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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2017)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2017 7 A BUSINESS BEAT 541-997-3128 290 Highway 101, Florence, OR 97439 www.FlorenceChamber.com www.facebook.com/fl orenceoregon www.twitter.com/FlorenceOrCoast December 2, 2017 From the Director’s Desk UPCOMING EVENTS: By Bettina Hannigan Chamber Executive Director Chamber Noon Forums - Lunch & Learn! Luncheons are at the Best Western Pier Point and lunch is available for $14. • 12/14/17 Noon Forum - Make Social Media Work for You Carol Shaw/Jolene Medeiros. Carol Shaw from KEZI-TV and Jolene Medeiros of Florence Tech Solutions (FTS) will help you distinguish a twit from a tweet and teach you how to make social media work for you rather than the other way around. • 1/11/18 Noon Forum - Get Your Bite of 11 Billion Bucks Kari Westlund and Natalie Inouye from Travel Lane County will describe how every business in our region can ensure they get their bite of the $11 billion that comes into Oregon every year through travel, entertainment, hospitality and destination marketing. Business Aft er Hours • CINDY WOBBE ESTATES Hosts Business Aft er Hours Holiday Open House - December 7, 2017 @ 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM Cindy Wobbe invites you to kick off the Christmas season at Business Aft er Hours on December 7, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m, at the Cindy Wobbe Estate Sales showroom in the Florence Antique District (498 Hwy 101). Join Cindy and her team for nibbles and nosh, live music, and door prizes, and preview fi rsthand the private off erings of several local estates. Florence Antiques and the Purple Pelican will also be open and off ering special treats, so come out mix, meander, and shop! • December 21 st , 5:30-7pm – Oregon Pacifi c Bank Business Aft er Hours and Celebration! Come join us at 1355 Highway 101 in our Florence Branch as we celebrate our 38th year anniversary as your local community bank! Enjoy an evening with your local bankers and mingle with community members. Take some time to savor the holiday season with local wine and fresh hors d’oeuvres, and of course be prepared to put your party hat on and help yourself to a slice of birthday cake in commemoration of Oregon Pacifi c Bank’s 38th year of local, hometown community banking! Business Aft er Hours are FREE to attend and open to the public. We invite you to come see for yourself how the Chamber does business! 2017-2018 Corporate Underwriters Drift wood Shores Resort Th e Korando Dental Group Th ree Rivers Casino Resort Why do we do what we do? What motivates small business to do busi- ness? Th ese are questions every small business owner asks themselves. Passion, purpose, de- sire, and hope keep the fi res burning. I salute our small businesses, Florence needs you. I am very pleased to see the recent aware- ness regarding the housing challenges Florence and most rural communities are facing all over the country. One of the many ways that we can shoot ourselves in the foot, is to think our chal- lenges are unique, they’re not. Creative think- ing, sharing success, tapping into resources and working together will be what makes the diff er- ence for Florence. We all know that when you point your fi nger at someone else, there are three more pointing back at you. What I’m saying, is that you, are part of the solution. I’m asking each reader to think about who you may know and what resources you might have that could poten- tially partner with the government agencies and programs that are just waiting for Joe Public to step up. My many years as a Soroptimist taught Emotions- Our unconscious contribution to a company. By Bobby Jensen Jr. Chamber Board President Twelve years ago, a very good friend of mine who was also employed at the small service business I had started, surprised me with the news that he would be leaving the job to take one that bet- ter suited his needs. As a newer business, our workload wasn’t always consistent, so I fi gured that had something to do with him leaving. I later found out, that it was one of our toughest competitors he start- me one of my favorite lessons, the three A’s - Awareness, Advocacy, Action. Th is new aware- ness, is really new opportunity. We now have awareness, now it’s time to implement advocacy and action. Let’s partner together to share ideas, resources, and willingness to get some skin in the game. Florence is fi lled with wisdom, experience, and knowledge. We have it all right here; cutting edge innovation (think Hyak fi ber optic internet), a city that is actively looking for partners, and small businesses that are working to be the best employers and community members possible. Chamber’s purpose is to be an economic driver for our community; I know you know this but, it’s important for our sustainable future that we team up – all of us. We need newcomers and long-tim- ers, young people and retired folks, owners and workers, government and private industry. Th e Chamber’s Downtown Revitalization Team (DRT) committee has partnered with Or- egon State Park’s “Main Street” program to help economic development in our area, the DRT committee is making big progress. We have Revi- sion Florence coming up; this street–scape proj- ect will improve our town - downtown and all around town. Government, non-profi ts, big and small business, and private investors, are devel- oping new ways to get things done, through part- nerships. Yes, we need more housing – not new news, but how meet this need is new news. Flor- ence can do this, if we do it together. Let’s do this! ed working with. I about lost my mind! I got so angry because I felt he had abandoned our special little startup and was taking all of our trade secrets to a competing business. I picked up the phone and called my younger brother who was familiar with the business and told him how I was going to go and let the business manager know they stole our best guy, then go to my friend and explain his disloyalty. My little brother in his calm demeanor quickly said, “Bobby your bringing emotion into busi- ness”. I stopped my rant and listened as he ex- plained to me that there is no room for emo- tions in businesses and that he had left for a good reason. I agreed to hold my tongue, and proceeded to do business without him and even continued to be his friend, as he worked with a competing business. One year later he moved away and the company he worked for contacted me. Th ey stated that they had lost their best technician because he moved away. Th ey also said that before he left , he consulted them that they are better off turning over all of their service work to our company and focus- ing on only sales. Th at call made our little business the replacement service department for theirs, which had been running for 45 years prior. Th eir clients became ours and the revenues from the referrals of that company ads up to well over a million dollars to date. It gave us the stability we needed to provide steady jobs and build up the business. Th e reason I’m sharing this experience, is so we will remember that in business there is no room for greed, anger, pride, jealousy, and hate. If you feel these emotions push them out, and replace them with gratitude, generos- ity, kindness, understanding and humility. A business is made up of systems and formulas which have no emotions. We are the ones that bring them whatever they may be. Bobby Jensen Jr. Doing Good Business in a Season of Doing Good ’Tis the season of “make it or break it” for many small businesses. Th e last six weeks of the year represent an outsized portion of the annual bottom line (and most of the profi t) for many businesses nationwide. Based on annual customer surveys by a large federation of retailers, we can expect annual holiday sales to be up by 5% nationwide this year, which—fi ngers-crossed—bodes well for Florence area businesses, too. As you strategize for the fi nal push of 2017 and look ahead to a brighter 2018, there are some things your business can do to help ensure that you get the attention—and most importantly, the loyalty—of our regional consumers, clients and customers. One of the most interesting and compelling things a small business can do— and it’s something that can be especially eff ective in a small town—is to boost your business by “doing good.” For example, if your profi ts are up this year, you might marginally increase any advertising budget, and then give that budget a booster shot by sponsoring an event in support of one of the many excellent non-profi ts or other community organizations. • Do your customers include families with children? Sponsor uniforms in an athletic league or support a special class project or trip. Get your name in front of one of the local family-oriented organizations that showcase the arts or engage in aft er- school programs. • Speaking of the arts, your business could sponsor a concert, a gallery event, a play, a lecture or more to imprint your brand on a vital segment of your customer base, or that might represent a new market seg- ment and an exciting growth opportunity. Associate your business with the big community events—the Rhododendron Festival and the smaller-but-signifi cant community-wide celebrations. Th is kind of “doing good” can be especially impactful if you work behind the scenes to assist with press releases, announcements, etc. Th ese sorts of activities take the value of advertising and enhance its impact. An article or news story that highlights your business, for example, has an economic impact considered three times that of a paid advertisement alone. For instance, if a half-page ad in the newspaper costs $500, then a half-page worth of editorial in the same newspaper would be valued at $1,500. Remember … doing good is good business. • TR Hunter Real Estate Distinguished Sponsors 101 Th ings to Do Magazine Banner Bank Event Committee Meetings – Come join the fun! Want to grow your business? Business by referral is powerful. Participating on a Chamber Committee is an eff ective way to build relationships and referrals. Contact us for upcoming meetings and times at 541-997-3128. Maximize Your Membership! • Th e Chamber’s website has an average of 25,000 page views per month! Make sure your business is up to date and ready to drive new business to your company. Add photos, verbiage, specials, and update business contact information. • Visitors Center presence – Business cards and brochures are an eff ective way to drive our 14,000 visitors a year to your business. • Relocation and Visitors Packets – Corporate Underwriters and Distinguished Sponsors have their promotional material included along with the Chamber Directory (listing all members) mailed to hundreds of people a year. Bi-Mart Beachcomber Pub Burns’s Riverside Chapel Fred Meyer Stores Lofy Construction Oregon Pacifi c Bank PeaceHealth Florence Area CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Siuslaw Awards 2017 Peace Harbor Medical Center Sea Lion Caves Spruce Point Assisted Living Th e Siuslaw News Be sure to thank these members for their investment in our community! Th is prestigious event recognizes excellence in the local business community by naming recipients for awards in Excellence in Customer Service, Curb Appeal, Non-Profi t Achievement, Community Caring, Innova- tion in Business, and the Stu Johnston Business of the Year Award. Let’s recognize our locals for their service! NOMINATIONS Now Open! Nominate online at www.fl orencechamber.com/events Nomination Close Date is December 15th at 5pm
