My family loves food buffets. With three active men in my family, they eat a lot of food. They don’t eat everything available on the buffet, but they do eat the basics and then try some new things. They also like to get their “money’s worth.”
As a Chamber Member, are you using everything available to you? Are you using your “money’s worth?” Much like a food buffet, the Chamber offers a variety of programs and services, which our members can choose to use. Many of our members don’t use some of the basic resources and tools available to them.
Here are some quick reminders of how you can increase visibility and traffic for your business:
- Update your Member information page– each Chamber member has access to their own webpage on the Chamber website. Log in to your portal and update your business description, hours of operation, driving directions and your key search words. Add your social media links and review your business representatives. If you have an upgraded webpage, you are able to add bullet points, which can LINK to specific pages on your website, and possibly your business logo and up to 8 photos. Don’t know how to log in? Call us, and we’ll help you with your login and password.
- Read the monthly Chamber Newsletter- what’s happening in the Chamber world? Who has joined the Chamber, what new businesses have been opening or moving? The newsletter has reminders, event information, and educational opportunities for many different industries.
- Utilize the Event Calendar – Submit your events online! Melissa monitors our website activity and shared with us recently that on any given day 100 people look at the Event Calendar and that number increases Friday- Sunday each week! It’s easy to do and answers questions for community members and tourists. The Chamber receives MANY phone calls asking for details on events in town. Go to www.explorehutchinson.com, click on community events, scroll down to the gray bar, and click on submit events. Here you can add details including contact information, location, times, dates, ticket prices, and event details.
- Attend Business After Hours- hosted by the Chamber Ambassadors, these monthly events highlight a local Chamber member, bringing together business people from the community. Learn about local businesses, their products and services, while you network with other Chamber members. These are listed in the monthly newsletter, and invitations are sent out through emails each month.
- Become a Business of the Month- Business of the Month has no fees! Each month a business is highlighted in the newsletter, on the Chamber website, on the Chamber Facebook page, and in the Crow River Business section. The best part may be the radio interview with me! Showcase your services, products and/or milestones. It’s easy to sign up, just call Melissa, Angela, or me!
- Brochure and Business Card Display- The Chamber has a wall of Chamber member business brochures- bring a small supply of your business brochures to the office, we then in turn share them with people who come to the Chamber to learn more about Hutchinson.
- Have a job opening or a “hot deal”?- Post your job openings and any specials, deals or sales your business currently has. You can do this through your Member Information Page.
Hopefully these few ideas will help you as you work through the buffet of Chamber programs, events and services!
