This funding, as well as that approved by the city of Falls City, will allow the District’s new streetscape plan to begin its initial endeavor to provide a safer pedestrian and customer experience on the streets and sidewalks of Falls City’s downtown; while also incorporating a beautification project. This first phase of the project will address the streetscape of Stone Street from 17^th to 18^th Street across from the Courthouse, and 17^th Street from Stone Street to Harlan Street. The preliminary planning will begin as soon as the funding is released, with actual physical construction beginning in the Spring of 2012.

[Melyn Johnson is the Main Street Manager in Guymon, Oklahoma. She always amazes me with her innovative projects in tourism and community development. She is also incredibly generous at sharing her knowledge. She wrote this piece for her "On the Bricks" column, in the Guymon Daily Herald. It's been reprinted in other area papers, and she kindly shared it with us. -Becky]

Just recently in conversation someone told me that they purchased their insurance online. Ouch. That really hurt. Biting my tongue is what hurt. The inclination for me to pull out the soap box, climb atop the box, and deliver a personal opinion was strong. But I maintained self-control. Until now.

Online? Really? The very thought gives me heartburn.

Saturday my grandson (and many other people’s children and grandchildren) played two games on the Kid’s Inc. league. Not a single one of those teams had an online business on the shirts.

The day before, the Ag Appreciation Day was held, an education opportunity for our farmers and ranchers (including a free meal). There were several local insurance agencies that had paid the money for booths and were present. None of them were online agencies.

On Saturday at the Women in Ag conference, there was Phil and Dianna Brown in attendance. No online companies that I saw.

Let’s let the imagination run to that tree branch falling on your roof and causing damage to your house and car. It’s easy to just call up Phil and Dianna (or Warner and Roger McKinnon or Ken Lane). Good luck on calling that online group. And don’t whine to me when you find out how it’s working for you.

Whew. I think the soap box can be put up now on that subject.

Wait, though. Before putting it up let me address shopping in your hometown.

Every morning when you wake up you want water to flow out of your faucet. You want your toilet to flush by simply pulling down that handle. You want your streets paved, your trash picked up, your street light giving off light so you don’t trip getting to your car. You want a swimming pool where you kids can go all day for just a little bit of money. You want a park with playground equipment for them to play or have their birthday party. You want a golf course so your spouse can be gone for a few hours on the weekend. You decide to do genealogy research and begin using the public library and want research materials. You want. You want. You want.

Don’t act like you don’t know where the money comes from to provide all of that. A minute part of it is the fees, but in our Oklahoma towns it is primarily sales tax dollars.

How would you like to call the City Manager and tell him about a pot hole on your street that you want fixed and him say, “Sorry, our street crew is working on streets in Amarillo today.” Take a deep breath. You brought it on yourself.

When you choose where to buy your groceries think about who provided those buns free at your last Sunday School picnic. Think about who bought ads in your school yearbook so your kids could have an affordable memory of their school years.

When you’re buying a car, try to remember if the place you’re buying your car (or washer or dryer or furniture) bought an animal at the stock show. Or if they donated to your prom party. Or bought the scoreboard at your school. We might even remember who buys the radio time so you can listen to area teams in the playoffs.

Now, don’t be throwing out exceptions as excuses. Sure, it’s a fact you can’t get everything in your hometown. That’s not what we’re talking about. As a point, to heck with any excuses at all. Just thoughts to ponder. You say you save some money … but I wonder just how much of that $3 gasoline it takes to save those dollars. And how many hours it took you to drive to and from that other town.

When there are medical emergencies and traumatic events, who steps up and helps out? Hometown zip codes is my guess.

Who buys the tickets to your school and community plays? Who buys the FFA top hands? Who pays for all that expensive candy and other stuff your golf team is selling as a fund raiser? It’s always people who own or work for people who are in business in or near your hometown.

It’s time to stop going into places just for a handout. Think about where you’re going and why. There is nothing wrong with going to other towns, no. But consider what you expect from local merchants and be economically smart. Sometimes when you’re saving a dollar, you could lose much more.

And while you’re thinking, tell those folks that do provide jobs in your hometown, that do pay the taxes that helps keep water running through your faucet, that do hold up your community events … tell them thank you. I appreciate our community supporters every time you give to our kids, our school, our community events, our civic groups. You’re what keeps us alive.

Time to put the soap box away.

The drawing of the sweetheart baskets was held February 10, 2011. The winners were Beckie Cromer and Nancy Foster. Congratulations Beckie and Nancy!

Over $16,000 was spent in Chamber Businesses during this promotion!

1. Get out there! People do business with people they know, so build your business network. Attend industry conferences, join community organizations. Be visible. Connect in person and not just online.

2. Get listed-free! Want to show up in search engines and mobile devices without spending a cent? Be sure to set up your free business pages in Google Places, Yahoo Local, Yelp, and others. You can list your products and services, hours of operation, specials, coupons, even photos. Take advantage of this.

3. Keep your top prospects in view. Make a list of your top 10 prospects or referral sources and keep it on your desk, your mobile phone, or use it as the “wallpaper” on your computer. Contact each of them no less than once a month.

4. Develop your personality! Create a strong company brand and identity. Start with a distinct look-and-feel-logo, colors, typeface, etc.-that conveys what you’re about. Use those consistently-on everything! Your website, business cards, packaging, newsletters, marketing materials, job ads. If possible, give your brand some zip that makes it memorable.

5. Remember the golden rule of marketing: repeat, repeat, repeat. Whatever marketing tactics you use, you must repeat your message to the same audience in the same place, over and over again. It takes a long time for your message to sink in.

6. Tell people what they get, not what you do. In your marketing materials, focus on the benefits the buyer receives-rather than just long lists of features of your products or descriptions of how you perform your services. Of course, customers compare features and services, so you’ll need to include those, but always emphasize the benefits those features bring.

7. Create an email newsletter. An email newsletter is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to regularly stay in front of customers, prospects, and referral sources. Make sure your newsletter provides some value for the recipient, such as useful information, details on sales, or a special offer.

8. Get a tagline. Come up with a short phrase that conveys what you do or makes you special (like “The world on time” for FedEx). Yours doesn’t have to be catchy-just descriptive. Let people know how to remember you. Put it on your website, business cards, even in your email signature.

9. Go to a trade show. Better yet, exhibit. Trade shows are a great place to find a lot of customers in one place, do research on your competition, meet referral and information sources. Research which trade shows your target customers attend, and check them out.

10. Be visible online. Make sure you have a website. Learn about social media, and consider getting a Facebook page and Twitter feed. Monitor your reviews on Yelp or other customer feedback sites. If you’ve got something that will attract customers, start a blog or a YouTube feed as well.

11. Get a contact management system. Keep track of past and current customers, prospects, referral sources, and more. This data is an invaluable business asset-use it for staying in touch, making sales calls, announcing new products or sales, and more.

Resource:  The Planning Shop Report ]]> http://fallscityareachamber.com/2011/02/03/marketing-tips-for-success-in-2011/feed/ 0 http://fallscityareachamber.com/2011/02/01/nebraska-marketplace-2011/ http://fallscityareachamber.com/2011/02/01/nebraska-marketplace-2011/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:43:57 +0000 admin http://fallscityareachamber.com/?p=759 The fifth annual Nebraska MarketPlace is coming to the Ramada Inn Convention Center in Kearney, Nebraska on Tuesday February 22 and Wednesday February 23, 2011. This event is presented by the Center for Rural Affairs and our many sponsors.

For more information go to the website:  http://www.cfra.org/marketplace/home

1. Shopping local creates jobs. Shops in our town create local employment and self-employment. These people in turn spend in the local economy.
2. Local independent shops invest more in our communities. Local businesses are proportionally more generous in their support of local charities, schools, and community events. So supporting local shops means a financial contribution to our community.
3. Local shops sell great products at affordable prices. Some people get out of the habit of shopping locally and are then surprised by the range of products available.
4. Shopping locally saves you time and money. You travel less, saving on time and fuel.
5. Shopping locally retains our community. People don’t like losing shops and services in Falls City but don’t equate this with how they spend their money.
6. Shopping locally retains our distinctiveness. Independent shops create distinctive shopping experiences and stock different products. Local businesses respond more quickly to the needs of local customers, stocking products to meet changing population needs.
7. Shopping locally saves the environment. Local shops often stock a high percentage of locally sourced goods that do not require long-distance transportation, helping to reduce our global footprint.
8. Local shops are for everyone. Most people can get to their local shops easily. This is especially important for the elderly, young people and others who rely on public transportation.
9. Local shops value you more. Evidence from numerous surveys show people receive better customer care and service locally. These businesses survive by their reputation and repeat business, which means you get a higher standard of service.
10. Shopping local saves services. Private and public sector services cluster around shops. As shops disappear so do hairdressers, banks, restaurants and other businesses.

Consumers can pledge to Think, Shop, Buy, Local and commit to patronizing businesses near where they live and work. Local stores employ our neighbors, pay taxes that support our schools and improve our roads, and contribute to local non-profit groups.