You may be a hoarder.

Are you a hoarder?
Between reality TV shows, articles in magazines, newspaper headlines about the latest cat lady--one would think that there is an epidemic of hoarding behavior in our country.

So . . . are YOU a hoarder?  Let's take a quick quiz to find out.

1. At networking events do you collect business cards?
If you answered YES
Surely you know that collecting things without thinking about the purpose and usefulness of the item can be an early sign of hoarding.
If you answered NO
Why are you going to networking events?  When you leave a networking event without any cards, either you already knew everybody in the room or you were just there for the coffee.  And I ask you--is that effective networking?

2. If you are collecting business cards--the key is what you do with the cards, are they in a drawer or box on your desk? 
If you answered YES
Not only do you need to worry about hoarding behavior, I would like to point out that these business cards become  Schrodinger's Cat.  When you open the box--maybe there's business in there or maybe the business is dead.
In any case--the point is . . . well . . what IS the point.  So you have a nice collection of business cards.  Are you expecting them to go out and do business for you?
If you answered NO
I'm intrigued . . . what are you doing with your cards?


3. Do you scan all of them into your database?
If you answered YES
Are you also making quick notes of how you met the person, or their business, to trigger your memory?  And are you throwing the cards out (or recycling) when you're done?  Or better yet--are you selecting a few key cards and passing them on to your network?
If you answered NO
Okay, seriously, I'm intrigued--WHAT are you doing with your cards?
Do you display your business cards as part of a collection--bragging about your latest acquisitions?  I'll grant you, some business cards ARE very creative.


Business cards can be the mulch that help you grow your business.  But NOT if you're storing the mulch in your office and not cultivating anything with them.

You're a hoarder if your piles of business cards are negatively affecting your quality of life.
You're an ineffective networker if all you have are a handful of cards from people you don't know.

Be an amazing networking and stifle the hoarding instinct.

Use the networking events to get to know people.
Use business cards to quickly gather contact information that you follow up on.  Put the information in your data base within 48 hours of a networking event.  If you don't do it right away--you will forget who the people are behind the cards.

Connect with your contacts on Linked In.  Check out their Facebook page.

Spend time thinking about how you can help THEM--and not just about how they can help you.

These are the keys to growing your business AND keeping the clutter out of your office.

Insider Tips for getting the most out of your Chamber membership

At a recent event, we asked Chamber members to give us their "Insider Tips" for getting the most value out of their Chamber membership.  Here's what they said.

"Attend as many events and activities as possible.  People need to get to know you, like you and trust you before doing business with you or better yet--sending you referrals."

Donna Bullard, Clarkston Brandon Community Credit Union.

"We're all here hoping to share and learn from one another.  It's amazing how quickly you make new friends with a common goal."

Denise Poniatowski, Divine Nutrition

"The more you get involved with the Chamber, the more benefits you will receive."

Ron DeLorme, Manage Max Performance Improvement

"Be patient.  Attend, watch and learn from others."

Nathan Sealy, Brass Ring Wealth Management

"Watch for visits from Teri Robinson, Membership consultant at the Chamber.  Her smiling face and current info on what's happening in the Chamber are great!"

Kimberly Dunahay, Divine Nutrition

"It's not just business you find at Chamber events.  We found Katie Marietta (Fitness and Aquatics Director) at the Taste of Clarkston!"

Tammie White, Deer Lake Athletic Club

"Use the membership list to make contact and introduce yourself.  Find out who handles decisions on your product/services and get connected with them."

Patty Gelsomino, Toshiba Business Services

and from the Chamber staff we have these additional tips:

Attend a Member Orientation meeting (held every 4-6 weeks).  You'll learn what programs, services and values you can access immediately to jump start your involvement in the Chamber.

Don't try to do it all.  Be strategic and selective about when and where you can participate in Chamber events, programs and projects.

Use your membership.  Like a gym membership, if you don't use it--you don't see the results.  

Involvement can mean reading your Advertising Advantage, checking out the website, following the Chamber on Twitter or Facebook, connecting on Linked in.  It's not just attending BOBs, Mixers and Women in Business events.

Write your business goals down.  Then think about why you joined the Chamber, what the Chamber can offer and what you can participate in.  Write down your goals for your Chamber membership and three things you will do in the next 30 days to help achieve those goals.  Make an appointment with yourself to review these goals and actions in 30 days--find out what works for you and do more of it.

Visit the website--you'll find lots of information on what's happening, business resources, information about other members.

Send information, press releases, photos, announcements to Penny@clarkston.org.  She will help promote you through the website, eBlasts and social media outlets.

Time Saving Tips from our Members

"Combine your place for fitness and entertainment.  Find  a third place. Home, work and add a place for the whole family."
Katie Marietta, Deer Lake Athletic Club


"Pick 6 activities that you want to do during the day.  Prioritize them, then start on the 1st one."
Nick Hamp, Total Benefits System Inc.

"Instead of making breakfast or lunch, stop in and have us provide you with a quick delicious healthy "meal" smoothie."
Kimberly Dunahay, Divine Nutrition


"Return calls while on the road (Hands free Blue Tooth only.)"
Nathan Sealey, Brass Ring Wealth Management


"Always have a plan for your day.  When you have your own business it's easy to get caught up in time wasters.  Make a plan and stick to it!"
Denise Poniatowski, Divine Nutrition


And here are some tips from the Chamber Staff

Sign up for auto-bill with the Chamber.  If you regularly attend BOBs, Mixers or WIB events, we can have you pre-registered for all these events.  You'll get a reminder email for the event so you can confirm you're still planning to attend.  If necessary, you can cancel that registration at that time, without penalty.  It's a great way to make sure we've saved you a seat at our events.

Eat that Frog.  http://www.eatthatfrogmovie.com/

Set goals weekly.  Assess them at the end of each week.  Evaluate what obstacles kept you from meeting your goals and what opportunities helped you reach your goals faster.

Be realistic about how much time it takes to do something.

Don't check your email every minute.  Set times at the top or bottom of the hour--or at a set point in the morning or afternoon--and then walk away from the inbox.  Don't let an incoming email of low urgency jump the queue for important things you have to do today.

The Best Advice a Mentor Gave You

At a recent Chamber event, we asked our members to share with us, the best advice a mentor every gave them.

"Lead by example.  Your staff with follow you."
Donna Clancy, Clarkston SCAMP

"It takes 21 days for something to become a habit."
Patty Gelsomino, Toshiba

"Never come back from a request empty handed."
Nathan Sealey, Brass Ring Wealth Management

"There are 3 things you need to do: See the people, See the people, See the people!"
Nick Hamp, Total Benefit Systems, Inc.

"When you have confidence in your employees capabilities you will seldom be disappointed."
Donna Bullard, Clarkston Brandon Community Credit Union

"What' easy to do is just as easy not to do."
Denise Poniatowski, Divine Nutrition


The Chamber staff had some additional tips:

"Don't post anything on Facebook that you wouldn't want your mom to see, because chances are, your mom's on Facebook too."

"Pay it forward."

"When setting goals, always include one that's a bit of a stretch--something you have only a 1 in 10 chance of achieving.  You never know what you can do until you stretch."

"Change is uncomfortable.  Lean into the discomfort--it means you're growing and learning."

"When listening to an unhappy customer--Remember to W.A.I.T.  Which means Why Am I Talking?  If you're listening .  . . you're not talking."

Insider Tips for the Clarkston Area

At a recent event, we asked Chamber members to share their insider tips for the Clarkston area.

"Use Pine Knob Road to get to DTE Energy Music Theatre."
Nathan Sealey, Brass Ring Wealth Management


"Check out the Back Court restaurant at Deer Lake Athletic Club.  It's open to the public and has great food!"
Tammie White, Deer Lake Banquet Center


"It's a small community.  Everybody knows everybody!"
Jason Ryan, Groupon


"When you network with good people, your business grows."
Denise Poniatowski, Divine Nutrition


Chamber Staff have a few recommendations too:

Downtown is very walkable.  It's the perfect after work or weekend route for meeting friends, taking the dog for a walk or exploring with your kids.

If you want a good seat at Concerts in the Park, come early (by 6:00).  As an added bonus, you get to hear the local talent pre-show.

The biggest parade on Main Street with the July 4th parade.  If you want a seat on the curb in the downtown area, you'll need to stake out your spot by 8:30.  However, you can find great spots at the start of end of the parade route up until the start time of the parade (10 am).

Look around.  Hidden gems like Via Bologna are tucked away--but they are well worth hunting out.

We love to dine outside. Now that the weather is nice, we look forward to eating outside.  Check out Mr. B's Roadhouse, Mesquite Creek, Clarkston Union, Union Woodshop, Dairy Queen, Via Bologna and more!

The Clarkston Historical Museum is located at the Independence Township Library.  Beautiful visual displays change on a regular basis.  It's well worth a stop by while you're checking out the latest audio book collections or DVDs.

The Spraypark at Clintonwood Park is a great place to take the kids.

We have a LOT of recreational options in the Clarkston area.  Between beaches, golf courses, the ski hill, cross country skiing, hiking, fishing, fitness trails and bike paths--our area also hosts a variety of fitness race events, 5Ks, fun runs and walk-a-thons.



Go ahead . . . show off!  Invite your friends and family to come see Clarkston.  Show off your own "insider tips" as you give them a tour.  We have lots to offer!

Finding and Keeping Quality Employees--tips from our members

At a recent Business over Breakfast, we asked our members to share tips on how to find and keep quality employees.  Here's what they said:

"Compensation. Incentives. Benefits. Encouragement."

--Joy Vander Weel, All Saints Cemetery

"Make employee feel appreciated. Offer sales incentives.  Thank them often. Give encouragement.  Great benefits include: health, 401k match, excellent vacation time.  Genisys Credit Union is Hiring!  Full and part time.  Apply online at www.genisyscu.org."

--Hollie Sayles, Genisys Credit Union

"The greatest way to attract and keep employees is how you treat them."

--Ron DeLorme, Manage Max Performance Improvement

"Involve the employees in the decision making."

--Carol Peters, Lafontaine Automotive Group

"Offer incentives like tuition reimbursement."

--Fred Ritter, Clarkston Autowash Co.

"Feed them."

--Chris Collins, Planet Kids Premier Academy

"Use 4 hour working interviews and ask staff opinions."

--Dr. Bryan Cornwall, Advanced Petcare of Oakland

"Invest in them!  Spend time getting to know their dreams.  Love them (in the right way)."

--Janet Tait, Wellness Enhancement LLC

"Work for your wife.  Divorce is expensive."

--David Jackson, Ideas for You

"Define jobs specifically.  Recruit widely.  design interview questions to reveal job skills.  Do not SETTLE for warm body!  Lots of talent available in Michigan."

--Ron DeLorme, Manage Max Performance Improvement

"Casual Friday."

--Fritz Jackson, Ideas for You

Social Media Tips--What's working for our members

At a recent BOB, we asked our Chamber members, "What's working for you with Social Media?"

TWITTER

"Keep tweets limited to 120 characters so others can retweet.  (RT)"

Jason T. Ryan, Vision Fuel Media

FACEBOOK

"Facebook is working!  I spend 10 minutes a day.  I respond to other's posts.  One in 20 of my posts is about my business, the rest is about my life."

Laura Jasurda, Rodan and Fields

LINKED IN

"I'm a fan.  Linked in helps you think strategically about your contacts.  You can use it to send a thank you for connecting--it leads to conversations."

Larry Ribits, Keaton Publications

CONSTANT CONTACT

"I use Constant Contact--it helps me stay in touch and in front of customers and clients, even in the busy times."

Tom Lowrie, Lowrie's Landscape

WEBSITE

"Having information about our natural burial area The Preserve, is bringing great interest to our website."

Russ Burns, All Saints Cemetery

CROSS LINK
Cross links from Twitter to Facebook to Linked in etc and to your website will help you come up higher in Google and other search engines."
Tom Kiihr, Signs Now Waterford


From the Chamber staff
There are a lot of online social media marketing outlets and tools out there
Invest a little time learning about what each has to offer
Go to where your target audience (and prospective audience) spends their time

TWITTER, the Chamber utilizes Social Oomph to pre-schedule tweets.
Look for content that's easy and interesting to tweet for these pre-scheduled tweets.
We use motivational and inspiration quotes
DTE Energy music theater concert announcements
Local blood drives and community events and activities.
Along with general Chamber information, trivia and tips.
We also use Tweetdeck to "listen".  We've set up columns to capture keywords and phrases of interest to our community.  When people tweet about Clarkston--we want to hear what they're saying.

CROSS LINK We've connected Twitter and Linked In to our Facebook page.  When we post once--it shows up on all 3 Social media outlets.

FACEBOOK--photos and weblinks grab the eye and engage the audience.
Asking questions--even simple ones like "What's your favorite flavor ice cream" can engage the readers.  Let them tell you what they like.

What else is out there?  
Have videos of your business, events, activities, products, testimonials and staff?  Upload them to YouTube and link to them from Facebook and Twitter
Have photos of your business, events, activities, products and staff?  Use Flickr to post them online.
Sign up for Pinterest and learn how to "pin" photos to your public bulletin boards.  You'll find out what people respond to when they Like or Repin your photos and videos.
If you've posted photos or videos on your website, Flickr or YouTube, you can PIN them to your Pinterest boards.  (Facebook photos and videos don't pin . . .yet)

If you have a retail business, you might want to investigate FOURSQUARE.  This social media, location based smart phone app encourages users to announce where they are by "checking in" with their phone.  Retailers and restaurants can capitalize on this by finding out who visits them on a regular basis.  You can also encourage users who are nearby to come on in and check your business out, by posting a special offer on FOURSQUARE.  When a user is in the area, their phone will tell them what special offers are nearby.

There's a lot of social media tools that are out there--free of charge--but needing an investment of your time to learn and keep current your online presence.

There are also a lot of tools out there for additional charges (many of these are nominal annual fees) to upgrade your accounts, give you access to more features or even monitor and manage your online presence for you.