Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Actual for You - Business Community Relations 101 - Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership
One of the most effective methods for growing and improving upon your current business is to solicit feedback regarding your products or services directly from your customers. There are many ways the information you attain from customers can be valuable, including:Gauge overall customer satisfaction - You can see just how satisfied your customers are, and if they aren't, ask them exactly what the problem was and what you can do to fix it. For customers that are satisfied, you can learn more about what they like about your company.Estimating customer loyalty - You can gauge the likelihood that a customer will use your products or services again through their survey answers.Gauge effectiveness of marketing campaigns - By simply asking the client how they found out about your company, you can see what marketing campaigns are bringing in the sales and which are not, and make adjustments to your marketing efforts accordingly.Estimate interest in new products and services - You can present the customer with sample products and services that you have not yet launched and get their feedback on whether they would be interested in it.Test new products and services - You can invite current customers to try out a new product or service before you make it available to the public. Then use follow-up surveys to find out how well the product or service is liked, what can be improved and even how to price it.Reveal demographics - By surveying your customers, you can ask them specific questions about who they are and use that demographic information to target your marketing efforts.
Board Of Directors
Being on the board of directors of a Chamber of Commerce is extremely important. It’s an easy job and very prestigious. It’s also great for business. You will receive notice when board seats come up for election. Usually chambers ask their members through direct mail if anyone would like to run for a board seat. Fill out the form with a brief resume. Make sure not to go over the maximum word count. Try to shave off ten percent if possible because people tend to read the short ones more. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments. If you need help with this, call one of the current board members you know who is not re-running for the same position. Find out from the chamber what day they will be mailing the ballots and call everyone in the chamber two days before. It’s important not only to win, but to win by a margin. It gives you clout with the chamber members and staff. When you win, make sure
If you're in business you know that often the competition can be quite dishonest and often they will go to lengths to hurt your business. In fact in all my years in business I have seen just about every single trick they can possibly be played against me. Every single tactic, bad mouthing and you use of even government agencies to attack.In the 27 years in business I have seen by competitors use Associates in business to help them in getting information. I have watched competitors try to go through thru vendors, bankers and VC. I have seen customers who were not actually customers pretend to be somebody they were not simply to get information, brochures, prospectuses, disclosure documents, tax returns and you name it. It is called corporate espionage and the even write books about it. In fact you can get a degree in corporate espionage believe it or not.So much for a level playing field when your competition is cheating. What is even worse is often these competitors use the government, which collects information on forms and makes all this information free to the public. It's amazing that the government now says it is going to protect the consumer and small-business person against identity theft, as generally the government is the one that asked for the information and it makes it available to anyone who wants it.Often we find that competitors when caught trying to get information from you will say everyone else does it. Indeed, maybe they do, but does that make it right. It is unfortunate that competitors will not compete in the free market and will teach in any way they can to beat
Most towns and all cities have chambers of commerce. The chamber offers many things to small businesses especially new ones and start-ups. Chambers provide a voice for the business community, a bridge between government - small business – corporations – volunteers - religious organizations – schools – clubs - homeowners associations – corporations – general public – etc. It’s a monumental job, always changing. It takes money, lots of it. It takes coordination and a knack for small town politics. It takes members who will volunteer, who care and are dedicated. Of course that’s where you come in. Chambers of Commerce hold various events such as:
· Mixers
· Table Top Exhibits/Expos
· Seminars
· Luncheons
· Committee Meetings
· Installation Dinners
· Benefits
· Educational Exchanges
· Home Based Business Groups
· Networking Breakfast Meetings
· Membership Drives
If you attend some of these events, you will make new friends, contacts and customers. Anyone can join the chamber. It usual costs $100-450. But you only get out what you put in. Many small business owners may see it as a waste of money. In actuality it is relatively inexpensive depending how you chose to use your membership. It can be long lasting advertising in the form of:
· Promotion
· P.R.
· Networking
· Free Media Coverage
· And Fun
Joining Committees
If you truly want to become involved, we suggest you join various Chamber of Commerce committees. Committees need your input. You probably talk to one hundred business owners and residential customers per week. Five hundred per month. They know you, they trust you and they generally speak their mind to you. When these associates, business customers and business people talk to politicians, it’s a more tactful type conversation. When they talk to Chamber of Commerce staff, they tend to also choose their words more carefully. When they talk to you, it’s more point blank, to the point, blunt and the reality of the way they really feel. You’ll never get a sugar coated answer to a small business dilemma from an actual owner. They’ll tell you how they feel. Whether they are happy or mad as hell about an issue. You also are the eyes and ears of the community with it’s residences.
When you come to these committees you bring knowledge. You will soon find your ideas, observations and personal opinion are paramount. You are the most valuable tool a chamber committee could ever hope to have. You need to ask yourself “Do you have the extra time?” If you don’t, don’t volunteer. There is nothing worse than a committee member who volunteers and then doesn’t pull through when he or she is needed. If you have the time you be repaid in new business contacts and customers and the feeling of knowing you made the difference.
How do you join a committee? Talk to the president of the chamber. Tell them you want to volunteer. Find out which chamber committees have openings. Many times there is no limit to the number of people, so try to pick one with a large group of members. You will be able to do more networking and big groups tend to divide sub-committee work loads more evenly. Join a committee that interests you. Don’t join one you don’t care about. Just like in college, you always got better grades in the classes you enjoyed, didn’t you? Make sure the people in the group really want to get something done and it’s not just a who’s who social gathering. That kind of group eventually fails to accomplish even the most basic of mission statements. You are a winner, so you should be in a winning group.
Make sure once you have gone to a couple of meetings, the turnover is low and that no one person’s ego stands out in the group, especially if it’s the chairman. If this happens, go to one more meeting and dismiss yourself. “Business is so good, I don’t have any time left.” Then volunteer to with flyer distribution by leaving information on your counter or delivering this vital information to your customers and business clients. Tell everyone you are more than happy to be of assistance. Then give everyone in the group your card. You can still help without battling personalities. Remember everyone there is volunteering and it is better to be a friend than an enemy.
Board Of Directors
Being on the board of directors of a Chamber of Commerce is extremely important. It’s an easy job and very prestigious. It’s also great for business. You will receive notice when board seats come up for election. Usually chambers ask their members through direct mail if anyone would like to run for a board seat. Fill out the form with a brief resume. Make sure not to go over the maximum word count. Try to shave off ten percent if possible because people tend to read the short ones more. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments. If you need help with this, call one of the current board members you know who is not re-running for the same position. Find out from the chamber what day they will be mailing the ballots and call everyone in the chamber two days before. It’s important not only to win, but to win by a margin. It gives you clout with the chamber members and staff. When you win, make sure
These mistakes ruin meetings. Here's what to do.Mistake #1: Do all of the talking.Some meetings are run like a medieval court. The chairperson sits on a verbal throne while the subjects sit in respectful silence. The big talker justifies this by thinking: if the other people in the meeting knew anything worthwhile, they’d be leading the meeting.Reality: If you’re the only one talking, you’re working too hard. In addition, realize that most people protect themselves from long monologues by sending their brains off on a holiday. That is, no one is paying attention to the monologue. Instead, they're busy daydreaming, doodling, or dreaming.The Fix: Convey large amounts of information by a memo or email. If you must deliver it verbally, call the event a lecture instead of a meeting. And then be as brief as possible.Mistake #2) Be spontaneous.Most meetings are held without an agenda or a clearly stated goal. The chairperson simply invites people to an endless discussion, sort of like a party that lasts until everyone is too tired to continue.Reality: A meeting is a business activity. And it should be run like a business, with a plan. If spontaneity were a universally sound business strategy we would build buildings without blueprints. Of course, no smart business leader works without a plan.The Fix: Set a goal for the meeting, and then support this with an agenda that accomplishes that goal. Use structured activities that guide the group's efforts toward accomplishing the goal.Mistake #3: Invite everyone.Some people hold meetings as if they were fre
· Installation Dinners
· Benefits
· Educational Exchanges
· Home Based Business Groups
· Networking Breakfast Meetings
· Membership Drives
If you attend some of these events, you will make new friends, contacts and customers. Anyone can join the chamber. It usual costs $100-450. But you only get out what you put in. Many small business owners may see it as a waste of money. In actuality it is relatively inexpensive depending how you chose to use your membership. It can be long lasting advertising in the form of:
· Promotion
· P.R.
· Networking
· Free Media Coverage
· And Fun
Joining Committees
If you truly want to become involved, we suggest you join various Chamber of Commerce committees. Committees need your input. You probably talk to one hundred business owners and residential customers per week. Five hundred per month. They know you, they trust you and they generally speak their mind to you. When these associates, business customers and business people talk to politicians, it’s a more tactful type conversation. When they talk to Chamber of Commerce staff, they tend to also choose their words more carefully. When they talk to you, it’s more point blank, to the point, blunt and the reality of the way they really feel. You’ll never get a sugar coated answer to a small business dilemma from an actual owner. They’ll tell you how they feel. Whether they are happy or mad as hell about an issue. You also are the eyes and ears of the community with it’s residences.
When you come to these committees you bring knowledge. You will soon find your ideas, observations and personal opinion are paramount. You are the most valuable tool a chamber committee could ever hope to have. You need to ask yourself “Do you have the extra time?” If you don’t, don’t volunteer. There is nothing worse than a committee member who volunteers and then doesn’t pull through when he or she is needed. If you have the time you be repaid in new business contacts and customers and the feeling of knowing you made the difference.
How do you join a committee? Talk to the president of the chamber. Tell them you want to volunteer. Find out which chamber committees have openings. Many times there is no limit to the number of people, so try to pick one with a large group of members. You will be able to do more networking and big groups tend to divide sub-committee work loads more evenly. Join a committee that interests you. Don’t join one you don’t care about. Just like in college, you always got better grades in the classes you enjoyed, didn’t you? Make sure the people in the group really want to get something done and it’s not just a who’s who social gathering. That kind of group eventually fails to accomplish even the most basic of mission statements. You are a winner, so you should be in a winning group.
Make sure once you have gone to a couple of meetings, the turnover is low and that no one person’s ego stands out in the group, especially if it’s the chairman. If this happens, go to one more meeting and dismiss yourself. “Business is so good, I don’t have any time left.” Then volunteer to with flyer distribution by leaving information on your counter or delivering this vital information to your customers and business clients. Tell everyone you are more than happy to be of assistance. Then give everyone in the group your card. You can still help without battling personalities. Remember everyone there is volunteering and it is better to be a friend than an enemy.
Board Of Directors
Being on the board of directors of a Chamber of Commerce is extremely important. It’s an easy job and very prestigious. It’s also great for business. You will receive notice when board seats come up for election. Usually chambers ask their members through direct mail if anyone would like to run for a board seat. Fill out the form with a brief resume. Make sure not to go over the maximum word count. Try to shave off ten percent if possible because people tend to read the short ones more. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments. If you need help with this, call one of the current board members you know who is not re-running for the same position. Find out from the chamber what day they will be mailing the ballots and call everyone in the chamber two days before. It’s important not only to win, but to win by a margin. It gives you clout with the chamber members and staff. When you win, make sure
A great way to create a buzz for your business, its products and services, is to sponsor a seminar or networking event.This is a lot easier to do than you can imagine. Just find a central location to the geographic area you expect people to come from or some place accessible to all corners of your area. Somewhere in that square mile or two there should be a hotel or other building that rents rooms.When renting a location for your seminar, be sure to get a place that will hold more people than what you expect to attend. In other words, if you expect 80 people to attend your seminar, try to find a place that can seat at least 100. Fire halls, schools, hotels, convention centers, and other public places prominent in your area are good places.If your seminar is free - and most of them should be - then be sure you don't get too expensive. You can rent a place at a very reasonable price in most locations. You can even partner with another firm and cut your costs for facilities in half.Next, spread the word. Tell everyone you know about your event: Where it will be, when it will be, what you expect to deliver, hold nothing back. Come up with every angle for getting people there. Why would they come to your event? If you can offer something free for people who attend then that might entice enough people to make your time worthwhile. But remember the real reason you are there: You are promoting your business.People will come for two reasons: Free food and free information. Offer both and you are sure to have a good group of prospects.Here are some ways to promote your seminar or
When you come to these committees you bring knowledge. You will soon find your ideas, observations and personal opinion are paramount. You are the most valuable tool a chamber committee could ever hope to have. You need to ask yourself “Do you have the extra time?” If you don’t, don’t volunteer. There is nothing worse than a committee member who volunteers and then doesn’t pull through when he or she is needed. If you have the time you be repaid in new business contacts and customers and the feeling of knowing you made the difference.
How do you join a committee? Talk to the president of the chamber. Tell them you want to volunteer. Find out which chamber committees have openings. Many times there is no limit to the number of people, so try to pick one with a large group of members. You will be able to do more networking and big groups tend to divide sub-committee work loads more evenly. Join a committee that interests you. Don’t join one you don’t care about. Just like in college, you always got better grades in the classes you enjoyed, didn’t you? Make sure the people in the group really want to get something done and it’s not just a who’s who social gathering. That kind of group eventually fails to accomplish even the most basic of mission statements. You are a winner, so you should be in a winning group.
Make sure once you have gone to a couple of meetings, the turnover is low and that no one person’s ego stands out in the group, especially if it’s the chairman. If this happens, go to one more meeting and dismiss yourself. “Business is so good, I don’t have any time left.” Then volunteer to with flyer distribution by leaving information on your counter or delivering this vital information to your customers and business clients. Tell everyone you are more than happy to be of assistance. Then give everyone in the group your card. You can still help without battling personalities. Remember everyone there is volunteering and it is better to be a friend than an enemy.
Board Of Directors
Being on the board of directors of a Chamber of Commerce is extremely important. It’s an easy job and very prestigious. It’s also great for business. You will receive notice when board seats come up for election. Usually chambers ask their members through direct mail if anyone would like to run for a board seat. Fill out the form with a brief resume. Make sure not to go over the maximum word count. Try to shave off ten percent if possible because people tend to read the short ones more. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments. If you need help with this, call one of the current board members you know who is not re-running for the same position. Find out from the chamber what day they will be mailing the ballots and call everyone in the chamber two days before. It’s important not only to win, but to win by a margin. It gives you clout with the chamber members and staff. When you win, make sure
Lately, advertising specialties have come to be used as a strong advertising medium. Among them, custom printed advertising specialties have come to be the main stay for a lot of advertising needs. Any promotional item can be customized with a company's logo, tag line and message.It is a good idea to opt for custom printed advertising specialties because of a variety of reasons. The brand recall of such an idea is unique and long lasting. For instance, if you give a pen with a custom printed logo and message as a gift to a customer; it will create a lasting impression. Every time the pen is used, a customer is reminded of your product/brand, and the brand recall is increased. Secondly, an advertising specialty, which is based on the type of product or brand that you are trying to project, will not only increase brand recall, but also strengthen the brand idea in the consumers mind. For example, if the product to be advertised is a health drink, giving a coffee mug with your message and logo means that whenever a customer uses the mug, there is an instant brand recall. In this case, since the cup and drinking go together, there is a strengthening of the brand idea of a health drink as well.Of course, custom printed advertising specialty items come with a price. Mass-producing mugs with logos and tag lines can get quite expensive, and it would be wise to do a cost-per-penny analysis before a company invests a large sum of money.Advertising is calculated based on the number of times that the logo is seen and the brand recall that is created. Giving a half page ad in a newspaper is an expensive
Make sure once you have gone to a couple of meetings, the turnover is low and that no one person’s ego stands out in the group, especially if it’s the chairman. If this happens, go to one more meeting and dismiss yourself. “Business is so good, I don’t have any time left.” Then volunteer to with flyer distribution by leaving information on your counter or delivering this vital information to your customers and business clients. Tell everyone you are more than happy to be of assistance. Then give everyone in the group your card. You can still help without battling personalities. Remember everyone there is volunteering and it is better to be a friend than an enemy.
Board Of Directors
Being on the board of directors of a Chamber of Commerce is extremely important. It’s an easy job and very prestigious. It’s also great for business. You will receive notice when board seats come up for election. Usually chambers ask their members through direct mail if anyone would like to run for a board seat. Fill out the form with a brief resume. Make sure not to go over the maximum word count. Try to shave off ten percent if possible because people tend to read the short ones more. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments. If you need help with this, call one of the current board members you know who is not re-running for the same position. Find out from the chamber what day they will be mailing the ballots and call everyone in the chamber two days before. It’s important not only to win, but to win by a margin. It gives you clout with the chamber members and staff. When you win, make sure
Have you ever wondered what would happen in your QuickBooks file if you performed certain operations, but were too afraid to try? Did you know that you can experiment with your ideas, and not make a mess in your QuickBooks file?When you installed your QuickBooks file, you also installed Sample Company files. Intuit designed these so that you could experiment with any idea or concept you have, and not take a chance messing up your own file.Best Way to Experiment in a Sample QuickBooks FileOpen a sample company file, and perform the operation you want to try. Then, to check its effect, run reports.For example, if you are unsure what will happen if you establish a new item, establish it in the sample file. Go to the Items list of the sample file, press Control-N, and set it up however you think it should be. Then, go to the Write Checks, Enter Bills, or Invoice screen and use it in a transaction.Next, run reports. If you assigned the item to an Income, Cost, or Expense account, run a Profit & Loss report to find the transaction there.If you assigned a Bank, Asset, Liability, or Equity account to the Item when establishing it, run a Balance Sheet report to find it.You can also run a report on the Item itself. From the Items list, highlight the item. Right click. Scroll down to run a QuickReport. You will see all of the transactions where that Item was used.Be sure to verify the date range on the reports. The date you assigned to the transaction needs to fall within the date range of the report you run.How to Locate a Sample Company File
Board Of Directors
Being on the board of directors of a Chamber of Commerce is extremely important. It’s an easy job and very prestigious. It’s also great for business. You will receive notice when board seats come up for election. Usually chambers ask their members through direct mail if anyone would like to run for a board seat. Fill out the form with a brief resume. Make sure not to go over the maximum word count. Try to shave off ten percent if possible because people tend to read the short ones more. Don’t exaggerate your accomplishments. If you need help with this, call one of the current board members you know who is not re-running for the same position. Find out from the chamber what day they will be mailing the ballots and call everyone in the chamber two days before. It’s important not only to win, but to win by a margin. It gives you clout with the chamber members and staff. When you win, make sure to attend as many meetings as possible. Usually meetings are only one time per month.
Grand Openings
When you are privy to information about a new business opening or a grand opening ribbon cutting event, you should visit the business:
· To sign them up as new customers
· To offer to give free products or service coupons for grand opening goers
· To help them meet potential buyers, namely all your customers
· To say hi and let them know you are all in the same boat and wish them many years of success
Internet Programs
Always try to get your company listed in the Chambers on-line directory. There may be an additional charges for this, but it is worth it.
Distribution Of Monthly Newsletters
Most Chambers of Commerce publish a monthly newsletter of what’s going on around town and with various business members. The more hot little hands these newsletters get into, the better it is for the advertisers and the better for you as a member. It’s also great for chamber membership, the more people who join the Chamber the more people in the club to buy from you and help all the businesses in the community. If you have a mobile type business and volunteer to deliver a chamber newsletter to every business in your area, you will surely be a chamber favorite. If you are a retail or location based business, have them on your counter for customers and associates. Your customers will also be glad to receive a copy and and your business customers will eventually join the chamber if they haven’t already. You will be helping businesses everywhere in town by doing this. This will be recognized. It will also help you when the chamber does a story on you to put in the newsletter. Of course, that month we will print extra copies and direct mail them to every licensed business in your town and all of our franchisees. Try to refer fellow businesses to the chamber each month.
Membership Drives
Whenever the chamber has a membership drive, you should volunteer to help. You have fax data bases and distribution power “plus” you know personally many business owners in town. Chamber membership is the life line of their existence. The more you, we help them, the more they help you. It is okay to join many chambers or at least all the ones where you want customers.
Logo On Vehicle
Offer to put a magnetic sign on your work vehicles with the local Chamber of Commerce logo. This helps the chamber and legitimizes your business. If this is not possible, put your Chamber of Commerce member plague on your dash board. If you have a location business, be sure to display your plaque where it can be seen by all visitors
Meeting With Chamber
You should be on a first name basis with the Chamber of Commerce president. You probably already are. He or she needs your feedback. They need to know what’s going on at the street level and no one knows better than you. You will be the eyes and ears for the chamber. You should set aside one hour per month to discuss concerns you’ve heard on the street and possible solutions you’ve worked out. Try to make it a regular meeting such as the first Tuesday of the month at 8:00 am. This meeting can be with the Chamber manager or even a Board Member you can relate with. If you belong to a committee bring your information and observations there.
Network With Other Groups
You should network with your service club whether it be Elks, Lions, Optimists, Kiwanis, Rotary, Soroptimists, whatever. Bring those concerns with you. Help the chamber co-sponsor events with your club and other clubs, making one big happy united family town thanks to you. You can also volunteer to help on the Boys and Girls Club, United Way or other associated non-profit, which helps people. By adding your Chamber Membership to a non-profit commitment, you will make a difference and super-charge your business.
Attending Meetings
You should attend meetings sponsored by your Chamber of Commerce. As many as you can. Enough that you don’t need to wear a name tag because everyone already knows you. You still should wear a name tag. However write on it:
· A New Friend
· Customer Service
· Me
· Label
· Name Tag
· Just Me
· I love meeting new people
· Put name on upside down
Sounds funny but it’s a great ice breaker. It works every time. After all, there is bound to be a new face popping up every once in a while. Many of these new members may feel intimidated and yo
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.actual4u.com/article/34091/actual4u-Business-Community-Relations-101--Getting-the-Most-Out-of-Your-Chamber-of-Commerce-Membership.html">Business Community Relations 101 - Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.actual4u.com/article/34091/actual4u-Business-Community-Relations-101--Getting-the-Most-Out-of-Your-Chamber-of-Commerce-Membership.html]Business Community Relations 101 - Getting the Most Out of Your Chamber of Commerce Membership[/url]
Related Articles:
Types of Floor Coverings and Basic Floor Care Tips
Medical Billing - GU0 Record Fields 18 Through 25
Building A Better Brand in the New Year
Bookmark it:
|