do "just enough" to get by. That might be okay for most people. Getting by can be comfortable. Getting by is just great . . . for your competition. But what about you?

In your heart,--do you dream big? Do you open yourself to the possibility that if you dream it--it can happen?

What's your Boston Marathon? Are you willing to commit?

Smile--it's contagious

2010-03-29T09:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, in the rain, I packed up my bottle returns and headed to the grocery store, hoping to get the weekly shopping out of the way before the Elite Eight March Madness game. (Yes I was wearing my green and white!)

As I pulled into the grocery store, my heart sunk a little--there were very few open parking spaces.

Nice.

So . . . in the rain, I packed up the bottles in a wet cart and headed towards the store.

With the rennovations at our neighborhood Kroger, there was some anticipation of WHAT NOW? when I entered the doors. It seems like daily whole departments move and are relocated, creating a temporary scavenger hunt while you shop.

The good news is the bottle return was somewhat empty today. (Not a lot of people want to mess around with bottles and cans in the rain)

The bad news was, I would need at least an extra 15 minutes for my "quick trip" because I couldn't cruise the aisles by habit anymore. So as I refolded by paper bags I took a deep breath and headed towards the deli counter . . .often the most challenging experiment in patience you can put yourself through.

It can be busy at the counter. And you never know if the person in front of you has just started order 1 of 15 specialty slices they want or if they're finishing up.

It doesn't take very long to realize the new deli area is nearly double the old space. It's laid out better too--which seems to improve the speed that the clerks are able to help customers.

I'm feeling more optimistic. Cheerful even.

I realize that I'm watching one clerk in particular--and calculating if she will be the one to wait on me. I hope she does. She's beaming. Happy. Cheerful. Chattering with her coworkers, laughing and . . . SMILING at the customers!

It's contagious. We start smiling back. In fact we even smile at each other in line--which seriously NEVER happens at the deli line.

She is back from vacation and had a great time. Where did she go? "Nowhere, I stayed in town, but it's great to relax, refresh and realize--hey, it's just meat and cheese--no sense getting all stressed out. Life is good!"

Life is good.

It does matter how you approach your job--how you enjoy life. And it is contagious. We can choose to drudge through the motions . . . or we can choose to be happy. If you want to surround yourself with cheerful happy people, sometimes you have to start the smiles first.

It was a quick shopping trip.
I made it back home in time to see the Spartan's win another nail biter. Next stop--the Final Four.

Life is good.

Marketing Secrets for Silent Auctions and Raffles

2010-03-22T11:19:00.007-04:00

It seems everyone has a fundraiser, auction or raffle that they'd like you to donate to. The Chamber too has two silent auctions coming up in the near future

Beer University--April 29, 2010 SILENT AUCTION
Chamber Golf Classic--June 26, 2010 SILENT AUCTION

Should you or shouldn't you consider donating something to these events?

I think you should really consider it. But you don't have to take my word for it.
ChamberSmallBusiness.com calls this “Masterful Marketing, when you donate a prize, giveaway or auction item you can generate some low cost exposure and publicity for your company."

But before you rush out to donate something--I urge you to do a little strategic analysis.

STEP ONE: Who's the target audience for this event?

Donating can be a good decision if the audience at the event is your target audience/customer base.

Donating can be a good decision if the audience is your strongest pool for referral partners and leads.

Donating does not make sense if the audience is completely unrelated to potential leads or customers.

STEP TWO: You've decided to donate something, now what will you give?
Think about that audience and identify the broadest common denominator.

You want the winner of your donation to be thrilled to have won. That means what they bid on or win in the raffle needs to be

something they can use immediately
something they would be proud to show off to others (all the more marketing mileage when they show off their winnings)
something that makes them connect with your business name and helps brand you as a thoughtful, customer oriented business
You get extra credit if you can donate something that cannot be purchased or obtained easily--if at all. (One of a kind items are hot commodities at auctions).

STEP THREE--Need some ideas?
If you're a season ticket holder for sporting or entertainment events, consider donating a set of tickets.
How about a week at your vacation condo, cottage or time share?
Maybe you have connections to get autographed sports memorabilia

Don't waste the opportunity to emphasize one of your services or value propositions. Is your company brand include: Great Customer Service; Easy communications and follow up; timely delivery of services . . . then create a donation that reinforces that message.

Tried and true items like a gift certificate for "dinner out" at a local restaurant can be coupled with a bottle of champagne and your gift card that says, "Congratulations! Celebrate your next memorable event with our compliments!" and be sure to add a tag line that matches your business.

Insurance companies: "Always here for you when you need us."
Financial planners: "We are pleased to help customers and clients have more to celebrate."
Mortgage specialists: "We can help you celebrate a new home or renovations."
Attorneys: "Good planning leads to more celebrations. We can help."

Or consider the ever popular spa or salon gift certificate.
"Relax. We're ready to help you lower your stress in other ways too--call us when you'd like more information."
"Our customers and clients agree, everyone can use a little pampering."

Or maybe you'd like to donate a gift certificate for your company's services.
A free hour of consulting, or a free evaluation . . . jazz up your donation by coupling it with a couple of your logo mugs, a pound of gourmet coffee and a sampler of chocolates.

Is somebody in your office a good baker? Add two dozen home baked cookies, an apple pie (with small American Flag!), or decadent brownies to your donation. While bidders want your company's services, the homebaked goodies provide instant gratification and urgency for them to BID ON YOUR CERTIFICATE IMMEDIATELY!

STEP FOUR--DO NOT FORGET that this is a marketing opportunity! Include your business cards, or a hand written note congratulating the "winner" of your item.

Donate your item early so the event hosts can coordinate custom signage that includes your logo

STEP FIVE--Be the "stickiest" business at the auction!
Marketers agree that it's important to create a brand, image or message that's sticky. (Meaning you stay in the audience's mind long after they've seen your advertisement.)
Auction donations and raffle prizes are a great opportunity to develop that sticky message.

What can you donate that will intrigue most of the audience? In a silent auction, your goal is to get them to bid! In fact--you want audience members to get in a bidding war for your donation.

Taking the extra time to design a dazzling basket display or creative presentation pays off big time when people talk about you AT the event and AFTER the event. Better yet--will people take pictures of your donation and post it on their Facebook pages?

Get them talking! With a little creativity, your auction item could be the buzz of the event.

Did you miss this month's Women in Business?

2010-02-26T06:33:00.003-05:00

Vision

A strong network of member-to-member support, camaraderie, inspiration and motivation, helping women business leaders to be successful in meeting their personal and professional goals.

The Chamber's Women in Business events are can't miss events. With superior speakers, prizes and surprises, we deliver more than you're expecting.

In February, our guest speaker Dr. Linda Lawrence from McLaren Breast Center gave an informative presentation on breast health in keeping with our theme: Celebrating Birthdays, because every birthday is a victory over cancer. The theme is from the American Cancer Society and became the jumping off point for a really memorable WiB event.

As you entered Red Knapps, you were greeted with colorful helium balloon bouquets at every table. There were sequined pink maribo trimmed tiaras at every place setting. Lisa's Confection Connection brought a stunning display of birthday cakes and cupcakes. Waterfall Jewelers displayed a gorgeous Pandora bracelet which we gave away later in the event.

PNC (National City), Comcast and LaFontaine Automotive Group also had displays and added raffle prizes to give away. LaFontaine also gave each attendee a birthday present. (The gift bags included a serenity stone bracelet--in a variety of colors)

As our VIPs addressed the crowd (each sponsor for the event gets up to 5 minutes in front of the group) we learned of their business services, but also their commitment to helping others, particularly those with cancer.

Waterfall Jewelers' Chris Strong, shared that watch battery replacements are free at their store, though a charitable donation is appreciated. Their donation jar identifies where the funds are going that month and include Lighthouse, SCAMP and individuals battling expensive health treatments.

LaFontaine's Kelley Hinsperger invited attendees to join them Thursday March 4 at Lafontaine for an evening networking event which will also launch a fundraising campaign spearheaded by Ryan LaFontaine to benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Ryan is a cancer survivor and this cause is personal for the entire LaFontaine family. With our help Ryan can be the Leukemia Lymphoma Society's Man of the Year. I know that all of us will want to help make that happen.

I am still amazed by Ryan's courage and fortitude while undergoing chemo-therapy. The Chamber was invited out to a tour of the new LaFontaine Green dealership and Ryan gave us an energized, informative one hour tour. . . . and he had just come from Chemo. We had no idea until Kelley shared that with us later.

EVERY birthday is a victory over cancer.

Even the "Oh!" birthdays . . . (Birthdays' ending in an 0, that make us go "OH!")

Our February WiB event was very memorable. From watching our gentlemen guests put on their tiara's too, to learning how Cancer has touched the lives of our peers. Learning how Cancer motivates us to do more and give more. And learning ways that we can participate in daily choices that may help prevent cancer.

Only a small percentage of breast cancer can be linked to a genetic cause that was there from birth.

80% of people (and yes, men get it too) who get breast cancer have no history of it in their 1st degree relatives.

Which brings us back to the Tiaras. Placing this Tiara in a place where you will see it every day--on your dresser, a shelf in the bathroom, on top of the refrigerator--is a memory tool. When you see the Tiara--smile . . . and remember that all of the choices you make today include ones that can help you prevent cancer--and have more birthdays!

Exercise.
Have no more than the recommended 1 glass of wine or 1 drink per day.
Do monthly self-exams.
Get your regularly scheduled mammograms.

And if you would like extra credit--urge your friends, sisters, mothers and daughters to do the same.

Chamber survey for community input on Grocery Stores

2010-02-18T06:11:00.003-05:00

Click here to take survey

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting an online survey this Spring to gather information from the community on grocery stores for the White Lake Commons Plaza.

In 2007 Farmer Jack announced the closing of many stores in SE Michigan, two of the stores were in the Clarkston Area, leaving vacant anchor stores in two shopping plazas in our community. For those businesses in the plazas, retail dropped dramatically. Some businesses closed their doors and others are hanging on, hoping for a new tenant to take the anchor spot and spur commerce once again.

This winter, we saw the addition of the Salavation Army Family Store, take the spot at Waldon and Sashabaw and immediately, dramatically increase the foot traffic for storefronts nearby.

The former Farmer Jack location continues to sit vacant. In a prime location at White Lake and Dixie Hwy., White Lake Commons is an ideal location for a grocery store anchor.

Rumors of possible interest in the building have had some truth to them. There are grocery chains interested in the Clarkston Area and in that property. Yet recent negotiations that seemed close to success, have not yet panned out.

Talk to 5 different people and they will give you 5 different reasons for why there isn't a grocery store in that complex yet.

For our businesses on Dixie Hwy. , and particularly for those in White Lake Commons, it matters a lot that there isn't a store anchoring the plaza, providing additional foot traffic and commerce. For residents, who frequently call the Chamber, it matters that they must drive to surrounding communities, sometimes 30 minutes or more to shop at grocery stores they wish were in the Clarkston area.

Kroger does offer three stores in our area. These stores are newer builds or are currently in renovation. As one resident explained when calling the Chamber, "I'm glad Kroger is here, but they don't carry the variety and specialty items I can find at VG's, Papa Joes, Nino Salvaggio, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods."

So the Chamber is asking for your input.

Survey results will be posted on the Chamber's website and presented to the Independence Township Board later this Spring.

Click here to take survey

Try this networking tip at the next Chamber event

2010-02-08T14:33:00.003-05:00

PHOTO:
Chamber Board members and Ambassadors donned eye patchs and played pirate at a recent BOB to help you find networking treasure!
Kevin Tompkins, McLaren Health Center; Tammy Ullyart, Four Seasons ChemDry and Jason T. Ryan, Vision Fuel Media.

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce offers several well-attended networking events throughout the year like Business Over Breakfast, Luncheon Mixers, Women in Business, Oakland Chamber Network After Hours, Chamber Golf Classic and the Annual Business EXPO.

Networking can sometimes be a commonly awkward experience, so check out this networking tip from etiquette expert Cynthia Lett. (via Tulsa Chamber of Commerce).

If two people are deep in conversation, rather than interrupting, wait for one of them to turn toward the room. Then make eye contact and introduce yourself. He should introduce you to the other person, but if not, do it yourself. Repeat your full name which the other person may not have caught. Later, if you’re stuck in a conversation you’d like to end, try: “I know you want to meet others, and I’m glad we had the chance to speak. I wish you well with your project.”

Put Lett’s tip to the test by inviting clients, co-workers, customers and clients to a Chamber networking event.

Who's on your board of advisors?

2010-02-01T11:24:00.004-05:00

PHOTO: Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard and Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce President Johnna Struck at a recent Chamber luncheon mixer.

Who do you go to when looking for business, professional or even personal advice?
For many Chamber members, it's a circle of friends they've cultivated over time that are people whose opinions they value and expertise they trust. Friends who have expertise and knowledge that compliments your own.

Today's marketing buzz is focused on Social Media and how through Social Media you can develop relationships with peers around the world who can help mentor, advise and entertain you.

That cornerstone relationship building art has its roots in face to face meetings long before the advent of email, Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.

Many people still go "old school" with social marketing. There are many networking events available where you can meet real people, in real time. These luncheons, breakfasts and after hour events are hosted by Chambers of Commerce, service clubs, (eg: Rotary, Optimist, Lions etc.) and networking groups. These are comfortable events where you meet new people, get to know them and begin to trust the areas of their expertise.

I've been with Clarkston Area Chamber for over 13 years. During that time I've seen many members go to each other for referrals, information, inspiration, tips and tactics. When looking for ways to reduce overhead, hire better staff, reinvent marketing tactics--our members turn to each other for advice. When purchasing a new home, thinking about a motorcycle, planning a vacation--you'll see members seek out information, input, tips, and suggestions from other Chamber members.

Think about your Go-to Rolodex of support. Your I.T. team, banker, marketing advisors, your CPA, financial planner, attorney, physician, chiropractor, dentist, vet, massage therapist, plumber, electrician, gym, rehabilitation therapist--are most of them Chamber members? Are they people you met through the Chamber? Where they referred to you by another Chamber member?

Your go-to team is a board of advisors--YOUR personal board of advisors.

The Chamber can help you find just the right people to help you manage, grow, promote and build your business. The Chamber can also provide you with, fun, social and effective opportunities to stay in touch.

With over three networking events a month at our Chamber there's plenty of opportunity to connect and keep in touch. While we also participate heavily in Twitter, Linked In and Facebook--we know that nothing really quite beats good old fashioned face to face networking.

Beer University

2010-01-25T06:48:00.004-05:00

PHOTO: Beer University Dean Dan Izydorek (2nd from left) with the PC Miracles Crew.

In 2008 our Chamber launched the first of what has proven to be a series of popular and fun events called "Beer University."

Designed as the Beer lovers answer to Wine Tastings, Beer University explores up to 8 styles of beers and pairs them with appetizer selections.

The first Beer Universities focused on a single brewer and the range of Beer Styles they have at that point in the season. We kicked off Beer University with Bell's Beers. Next up: Sam Adams.
Since that premier year we've also explored Mexican Beers and are now hosting a Winter session that will put the spotlight on Winter style beers--many of which are Winter Lagers.

For a non-beer drinker, like myself, Beer University has been an eye opener. I've learned that part of the reason I wasn't drinking beer, was because I had no idea where to start. The few beers I'd tasted prior to Beer University were too bitter, too grassy, too . . . well we won't even get into what IPA's smell and taste like to me.

So I thought all beers were like that.

Beer University opened my eyes . . . and my palate.

I've found beers I like, discovered some amazing taste pairings that really surprised me, (Try Sam Adams Cherry Wheat with a chocolate dessert) and learned that I'm not the only one who enjoys learning about new foods & beverages.

Beer University has a growing roster of alumni (attend one session of Beer University and you are an Alumni--and eligible for discounted tickets for future events).

We even have window clings for our alumni to put in the back of your car window, as any proud alumni does after college.

We have three Beer Universities planned for 2010. The first one is coming up fast--February 10th. Sandwiched between the Superbowl and the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics, Beer University falls a week before Lent and will highlight Winter style beers.

Beer University is at the Hamlin Pub--Weds. February 10, 2010 5:00-8:30 pm

Beer University also includes a silent auction. If you'd like to donate one or more items for the silent auction, please contact the Chamber 248-625-8055. We group items together to create theme baskets. Donating items for auctions is an easy way to create visibility for your brand. Whether you give a certificate for services from your own business or donate a gift certificate to a local restaurant or store--you create brand awareness for both yourself and your business.

Tap into the loyalty of Beer University Alumni by attending and networking at this event, or donating an item for our silent auction.

Get involved

2010-01-19T12:39:00.001-05:00

PHOTO: Social Media Bootcamp engages chamber members in learning more ways to grow their businesses, build relationships and stay connected.

SEATED: Carol Peters and Kelley Hinsperger, LaFontaine Automotive Group; Maureen Murphy Boyd.

STANDING: Jason T. Ryan and David Benjamin

It doesn't matter how or why you get involved. The important thing is that you are involved.

Business in 2010 is about relationships. That may not be unique for 2010, but it is definately true.

Relationships are about being involved.

Being involved is a coming together to work effectively, coordinating our efforts despite differences.

Review your current relationships and think about the new ones you will build this year with these simple principles in mind:

1. View everyone in positive terms.
Everyone you meet is a possible resource, some unexpectedly so. Treat others with dignity and respect. Take care with judgmental and negative opinions, your new acquaintance is listening to what you say and do.

2. Build trust
Your leads list and new contacts are the seeds you're planting. Business will eventually come from those seeds. To encourage growth, you need to nurture those seeds. Building trust is like adding nutrients to the field.
Do what you say you're going to do.
Don't over promise
Care about the other person--not just your business connection with them.
You can show you care by remembering important events, details, celebrations in their lives. Showing you remember demonstrates that you care.

3. Value the Process-not just the results
Being involved, cultivating relationships, building your business network takes time. It will seem many times longer if you don't learn to value the process, as well as the results.
When you think about it, it's the relationships, shared experiences, joys and sorrows that are most meaningful in our lives.

When I walk/ran my first marathon, the 11 months of training and 26.1 miles before we caught site of the finish line were more rewarding than that brief moment at the finish banner. The journey is a treasure in and of itself.

4. Invest for the long term
Some feel it would be nice if all you had to do was collect 100 business cards and get 100 contracts--Bam!
Being involved is a long term investment. Not something you do for a month or two (or a year) and then forget about. Long term strategies result in more solid growth. Long term strategies are more stable and less vulnerable to economic blips.

2010 is a new slate. You have the moment today to choose the goals you'd like to achieve. You have the moment--right now--to do something that steers you towards those goals.

Get involved. Attend a networking function. Join a committee. Volunteer. And I'm not just talking about Chamber activities here--GET INVOLVED where ever you are. Join in. Attend. Pull your chair up to the table.

2010 will be what WE make of it.

Coming Soon--Website enhancements by CGI Communications

2010-01-13T11:15:00.004-05:00

For the past couple months, we've been working with CGI Communications to develop some bells and whistles for the Chamber's website.

You may have noticed the "Coming Soon" graphic in the upper right side of the webpage.

We're getting close to unveiling these exciting digital media marketing tools and I'm really excited about the potential for the Chamber to better communicate with our members, visitors and community.

You will see Online Videos which showcase our community and Chamber of Commerce.
We'll have V-mail, a video emailing system that enables us to send video messages to any email. (videos aren't sent as an attachment or link--but automatically buffer & play)
Video Tracking--a system that captures the email addresses of recipients and allows the Chamber to see who has viewed our videos, as well as, how many times they viewed it.
Digital Marketing, which allows the Chamber to send custom-branded digital messages with attractive features such as Video business Cards. (and track who they were sent to)
SmartCast, an innovative way to provide unlimited real-time audio updates to our website.
SmartLine a new way to send out information and videos to prospective members, visitors and tourists.

Working with CGI's professional production team has been easy.

As we roll out the new features, CGI will also provide local busiensses with an opportunity to utilize the technology. You can choose to have a video produced highlighting your unique assets and you can also utilize the digital tools outlined above.

If you're interested in learning more and can't wait to see it, check out http://www.chamberofcommerce.tv/ for a demonstration.

Watch for the changes on our website coming soon--www.clarkston.org

Team work!

2010-01-12T11:06:00.001-05:00

Chamber BOBs include ways to build your networking team AND have fun!

PHOTO: Tom Lowrie, Lowrie's Landscape, Gini from Costco and Johnna Struck, Changing Places Moving & Storage.

There are all types of team member styles. Which style are you?

Contributor: A person who focuses on the immediate task of the team, believes that information is critical, sets high performance standards and can be depended on to deliver work assignments on time.

Collaborator: A goal-directed member who sees the overall goal of the team as paramount. They are willing to pitch in and help others in order to reach the goal and support the strategy of the organization.

Communicator: The team member who helps with team process by facilitating, building a consensus and creating a supportive work environment.

Challenger: The person who questions the goals, methods and actions of the team and pushes the team to take reasonable risks.

--"Teamwork--Action Steps for Building Powerful Teams," Successories Library

A couple years ago, I attended the Disney Keys to Excellence training. It was an outstanding day of training, ideas, energy and networking.

An enlightened moment happened during the second session when our presenter admitted, "Many of the things we're going to talk about today aren't secrets. You know of them, perhaps have tried them--the secret is keeping these things front and foremost. It's making sure everyone on your team, every employee, every customer, every alumni--is part of making your goals a success."

Consider that everyone is part of your team. You employees, family, friends, fellow Chamber members. Through the power of social media, every customer and client has the potential to be a cheerleader for your team.

This month, consider the importance of your team. Make sure they understand the role they play and it's importance in the overall goals you plan to reach. Consider how different styles build the strength of the team--and get in the game!

2010 is about turnaround, rebound and success. Make it yours!

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

2010-01-05T10:37:00.001-05:00

PHOTO: Duncan Banes, McLaren Health Care is congratulated by Sheriff Mike Bouchard after winning the Rolling Jackpot at a recent luncheon mixer.

That quote by Wayne Gretsky really resonates.

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take:

If you don't send in you job application for that job that was posted, you've automatically disqualified yourself. Why? Let THEM decide if you're right for the job or not.

If you don't write up that business idea and work on making it happen. Your great idea isn't going to stay secret for long. Someone else is out there about to think of that brainstorm themselves.

If you don't write that book. Hemmingway considered it a successful day if he had 1 page worth keeping at the end of the day. 1 page a day--and in 1 year, you've got a novel. If you never start, you'll never be published.

Whatever you goals, ideas, dreams or vision--"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Start taking the shots and you will start MAKING the shots!

Resolve this!

2009-12-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

New Years, birthdays, anniversaries--they're all good time to pause, take stock and set goals. So often we call this the Revolving Resolution time.

Revolving, because they keep coming back again and again and again . . . . you know the list.

We may be setting ourselves up for failure when we write down these goals . . . but we could also be realigning ourselves to a noble vision that's been crowded out of the picture by everything else we deal with on a daily basis.

In January, the Chamber will kick off our Women in Business Season with "Resolve This!" a fun presentation by The Amazing Maxwell which is meant to help us leave grumpy depressing 2009 behind and focus on 2010 with positive energy, a can-do spirit and . . .optimism.

Remember optimism?

One of the things I enjoy most about Chamber work, is the contagious optimism that spreads when members get together. We may call it networking, or you could call it synergy--whatever it is the Chamber seems to have a lot more Tiggers than Eeyores--and that makes these events fun.

Remember fun?

Brian Tracy advises you to surround yourself with like minded optimistic people if you want to be successful. This peer group will keep you motivated, keep you energized, help you celebrate successes and help you rebound quicker from set backs.

Stephen Covey talks about putting First Things First and planning by plunking down your imporant "big rocks" first and then filling in the rest of your day, week and month with the other stones, pebbles and sand that need to be done.

Resolution time is about remembering those big rocks. Looking at your day, week, month, and year ahead and putting them on your calendar.

Covey also reminds you that you "Start Over Every Day."

It takes 3 weeks for a new routine to become a habit. Can you start over every day for 3 weeks?

And if you are successful--what new habits would you want to cultivate?

Yes there are the health habits, which we all work on with varying degrees of success. That doesn't mean they are unimportant--it does mean we have to start over every day and "Just DO it!"

There are the learning habits, which some of us work on formally by going back to school, working for continuing education credits or degrees--or informally by learning new hobbies, new sporting activites, listening to podcasts, CDs, books on tape, rss feeds, blogs and other sources of information.

There are the social habits. When I was growing up my dad had the longest arms of any human being. There were 5 of us kids and at the dinner table if you were out of line, he could reach across the table with lightening reflexes and give you a "thunk on the head." Just a thunk. Enough to get your attention and then there'd be the reminder, which as often as not came from my mother--who seemed to be in on this tag team. "Don't interrupt. Let your sister finish speaking." Okay . . . I'm still working on that skill. New Years is a good time to remember that it's not polite to cut the other person off, finishe their sentance or change the subject just as they're getting to the good part.

Social habits are the frosting on the cake of relationships. Do you listen as much as you talk? Are you sincerely interested in the other person when they're talking? Do you follow up? Do you say thank you? When someone sends you a referral do you remember to do the same?

At the April Women in Business event we'll be talking "True Colors" personality evaluation and training. In True Colors code, the people that do the social habits well are the "Blues." They know that relationships are at the heart of our families, friendships, business and society.

I'm not a Blue . . . but I have some Blue in me and I get it. I see it in operation at our Chamber functions. Members who are good at cultivating and maintaining relationships have a higher chance of business success. It's not fluff. It's important.

So Resolve This!

1. Make your health and wellness a priority--and start over every day. Don't let one cake derail you for another year.

2. Start learning something new this month. You don't have to tackle something big, ostentacious and amazing, like say, particle acceleration--but surely there is SOMEthing you've hankered to know more about. SOMEthing you want to learn how to do. This year . . . do it.

(Brian Tracy tells the story about learning that one of the biggest markets for motivational books and lectures was Germany. And he was the #2 Motivational Speaker there. In order to be #1, all he had to do was learn to speak German fluently. So he took a look at his schedule, possible training options and realized--that in 7 years he could be fluent in German. A friend exclaimed, "SEVEN years! That's a really long time, why bother?" And Brian replied, "In 7 years I'll be 7 years older whether I learn German or not. If I DO learn German I'll be 7 years older and the #1 motivational speaker and author in Germany.")

3. Practice your social graces. Ask questions of others and learn about them before rushing in to talk about yourself. Say thank you. Write thank you's (and yes--even emails count). Give referrals. Make "Givers gain." a habit! (Terry Bean recently published an eBook on networking and he stresses the point again and again--GIVERS GAIN. It could be a universal truth.)

And here's the key to success.
WRITE down your goals.
REVIEW your goals at least weekly.
Look at your progress in weekly and monthly terms--not just daily. In excel, they're called trend lines. It doesnt' matter if Monday was a blip--if the trend line for the week is pointed in the right directly.

For more information on the Chamber's events, activities and resources that can help you reach your goals visit: www.clarkston.org

Think Local, Buy Chamber

2009-12-20T09:38:00.001-05:00

Chambers of Commerce are the original "Shop Local" campaigns. Many Chambers were formed with a root purpose of uniting local businesses together to commit to patronizing each other and promoting each other's businesses.

The network of the Chamber's membership is an instant peer to peer strategic referral partner group which can be very effective at getting the "word of mouth" out about your business.

So why is shopping local important? It seems obvious . . . but let's look at some numbers.

First of all local businesses support the community, and we're not just talking charitable donations. Your local storefronts and offices pay taxes which support police, fire, roads, water and sewer services in our area. This helps share the burden covered by home owners.

Did you realize that when $100 is spent locally at an independently owned business (restaurant, retail or service provider) $68 of that immediately stays in the community through payroll, taxes, rent, supplies and other operating expenses.

Spent that $100 at a local franchise and $43 stays locally.

When you spend $100 online with a business that is not located locally . . .none of that money stays in our local economy.

Statistics from http://www.the350project.net/

Keeping money in the community is important. http://www.buymichigan.com/ reports that $1 spent locally can cycle 7x through the community before leaving for another community. SEVEN TIMES. That's powerful.

For the curious, check out http://www.wheresgeorge.com/ which is a website that tracks US and Canadian dollar bills. Yes, some enterprising group decided to stamp currency with the "Where's George" website and invite you to log in when you have the bill in your possession. You'll be able to see how far the bill travels, how long it takes to enter other communities, how quickly it moves across the country. And that's the physical dollar bill.

Online transactions and credit cards move money quicker than that.

The 3/50 Project also reports that if HALF the employed American public spent $50 a month locally, that it would generate $42.6 billion in revenue.

There's power in spending locally.

Shop Local campaigns aren't about completely changing how you shop. Nor does it prohibit patronizing businesses outside your home zip codes. It IS about thinking local.

It's about recognizing that eating out once a month at a local restaurant has an important role to play in the fluidity of our local economy.

It's about choosing to get your car washed, buy a birthday card or pick up a flowering plant or bouquet because your patronage means more than just support for the local shops & stores. It means support for your community.

When you travel this holiday season, we encourage you to Think Local with the communities you visit. Explore what's unique. Ask your friends and family members to share what they love about where they live.

And when you have visitors to our community--roll out the red carpet. Show off what makes the Clarkston Area unique. What do you love about our area? Share with friends and family the businesses, stores and entreprenurial spirit that makes Clarkston a unique home town we can all be proud of.

All of us working together keep the economy going. Keep businesses open . . . and drive the economic recovery.

I shop local--and you can too.

Search Engine Marketing

2009-12-15T11:53:00.002-05:00

--Source: PC Miracles, SEPT 2009 Newsletter www.PCMiracles.com

Add yourself to the local search engine pages:
GOOGLE LOCAL
http://www.google.com/local/add?hl=en&gl=us

YAHOO LOCAL
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php

MSN LOCAL
http://webapp.localeze.com/bizreg/add.aspx

Other websites to list yourself include:
www.citysearch.com
www.local.com
www.merchantcircle.com
www.yelp.com

Social Media Bootcamps returns JAN 22

2009-12-15T09:26:00.003-05:00

We've had a lot of positive feedback about our Social Media Bootcamps. We're pleased to announc that we've scheduled another session in January.

Friday
January 22, 2010
8:15-Noon

Bootcamps are structured to let you take what you want to take, or stay for everything at a special discount price.

In January we will offer a 200 level course on TWITTER.

A year ago at this time, few of us had heard of Twitter. Now it is everywhere and some say, on it's way out of fashion.

I'd argue that Twitter can be an effective tool, but you need to understand how you're going to use it before jumping into a 24/7 Twitter update commitment.

For the Chamber's purposes, we utilize Twitter as a way to engage our followers in real time, informal news and updates. Twitter is becoming a tried and true tool to drive traffic to our website. Twitter's linked with the Chamber's Facebook Fan Page and Linked In accounts. So one update hits all three media.

You've learned that iPhones have lots of aps that make it more fun, functional and engaging.

So does Twitter. There are several cool tools that make it easy to navigate, update, search, post pictures, videos and more.

Our Social Media Twitter Session will give you an entry into the Twitter world. Bring your lap top and set up an account. Walk through some of the applications and start tweeting that morning.

Following the Twitter session, we'll have a presentation on websites, which can include a group review, critique of your website, if you'd like. We'll be looking at how easy is it to navigate, how easy is it to find. What makes a good website engaging and draws traffic on a consistent basis.

We'll end the morning with a repeat of the Linked In Session which was first held in November. If you attended that November session, you can sit in on this session for FREE as a refresher. Better yet, invite a coworker or friend to the session and help them be more effective while showing off the pieces you know and navigate easily--while learning new features and applications yourself.

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to work with David Benjamin, Voices of Detroit and Jason T. Ryan to host these events which bring you the best information and tools to help you grow your business and stay ahead of the competition.

New member orientations

2009-10-29T14:20:00.008-04:00

This morning we completed another of our New Member Orientations and I continue to be impressed at the caliber of businesses joining our Chamber and bringing their time, talent and expertise to help strengthen our local economy.

What takes place at a new member orientation?

We start by learning about facilitated networking, a key way that our Chamber increases the meaninful connections you'll make at our events. Just introducing yourself and your business is basic. We want to learn more about each other so that we build relationships, not just a pile of business cards.

Facilitated networking activities are often disguised as fun and games. You'll find common elements in the variety of facilitated networking activities we do. The goal is to convey information, learn something new about the other person that helps you remember who they are the next time you meet them. Facilitated networking activities help build relationships that are built on trust and mutual interests.

When I hear members laughing while they're doing a faciliated networking activity, I know we've done our job. When you laugh with another person, you bond.

Following the faciliated networking activity (which can take 15-20 minutes) Teri Robinson and I will go through some of the values your Chamber membership offers. Starting with a form that will help you write down your business and marketing goals, we take turns showcasing how to network in the Chamber, how to market, what promotional things are free, what are nominal cost. We take the mystery out of "Where do I begin?" and give you insider tips on what's coming up.

During the orientation we also hear from an Ambassador and a member of the Board of Directors. This morning we were honored to have Johnna Struck, Chamber President and Deb Gordinier, Chamber Ambassador join us in welcoming our new members.

If you missed your new member orientation, or joined prior to when we started offering these events you are still eligible to attend. Contact Teri Robinson at the Chamber office and find out when the next one will be held--and jump on in.

New member orientations are the best way to maximize your membership!

SEE MORE PHOTOS on the Chamber's Facebook Fan Page.

Podcasting from the Clarkston Union

2009-10-28T07:48:00.006-04:00

This week the Chamber participated in some podcast recordings at the Clarkston Union with Voices of Detroit.
http://blog.voicesofdetroit.com/
http://davidebenjamin.com/

The idea and opportunity was brought to us by Jason T. Ryan, Vision Fuel Media, a member of the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and winner of the 2009 President's Award. http://www.visionfuelmedia.com/

Larry Henry, a longtime Detroit radio personality probably most familiar to listeners who follow WWJ sports, and Dave Benjamin co-founder of Voices of Detroit met with myself, Bob Thomas, Michigan Chamber of Commerce; Tim Flynn, Clarkston Legal; Tammy Ullyart, Four Seasons ChemDry and Erich Lines, Clarkston Union for a series of conversations which were recorded and are now podcasts.

Getting Over the Fear Factor

While many of us can be intimidated by a microphone, it helps to think of the colorful sponge covered microphones as friendly clown noses. They're just decorations. Seated at a table with Dave and Larry, we're just having a conversation. A conversation that's being recorded, but you soon forget about that.

What's a Podcast?
The simplest way to understand podcasting is to think of it as radio broadcasting for iPods.

What do you talk about? It's an interview. We provide Larry and Dave with brief bios and some bullet points of interesting facts, tips, knowledge we're comfortable talking about ahead of time. Larry and Dave take that information and create an interview that draws you out, gives you the opportunity to share your expertise and share your knowledge. The charm of Voices of Detroit, is their expertise in making you comfortable, as well as knowing the listener.

Still have some butterflies?
If you asked me to be entertaining, informative and articulate for 20 minutes, I'm pretty sure I'd have a conflicting appointment, need to take this call and . . . oh sorry . . . I'm supposed to be across town right now. How about you? Unless you have a performing career or background, it's kind of scary to think about being "on stage" "on camera" or "on microphone."

The podcast format, particularly with Voices of Detroit, made it comfortable, easy and . . . well . . . I have to be honest. . . . FUN!

We're going to do this again!

Clarkston Area Chamber will be working with Voices of Detroit again. We already have 2 members who've expressed interest in being in on the next taping.

So why should you think about participating in the podcasts?
What's in it for you?
People do business with people they know. People do business with the people they remember and think positively about. Do people remember your name? Are you in an industry where it's hard to differentiate yourself from your competition?

Being part of a Voices of Detroit podcast gets you on their website, you get links for your website, we do press releases and place links on the Chamber's website. Do you already see how YOUR name and business name is rising in a Google or Bing search?

What do you talk about?
Let's be clear. Nobody knows your business as well as you do. Surely there's some aspect of your business that you are passionate about. Talk about that. Talk about new trends. Help educate others about what you do. How do you explain what you do to your mom?

Trust me, there is a lot to talk about.
With over 13 years at the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce I have learned that members love to talk about themselves, their jobs and their careers. And I've learned that it's very interesting to listen.

Your story is interesting. Your story makes you memorable.

Being memorable increases the opportunity to get the call when someone's ready to do business.

Your expertise is valuable. Your expertise positions you ahead of your competition--IF potential customers, clients and referral partners know about and recognize your expertise. Being published, being interviewed, having articles written about you, increases your visibility and recognition as an "expert".

So does, adding this information to your references, resume and creditials.

Watch for eBlast updates on the next podcasting event.
Members automatically receive eBlasts (if you have an email address on file with us).
Or sign up for eBlasts at www.clarkston.org.

A little bit about Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce

2009-10-15T14:42:00.001-04:00

PURPOSE: To promote and enhance business opportunities in the Clarkston Area for our members.

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1988 by 42 local business owners. Today, membership is over 550 . Most of Clarkston’s members are locally owned and operated businesses, service providers, retail, banks and health industry related.
The Clarkston Area is a charming hometown community with an historic downtown area.

The Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce is a vibrant resource for your business.
· An Average of 3 networking events monthly. Held at varying times, breakfast, lunch, afternoon or after hours, these events provide every business leader an opportunity to jump in and get connected.
· Signature community events like: Concerts in the Park and Taste of Clarkston provide opportunities to position your business prominently and positively in front of a loyal local community audience.
· Marketing opportunities—monthly mailing to 1000 area businesses and many free online opportunities for members to enhance their listing, add photos and logos to their listing.
· Your first link with social media. Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce utilizes
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and a Chamber Blog with up to date information and links. Clarkston was the first Chamber in SE Michigan to utilize Twitter, including adding it to the Chamber’s dynamic website. And provides ongoing training and hands on sessions to teach you how to get the most out of social media for your business.
· Access to decision makers and elected officials. With guest speakers like L. Brooks Patterson, Congressman Mike Rogers and local elected officials, the Chamber keeps you in touch with the people making decisions that affect your business and community.

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce
5856 S. Main St.
Clarkston, MI 48346
PH 248-625-8055

info@clarkston.org
www.clarkston.org
www.twitter.com/CACOC
You can also find us on Facebook and LinkedIn: Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce

Think Local Buy Chamber

Annual Meeting 2009

2009-09-24T13:53:00.000-04:00

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce
ANNUAL MEETING--September 17, 2009
Keystone Distinguished Service Awards
Board Members: Donna Bullard and Sue Fryer
Committee Chair: Heidi Nettler
Ambassador: Tom Lowrie
Volunteer: Connie Morgan
Partnership: Independence Township Parks & Recreation
Service: IGD Solutions
President's Award--Jason T. Ryan

OFFICERS
(effective October 1, 2009)
President: Johnna Struck, Changing Places Moving
President Elect: Bill Burr, All Saints Cemetery
Immediate Past President: Heidi Wood, Genisys Credit Union
Treasurer: Deb Hansen, Oxford Bank
Secretary: Steve Hyer, IGD Solutions
DIRECTORS
Top 10 Supporters of Chamber Programs and Projects
Learning Experience
Smith's Disposal
Mt. Zion
Clarkston Medical Group
Law Office of Robert E. Kostin
Planet Kids Children's Center
Palace Sports & Entertainment
LaFontaine Automotive Group
McLaren Health Care Corporation
and
Genisys Credit Union

Sounds like a really good time at Taste of Clarkston

2009-09-23T15:49:00.004-04:00

We are pleased to have Genisys Credit Union sponsor our entertainment at Taste of Clarkston this year.

Noon
The Hook WALDON STAGE

1:30
DJ Jim Tedder, Tedder Productions WALDON STAGE

2:00
Stardusters Band WALDON STAGE

2:00
Kofi Ameyaw of Sunkwa Ghana rhythm xylophone On Church Street
sponsored by Sandy Mabery and
4:00
DJ Jim Tedder, Tedder Productions WALDON STAGE

4:30
Chiffon Sisters WALDON STAGE

5:15
2nd Chance WALDON STAGE

More strolling entertainment and surprises will take place at a variety of venues, including a Kite Demonstration by Great Turtle Toys at the schools on Waldon; Balloon animals in Depot park; Mt. Zion entertainers throughout the day and more!

The Job of our Ambassadors

2009-09-23T10:54:00.000-04:00

Chamber Ambassadors do a lot to help make our events warm and welcoming. You'll find them in a variety of roles at our events.

GREETER
First Impressions are lasting! Your role in greeting our members and helping everyone feel sincerely welcomed, happy to be at our event—is essential to setting the tone for everything we do.
· Arrive early at an event and greet attendees with a smile and their first name (if you know it). Welcome them to the event.
· Help them find their name badge.
· Identify first timers or shy attendees and pair them with a Matchmaker Ambassador.
· REMEMBER not to get involved in long conversations while greeting, your job is to keep people moving into the group.

MATCHMAKER
With your knowledge of Chamber members, events, programs and projects you are the air traffic controller helping members land good contacts, connections and relationships.
· Working with Greeters and Chamber Staff you will arrive early at events and position yourself near the check in area.
· When a first timer or newbie attendee is identified they will be handed off to you.
· Your job is to help move them, courteously away from the entry door, into the event.
· Start a conversation, about THEM. Help them get comfortable and feel welcome. Ask questions that help you learn about their business, hobbies, networking objectives.
· Utilizing your expertise and understanding of who is at the event, introduce them to other Chamber members.
· REMEMBER—your job is to focus on the other person, help them feel comfortable, welcome and included. You do not need to stay by their side for the whole event, but check up on them periodically to make sure they are not standing alone in a corner.

GROUP FACILITATOR
You are the leader—welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable and organized.
For some BOBs we utilize small group rotations.
· Plan to arrive on time (events start at 7:45 a.m.)
· Work with Chamber staff to be briefed on the format and questions that will be utilized. Because we receive so many last minute registrations, the actual networking activity may not be finalized until the night before an event. You most likely will not have advanced warning of the questions/theme—but you will receive easy to follow printed directions.
· As facilitator, your job is to welcome the group and get them started on each rotation question.
· ALWAYS start with the person on your left.
· ALWAYS speak last. (This is a code to the Chamber staff, so we can follow how close your group is to finishing it’s assignment prior to the next rotation.)
· Keep everyone to the time limit in a cheerful manner. (remember you set the “networking temperature” for the group.
· Do not let any one person dominate the conversation.
· Make it friendly and comfortable for shy people to participate.

TABLE FACILITATOR
You are the Master Connector—the Maven of knowledge
At Mixers and WIB events we try to seed every table with one or more Ambassador or Board member.
· REGISTER EARLY--When you tell us you’re planning to attend, we count on you to be there and can make table assignments accordingly
· Plan to arrive to the event on time (events start at 11:45 or 10:45 a.m.)
· When it comes time to take your seats, you become the “host” of the table.
· Facilitate introductions
· Draw people out
· If you already know everyone around the table, try to find out something new.
· Don’t let one person dominate the discussion
· Your goals for your table are to:
o Set the “networking temperature” for the group.
o Learn something new about the people seated at your table
o Take the information you’re learning, match it with what you already know and help the people at your table connect with other Chamber members who could be good strategic referral partners, help for their business or potential customers/clients.

EVENT BOOSTER
You are the front lines of our Grassroots, Guerilla Marketing and Social Media Network
· Your enthusiasm and network of connections helps us get the word out quickly and with credibility to members and non-members.
· Carry some extra registration forms with you so at another function, or on a sales call, you have the opportunity to share information on an upcoming Chamber event.
· Add the Chamber’s website or a tag line about an upcoming event to your signature area of your email. (If company policy allows)
· Personally invite someone you’ve recently met, welcomed to the Chamber or haven’t seen in awhile to attend an upcoming event.
· Join the Chamber’s fan page on Facebook and post comments, photos, links or photos.
· Follow the Chamber on Twitter to be “in the know” on up to the minute information—SHARE that information by ReTweeting it.
· Post the Chamber’s logo link on your own webpage.
Sometimes you can’t make every Chamber event. You still have an important role to play as an event Booster!

RIBBON CUTTINGS
Smiling faces and a big hearty welcome from the Chamber’s Business Community
Dropping everything at the office to run out quick for a 15 minute photo opportunity welcoming a new business is very important.
· We need you to act as greeters to officials, community members and the new business.
· We need you in the photograph
· And we need you to spread the good news about a new business opening in town.

Being an Ambassador is fun and exciting. You work with a group of other Chamber members who are upbeat and professional. If you'd like to consider being an Ambassador contact Teri@clarkston.org and we'll line you up for a 3 month test drive.

Do you use Guerrilla Marketing?

2009-09-09T06:09:00.007-04:00

What is the purpose of your marketing – What is your marketing asking
your prospects to do first?

If your marketing doesn't include a call to action, don't be surprised if your audience doesn't do anything with the information.

What are the benefits of your product(s)/service(s)?

There's a difference between a FEATURE (eg: Advertising Advantage) and BENEFITS (eg: Your business brand recognition and opportunity for doing business with other business leaders grows when your message is put in the hands of 1,000 area business owners.)

Your Target Audience

Who are you trying to reach? Who's your ideal customer, client, contact?

What is your marketing niche?

Are you the best value? Do you provide the best service? Do you have customized products? What's different about doing business with you, instead of doing business with your competitors?

What is your marketing identity?

Designing the "voice" of your marketing ensures a unified look to your marketing efforts. Creating a marketing identity (which often times is YOUR personality/branding) will help you be remembered.

What is Guerrilla Marketing?

It is a body of unconventional ways of pursuing conventional goals. It is a proven method of achieving profits with minimum money.
http://www.gmarketing.com/ http://www.guerrillamarketingassociation.com/

Your Guerrilla Marketing Weapons

1. Competitive Advantage
2. Marketing Plan
3. Outrageously Good Service
4. Follow-up!
5. Fusion Marketing
6. Positive Attitude & Enthusiasm
7. Free Consultations
8. Customer Reactivation Letter
9. Website and Online Presence
10. 30 second marketing message
11. Community involvement
12. Business Card
13. Testimonials
14. Location
15. Stationery
16. Phone demeanor
17. Logo
18. Promo Kit
19. Hours, days of operation
20. Brochures
21. Reprints
22. Professional Photo
23. 800 Number
24. Targeted list from list broker
25. Public Seminars and lectures
26. Audio and videotapes
27. Refreshments offered
28. Credit cards
29. Club/Association memberships
30. Effective use of voice mail
31. Circulars
32. Smiles and Greetings
33. Pricing
34. Prospecting Letters
35. Contests
36. Phone on-hold marketing
37. Research studies
38. Make an audio tape interview
39. Toastmasters
40. Postcards
41. Waiting Room resources
42. Inserts
43. Trade show display
44. Speak at Conferences
45. Radio and TV commercials
46. Gift certificates
47. Assisting in others’ workshops
48. Start a Fusion Marketing Group
49. Speed of delivery
50. Classified Ads
51. Customer mailing list
52. Enthusiasm
53. Yellow Pages Ad
54. Sales Training
55. Teach Adult Education Courses
56. Online Marketing
57. Participate in Chat Room
58. Publish a newsletter
59. Join Speakers Bureau
60. Demonstrations
61. Serve on an association board
62. Charity fundraisers
63. Create an online newsletter
64. Create an Advocates list
65. Post on an e-bulletin board
66. Free workshops
67. Brand-name awareness
68. Free information
69. Human Bonds
70. Continued Education
71. Free Gift
72. Word of mouth
73. Columns
74. Create an audio tape interview
75. Write an article
76. Link to other websites
77. Mastermind group
78. Create a set of client handouts
79. Booth at Health Fairs
80. Photograph
81. Imagination
82. Add signatures to your emails
83. Walk your talk
84. Write a book
85. Panel or Advisory Board
86. Get listed with search engines
87. Marketing savvy
88. Host your own radio show
89. Compile E-mailing lists
90. Join the Chamber of Commerce
91. Audio or Video clip on website
92. Competitiveness
93. Displays with other businesses
94. Free video tape
95. Take -one boxes
96. Recorded info by phone
97. Convenience
98. Free audiotapes and articles
99. Theme Line
100. Satisfied Customers

I don't have time for that?

2009-09-03T11:10:00.004-04:00

People do business with people they know.

Networking is relationship building. It's how you get to know people. Do you have a rapport with them? Do you trust them? Do they know you? Do they care about your interests or are you just a quick sale?

Recently a Chamber staff member was asked to help a prospective member make contacts with his target audience. They weren’t really thinking about being a Chamber member, but they wanted the advantage of the Chamber’s credibility and connections.

Reenactment

Chamber staff: “Would you like to come to a BOB as my guest and I’ll introduce you to some of our members and you can check out the value of our Chamber before you become a member.”

“I don’t have time for that. I don’t want to be a member. I just want you to introduce me to my prospects.”

“We’re a membership organization. I’d be happy to make introductions, but you need to be a member. And the best way to make connections is to participate in networking events so people get to know you.”

“I don’t want to be a member. I don’t have time for that. I just want to get to my target audience. Networking events aren’t made up 100% of my target audience.”

“Do you understand that other Chamber members can be strategic referral partners and getting to know them will help you reach your target audience?”

“I don’t have time for that!”

This is such a rare sales personality type in our interactions with Chamber members and prospective members that we were a little taken aback.

Clearly this person feels they don’t have time to invest in a relationship. They only want the sale. If you don’t have time for the relationship, do you have time for good customer service? Will you take shortcuts if I contract with you, because you don’ t have time?

Well . . . good luck with that.

Our research shows us that, especially in today’s economy, people do business with people they know. People they trust.

I’m sure that when you think about the people you refer and the people you do business with, you’ll agree, that knowing them, trusting them, staying in regular communication with them, increases your opportunity for business.

Maximize your EXPO experience more tips and trends

2009-08-28T13:30:00.001-04:00

1. Keep handouts short and sweet. Provide a one page fact sheet at the show instead of a brochure. The most serious prospects prefer not to wait for information to be sent after the show. Strike when the decision process is hot.
2. Increase pre-show promotions. What are you doing to drive customers and clients to the EXPO? Did you know that 33% of people who visit an exhibit are influenced by pre-show mailings. Direct mail provides an incentive to visit the booth and helps prime the pump. The preshow mailing list should follow a descending priority: existing customers, previous leads, last Expo’s attendees and the current Expo list.
Texas Instruments used its distributor’s customer list, rather than the show’s registration list, for a recent show mailing and increased its response rate by 66%. Don’t forget — one mailing is not enough. A minimum of three mailings is required to garner attention.
3. Ask for more names. Identify other people with whom booth visitors will share information once they return home. 60% of visitors will share the information with at least two other decision-makers within their company after the show. Ask for those names.
4. Customer intimacy is in. Design your booth layout to create a warm, friendly discussion area. DO NOT STAND BEHIND YOUR BOOTH Create a side-by-side discussion zone and remove barriers between you and the visitor. Small, round counter-high discussion tables increase sales interaction and get prospects to stop and talk about their needs. Time is precious. A total of 58% of prospects will not wait longer than one minute for a sales representative’s attention at a trade show exhibit.
5. Dress casually. Dress should be brightand business casual. Long-sleeve shirts with company logos have replaced business suits. Avoid golf shirts, unless you're in the golf industry. Research shows that they are too casual and reduce credibility.
6. It happens at the end of the EXPO. You’ll meet the genuine prospects toward the end of the day. Serious buyers run out of time and cram in the most urgent needs just before they are forced to leave. Don’t discount the last few visitors. Booth staff energy and enthusiasm should remain high for those last-minute shoppers.
7. It happens on the Web. Increasingly, attendees are visiting the Website after the show to avoid the sales pitch. If that’s the case, distribute business cards with just a name and a Website address. Trade show exhibiting is not an inexpensive marketing proposition. Yet, predictive elements and behavioral rules can dramatically improve the number and quality of trade show leads and boost after-show sales revenue. “Trade show attendees are more focused, desiring immediate answers and higher-quality information. It has become increasingly important to adapt trade show marketing strategies to these changes.”

EXPO--TH November 12, 2009 5:00 pm Business Hour
6-8 pm FREE ADMISSION for the Public!

ADDED VALUE for attending the EXPO Workshop!

Virtual Expo AN ADDED EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPO EXHIBITORS! Each exhibitor will have a promotional web page on the Chamber's website with their business profile and an opportunity to extend a “show special” to visitors. This great feature will extend the life of the Expo for a full 30 days! http://www.clarkston.org/

EXPO workshop Thursday, September 3, 2009 2-4 p.m. at Clarkston Schools Administration Building.

2009-08-27T22:24:00.007-04:00

Maximize Your Expo Experience

First impressions count! Show off your professionalism.
Have more than one representative available for face-to-face B2B networking.
Have clear signage and displays.
Be creative & make the most of your booth.
Attract more attention by doing a presentation or demonstration.
Provide a great exhibitor drawing item to entice visitors. Collect business cards and draw at your booth.

November 12, 2009 5:00 pm Business Hour

6-8 pm FREE ADMISSION for the Public!

ADDED VALUE for attending the EXPO Workshop!
Virtual Expo

AN ADDED EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPO EXHIBITORS! Each exhibitor will have a promotional web page on the Chamber's website with their business profile and an opportunity to extend a “show special” to visitors. This great feature will extend the life of the Expo for a full 30 days! http://www.clarkston.org/

EXPO workshop Thursday, September 3, 2009 2-4 p.m. at Clarkston Schools Administration Building. REGISTER at http://www.clarkston.org/ or call the Chamber at 248-625-8055

Are you getting the most out of EXPO, BullsEye and Taste?

2009-08-26T14:34:00.005-04:00

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce has 3 exceptional exhibiting opportunities coming up this fall.

1. Taste of Clarkston--Sunday, September 27, 2009 Noon-6 pm in downtown historic Clarkston. Potentially your biggest B2C Audience. If weather is cooperative--we can easily have over 15,000 people attend the Taste of Clarkston. It's a local audience! 72% are from Clarkston zip codes. Another 12% come because a friend of family member in the Clarkston zip codes invited them. (2007 survey)

2. BullsEye Small Business Conference--October 22, 2009 7:30 a.m.-Noon at Oakland Schools. Potentially your biggest B2B Audience. This is conference is hosted by the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Waterford Area and Pontiac Regional Chambers of Commerce. Four keynote speakers with time between sessions for networking and visiting exhibits. Exhibitors are IN the conference room, so you don't miss the presentations and you're right there ready to interact when the break begins.

3. EXPO--Thursday, November 12, 2009 6-8 pm A mix of B2B and B2C, this event has it all. A special B2B only hour 5-6 pm includes strolling appetizers (because we KNOW you just came from work) and time for exhibitors and Chamber members to visit and see all the booths. The doors open to the public at 6 pm and it's FREE Admission. Several businesses are donating iPods for EXPO raffle prizes and you can donate one too--or create a gift basket or gift certificate for either B2B (given away at EXPO Afterglow at Mesquite Creek immediately following the EXPO) OR B2C (given away at the EXPO throughout the evening).

Great Opportunities--but how do you make the most of them? If you've exhibited at Trade Shows and EXPOs before you may wonder why you're not getting the business you'd hope to get at these events. Are there tricks, tips, secrets of exhibiting that your competitors know and you don't?

The Chamber wants your exhibiting experience to be the best it can be. To help make that happen, we're bringing in Stacy Himmelspach, Insight Advisory Services to present a workshop on maximizing your EXPO experience. This isn't just for EXPO! It's for ANY trade show, any time you exhibit, any opportunity to gain a new audience and customer base.

THURSDAY

September 3, 2009

2-4 pm at Clarkston Schools Administration Building

$15*

*Signing up for Beer University later that evening, you'll SAVE another $5 on combined registrations when you sign up for both at the same time. (Beer University 5:00-8:30 pm at On the Border, Baldwin Rd., Auburn Hills. TICKETS $50 at the door; $35 early bird rate when you purchase by Aug 28.)

1. Participants will develop a plan for getting prepared for the EXPO
2. What to expect at the EXPO
3. Helpful hints for successful EXPO
4. Networking and planning with veteran EXPO exhibitors
5. Business growth expectations
6. Follow-up process: During and after the EXPO, how you will follow up with contacts you have made.

ADDED VALUE for attending the EXPO Workshop!

Virtual Expo
AN ADDED EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPO EXHIBITORS! Each exhibitor will have a promotional web page on the Chamber's website with their business profile and an opportunity to extend a “show special” to visitors. This great feature will extend the life of the Expo for a full 30 days! http://www.clarkston.org/

We're cooking up some tasty treats for TASTE Sept 27 2009

2009-08-20T08:01:00.000-04:00

Taste of Clarkston is fast approaching.

Sunday
September 27, 2009
Noon-6 pm on MAIN STREET
in Historic Downtown Clarkston, MI

SEE MORE PHOTOS at: http://www.clarkston.org/events/TASTEphotos.htm

This event involves over 30 restaurants, 100 sponsors and 300 volunteers.

Participating Restaurants (as of 8-18-09)
1. Biggby Coffee
2. Brioni Café & Deli
3. Bullfrog’s Bar & Grill
4. Caribou Coffee
5. Clarkston Café
6. Clarkston Union
7. Costco
8. Culver’s of Clarkston (may have 2 booths; one in Depot, one on Main St.)
9. Essence On Main
10. Fountains Golf & Banquet
11. Gregg’s Gourmet Café
12. Hamlin Pub
13. Little Caesars
14. Longhorn Steakhouse
15. MacPhee’s Restaurant & Pub
16. Max & Ermas
17. Mr. B’s Roadhouse
18. O’Malley’s Galley
19. On the Border
20. p’Fino Gourmet
21. Paint Creek Country Club
22. Papa Romano’s
23. Pete’s Coney II
24. Qdoba Mexican Grill
25. Rainforest Café
26. Rib Rack
27. Ruby Tuesday
28. Rudy’s Market
29. Shepherds Hollow
30. Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill
31. Tropical Smoothie Café Dixie
32. Tropical Smoothie Café Sashabaw
33. Via Bologna of Clarkston

Think Local, Buy Chamber

2009-08-19T07:37:00.001-04:00

This Spring the Chamber formed a special task force and charged them with:

developing a shop local chamber branding initiative that creates awareness and consumer loyalty for our member businesses.

The challenge to the task force was to develop something that would:

not exclude any sector of our chamber membership (eg: could not be so focused on retail sector that it offered little for our service sector members; could not exclude members outside Clarkston zip codes) and

oh, by the way . . . we have no funding for a big broad marketing campaign. So be creative and think of ways to get the message out utilizing social media, guerilla marketing and grassroots communications.

Along the way we tested the slogan "My Clarkston Buy Clarkston." It resonated well to begin with but quickly demonstrated that it is a best fit for the downtown businesses inside the City of the Village of Clarkston. It did not meet all of the charges that the committee had been tasked with.

So the committee went back to the drawing board. While reviewing logo selection an intense discussion revisited all of the work and research that the task force had undertaken.

With each logo concept (and we had over a dozen to choose from), the task force discussed, debated and challenged what the program is and how it would help our businesses.

We knew what it would NOT be. Our surveys and research showed us that we did not want it to be a coupon program or incentive program. There are many programs like that out there and we were concerned that repeatedly discounting our value offerings as "the only way" to get consumers to think local, was not the primary message we wanted to send.

We thought of the program from the consumer's side. What would inspire them to take an extra moment before making a decision to purchase goods and services?

We thought of it from a business's side. Do we want commerce to stop at a zip code? Is "local" to be defined by artificial boundaries of a zip code or muncipality boundary, or by the natural existing patterns of commercial enterprise?

Do we want to promote all businesses in our community--or are we focused (as our mission says) on our members? What is the value of membership if we give our brand away to non-members?

We are not a DDA.

So where does this take us?

The task force agreed that the goal of our shop local initiative was to get consumers and businesses to THINK LOCAL.

Think about what's available right here in our area.

Think about the independent business owner, franchise owner, office manager, service provider that is vested in seeing our local economy thrive.

Think about the friends and neighbors who ARE these business owners.

Think about the feel of our hometown community. What would be lost if a local business closes it's doors?

Think about what local businesses give back to the community. Through taxes, community involvement, civic leadership--our business community is a big portion of what makes the "Clarkston" brand, whether they are located in a Clarkston zip code or not. (eg: Palace Sports & Entertainment; Costco; Changing Places Moving & Storage; Waterfall Jewlers to name a few.)

From the business side, the task force felt we were right on target with the business pledge to consumers. What is the value our businesses will provide to consumers when they DO "Think Local?"

Think Local, Buy Chamber Business Owners’ Pledge
• We will smile and treat you with respect and courtesy.
• We will offer quality products and services at a fair price.
• We will serve you promptly and be committed to your satisfaction.
• We will respect your privacy and never sell your confidential contact information.
• We will thank you for your business.
• We, too, will shop and hire local.

The task force then quickly decided upon Buy Chamber. Ideally we would like consumers to THINK about their purchases and contract services and then take action by BUYing from a Chamber member.

The Chamber Board of Directors concurred that that is the cornerstone of what this shop local imitative really was intended to do.

As a Chamber of Commerce our first duty is to our members. To promote them. To help them grow their business. To help them connect with other businesses, consumers, clients and referral partners.

Recognizing that My Clarkston, Buy Clarkston's best fit is with the downtown businesses, the Chamber has offered the slogan, logo designs and website domain to the downtown businesses for their use.

Think Local, Buy Chamber and My Clarkston Buy Clarkston are complimentary campaigns. Our campaign is a Chamber message. My Clarkston Buy Clarkston is a downtown business message.

Will there be a My Davisburg, Buy Davisburg campaign in the future? There could be if the local businesses in the hamlet decide to implement one.

Chamber GPS--Where are we and who are we?

2009-08-18T15:15:00.002-04:00

The Chamber covers the Clarkston area--which we define as the City of the Village of Clarkston, Independence Township, Springfield Township, Davisburg and the Dixie Corridor. It matches the overlay of Clarkston Community Schools attendance boundaries with some extra areas.

Our mission is to promote and enhance business opportunities in the Clarkston Area for our members.

You wouldn't think that defining your geographic area would be difficult. Surprisingly, when you bring 18-20 people together and ask them to tell you "What is Clarkston?" you'll get several different answers.

It could have been just the City of the Village of Clarkston. From a municipality standpoint, that is the most accurate definition. The City is the only REAL Clarkston in some people's minds.

Yet the city is about 1 square mile, with a 2 block business district and 800 residents. It also sits in the middle of Independence Township, not unlike a donut hole inside a donut.

Clarkston could be defined by the Clarkston zipcodes. 48346 and 48348. And in truth, the largest portion of our membership resides in those zipcodes. Yet the intermingling of commerce between Springfield Township to our west and a sliver of Waterford Township to our South doesn't stop at a postal zipcode.

A study of where natural patterns of commerce were taking place indicated that Davisburg and a large portion of Springfield Township utilize Clarkston businesses for retail, restaurants and services. Mostly rural and residential there was no hub of business promotion or development until you reach Holly. For those reasons, we included Springfield Township in our geographic definition of the Clarkston Area.

The Clarkston Chamber was founded 10 years before Waterford Area Chamber was created and in those years many businesses on the border with Clarkston joined our Chamber and were very active and commited to improving our economic climate.

Since a vibrant and growing Waterford Chamber under the direction of Marie Hauswirth came on the scene, many of these businesses still choose belong to the Clarkston Area Chamber (in addition to joining the Waterford Chamber.) Several Waterford business owners have been Presidents of the Clarkston Area Chamber.

It is a myth that you have to have a business located in the geographic area of a community in order to join their Chamber of Commerce.

It is a myth that by virtue of having a business located in a geographic area, that you are automatically a member of the Chamber of Commerce. We are not a DDA. We do not receive tax dollars or other financial support from governmental agencies.

So why would you join more than one Chamber? Well . . . why do you subscribe to more than one magazine or newspaper? Why do you watch more than one TV station? And why would you belong to more than one club or professional organization?

You do it for information, for programs and for social and business networking.

Clarkston Area Chamber is an expert on OUR geographic area. We know it well. We can help you know it well. We connect you to the audiences here (business to business and business to consumer.) While our programs are good and members like what we're doing . . . we don't do it IN Waterford for our Waterford member businesses. The same is true of our Auburn Hills members, the Lake Orion members, the Pontiac members, the Rochester members.

If you want to be promoted and connect with businesses and consumers in those areas, you need to join those Chambers.

If you want to be promoted inside our community, then we recommend you join OUR Chamber.

Website now offers more Social Media Connections for members

2009-08-15T08:02:00.007-04:00

Clarkston Area Chamber is pleased to launch a new feature on our website which allows our members to post your Social Media Contacts which then become quick links on your business listing.

ENTER THE INFORMATION IN MEMBERS ONLY

WATCH THE INFORMATION BE ADDED MAGICALLY TO YOUR PUBLIC LISTING
(The icons are LINKS)

WHILE YOU'RE IN MEMBERS ONLY
Add your photo and logo too!

www.clarkston.org

What's rain got to do with it?

2009-08-10T06:27:00.005-04:00

The Chamber's largest event, our signature event, has become The Taste of Clarkston. It involves over 30 restaurants, 300 volunteers, 100 sponsors and exhibitors, and partnerships with the City of the Village of Clarkston and Indpendence Township Parks & Recreation.

It's a one day event (held the last Sunday in September) on Main Street.

If the weather is anywhere near nice . . . it's a fantastic event. It runs smoothly, we have a good hometown crowd of around 18,000 people. There's great food, live music, free KidZones with activities for kids of all ages.

If it rains . . . .it is a financial nightmare.

This weekend I visited with my sisters, one lives in Milford (Milford Memories) and one lives in Pinkney (Brighton Art Fair). Both communities had planned, prepared and presented their signature outdoor summer events. Both communities were hit Saturday with their absolute worst weather nightmare. Downpours. Thunderstorms.

Because I work at a Chamber of Commerce and KNOW what goes into these event, and because my sisters (and nieces) are game for adventure, we went to the art fair anyway. We brought umbrellas, we got wet and we had a great time. The artists were stunned to see us. We were probably 1/2 of the buying public that showed up that morning. (And the afternoon had worse weather.)

All the while I was visualizing what would happen to Taste of Clarkston if we had this kind of weather. (The puddles in the street became a river. My shoes are still drying out.)

There's only so much you can do to plan the perfect family friendly event--if the weather turns on you . . . we don' t have a back up date. We don't have a rain location.

What's rain got to do with it? Everything.

I have to remember that this is why we picked September for this event. Historically the end of September, early October is dryer than July or August. Freak thunderstorms shouldn't happen. We might get stray rain showers from a fringe finger of a hurricane that hits the Gulf coast . . . but we should be good.

Should be.

Cross your fingers (and join the prayer team!)

60 Useful Minutes--a programming concept

2009-08-07T08:02:00.000-04:00

Throughout the year, I collect information from other Chambers and organizations, looking for ideas that may fit the interest and needs of our Chamber. The idea file is very thick. There are a LOT of great ideas out there.

This one, is intriguing and I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on 60 Useful Minutes.

What is 60 Useful Minutes?

How about revving up on a Friday instead of winding down? End your week on a high with 60 really useful minutes hosted by Clarkston Area Chamber.

Once a month (or twice a month or weekly), a member company will be presenting a practical workshop - against the clock - for business owners and managers who will take away six practical tips which can be implemented immediately, to improve their business.

We’re not serving breakfast or canapés, just invaluable business advice in 60 really useful minutes! Starting promptly at 9.00am every Friday morning, we promise to get you out by 10am, ready to tackle your day.

That's the idea in a nutshell.

The purpose of this type of event is to compliment our current programming:
BOBs (Business Over Breakfast) are monthly quick facilitated networking events.
Luncheon Mixers are monthly relaxed networking and updates on local government planning, economic forecasts and business development in and coming to our community.
Women in Business are a series of 4 events January-April that inspirational and educational networking events.
BullsEye Small Business Conference is an annual 1/2 day educational conference in partnership with other Chambers.

I'm looking for programming that offers our Chamber members:

Opportunities to present
A chance to share your knowledge and expertise with other members
An opporutnity to increase your strategic referral network and expose you to a larger customer base
It's an opportunity for members to develop leadership and public speaking skills.

What do you think? Is this something you would be interested in attending? Is it something you would be interested in presenting at? You can leave your comments on this blog or email Penny@clarkston.org

Be a fan of the Chamber on Facebook

2009-08-06T05:47:00.001-04:00

Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook

Drive traffic to your website--Twitter; Tweetdeck and TweetLater

2009-08-04T06:21:00.000-04:00

Checking those website stats
Thanks to the email reminder from our webhost, IGD Solutions, (www.igdsolutions.com) I reviewed the latest website tracking reports. (I appreciate the email reminder--even though I KNOW I should look at the website stats at the first of the month, it isn't on my radar until I get that email.)

July continued the trend for growth in traffic to the Chamber's website. We are now averaging 375 unique visits each day--11, 627 per month. That represents an 11.5% increase from June.

Over 80% of our visitors type in our URL directly. Which means, we are either Bookmarked in Favorites, or visitors already know about us and how to get to us. (www.clarkston.org) By the way . . . have you ever typed in www.clarkston.com? That takes you to one of the many other Clarkston's in the United States. That one happens to be in Washington.

TRIVIA INFO: Clarkston, Washington is right across the river from Lewiston, Idaho. Get it? Lewis and Clark?

Back on task . . . The next thing I look for is what websites are providing referrals to our website? Where's the click-thru traffic coming from.

Big surprise . . . the top referral site is Google. Next--Yahoo. Then--Bing. Now seriously, were any of you surprised by that?

What was of interest, however were the referral links coming directly from Twitter.
Our website stats also show that traffic that comes from Twitter DOUBLED from June to July.

This is an intentional strategy--to use Twitter to drive traffic to our website for more information.

What's working for us? Including hotlinks to specific pages on our website with a teaser tweet helps a lot! (I know . . . DUH)

I have found these Twitter applications very helpful in implementing this strategy.

How Tweetdeck can save you time and increase your productivity
Setting up Tweetdeck (at Jason T. Ryan's suggestion--Thanks Jason www.twitter.com/VirtualJason has been a huge timesaver.

For those of you familiar with the Twitter home page, you see that you have one listing of feeds from all the people you're following. You have to click to a new page to see direct messages (DM) or replies (when someone references you in a tweet using the @ sign in front of your name--eg @CACOC)

Tweetdeck allows you to have multiple columns on view. If you looked at my Tweetdeck you'd see: ALL friends; Replies; Direct Messages: Clarkston (anyone referencing "Clarkston" in a tweet shows up here) and Chamber (Chamber members who are tweeting are in this special "call out" column.)

This has really helped me respond better to direct messages and replies. It helps me keep track when people Retweet a message (RT) so I can thank them.

However the most convenient part of Tweetdeck is that you can do your tweet postings from the same page--AND you have the ability to shorten urls or add a tweetpic without moving to a new screen/website.

Being able to shorten URLs allows me to put in specific links for our webpages (or other resources) without losing valuable space in the tweet. (There are only 140 characters, so you have to use them wisely).

TweetLater covers for you when you get busy during the day

The next terrifically helpful tool that works for me is TweetLater.
This application allows me to preprogram in Tweets that will be sent at a later date and time (I pick the day and time.)

It occured to me pretty early on that most people know the Clarkston area because it is the home of DTE Energy Music Theatre (Pine Knob Theatre . . . I know, I know).

Since we are known by this--we can capture tweet interest and website traffic if we can connect ourselves to DTE. We want the traffic, particularly for restaurant and retail businesses who might be able to pick up additional customers who are visiting our area. (It's not just about website numbers--we also want to increase real business for our members!)

With Tweetlater I was able to preprogram tweets for the entire DTE season. The tweets go out the morning of/or night before a DTE Concert. They state the concert info, time concert starts so it will be captured by anyone searching for band or concert info. The tweets also include rotating message reminders like "Check out your dining options in the Clarkston area." (and a link to our website)" or "What else is in Clarkston? (and a link to our website)" "We invite you to check us out. (and a link to our website.)

To follow up with this--you will find our website homepage message includes "Home of DTE Energy Music Theatre" and quick links to restaurants.

Tweetlater can also be used to set up rotating welcome messages for when people sign up to follow you.

You can preset your messages to tweet early in the morning, then repeat at 11 and 2 and 5 pm

This is a very helpful tool if you're trying to promote a sale, a product, a general message.

I will admit, it is hard to be creative 24/7. It's hard to get through all the "to dos" during the day, especially if something unexpected comes up. Tweetlater has your back. You pick the time when you ARE feeling creative. Preprogram the tweets and then . . . forget about it.

FEEDBACK: If you find this information helpful, shoot me an email or leave a comment on this blog. (Penny@clarkston.org)

Social Media overview

2009-08-01T08:59:00.001-04:00

It starts with your website

I started with the Chamber in 1997. I've overseen the development of the Chamber's website and website revision, revision revision. In those early days, it wasn't clear what purpose the website could really offer a business, though "everyone" was telling us we needed a website.

In many respects the early website was just an electronic business card. It was static, updated perhaps annually. Current and timely information could not get on the website fast enough to encourage anyone to visit more than once. The most important part of the website was (and still is) the listing of our members. http://www.clarkston.org/

Today, our website is much more dynamic and functional. It is timely. Information, photos, events and dates can be updated daily. New members are listed on the website within 48 hours of joining.

The website is the anchor of our social media plan. It's where we can post more information on ideas, topics. It's where we promote our members, put a "face" on the Chamber with photos and member profiles, links to members websites and email. The website compliments and becomes the destination for Tweet links, Facebook updates and eNewsletter/eBlast communications. The website ties our message all together.

Jumping in with FACEBOOK

http://www.facebook.com/penny.shanks

I learned of Facebook while my sons were in college. They would post photos in Facebook and send me a link that allowed me to see them . . . but nothing else . . . at that time you had to have a university/college email address in order to get an account with Facebook.

When Facebook opened up to all users, I was one of the first to jump in. AND . . . didn't know what to do after I was in. At that time posting a status update, poking and uploading photos was about all you could do on Facebook. I SO didn't "get" why anyone would want to poke anyone else.

So I did nothing with Facebook for about 3 months.

It was scolding from my sons that finally prompted me to take time to explore a little more.

YES . . . when you first jump in, there is a learning curve/black hole that will absorb much of your time and attention. I recommend exploring any new social media at a time when you can afford to enjoy the journey of exploration . . . and then be fearless. This is the time to clicky click . . . "what's this button do?"

FULL DISCLOSURE I don't watch a lot of TV. I've never seen Survivor, don't know when American Idol is on and have only seen clips of Dancing with the Stars on Hulu. SEE all that time I've saved that I can use elsewhere?

The good news is, once you've started to become familiar with screens, functions and applications, it goes faster. Facebook is now something I check a couple times a day, not unlike checking my email. Often I get a treat when I open Facebook. Photos of newborn grandnieces Lilli or Addi. A photo journal trip of niece Serena and her family's trip to the Detroit Zoo.

Undoubtedly there will be a photo posting of a cool car spotted by one of my sons. They tell me this is a 21st century version of bird watching. They have a list of cars they've seen and want to see. The more rare the car, the more points they get for getting a picture of it.

Facebook has been primarily, for me, a family connection tool. I've reconnected with several friends from high school and college, but it hasn't been a business tool.

Then came the Chamber's Fan Page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clarkston-Area-Chamber-of-Commerce/73980752567?ref=ts

We started with a group page, which, at the time, was the right place to be for businesses.

Then Facebook launched FAN pages. The functionality of Fan Pages, announcing events, invitations, photo albums made it a lot more verstile for what we wanted to do.

DID YOU KNOW that when you're a fan you can post things on the wall, links, photos too?

The Chamber's Fan page will compliment information found on the Chamber's website, upcoming events, photos, announcements. But it also includes YOUR input and participation. Add your links, your videos, your comments.

You don't have to be a member of the Chamber to be a fan of the Chamber. Invite your friends and family members to be a fan too!

TIP: PHOTOS from events are posted on the Chamber's Facebook Fan Page BEFORE they are posted on our website.

BLOGGING

I've been an active Blogger since the summer of 2004. Over the years I've run four different blogs, this is now my 5th.

Don't be surprised if you haven't heard of them. Three blogs were the online diaries of our family cats (created for the amusement of my large extended family). The fourth was a blog about training for and completing the Disney Marathon. http://marathonmom50.livejournal.com/

Unfortunately the best cat blog I had going, has now come to an end. Our treasured cat Dougal passed away July 29, 2009. http://dougal5.blogspot.com/

There are all kinds of blogging tools out there. You can see that I have used livejournal.com and blogspot.com. Both are easy to use. The trick is . . . use them. If you intend to be a blogger, you need to keep fresh content on your blog.

There are lots of tools to measure the effectiveness of your blog. You can see how many followers you have, how many views you've had. Which posts got the most interest.

You can link to your blog from a Facebook posting, or a tweet. You can include a link to your blog in an eNewsletter.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkstonchamber

There is also a Clarkston Chamber GROUP on Linked in.

I'm not sure when I first joined Linked In. I know from other people's recommendations and experiences that I clearly am not fully utilizing the power of Linked In.

I've personally found the layout and functionality to not be terrifically intuitive. When I start to try and navigate what else Linked In can do . . . I tend to run into road blocks, get frustrated and just forget about it.

So it's something I'm working on. (and I'm open to tips or suggestions on how to get more out of it.)

Twitter
www.twitter.com/CACOC

In January I attended a meeting with the Oakland Chamber Network and heard a presentation from Detroit Regional Chamber on Twitter.

Initially the concept . . . 140 characters of "What are you doing right now?" seemed frivilous.

Yet, in an attempt to one up my sons, (the techie physicists in the family) I asked them if they'd ever heard of Twitter. Naturally they had. One was already on it. The other felt it was a little frivilous and that AIM does the same thing.

With support from the other son, I jumped into Twitter. I started with a personal account, to explore what Twitter is, how it works and how it fits into my schedule. (Like my son in Grad School I don't really have time for another time wasting internet gadget).

During this time period the Twitter explosion happened. Suddenly everyone was talking about Twitter. Oprah joined Twitter.

And the interesting thing is . . . the more people that are on Twitter, the more opportunities there have been for it to be a useful business tool.

I created a Chamber Twitter account (@CACOC). During set up of the account, I discovered you could put the Twitter feed on a website or blog . . . well . . COOL!

With Twitter on the front page of the Chamber's website, everytime I Tweet it updates my website. The power of Twitter is fascinating. The power of being immediate is invigorating.

Initially I looked for people to follow and just listened for awhile. I selected media outlets like the Detroit News, Freepress and Flint Journal. I follow the Pistons, the Tigers and the Lions.

When I found someone whose tweets were intriguing, I looked at who THEY followed and checked them out.

As @CACOC began to Tweet, I had already settled in my mind what "identity" I wanted to the Chamber's Twitter account to take. That helped drive the content I tweeted and retweeted. And it drove the types of people and organizations I follow.

I'm not going to tell you what that identity is . . . check out @CACOC and see if you can figure it out.

How much time does Social Media take?
It's kind of like asking how much time does your family take?
Social Media is about relationships. It needs to be something that's integrated into your daily routine. When you check your email--check twitter and facebook.
Don't let it consume all your free time.

Like gardening, though, you need to nurture the seedlings. Water them. Make sure they have good nutrition (content).

You can't plant seeds and come back 3 months later and wonder why there's no harvest.

Social Media Bootcamp

2009-08-01T08:26:00.000-04:00

July 31, 2009 Clarkston Area Chamber hosted dynamic presenters Charlie Wollborg, Curve Detroit and Terry Bean, Motor City Connect.

Additional Presentations by

Dan Izydorek, PC Miracles

What you need to know about computer safety BEFORE you go online and dive into social media.

Sue Kinch, Fresh Eyes Business Services

Effective email marketing

With nearly 60 attendees, this workshop clearly sparked interest in our members. From non-profit organizations and public access TV to Oxford Bank and Genisys Credit Union, we had a wide variety of industries represented.

During introductions, I learned that many of our members are getting involved with Facebook, but aren't sure how to use it in a business capacity. A few members are on Twitter, and many have heard about it, but don't know what it is.

Some members are involved in Linked In, but again, they aren't sure how to maximize it's effectiveness.

There was concern that social media is a big black hole that sucks up time with little ROI.