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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2015)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 9 A Florence Area Business Beat A service of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Membership Update: Please join me in welcoming the following new members who joined the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce in December: Beach Bum Doggie Resort – located at 1911 22nd Street, Florence – home style dog boarding and day care! C2 Financial Corporation – PO Box 1195, Florence – mortgage origination with multiple lenders off ering conventional, FHA, VA USDA and construction, refi nance or purchase. Welcome to the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce! Member wins Prestigious Award www.florencechamber.com 541-997-3128 Chamber President optimistic for 2015 by: Brian Castleman Congratulations to all business owners in Florence! Overall 2014 was a pretty good year. As always the success of our local economy is dependent upon good weather and the greater overall economy at the state and national levels. Some of our merchants in Old Town have stated that the 2014 summer season was the best they have seen in six years. It was obvious to anyone driving around Florence during the tourist season that the Highway 101 traffi c count was up and there were fewer empty parking spaces available in Old Town, and reservation waiting times at local restaurants were a little longer. Although these might be considered inconveniences to those of us living here they are good indicators of an improving economy and we should be thankful. We were also fortunate to have a fantastic fi shing season which brought many visitors to enjoy the natural wonders of our Florence area. As we begin the 2015 New Year there is a sense of cautious optimism in the air. We have seen more new cars with temporary plates. In recent months we have seen some business owners take leaps of faith by either expanding their business, relocating to another part of town, or opening up a new business. We have also seen a few more new homes being built than in recent years. At the same time our Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center handed out more relocation packets than in previous years. Th ese are promising signs for the Florence economy. Although no one can guarantee that the New Year will match or improve over the economic outcome of 2014, the currently low fuel prices certainly represent a good indicator as lower fuel prices oft en result in more visitors to our local area. So perhaps now is a good time for me to buy that new car I have been thinking about! Underwriters 2014-2015 Three Rivers Casino & Hotel Distinguished Sponsors 2014-2015 101 Things to Do Bi-Mart Burns’s Riverside Chapel Driftwood Shores Resort Firenze Wine & Chocolate Florence Heating & Sheet Metal Fred Meyer Stores KCST/Coast Radio Oregon Pacific Bank PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center Sea Lion Caves Shippin’ Shack/Siuslaw Signs & Graphics Siuslaw Bank Spruce Point Assisted Living TR Hunter Real Estate The Siuslaw News Be sure to thank these members for their investment in our community! Local based business and Florence Area Chamber of Commerce member Trade Winds Technical and Grant Writing Services Co-owner and grant writer Robert Bare received a 2014 Oregon Opportunity Networks “Star Player” Award at a recent ceremony at the Portland Convention Center at the Rose Center in Portland Oregon. Th e award was for recognition for writing ten successful grants that were funded for one non-profi t organization based in Newport in that year. Trade Winds is locally owned by Robert and Lynda Bare and based in Florence but provides services for clients in the Northwest ranging from Alaska to California, as well as Canada. Congratulations Robert! Siuslaw Awards Approaches For the past eight years, the Siuslaw Business Awards has recognized leaders within the Florence business community, with nominations submitted from the community. Th ese awards are truly a prestigious marker of achievement, and this year’s event which recognizes those recipients for 2014, takes place at the Florence Events Center on Wednesday January 21. Th e fi ve categories for recognizing excellence include: Community Caring Award, which goes to a business that supports non-profi ts and projects that enhance the community. Non-Profi t Achievement Award, which goes to a non-profi t organization that demonstrates good stewardship of donor dollars and sound business practices while meeting commitment to its organization’s mission. Excellence in Customer Service goes to a business that is dedicated to outstanding customer service and satisfaction in all aspects of sales and services. Curb Appeal Award goes to a business that strives to maintain a physically attractive business. Th e prestigious Stu Johnston Business of the Year Award goes to a business that has demonstrated long-term or signifi cant business success and has shown strong and active community involvement. In order to be eligible for receiving the awards, businesses are required to be a member of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. Participating nominees and winners will be recognized at the awards dinner held on the 21 at the Florence Events Center where the doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the ceremony including dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.00 each and can be purchased at the Chamber’s Visitors Center on Hwy 101 in Florence. Rhody Logo Winner Announced Photos of recent events: Chamber Board Vice President and Rhododendron Festival Committee member Jenna Bartlett recently announced that the 2015 Rhododendron Festival Logo has been selected by the Chamber’s Board of Directors at the December board meeting. “Once again Susan Johnson of Florence captured the essence of the festival logo in her submission, incorporating elements that represent the Florence area as well as this year’s theme ‘Rock n’ Rhody’” she stated. Johnson, who has submitted prior winning logo designs, will receive a $250 prize for her submission. Ron Green & OPB Employees with testimonials about longevity at the bank The Chamber Benefi ts That Will Blow Your Mind Th e January Noon Forum will feature a presentation by Bobby Jensen on ‘What’s the Value of a Chamber Membership?’ His presentation will include information on networking, member-to- member opportunities, business referrals and promotions, and leadership opportunities within your Chamber. Jensen is the owner of Shoreline Apparel here in Florence, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, chairing the Membership Committee. You can catch Bobby’s dynamic presentation Th ursday, January 15 at noon, at the Th ree Rivers Casino’s World Buff et. At the monthly Noon Forum members also make self-introductions which provides an opportunity to give quick updates or announcements about their business or community eff ort. PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center Th e name may be new, but this member of the PeaceHealth family is certainly not new to us here in Florence or at the Chamber. Th e name change which took eff ect in 2013, for the entire group of facilities, to refl ect the breadth of services and common mission represented by the PeaceHealth name, and its associated promise to provide the spirit of healing to every person. “PeaceHealth”—the name that links their four Lane County hospitals, clinics, medical groups and laboratories—is moving to the forefront. It’s becoming the umbrella under which their patients will experience their commitment to quality care, whether in a Cottage Grove clinic, a Florence labor and delivery suite, a Springfi eld Intensive Care Unit or a Eugene emergency room. In addition, PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center has been named a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by Th e Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America. Peace Harbor was one of 1,099 hospitals in the U.S. earning the distinction for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance out of 4,072 accredited hospitals in the country. A part of our community since 1979, we are a vital community partner, being not just one of our Distinguished Sponsors but active in the community through other eff orts such as promoting personal and community health, and volunteerism. We are honored to have PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center as one of the chamber’s Distinguished Sponsors! In September of 2014 PeaceHealth Peace Harbor celebrated their 25th anniversary and it was a great success. “Th ank you for coming to help us celebrate. As your local healthcare partners we are truly thankful to everyone who volunteered their time. It is apparent that this community is committed to helping keep this medical center going strong, and it’s really inspiring to see.” commented Kat Rannow. Th ank you for your support! January Business After Hours hosted by Shoreline Apparel Join us on Th ursday January 22nd from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Shoreline Apparel’s (formerly Shoreline Embroidery) new location 1745 15th Street (Hwy 101 & 15th) and learn how to print your own shirt! New owner Bobby Jensen will teach you the tricks of the trade and you’ll get to print your own! What You Want to Say vs. What They Need to Hear by: Scott Steward Look at your advertising and other marketing materials and try to be objective. Are they focused on what you want to say rather than what the audience wants or needs to hear? Th ere is a big diff erence: and it will aff ect your success. Most narcissistic egomaniacs don’t know that they are. If you are one, these tips will be lost on you. 1. Do not insist on making ads that fi t your personal likes and tastes. It’s not about you, even if it is a refl ection of you. Instead, make your ads and other marketing materials about your customer’s preferences, meeting their needs, and fulfi lling their desires. Th ere may be a place to inject some of your personality in your materials if you are selling your expertise, but rarely do customers buy “you.” Th ey buy what you can do for them. 2. As you review your marketing pieces, look for the words “I”, “Our”, and “We”, especially in headlines. Also look for the words “You” and “Your”. If it’s more about you than your customer, change it. 3. Ask for feedback about your ads, brochures, signage, packaging, your online presence, etc. Ask your customers, staff , neighboring businesses, your colleagues in the Chamber, a marketing professional, even your competitors. Accept their input with an open mind. You never know where the next million dollar idea will come from. Scott Steward is the owner of Creative Wave Marketing Solutions, a Florence based marketing consulting business, and member of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce. To provide a business tip, please email cal@ fl orencechamber.com. Dr. A.J. Brauer comments in celebration of his retirement from the Board Testimonial: Moving to Florence exactly one year ago has been a big change for our family but an awesome experience. One of the First things professionally I did was get in contact with the Chamber of Commerce. Th ey “Plugged Me In” to the community one might say. Recently We purchased Shoreline Embroidery and Screen Printing and the Chamber immediately updated our information on their website which is where a lot of people are fi nding us because it pops right up when someone searches embroidery or Screen printing and are located close to Florence when they perform the search. We have received many referrals from other Chamber members as well. All in all, Being a member of the Chamber of Commerce is going to be a great business move for you & your organization! Bobby Jensen Shoreline Customized Apparel Coming Events JANUARY 21, 2015 - Siuslaw Awards FEBRUARY 12, 2015 - Building Bridges to Business Expo at Florence Events Center MAY 15-17, 2015 - 108th Rhododendron Festival JULY 4TH, 2015 - Independence Day JULY 4TH, 2015- Wings & Wheels Fly In/ Car Show at Florence Airport SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2015 - Rods n’ Rhodies Invitational Car show SEPTEMBER 12-13, 2015 - Community Wide Garage Sale OCTOBER 3, 2015 - Oktoberfest OCTOBER 11, 2015 - Columbus Day Festival in Historic Old town NOVEMBER 11, 2015 - Veterans Day Parade DECEMBER, 2015 - Florence Holiday Festival Join the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce! • www.florencechamber.com • 541-997-3128 Mission Statement: The Mission of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is to champion the future of the greater Florence community as an innovative leader in economic vitality and active lifestyle.
