10 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2018 BUSINESS BEAT 541-997-3128 290 Highway 101, Florence, OR 97439 www.FlorenceChamber.com www.facebook.com/fl orenceoregon www.twitter.com/FlorenceOrCoast and can say with confi dence, I didn’t like it one bit! Th e choice becomes to build or to tear down? Play the blame game or own it and move on? I am blessed to be able to say my situation built - built stronger communication, diff erent expectations, and a change in style. Success requires a willing- ness to change, the humility to accept that there is a better or diff erent way to achieve the desired re- sult. As leaders, it is our responsibility to change. Not every person or situation will be responsive to the same style. We must listen (fi guratively and relatively) and adjust so we can build better rela- tionships with our employees, co-workers, clients and customers. Humility shows respect and re- spect builds engagement and buy in. One of my greatest joys as your Executive Director is seeing the sincere respect between our community stakeholders. Th e ability to share vision and resources to make our area stronger shows humility, strength and purpose. A perfect example of this partnership mentality is the new UPTOWN 101 COMMITTEE. Th is committee will be defi ning its goals and purpose for busi- nesses north of 9th street on and off the highway. Th e Re-Vision street scape project will bring a new experience to our locals and visitors and it’s a perfect time to bring those folks UPTOWN too! I am excited to see this committee’s engagement and vision. It’s hard to believe it’s March and Rhody weekend is two and a half months away. Th is community festival is a wonderful tradition and this year’s Rhody Rendezvous will bring many re- turning Florence friends and family. Event com- mittees are in full swing and are a wonderful way to get connected, do business, and build friend- ships. Th e c hamber puts on the Carnival, Vendor Fair, Rhododendron Court Coronation, and the Grand Floral Parade. Join a committee and join the fun! Lastly, keep those imagination hats on! Join us March 14th for our very own SBR – Siuslaw Business Revolution at the Florence Event Center. #MyFlorence Did you know that of all career paths, start- ing out in a sales job, gives you the highest chance of becoming a billionaire? (Forbes did the research.) Many say that sales skills are the most essential to suc- cess in business. Come on now, salesmen are the people we’re always trying to avoid right? Well I recently had this experience which made me realize why sales skills are so essen- tial to business success. While I was representing Breen Marine at a recent boat show, I left the booth and strolled the aisles of the boating and fi shing wonderland for the seventh or so time. While again, scanning every booth for products that I might need to add to my fi shing arsenal, I stopped and spoke with a fi shing guide. Dur- ing our conversation a boy, about 10 years old, walked up asking, in a polite manner, if we would like to buy a product his Grandfather designed. We both respectfully declined his off er and continued our conversations all the while the kid held the product up to our height so we could see it. I took a second glance and became slightly more aware of what the prod- uct was but again declined as we were deep in to our fi shing stories. Th e boy made a brief comment that I can’t even recall but I got the feeling like I might have missed something and he was on his way to the next person. I actually really admired the kid’s willingness to be out presenting the product while every other vendor sat in a booth and waited for someone to walk by. A few minutes later on my eighth trek around the show I noticed the kid and gave him a nod. I decided to take a second and tell his father standing next to him that I admired the hustle his kid had. Th e kid jumped in and asked me straight why I didn’t buy what he was selling. Again he was only focused on the sale oblivious to the fact that a stranger just complimented him. I thought, why didn’t I buy it? I told him I didn’t know what value it off ered to me. He asked me “How do I know if it’s valuable to you?” I replied, “You need to ask me questions to fi nd out, so you will know if I could benefi t from what you’re selling.” He began asking questions and I was actually an- swering yes to each one which made me think, maybe I do need to see what this kid is actu- ally selling! It was an innovative little crab measurer/ bait cutting combination tool and not only did I buy one, but a half dozen to sell at the Boat Shop as well. I had walked past this booth sev- en times and never noticed the product until someone asked for my attention. Th e “sales” part was not trying to make me purchase an unwanted product, but to get my attention to see if I was a “Qualifi ed Buyer”. Once I was asked the questions and answered each one positively I realized on my own that this was something I may want to purchase and did so. Big take away, get the attention and always ask questions. Some people need your prod- uct/service and some don’t, so you just - get more attention - ask great questions - present a qualifi ed product! Th en they will buy it. hors d’ ovres , wine, and soft drinks. Th e John Quay Heritage Players will be in attendance, and have a conversation with our Museum volunteers about history. Business Aft er Hours are FREE and open to the public. Come out and make new con- nections and do some business! Chamber “Business Aft er Hours” are happening! Don’t miss your chance to make connections and build business by referrals and resources. Business Aft er Hours are FREE and open to the public. Come make new connections and discover how the chamber does business! • March 15 th from 5-7pm Shorewood Senior Living. You will feel like you have had a night on the town. Come to Shorewood Chamber Aft er Hours and have a glass of wine, chowder, shrimp cocktail, bread and plenty of sweet treats. Dance to the music from DJ Dan, take a turn on the “open mike” spotlight to share with others about your business. • April 5 th from 5-6:30PM. Siuslaw Historic Museum. Take the journey back and view the local pioneer and tribal history and learn more about the area you live in. Come and enjoy the March 3, 2018 From the Director’s Desk Welcome New Members! By Bettina Hannigan Chamber Executive Director PREMIER PARTNERS Bottom Lines Consulting Florence Area 970-235-0064 Business Services, Finance, Consulting, Coaching, Merchant Services – ATM, POS, Online, Mobile and more. www.bottomlinesconsulting.com BUSINESS PARTNERS Bay Street Bling 1499 Bay St. Come check out the wide selection of Hoodies, T shirts, Jeans, Purses and accessories made on site. BNT Promotional Products 1712 Sheridan Ave. North Bend 541-756-7142 Promotional products and gift s. Screen Printing, Embroidery, Signs & Graphics www.bntpromo.com Dragon Art 520 Laurel St. 541-999-6451 Art and Craft Classes, Camps, Gift s, Henna and Mehndi, Face Painting, Books, Cards www.facebook.com/dragonart/ Pilates @ Th e Studios 1458 1st St. 315-246-4147 Pilates studio off ering classical Pilates group and individual reformer sessions. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Patriot Place (Florence Liberty Alliance) 175 Nopal St. 541-590-5435 Patriotic Gift s www.patriotplacefl orence.com UPCOMING EVENTS Humility – It will get you everywhere. Th is is a lesson I’ve learned and shared many times over the years. My dad never raised his voice or his hand to me, but he did share his disappointment. At which time I would hit the fl oor in tears and swear what- ever it was would NEVER happen again, and it didn’t. Being successful in business has many facets, fl exibility, vision, intu- itiveness, confi dence, humility, stick-to-itiveness and teach-ability, just to name a few. How we respond to disappointment and embarrassment will have an enormous impact on how and what we build. I recently had a healthy dose of both Sales Skill & Second Chances By Bobby Jensen Jr. Chamber Board President FREE SMALL BUSINESS REVOLUTION WORKSHOP! Th e Deluxe SBR Team is returning to Florence March 14 th to present a FREE all day business development workshop. Th e business community is invited to attend. We’re keeping the momentum going with IMAGINATION RESOURCES. #MyFlorence!!! 2017-2018 Corporate Underwriters Drift wood Shores Resort Th e Korando Dental Group Th ree Rivers Casino Resort TR Hunter Real Estate Distinguished Sponsors 101 Th ings to Do Magazine Banner Bank Bi-Mart Beachcomber Pub Burns’s Riverside Chapel Blue Heron Gallery Fred Meyer Stores Lofy Construction Oregon Pacifi c Bank PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center Sea Lion Caves Spruce Point Assisted Living Th e Siuslaw News Turell Group Wind Drift Gallery Siuslaw Business Revolution: Th e Local Resources You Need When You Need Th em By Russ Pierson Chamber President Elect Th e Small Business Revolution, sponsored by Deluxe, has catalyzed our community, and even though Florence wasn’t among the fi ve fi - nalists for an appearance on their Main Street show, the Deluxe team returns to the Florence Events Center on March 14 for a full day of small business training, focused on marketing and budgeting. It will be an excellent opportu- nity for business people throughout our region to learn from this team of expert business spe- cialists. In the immortal words of a Ronco tele- marketer … “But wait—there’s more!” Our community is banding together to ex- pand and enhance the revolution, drawing on resources that are already available but some- times hidden in plain sight. Th e “Small Busi- ness Revolution” is fast transitioning into the “Siuslaw Business Revolution,” and while the details are still in the works, we expect to an- nounce a launch event some time soon to rival the excitement we experienced with the Main Street visit—complete with food and bever- age, rousing presenters—and an opportunity for the region’s small businesses to win big by talking about the dreams for their own com- munity. Th ere are local fi nance experts that our region’s small businesses can connect to—like NEDCO, the Neighborhood Economic Devel- opment Corporation, that can help you access capital and build fi nancial stability through their Community LendingWorks division. And we already have business advisors and experts working locally in the LaneSBDC, the Small Business Development Center, and RAIN, the Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network. Deluxe Small Business Seminar for #MyFlorence Wednesday, March 14th 8:30am to 3:30pm Florence Event Center In this FREE one-day seminar, small business experts will share insights and suggestions to help you operate and market your business. Register today at: deluxe.com/sbrc/marketing/deluxe-small-business-seminar-florence-oregon Be sure to thank these members for their investment in our community! 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. Be there for a chance to win $1,000 in marketing services! Hurry! Space is limited (2 seats per business, please) While there is a bit of overlap, the SBDC’s fo- cus is on classic, local small businesses, while RAIN can help launch your traded sector en- trepreneurial dreams into the realm of reality. Th e Florence Area Chamber of Com- merce is always front-and-center in develop- ing the local business ecosystem, ready to put their one-two punch of marketing expertise to work for you, both creating a platform for your business and marketing the entire region well beyond the bounds of the Siuslaw area. In fact, it is the Chamber’s Downtown Revitalization Team that got this ball of energy rolling to be- gin with, and they have launched a new team focusing on the needs of the uptown (and be- yond) businesses in our region. Th e good people from the Siuslaw Vision team are connecting all these dots, and you will be hearing much more in the days just ahead. Stay tuned.