Don’t Have Time for Events? A Chamber Membership Is Worth a Lot More Than That.
This is easily the #1 reason I hear when businesses question joining the chamber. When I speak to small businesses about their local chamber, the businesses that have let their memberships lapse often make it sound like a gym membership. “I didn’t really use it.” What they’re missing when they make comments like that is the behind-the-scenes benefits of chamber membership. Just as your investment grows in a savings account in a bank, your business investment in chamber membership is growing even when you
Christina Metcalf
10 Steps to Perfecting Your Business Offer
Ever notice how some offers are irresistible? You didn’t even know you needed the product or service. Then you saw the offer, and BANG!, you’re whipping out your credit card. This isn’t by accident. Someone down the line carefully created the offer that caused you to act with wild abandon. And you can do it too for your business. It just takes a little forethought. Steps to Perfecting Your Offer Go through the steps of the following list to help you perfect your business offer.
Christina Metcalf
Getting Ready for 2024
In the bustling world of small business, as entrepreneurs and professionals, we often find ourselves caught in the whirlwind of routines, habits, and attachments that no longer serve our growth, personally or professionally. In the pursuit of success, we accumulate emotional baggage, physical clutter, mental burdens, and antiquated processes that hinder us from experiencing the success we truly desire. These things are familiar, and thus, safe. They seem harmless enough. But when you look more closely,
Christina Metcalf
The Halo Effect: a Cheap and Easy Way to Improve Your Branding
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You are the company you keep?” It has good and bad ramifications, doesn’t it? It’s often applied to young people and their friends. But did you know this “Halo Effect” influences customers as well? And you could be using it in your business for amazing results.
Christina Metcalf
Grow Your Business Socially
If you’re old enough, you likely remember your parents addressing the issues of group think. Maybe they said, “Monkey see, monkey do.” Perhaps you were trying to win an argument by telling them how you’re the only person not allowed to do something, to which they replied, “If everyone jumped off of a bridge, would you do it too?” But as much as your parents were trying to raise you to be a person who thinks on their own, we are social creatures. We long for acceptance. We have a fear of missing out. And
Christina Metcalf
Unlocking LinkedIn's Potential for Business Growth
Do you think of LinkedIn as something to be used solely by job seekers? While the world's largest professional network is widely recognized as a platform for job seekers and recruiters to connect, that’s not all it can do. Its potential goes far beyond job hunting. For savvy business owners and professionals, LinkedIn offers a treasure trove of opportunities to find customers, strengthen their brand, and expand their network. It's estimated there are about 310 million monthly active users and 900 million
Christina Metcalf
Stop Chasing “Squirrels”
Have you ever seen the movie Up? In it, there’s a scene where a talking dog (he has a collar that translates his thoughts) is explaining his voice, only to be derailed by the passing of a squirrel. You may know this example as “shiny object syndrome.” Whatever you call it, it’s becoming a big problem for businesses and entrepreneurs. Here’s why and what you can do about it if it’s interfering with your success.
Christina Metcalf
Is Threads Right for Your Business?
Facebook err…Meta does it again. We have yet another social media platform to consider. Usually when advising businesses on whether they should participate on a social media platform, I ask them who their ideal client is and then we go by demographics. If your ideal customer is on the platform, go for it. If not, skip it—unless you just really enjoy being overextended in your posts and social media attention. But threads isn’t exactly a new platform. Well, it is technically. But if you have Instagram, it
Christina Metcalf
The Power of Personalization
If this article had been written in the 1990s, it would have meant something very different. Back then, personalization meant mail merges. The fact we could personalize communication to include the recipient’s first name (and later other fields), was the coolest thing ever. It showed someone who really knew how to use Word. These days when we talk about the power of personalization, we’re not referring to using someone's name in an e-mail or letter. You should be doing that anyway. What your customers
Christina Metcalf
Be Unforgettable: How You Can Standout at Networking Events
First, you’re probably thinking if everyone in the chamber (and beyond) reads this article and follows the advice here, no one will be unforgettable because we’ll all be following the same instructions. But in the words of the famous Dr. Seuss, “There is no one alive more youier than you” so being the same isn’t possible if you’re true to who you are. With that in mind, let’s talk about how you can begin to standout and make worthwhile connections, even if you hate networking.
Christina Metcalf
