If you follow the stock market you know it is not faring too well. While it has been up, it’s also gone right back down, losing all of the gains so far this year! Not a pretty picture. The reality is that most of us small business owners have little or no control over what happens on Wall Street. What matters most to us is what happens on Main Street.
On Main Street, we small business owners have to wear many hats. The problem is that most of us spend way too much time wearing operations and administration hats while neglecting to wear our marketing hat which is what we need to make our businesses grow and flourish.
Marketing is one area where small business owners on Main Street do have some control, if they understand which marketing strategies will give them the biggest bang for their marketing buck. Thanks to the internet, smart phones and a host of innovative technologies, small business owners have access to a wide variety of cost-effective marketing strategies.
However, one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies that small business owners frequently overlook is not new at all. Ancient merchants utilized “live event marketing”. Vendors would travel from near and far to meet buyers face to face and sell their products and services on the main streets of villages and towns. These early markets were “alive” with colorful images, a cacophony of sound, mouth watering flavors, intoxicating scents and handmade tools and utensils. It was also quite common for various types of entertainers, musicians and actors to perform.
These ancient merchants had no need for sophisticated marketing strategies to reach different demographics. They simply engaged their prospects in ways that are more difficult to do using today’s multi-media. Here for example:
All five senses
Product and/or service demonstrations or samples
Face-to-face interactions
The closest modern versions of “live event marketing” include trade shows, expos, conferences, fairs and networking mixers such as those hosted by LinkedMinnesota, Sharp Upswing, New Business Minnesota and MainStreetChamber. If you’ve attended any these events, you would have seen many businesses showcasing their products and services.
Although “live event marketing” may not be effective for all businesses, for those who know how to leverage it, attracting prospective customers can be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Check out the video below to see how some businesses utilized “live event marketing” at one of our past events.
If your target market includes small business owners and you want to showcase your products and services to several hundred prospective clients/customers, I would urge you to reserve your booth at our upcoming “MainStreetChamber™ Business Expo” (for free admittance – for exhibit rates email expo@mainstreetchamber-mn.org) at the prestigious Metropolitan Event Center on September 7 as soon as possible. We are expecting between 500-1,000 small business owners to attend. Our keynote address will be delivered by John Tschohl, a speaker and author recognized by USA Today, Time and Entrepreneur magazines as the ”Customer Service Guru”. In addition, we will have breakout sessions with small business experts Mark LeBlanc, CJ Coolidge and Jill Konrath. Our exhibit space is limited to just 84 booths/tables and they are going fast.
Close to 100 exhibitors will have an opportunity to meet up to 1,000 or more prospective clients/customers face to face, hear a dynamic presentation from an internationally recognized speaker and author and enjoy complimentary Hors D’oeuvres.
To help you leverage “live event marketing” to grow your business, I would encourage you to attend our upcoming Event Marketing Lunch & Learn on Tuesday, August 23 at the Kelly Inn in Plymouth. For the small cost of a lunch, you will learn simple, yet powerful event marketing tools and techniques from three experts. For complete details and registration, click here.
For additional details on how you can leverage Event Marketing at MainStreetChamber events, just click on Upcoming Events and then contact one of our chapter Presidents (all Minnesota chapters are listed in the side bar on the right). We are thrilled to help you in any way we can.
In summary, even though there’s not much we can do about what happens on Wall Street, there is a lot we can do about what happens on Main Street. And that is what MainStreetChamber™ wants to help small businesses discover
First 20 Community lending organizations selected to start making loans up to $200,000 under new Intermediary Lending Pilot Program
Startups, newly established and growing small businesses now have a new source of financing backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration as 20 community organizations have been funded by SBA to start making loans up to $200,000 to qualifying small businesses.
Authorized under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, the new Intermediary Lending Pilot Program will provide direct loans up to $1 million to 20 community organizations or intermediaries in fiscal year 2011, which in turn will use those funds to help finance small businesses, mostly in underserved markets.
Designed to expand access to capital to small businesses and drive economic growth and job creation, the program will fund 20 additional community lenders in FY 2012. The program has an additional year of authority in FY 2013 subject to appropriation by Congress.
“The Intermediary Lending Program is an important new tool to support businesses in underserved markets,” said SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns. “Partnering with community lenders will increase points of access to capital for startups and businesses that have been disproportionately affected by the recession.”
One goal of the pilot program over the next two-to-three years is to assess the intermediary model as an effective tool for increasing lower-dollar lending to small businesses and startups, particularly those in traditionally underserved communities.
Minnesota has often been at the top of the list of States making the most SBA-backed loans. Therefore, it is no surprise that one of the community lending organizations is located right here in Minnesota:
The answer to these questions and more were discussed on The Peter McClellan Show during a recent broadcast promoting the Aug. 10 SCORE Minnesota Social Media Boot Camp II. MainStreetChamber members, blog readers, and their guests are encouraged to check out the SCORE event which will feature 10 area social media professionals answering these questions and more. Presentation topics include The Digital Switch, Discovering Your Customer’s Search Habits, An Insider’s Look at Engaging with Smartphone Technology, Connect Your Way to Success on LinkedIn, Google Places: Reach Your Neighbor with Local Search, and Facebook Basics to Build Your Business. A complete list of presenters, who will be available for Q&A throughout the event, is available at http://www.scoreminnesota.org/boot-camp-ii-speakers/
MainStreet Chamber is a proud sponsor of the SCORE Social Media Boot Camp II. President – MainStreetChamber – East Metro Chapter Michael Sasso will present “Thinking like a Marketer” and will share his top social media Work Harder Not Smarter time-saving tips. Mike Clough, State Director of MainStreetChamber Minnesota, was the organizer of the first SCORE Minnesota Social Media Boot Camp in 2010.
Here are the answers to the headline questions: It depends. And, they are looking to make connections. To learn more about using social media to promote your business, listen to The Peter McClellan Show featuring SCORE-Minnesota mentor Al Hanzal and Reciprocate LLC owner Karen Emanuelson by clicking here: www.kkmslive.com/MP3/PM_7_25_11.mp3
Registration and details on the SCORE Social Media Boot Camp II are available at http://conta.cc//SCOREBootCamp. Register by Thursday, Aug. 4 to save $25 off the full-day event admission.
What’s so special about event marketing? In short, it is extremely powerful because it gives you exposure to hundreds of prospects in your target market, which can net you a much higher return than other marketing tactics. Before we get into the main advantages of event marketing, let’s take a quick look at event marketing from a 10,000 foot view.
Event marketing, or live events are great for both exhibitors and attendees. Attendees, whether they are business owners or consumers, find expos, trade shows or live events very appealing because they can discover the very latest in innovative products and services and meet many vendors and potential strategic partners in a short period of time. Exhibitors find event marketing or live events very appealing because it is easy to make a great first impression with a large volume of prospects in a very short period of time. Depending on what product or service is being offered and how effective the exhibitor is at event marketing, it can be like shooting fish in a barrel.
To illustrate how powerful event marketing can be, here are seven key marketing factors with comparisons to various other marketing tactics.
Are you able to focus the attention of qualified and targeted prospects on your product, service and/or brand? With live events you can do this and a whole lot more! Not so with newspaper, radio or TV advertising. Maybe yes, or maybe no with most magazine and online advertising.
Are you able to communicate, interact and respond to prospects? With live events you certainly can. It is somewhat possible to accomplish this with various web-based applications. However, this is not possible with newspaper, magazine, radio or TV.
Do prospects walk right up to you with their interests and questions? This is exactly what happens at live events! Of course, it’s impossible with newspaper, magazine, radio, TV and online marketing.
Can prospects touch, feel and see your product live in person? This is what live events are all about. But again, it isn’t possible with newspaper, magazine, radio, TV and online marketing.
Can prospects meet you and ask you questions? Absolutely with live events! This is where a lot of relationships begin. However, once again, it isn’t possible with newspaper, magazine, radio, TV and online marketing.
Can you make a sale, take in money and/or set appointments in real-time? You certainly can with live events and possibly online marketing. But certainly not with newspaper, magazine, radio and TV.
How many of the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) can prospects experience? With live events it is possible to appeal to all five senses (depending on your product/service). Newspaper and magazine only gives prospects sight and sometimes smell (2 senses) and radio only sound (1 sense). TV and online marketing gives your prospect sight and sound (still only 2 senses). Only live events can engage all five senses of your prospects!
As you can see, event marketing offers many advantages over other tactics. Yet this does not mean that if you use event marketing you will be successful. There are many exhibitors that do not enjoy success. The reason is that they lack the knowledge and experience to do it correctly.
Imagine two scenarios. One exhibitor has a great looking booth or table top display that draws people to them like a magnet. Another exhibitor has a simple table with a few brochures. Which exhibitor do you think will get better results? One exhibitor stands in front of their booth or table, smiles and greets people warmly as they come by. The other sits behind the table on a chair with their arms crossed. Which one do you think will get better results?
Before you rush into event marketing, it is important to understand what must be done before, during and after an event to make sure it is successful. MainStreetChamber™ offers its members many events and expos where they can showcase their products and services through live events as well as advertising. MainStreetChamber™ also offers special training on event marketing.
Two weeks ago we hosted an Event Marketing Lunch & Learn that was very well received. We received feedback that many more people would have attended but they didn’t want to travel all the way from the East side of town to the West side of town. Consequently, we have scheduled two additional “Event Marketing” Lunch & Learns to make it convenient for people on both the East and West sides of the Twin Cities.
Speaking of live events and opportunities to showcase your products and services, we have two additional events you should definitely check out!
First, on August 17, we are celebrating our first anniversary in Minnesota with our “Garden Party in the Sky”. It will be a star studded event, beginning with a special message from the founder/Chairman of MainStreetChamber™, Larry Kozen. Then, traveling all the way from Houston, Texas, we will have dynamic speaker and author, CJ Coolidge, known for his out-of the-box thinking, quick wit and engaging style. To cap off the evenings festivities, we have booked an Emmy Award winning musician, Michael Monroe. Hundreds of small business owners have already registered and we are expecting hundreds more. So, exhibiting will provide a perfect opportunity to showcase your products/services.
On September 7, we are hosting our “MainStreetChamber™ Business Expo” at the prestigious Metropolitan Event Center. We are expecting between 500-1,000 small business owners to attend this event. Our keynote speaker is John Tschohl, speaker and author recognized by USA Today, Time and Entrepreneur magazines as the ”Customer Service Guru”. In addition, we will have breakout sessions with small business experts Mark LeBlanc, CJ Coolidge and Jill Konrath. Our exhibit space is limited to just 84 booths/tables and they are going fast.
For details on how you can leverage Event Marketing at MainStreetChamber events, just contact one of our chapter Presidents (all Minnesota chapters are listed in the side bar on the right). We are thrilled to help you in any way we can. For more information and registration for the two events mentioned in this article, just click on the name of the event.
How often have you heard, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” or “You get what you pay for”? While these two statements may reflect reality in most cases, I have always believed the old adage “There are exceptions to every rule.” Read further and see what you think.
One exception is MainStreetChamber™. I’m sure most business owners who are familiar with MainStreetChamber™ would agree that considering membership is free, events are free and they receive free advertising and promotion of their business, they have received far more than they paid for. But MainStreetChamber™ isn’t the only exception.
Another unbelievable resource for small business owners is SCORE. In fact, it is one of the biggest values in the small business community! I don’t need to use up a lot of ink making a big pitch for them because they have just released a couple of Public Service Announcements (PSA) that will do the selling for me. Let me just say that in Minnesota SCORE has six chapters, many branch offices and over 400 volunteer mentors to help your small business SCORE big! Best of all, they can provide just about any type of expertise you need free of charge!
The first PSA is a call for small business owners who need help getting started or taking their business to the next level – perfect for many of our MainStreetChamber™ members.
We also know that many of our MainStreetChamber™ members have a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience that could help others who want to start and/or grow a business. So let me share SCORE’s second PSA calling for volunteer mentors who want to share their expertise and give back to the small business community.
My point is that you and your small business can SCORE big with MainStreetChamber™ and SCORE! Are you taking advantage of these free resources? If not, what in the world are you waiting for?
And since MainStreetChamber™ is such a dedicated advocate of SCORE, I would like to encourage SCORE’s 400+ Minnesota volunteers to consider becoming Ambassadors for MainStreetChamber™. This is a highly visible and prestigious role in the small business community which would allow them to network with our thousands of Minnesota small business owner members. The message I m hoping this article sends to Minnesota SCORE Mentors is this: we need you and our members need you! If you are interested, please contact me at mike.clough@mainstreetchamber.org
Working together let’s get the Minnesota small business community back on track!
Ah, there is nothing quite like the smell of fresh cut grass, barbeques and blooming flowers. This time of year always reminds me of the lyrics to one of George Gershwin’s most beloved songs, “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy, fish are jumpin’, and the cotton is high”. While small business owners may long to play golf, take the boat out and/or spend long weekends at the cabin, for most of them, livin’ easy is just a concept.
Many small business owners rarely take time off or even take a salary, let alone take it easy in the summer. Although hard work and dedication are necessary ingredients to grow a small business, if business owners don’t have some fun once in a while, they can burnout, which is counterproductive.
Lisa Saline (President) and Frank Gustafson (Executive Director) of the South Metro Chapter are no strangers to hard work and dedication. As seasoned entrepreneurs and small business owners, they’ve certainly paid their dues. But, they’ve also learned a thing or two about how to make the journey to success a little easier and a whole lot more fun along the way.
Perhaps that’s why they were so adamant about wanting a different kind of Grand Opening celebration. They want to create the kind of event attendees would want to attend not just because they will meet lots of new connections and discover new strategies for growing their business, but because it sound like a blast.
That’s just what you can expect at the South Metro Grand Opening on Thursday, July 21 at the Crystal Lake Golf Club. It has something for everyone. Small business owners who are looking for some fun competition on the golf course will enjoy playing in a shot gun tournament while they make new connections on the links. Those who are focused on finding networking nirvana will be in heaven as they mingle among the crowd. And those who are looking for a way to balance their heavy workload will enjoy plenty of fun, refreshments and door prizes.
As if all of this doesn’t sound like a blast, the highlight of the evening will be an inspiring message by entrepreneur, speaker and author Terry Hitchcock. Just about anyone who has ever overcame formidable challenges to achieve their goals will be able to relate to Terry’s story which was featured in the award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary called MY RUN narrated by Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton in 2011.
If you are not a member of MainStreetChamber™, why not join now? We offer:
• FREE Lifetime Membership in MainStreetChamber™
• FREE Lifetime Membership Certificate
• FREE Member Logo for member website
• FREE Advertising on Chamber website (VIP Membership Program)
• FREE Networking Events
• FREE Promotion of your business
• 10% Discount on MainStreetChamber™ Event Sponsorship
• And much more
So, whether you want to have more business connections, inspiration or fun and games this summer, join us Thursday, July 21. Its going to be a blast! Space is limited and time is running out, so why not register now? Feel free to invite your clients, employees, colleagues and friends. They will thank you for it.
Succeeding in business is about building smart relationships. That’s why MainStreetChamber™ has partnered with Office Depot to offer ALL Chamber Members the Office Depot Rewards Platinum Program. Rewards Platinum is a loyalty program for small and medium businesses. As a Platinum Rewards member, you get great deals. You get award-winning customer service. You can shop the way you like (online, by phone, by fax, in-store).
Office Depot Rewards Platinum: the smart way of taking care of business.
OFFICE DEPOT REWARDS PLATINUM
This partnership offers members:
Internet ordering of over 50,000 items
15% off everyday low web pricing on 50 office essentials
15% off everyday low web pricing on 3 top-selling case paper products
15% off everyday low web pricing on 10 products you pick (excludes technology and furniture)
Store purchasing cards for your purchases at over 1,100 Office Depot retail stores. You will receive the special MainStreetChamber™ pricing in stores
Additional monthly special offers
Free next business day delivery on all general supplies orders of $50 or more (order must be placed by 5:00 pm to receive next day delivery)
30 day account billing available to qualified customers
Dedicated Sales Representative ensuring excellent customer service
Professional, full-service printing, copying, binding and finishing whenever you need it through online Print on Demand service
5% of your retail purchases going back to the school of your choice under the Back to Schools program
BONUS
Signup during the month of June and receive a $15 gift-card to your choice of nine restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Long Horn Steak House, Chili’s, Macaroni Grill, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Maggiano’s, or On The Border) on your first order of over $125.
Start saving money on the office supplies you already buy. Click “Join Now!” below.
Marketing methods and tools have changed dramatically over the past few years. Traditional marketing methods and tools that worked well a few years ago are far less effective today. The main reason is that significant advancements in technology have given consumers the power to choose the marketing messages they are willing to receive. Considering this shift in power, many small business owners are confused and overwhelmed. So we thought it might be a good idea to discuss these changes and share a very special offer with you at the end of the article.
The Internet paved the way for online marketing, email marketing and most recently social media marketing. The subsequent arrival of new technologies used in iPods, DVRs and smart cellular phones (i.e. iPhones, Androids, etc.) opened the door to many revolutionary marketing strategies. In fact, smart phones alone are projected to out sell desktop, notebook and tablet computers combined by 2012.
Cellular phones in general have replaced most home landline phones. Smart phones now handle email, web browsing, social media, news, games, music, TV, movies, camera, video, GPS and just about anything a computer can do through tens of thousands of free or low cost software programs called “apps” (short for applications). And yes, sometimes they are even used for voice calling.
The cell phone has become a very personal device – much more than just a phone. People may forget their keys or their wallet but seldom do they forget their phone. It is the first thing they check when they get up and the last thing before going to bed. It is with them always and even sits by the bed at night. Most people have flat, unlimited usage rate plans so they can use them as much as they want without fear of a huge monthly bill.
It’s not surprising that savvy marketers have figured out how to market directly to cell phone users. What is a bit surprising is how many people want to receive these marketing messages. Suddenly, mobile marketing or “text message marketing” has become one of the most effective methods for communicating with prospects and customers, often times replacing email.
Mobile marketing is not perfect for every business, but for those where it is, there are many applications and benefits. One of the biggest reasons it has become so popular among small businesses is how inexpensive it is.
Take a doctor or dentist. Generally they employ someone to call and remind patients of their appointments. Depending on the other duties this person may perform, the pay ranges from $20,800 to $31,200. At only $150/month, text messaging could save significant amounts of staff time and money.
Retailers can use text messaging to send coupons; restaurants/bars can use it to offer special discounts and events; golf courses can use it for tee time reminders and discounts; government can use it for various alerts; creditors can use it for bill reminders; Realtors can offer listing information; ski resorts can use it for snow conditions; and the list goes on and on.
Why is mobile marketing so popular? Because it works! Recipients “opt-in” to a mobile marketing community just like they opt-in to an email list. If they are tired of receiving messages from a specific community, they opt-out and the messages stop. The opt-in and opt-out process is totally automatic and requires no attention from the marketer.
Special Member Offer
Can mobile marketing help you grow your business? That depends. Here’s a quick and easy way to find out. MainStreetChamber™ has partnered with the premier mobile provider Qittle to extend our members an exclusive special offer:
FREE Webinar: Wednesday, June 15, 1:00 PM – Register Now!
All attendees receive a FREE account with which to build their mobile marketing community. This is a full blown account that does not expire. It provides up to 100 messages per month. By the time you want to make the transition to a paid account, you will have already saved/made money.
FREE marketing assistance and training in building a mobile marketing community and using mobile marketing to build your business.
Once your community grows to more than 100 messages per month, you will receive a 20% discount on Qittle’s already low-cost plans; from 101-1,000 messages – it is only $39.94 or unlimited messages for $119.94. This is month to month with no contract.
Not yet a MainStreetChamber™ member? Join now – it’s FREE!
Some experts would argue that business development is the single most important ingredient to growing a successful enterprise. And yet, many small business owners lack the necessary time, knowledge and skills to be effective in this area. Wouldn’t it be great if small business owners could apply “Miracle Grow” and it would accelerate the growth of their business?
Actually, there is a strong correlation between farming and small business growth. It is interesting to note that when it comes to business development, a distinction is often made between hunters and farmers. A good hunter is adept at finding, tracking, trapping and killing. Of course, when applied to business development, “killing” equates to closing sales.
A good hunter must also be more cunning, agile and faster than their prey as well as other competitors. On the other hand, a good farmer is adept at cultivating the field, planting the right seeds, applying the right amount of water and fertilizer, using pesticides wisely, bringing in the harvest and selling it to right buyer at the right price.
Of course, I realize that most of you are not farmers. One hundred and fifty years ago, 90 out of 100 Americans made their living from farming. The impact of the industrial revolution, game-changing technology and the global economy has taken that number down to 2 out of 100 Americans who make their living from farming.
According to Wikipedia, the economy in Minnesota was once driven by fur trading, agriculture and raw materials such as lumber and iron ore. Today, it is based on finished products and services. Nonetheless, agriculture still plays a major role here with companies like General Mills, Cargill, Hormel Foods, Land O Lakes and Schwan Foods.
Today, farming requires the right education and training, business skills, tools and technology. It also requires a more strategic approach to which seeds should be planted, where they need to be planted, how often and what methods are best to make them grow. While much has changed about farming, one thing has remained constant. The most successful farmers prepare for the growing season all year long.
If small business owners place too much emphasis on the hunting aspects of business development and not enough on the farming aspects, it could result in a need for them to do more hunting. For example, if they don’t water, fertilize and nurture the seeds they have planted (prospective customers/clients), they can’t expect to produce a good crop (sales revenue). This means they will need to spend more time hunting for new prospects.
The seeds that MainStreetChamber™ has planted in Minnesota’s small business community are sprouting all over the place. For example, we are getting ready to launch our seventh chapter in seven months! Please join us in congratulating Audrey Hoglund, President and Inna Tobeck, Vice President of the new North Metro chapter. They are busy making preparations to launch their chapter including recruiting members, Ambassadors and Sponsors. Watch for an announcement about their Grand Opening.
Besides adding new chapters, our existing chapters are simply buzzing with activity. On Wednesday, May 18, the Twin Cities chapter will host a Business After Hours Networking Mixer. Professional speaker, author and coach, Mark LeBlanc will present “Grow Your Business Now”. A past president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the Minnesota Speakers Hall of Fame, Mark has delivered over 400 presentations both domestically and internationally and conducted over 100 weekend seminars. He owns Minnesota-based, Small Business Success and is the author of two books, “Growing Your Business” and “Never Be The Same”.
Mark will be sharing highlights from the comprehensive, one-of-a kind, business development system he developed specifically for small business owners. If you follow Mark’s advice, it will be like adding Miracle Grow to your small business! Due to Mark’s popularity and the fact that this is a FREE event, we are expecting a full house. So, reserve your seat today!
Yep, this time of year, Minnesotans trade their cabin fever for spring fever and start dusting off patio furniture, lawnmowers and grilles. And, small business owners gather inspiration from nature, where new growth is everywhere. If you are serious about growing your business, “It’s time to SPRING into action and watch your business bloom!” The East Metro chapter is hosting a Business Mixer on Thursday, May 26 to help you hone those business building (gardening) skills.
At the event, Pamela Muldoon, President/Founder of Next Stage Media Group, will deliver a presentation on her proprietary 3-Step Marketing System. Pamela’s company specializes in the integration of traditional and digital marketing for small businesses.
If you arrive early, you will gain additional business building insights from a pre-event workshop with ActionCoach, Jon O’Mally who will share strategies based on 14 years of business development and growth experience in a variety of industries. For event details and registration,click here.
As you can see, MainStreetChamber™ is enjoying its own growing season. Now that we have seven chapters, Minnesota small business owners will have the opportunity to attend any number of networking events, Lunch & Learns and Workshops each month. For a schedule of our events, click on Upcoming Events in the upper right corner of this page.
We would love to know if you have any “Miracle Grow” ideas or suggestions for small business owners this spring. Please leave your comments below.
Considering the number of chapters we’ve added since last fall (six), the number of new members who have joined and the number of small business owners who are attending our events, you might say our rate of growth has been phenomenal. Chris Christianson, President of the new West Metro chapter was pleased when 207 small business owners preregistered for his Grand Opening at the Best Western Kelly Inn on March 22. However, he was blown away when, in spite of record cold and high winds, a crowd of 260 people showed up!
An unmistakable charge of excitement filled the air as attendees made new connections, reignited old relationships and generated new business. Besides great networking, free pizza and terrific door prizes, Matthew Sikich presented the first part of a series on the 5 Buying Habits of the American Public. Although most major advertising companies know and use this information to attract new customers, 99 % of small to medium sized business don’t even know they exist!
The West Metro chapter will be hosting a Business Mixer this Tuesday, May 3 at the Medina Ballroom. Matthew Sikich will be presenting the second part of his series on the 5 Buying Habits of the American Public. Even though hundreds of small business owners have already registered for this FREE event, there is still room for more if you hurry! So, if you have not done so yet, why not register now? If you are curious about how small business owners feel about MainStreetChamber™ and our events, here is a short video.
Michael Sasso, President of the new East Metro chapter was also blown away by the huge turnout of hundreds of small business owners to his Grand Opening at the Prom Center on April 19. Guests expressed genuine appreciation for the delicious appetizers, wonderful door prizes and an opportunity to practice the sound advice they received from Pete Machalek and Dean Hyers of Sage Presence on Winning Presence For Networking.
Shannon Ballman, President of the new Mankato chapter is finalizing details for her Grand Opening of the new Mankato chapter on May 9 at The Loose Moose in Mankato. Attendees will enjoy meeting new contacts, a taco bar, cash bar and the chance to win great door prizes. Apparently the small business community in Mankato is pretty excited about MainStreetChamber™ too because Shannon is expecting around one hundred attendees. So, if you have not done so yet, why not register now?
Lisa Saline, President of the new South Metro chapter and Paul Berndt, President of the new St Cloud chapter are making preparations for launching their chapters. This involves finding suitable venues, door prizes and recruiting members, Ambassadors and sponsors. They will be scheduling their Grand Openings soon. Be sure and watch for the announcements.
The huge turnouts at MainStreetChamber™ events is an indication that the Minnesota small business community likes our approach of giving first and collaborating for results. The incredible growth and success we have enjoyed simply would not have been possible without the support of the Minnesota small business community. And the more we grow, the more important this support will be.
To that end, our mission is to have every small business owner in Minnesota as a member and for them to attend our events and get involved whether it be as a sponsor, revenue partner, donating door prizes or becoming Ambassadors. If you are not a member yet, click on the link below the membership certificate on the right side of this page. Your membership is not specific to the chapter you joined. If you join one of our chapters, you are welcome to attend any chapter event around the country.
If you are interested in getting involved by sponsoring or donating a door prize for a specific event or becoming an Ambassador for a specific chapter, please contact the President of that chapter. If you are interested in sponsoring or donating door prizes for all MainStreetChamber™ chapters (we have special rates for statewide sponsorships), contact mike.clough@mainstreethchamber.org.
We would love to know your thoughts about MainStreetChamber™, the addition of our new chapters and/or how we can continue to help small businesses here in Minnesota. Please leave your comments at the end of this article.
Just a quick note to thank you again for helping stage such a
wonderful event tonight!
That 1 minute I spent addressing the room was worth several thousand dollars in
potential new business.
I have never attended a better mixer in terms of learning and valuable business
contacts made.
You did an OUTSTANDING JOB!!
I'm really happy I found your organization -- and I will tell everyone in
business that I know about it.
Kevin Dolan
Client Cloning Systems
Member Sherry Buckley Says…
Thank you MainStreetChamber for the outstanding event tonight! The energy
and synergy were awesome!
Susan Fronk's presentation was concise, to-the-point and informative and Mr.
Gitomer was... interesting, entertaining, delightfully interactive and a
valuable resource. All in all a very worthwhile evening. Thank you!
If you follow the stock market you know it is not faring too well. While it has been up, it’s also gone right back down, losing all of the gains so far this year! Not a pretty picture. The reality is that most of us small business owners have little or no control over what happens on Wall Street. What matters most to us is what happens on Main Street.
Startups, newly established and growing small businesses now have a new source of financing backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration as 20 community organizations have been funded by SBA to start making loans up to $200,000 to qualifying small businesses.
The answer to these questions and more were discussed on The Peter McClellan Show during a recent broadcast promoting the Aug. 10 SCORE Minnesota Social Media Boot Camp II. MainStreetChamber members, blog readers, and their guests are encouraged to check out the SCORE event which will feature 10 area social media professionals answering these questions and more. Presentation topics include The Digital Switch, Discovering Your Customer’s Search Habits, An Insider’s Look at Engaging with Smartphone Technology, Connect Your Way to Success on LinkedIn, Google Places: Reach Your Neighbor with Local Search, and Facebook Basics to Build Your Business. A complete list of presenters, who will be available for Q&A throughout the event, is available at 
What’s so special about event marketing? In short, it is extremely powerful because it gives you exposure to hundreds of prospects in your target market, which can net you a much higher return than other marketing tactics. Before we get into the main advantages of event marketing, let’s take a quick look at event marketing from a 10,000 foot view.
How often have you heard, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” or “You get what you pay for”? While these two statements may reflect reality in most cases, I have always believed the old adage “There are exceptions to every rule.” Read further and see what you think.
Ah, there is nothing quite like the smell of fresh cut grass, barbeques and blooming flowers. This time of year always reminds me of the lyrics to one of George Gershwin’s most beloved songs, “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy, fish are jumpin’, and the cotton is high”. While small business owners may long to play golf, take the boat out and/or spend long weekends at the cabin, for most of them, livin’ easy is just a concept.
Succeeding in business is about building smart relationships. That’s why MainStreetChamber™ has partnered with Office Depot to offer 
Marketing methods and tools have changed dramatically over the past few years. Traditional marketing methods and tools that worked well a few years ago are far less effective today. The main reason is that significant advancements in technology have given consumers the power to choose the marketing messages they are willing to receive. Considering this shift in power, many small business owners are confused and overwhelmed. So we thought it might be a good idea to discuss these changes and share a very special offer with you at the end of the article.
Some experts would argue that business development is the single most important ingredient to growing a successful enterprise. And yet, many small business owners lack the necessary time, knowledge and skills to be effective in this area. Wouldn’t it be great if small business owners could apply “Miracle Grow” and it would accelerate the growth of their business?
Considering the number of chapters we’ve added since last fall (six), the number of new members who have joined and the number of small business owners who are attending our events, you might say our rate of growth has been phenomenal. Chris Christianson, President of the new West Metro chapter was pleased when 207 small business owners preregistered for his Grand Opening at the Best Western Kelly Inn on March 22. However, he was blown away when, in spite of record cold and high winds, a crowd of 260 people showed up!
