New Article - Page:Newsletter November 2007
– Long Avenue Baptist Church
Top 5 Tips for Marketing Your Business
United Way of Northwest Florida
Business Interruption Insurance
Directors come and go on the Chamber Board; I know that is going to happen every year as Director’s term end and the rotate off the Board. Occasionally we lose a director during their term. That is what happened to our Board member Extraordinaire and current Secretary, Pollyanna Huie. When Pollyanna was elected it was evident that she would put 100% effort into the job. I quickly found out that she puts 200% into any project she tackles. What an asset; Not only to the Chamber but also to the community! Only in the event that she was out-of-town, committed to a job project, or very sick did she miss attending most of our events. When we had a special event she donated her valuable time (sometimes hours and hours) to make it successful. She was there for the smaller events and for the larger ones also. One important aspect of Pollyanna’s service on the Board was all the work she did to contribute to the success of a project – behind the scenes! When we promoted Williams Avenue businesses she printed the cards for the scavenger hunt. For two Annual Dinners she made major contributions in the planning, decorating, clean-up. Not only did she work and work hard but one year she “volunteered” her Mom, and several aunts. That year she had blisters on her fingers from blowing up balloons! I could go on and on but I will just say – THANK YOU POLLYANNA! I will miss you!
As we wish Pollyanna well on her move, her new job and new adventures, I want to take welcome our newest Board member, Randy Raffield. Randy will be an asset to the Board and will fill the void left from losing Pollyanna. I know Randy will jump right in and work with all the Board members. Welcome Aboard, Randy!
Just a thought about all of our Directors – past and present! As a Board Director: They work without pay; they devote their valuable time to the Chamber and the community; they make decisions which contribute to the quality of life for Gulf County; they represent the business community; they believe in and support whole heartedly the Mission statement of the Chamber. Their role is an important one and many times they just do not get the recognition they deserve and should receive.
At our events you may not see all of the Directors together at one time. Their “other” job does come first. Sometimes they are in the audience and you might not realize that they are there in support of the event. Their job is an important one and we thank them!
This year the Wewahitchka Woman’s Club’s 2nd Annual Celebration will host a full day of activities for the entire family. Our theme this year for the 2nd Annual is “A Celebration of Family and Community.” The festivities begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at Lake Alice, Wewahitchka with food, vendors, games, arts, crafts, and a 5K Jingle Bell run from Petal’s N Things back to Lake Alice Park. The winner turns the switch to light the park for the evening festivities.
The night time PARADE will be hosted by the City of Wewahitchka and will start around “dark thirty”. Participants may enter as a competitor in one of the three category’s: Best golf cart, best musical, most creative, best lighted. Wewahitchka Woman’s Club, Inc. & local sponsors will provide free children activities, in Santa’s Village, hot chocolate, toys, prizes, & games.
All donations made in behalf of this event will be tax deductible made payable to the WEWAHITCHKA WOMAN’S CLUB.
All vendors wishing to participate should call Pattie Fisher at PETALS N THINGS (fees for lots) 850-639-5588
Music: Rhonda Pridgeon 850-639-5429
Bikes for Boys and Girls for Gulf County is sponsored by Gulf Correctional Institute, Wewahitchka Woman’s Club and North Florida Child Development, Inc. If you have bikes or parts of bikes you would wish to donate, take them to your nearest fire department and the work crew from GCI will pick them up and refurbish. It is the goal of this event for Santa to deliver 100 bikes to 100 needy children the night of this spectacular event!
Make Donations to: Wewahitchka Woman’s Club , 631 Chipola Avenue , Wewahitchka.
Please note the following correction with our apologies: Patti corrected to Patty
Shaklee Independent Distributor
Pineapple Plantation Vacation Beach Home
The Gulf County Chamber of Commerce
Just Coasting Along ‘till Christmas Comes . . .
30 minutes past dark
Frank Pate Park at 6:00 p.m. EDT
Reid Avenue approximately 6:45 p.m. EDT
Chamber Events
Photos Courtesy Debbie Hooper
Music By The Bay – John & Tom.
Top 5 Tips for Marketing Your Business Jack Kerigan, Jr.
In my line of work the question I get asked most is “what should I do to market my business?” Sometimes it comes through the casual conversation of a dinner party. Often it’s from friends and acquaintances starting a new business. And, occasionally it comes from a company executive probing for insight to test his advertising person’s mettle.
Certainly, one answer is, “it depends.” And, while that may be true (larger businesses require more complex strategies and tactics than smaller ones), I am generally less than satisfied when provided with that firm grasp of the obvious. I continue to observe some common strategic issues in the marketing projects I’ve been working on. Since these themes repeatedly present themselves in my work, across a wide variety of businesses, I felt it would be worthwhile to summarize them and share.
Just in case you are curious as to the source of my insights, they come from marketing assessments I conduct for organizations ranging from real estate to banking to government agencies, across Florida and out of state. Additionally, my small team of five consistently networks with our agency colleagues and business associates, and scours industry web sites to stay ahead of the marketing curve.
The following list represents my Top 5 Marketing Tips you should be thinking about for your business:
- Start with a Plan.
A simple marketing plan should include at least these three parts---Identity, Strategy, and lastly, Tactics. Basically, you need to understand what makes your product/service different from competitor, what strategies will most effectively reach your consumer, and how much your specific programs will cost plotted on an annual calendar. Big businesses do this, and it’s not hard for small ones to do it either. One approach is to do it yourself, or internally, and there are plenty of inexpensive templates online. Another is to hire a consultant that will bring the added benefit of expertise and a fresh perspective to the business.
- Clarify your Identity.
If I say Mercedes, Honda, Hyatt or Motel 6, don’t you quickly find the image of each in your mind? Three important questions I pose to business managers include:
Your answers should roll out effortlessly. If you can’t confidently, and quickly, explain what makes you different than the competition, why should your prospect buy from them?
- Establish a Marketing Budget
What is your 2008 budget? Just two months to go before you’re in waist deep; are you prepared to hit the water swimming? From the industries I’ve served here are a few categorical averages:
- Casual Dining – 4.5% of total revenues spent on marketing. That was our
standard at Community Coffee and is applied by Chili’s,
- Real Estate-- Coldwell Banker corporate recommends 5% of
- Medical-- Through our work with a mid-size orthopedic firm,
we’ve learned the industry average is 1% of total revenues.
- Get serious about your Web Site.
Look at the bottom of your web site, right now, and see if the copyright says anything other than 2007? If it says 2006 that tells the customer the information has not been updated for at least ten months. When you search for a product or service are you looking for a provider more committed to their field than that?
Increasingly, managers are telling me their number one marketing goal [for their advertising efforts] is to drive people to their web site. Others confess they are downright embarrassed by their current site, often something completed initially by a friend, and now completely outgrown. Pay close attention to quality photography and a design image that fits your organization. Remember, you get what you pay for.
- Build business thru relationship marketing.
Most business owners know it’s less expensive to retain the customers they have versus prospecting for new ones. In most cases, both are important, but relationship marketing is the area where customers are cultivated and strengthened. Do you have a follow-up plan for how you build business from your valuable customer contacts? Are you constantly growing your database?
A simple hand-written Thank You note immediately following a key meeting can really stand out in your prospect’s electronically-driven day. Direct mail still retains the #1 spot for marketers as the leading relationship vehicle in the recent 2007 Target Marketing Media Usage Survey. However, email marketing showed the greatest growth outranking direct marketing 35% to 31% as the preferred method for “customer retention.” Email marketing should be approached with care so you may want to consult a professional. Still, the benefits of cost and flexibility warrant its exploration for event the smallest of organizations.
Jack Kerigan, Jr has guided national brands and regional brands such as Community Coffee as Director of Marketing. He established Kerigan Marketing Associates in 2000 and now resides in Port St. Joe, Fl where he leads a small team of marketing professionals focused on strategic advertising management, web site development and graphic design. FAQs are available at www.keriganonline.com
Time passes and everything changes, while some of us enjoy the changes, others prefer things to stay the same. The Beaches area has undergone a dramatic facelift, new roads, new homes, parks, many improvements that make ours lives more enjoyable. Our company, John Arnold Land Development, Inc. finds itself on the front lines when change is desired or necessary. We offer services that cover a wide spectrum… we have the latest in heavy equipment when you need a pond dug in your backyard or a new driveway or your extra lot bush hogged. We will demolish your old home to make room for the new home. When you need any area mulched, flattened, raised, smoothed, cleared, cleaned, dug out or filled… call John Arnold Land Development, Inc. Our dump trucks deliver needed materials and remove debris. We have been in business in The Beaches area for 7 years and know what it takes to make the changes that are wanted and still preserve our beautiful landscape. Our company believes in helping to keep our environment clean and we strive to work in harmony with nature. Changes however are inevitable. John Arnold Land Development & Heavy Equipment is now under new ownership. Many people will recognize the new owners name, James Watford, his ties to the Port St. Joe area go back a long way to Grandparents
and now Parents that live in the area. James attended school in Port St. Joe and now resides in the Howard’s Creek area after retiring from the Army Corp of Engineers. James has worked for John Arnold Land Development for 6 years as operations manager and is probably the person that you spoke to when you used our services. Again, change happens or opportunity calls and James made the decision to buy John Arnold Land Development, Inc. becoming partners with Fay Massoletti a 7 year resident of Mexico Beach. Ms. Massoletti moved from California and found retirement enjoyable but boring. She had been a business owner and worked in the corporate world for many years and needed a new challenge. Together we will work to make you, our customers, happy. We say what we can do and do what we say. Customer service is our motto. Our new office is located at 104-C North 32nd Street- Mexico Beach, Fl and our new phone is 850-648-1060. Please give us a call; we will make all your changes easier. If we can’t, we will steer you to someone who can, after all, it’s all about you!
Your BBB is introducing a new energized BBB Brand, in-touch with today’s consumers and marketplace issues, and more focused on advancing marketplace trust than ever before.
It used to simply be a good idea to do your homework and before doing business with a company; now it’s a necessity. Today’s savvy consumers want control, security and confidence in their choices, and know the importance of doing business with a company that has made a public commitment to doing what is right.
This is where your BBB steps in. BBB’s Start With Trust campaign reminds consumers that there are measurable and accountable Standards for Trust in the marketplace. And BBB has been setting and upholding those high standards for almost 100 years.
You’ll notice an exciting change with our Seal Program. We will no longer refer to businesses as “members.” Instead, businesses licensed to use our seal will be identified as a BBB Accredited Business. We see accreditation as a more accurate description of what these businesses stand for and the status they have attained.
All BBB accredited businesses have agreed to live up to our Standards for Trust. Our Standards for Trust focus on how businesses should treat the public – fairly and honestly in all circumstances. BBB Accreditation is an honor; not every company is eligible.
You’ll see and hear a new logo and tagline. The new BBB logo and the tagline “Start With Trust” will be a reminder that you can be confident when you start your search with BBB. BBB is the seasoned, independent expert on marketplace trust.
One of the most exciting innovations is the redesign of BBB’s Website. Already, bbb.org helps millions of people find reports on businesses. Now, we’re adopting a consistent look and feel, and adding common tools and functionality. Faster and more direct access to information will be available through the new global site search process. Instant update features will push information to users when and where they want it, to help consumers find BBB accredited businesses and other information quickly and easily.
In the last century, we have seen many sources who have tried to do what we do. But most others only offer unverified, subjective feedback. In addition, most sources aren’t held accountable for their advice, or if something goes awry, aren’t in a position to help consumers the way BBB is. Our network of national and local BBB operations allows us to monitor and take action on thousands of businesses issues affecting consumers at any given time.
BBB’s mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. The core of who we are has not changed - trust, integrity, honesty, reliability. For nearly a century BBB has been the “go to” organization for marketplace trust issues and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.
Consider Getting Business Interruption Insurance
Although most small business owners know they need property and casualty insurance for their premises, many don't realize they need specialized insurance coverage to limit their losses from a disaster.
Perhaps the biggest omission owners make when buying a commercial policy is business interruption insurance.
``They fail to think about what would happen if their business couldn't open again,' said Loretta Worters, vice president for communications of the Insurance Information Institute, a New York-based trade group.
Worters noted that business interruption insurance should be part of a company's business plan, the blueprint needed for any kind of loan or financing. But even the many owners who fund their companies themselves should buy this type of insurance - or they could see their hard work and dreams become a casualty of storms, fire or flood.
Business interruption insurance covers profits that are lost and expenses that continue to be incurred when a company is forced to shut down by a disaster, or even by an event such as an extended power outage. Policies typically have a 48-hour waiting period before coverage starts, but, depending on how much coverage a business buys, interruptions up to 360 days can be covered.
Among the expenses that business interruption insurance covers are salaries, rent and electricity - costs that still need to be paid even though a company can't operate.
But not all policies are created equal, said Mark Thaw, a partner at a South Florida accounting firm. Interruption policies are often riddled with exclusions that can narrow their usefulness. After Hurricane Wilma, some business owners discovered that their policies would have covered power outages within their building but would not cover expenses incurred because of a blown transformer down the block.
Avoiding such pitfalls starts with ``understanding what you bought, not what you are being told by someone,' said Thaw, who has helped clients collect more than $1 billion in insurance claims. ``If you are a small business guy, you probably don't have an insurance department, so you need to read and understand the policy yourself.'
As many companies have learned, property and casualty insurance can also have its limits. Damage from flooding is not covered by a typical commercial package; it must be purchased separately.
How much business interruption insurance a company should buy should be considered along with a disaster recovery plan. If you are certain you could quickly relocate your operations to another site and keep working, you might not want to buy the maximum amount available.
But Hurricane Wilma - which cut off power for days and weeks, in some cases, across South Florida - showed how disruptive even a lesser hurricane can be.
``The biggest hazard of all is being shut down,' said Carol Chastang, a spokeswoman for the Small Business Administration. ``Business interruption insurance is absolutely vital.'
But for many small ventures, business interruption insurance seems more like a luxury than a necessity.
Companies in specific industries should consider purchasing policies tailored to their line of work. For example, food purveyors should have food spoilage insurance to cover losses from a power failure.
Worters noted that many small businesses are cost-conscious and are likely to be concerned about spending a great deal of money on insurance. But even if you're tempted to put the money you might spend on insurance into another part of the company, you need to think about what you stand to lose if disaster strikes, she said.
But it's also important to weigh the costs of your insurance choices, said Thaw.
Business interruption insurance is very similar to disability insurance, he said. ``It's very expensive, so you want to make sure your dollars are spent wisely and you aren't wasting your money.'
Excerpts taken from Miami Herald.com/Associated Press WriterJOYCE M. ROSENBERG
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Reindeer 5K Run & Fitness Walk
9:00 a.m. (EST)
December 1, 2007
You are invited to the Annual Reindeer 5K Run. Bring your children and friends.
Let’s promote fitness and have fun, too! Walkers welcome!
Course: To be determined. For more information, please call Jenny Mercuri at 850-227-6940
T-shirts:T-shirts to the first 100 registered runners/walkers by race day.
Registration:Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, December 1st. Registration fee is $15.00 early and $20.00 on race day. The race will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Awards: $50.00 cash award to the 1st Overall Male and Female runners.
Additional awards will be 3 deep in 5 year age groups.
Information: Contact the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce at 800-239-9553 or 227-1223.
______________________________________________
T-Shirt: (circle one) Sm Med Lg X-Lg E-mail:____________________________
Waiver: I assume all risks associated with running this event, including but not limited to, falls, contact with other participants, the effects of weather, including high heat and/or humidity, traffic, and the condition of the road, all such risks known and appreciated by me. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts and in condition of your accepting my entry, representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in the Reindeer 5K Run
Make checks payable to: Reindeer Run, Gulf County Chamber of Commerce
155 Capt. Fred’s Place, Port St. Joe, FL 32456
Time: 7:00p.m. (EST)
Sponsored by Fairpoint Communications and The Thirsty Goat
Four Fantastic Fall Evenings of Free Family Entertainment
