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The Chamber Weekly Blog
A collection of articles that we believe will add value to you and your business!Wednesday, March 6, 2024Whether it’s part of a work/life balance personal initiative, an idea to follow your bliss, or you simply want to change things in your life, if you have a hobby you want to turn into a business, we have some advice for you. It can be a huge leap of faith moving from a steady paycheck to relying on others to buy from you. But it can be done successfully if you do your homework first. Read moreThursday, February 29, 2024Does your morning begin post coffee? If so, then you know the importance of that routine (and caffeine addiction). Your morning just isn’t the same without it. You can create the same addiction to your business. It just requires a more carefully created artifice or brand. Without the help of caffeine or other addictive substance, you’ll need to use marketing and a persona that draws people in and makes them want to be a part of your business. Whether you are a company of one or 100, there are ways to help customers feel a “need” for you. You just have to find the right combination of desires and attitudes. Read moreFriday, February 23, 2024For years now, marketers have touted word-of-mouth marketing as the most powerful, influential, and effective marketing out there. Business owners heeding this advice have begged, borrowed, and bribed people to review them. But it’s been an uphill battle for most. That’s because when customers have a good (or even great) experience, they are less likely to review a product or service than when they are disgruntled. What can we say? People enjoy mudslinging. To build greater customer loyalty, marketing gurus have suggested allowing customers/followers to crowdsource decisions for brands. That’s where all those “pick our new flavor” contests come from. After all, when people join in on a decision, they become invested in its success. But then American Eagle took this crowdsourcing idea a step further. Is it something you’re ready to do? Read moreWednesday, February 14, 2024Social media is a Hulk-size time suck, but it is also one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience. That’s also why it’s so dicey to freelance that kind of thing out. But there are a lot of really talented folks out there who can help you expand your reach and connect. You just have to find the right ones. And since everyone thinks they can post to social, there are a lot of ineffective people posing as social media superheroes. Here’s how you can separate the talent from the try-hards: Read moreThursday, February 8, 2024If you’re like me, creating the right office space is something you embark on every time you’re procrastinating. It can be a time suck or a filler. But investing time in establishing the right work space can improve your productivity, creativity, and organization, as well as make you more successful. Whether you believe in Feng Shui or not, you can transform your workspace into a harmonious and productive haven that will help you achieve more in the time it takes to watch your favorite TV show. Read moreMonday, January 29, 2024No matter what industry you're in, you can always learn from techniques used in other businesses. Particularly if those techniques lead you to ideas that help you connect with your audience. In this article, we're going to discuss an easy change that will transform your business's marketing and how people see your business. It's something you can do today regardless of your target market. It will work for everyone because it's all about connection. To industries that are pros in this technique are residential real estate and colleges/higher education. What do they have in common?, you might ask. Both understand the importance of being part of their target audience’s dreams. And that's what you need to do if you want to improve revenue in your business. Read moreThursday, January 18, 2024I recently spoke with an SEO expert who swore that search engines are biased against AI-written websites (websites that have not one word written by a human). He said AI-written websites are something search engines are discounting for (marking you down) because of the possibility of the sites being fake or holder sites. I can’t speak to the truth behind this but if you do still want to write some of your own copy, here are three copywriting tips you can implement today that AI isn’t using. Read moreThursday, December 21, 2023If every small business owner had the opportunity to write a letter to Santa (or whoever grants Christmas wishes to business owners), they would likely all ask for the same thing—more loyal customers. Sure, the ask may sound different in each form of correspondence. It may be a request for more customers, higher revenue, more reviews, and the like. But all those things boil down to loyalty. Loyal customers spend more, tell others about their experience, refer people to your business, post to social media about you, and return over and over. They may even write a review or two. Building a loyal customer base is better for your business in the long run than simply getting more customers. Read moreThursday, November 30, 2023Launching a business is a thrilling journey filled with possibilities and challenges. While no year is without challenges, the first few are particularly so for most businesses. Many naive owners think that if they can make it through the first year, their success is guaranteed. However, that isn’t the case. The first year actually has the lowest failure rate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 20% of small businesses fail within their first year. The failure rate increases to 30% by the end of the second year, 50% by the fifth year, and 70% by the tenth year. That’s because there are challenges beyond bringing in customers. The main challenges (reasons businesses fail) like cash flow problems, lack of demand for the product or service, and insufficient capital in addition to sustaining growth while staying relevant in a competitive landscape, can make starting a business exciting and daunting. But you don’t have to go it alone. Your chamber of commerce is a wealth of resources for your new business and can help you with some of the ideas below. Read moreTuesday, November 21, 2023Small businesses everywhere are enjoying the trend of shopping local. Many organizations, including the Chamber, understand the importance of helping the community realize the value of small businesses. Even with this help, your local business still has two major challenges—marketing (making sure people think about you when they’re ready to buy) and convincing them that shopping local is not an expensive undertaking, especially when 69% of people are saying they’re going to reduce non friends and family buying. While pundits believe spending will increase over last year, albeit not be a large amount, the reality of that prediction is yet to be determined. With the specter of reduced spending hanging over us to dampen this holiday season, you may be wondering what you can do to ensure customer spending is directed your way. Creating a compelling holiday offer can set your business apart and drive more sales. Read more