Friday News - September 25, 2015

Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Co. Chamber of Commerce

Monday News - September 25, 2015

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Become a Member!

2015 Membership Application

Platinum Sponsors

Visit Our Website

Entry Form

Have you seen the
Chamber's windows?
Let the Chamber showcase your business by displaying your products or merchandise
in our window.
Call the Chamber for more information... 229-423-9357.

Save the Date!

Tuesday, October 13th

The Fitzgerald - Ben Hill Co. Chamber of Commerce invites you to breakfast,
Tuesday, October 13, 8:30 a.m.
to make plans for the

Christmas Open House, November 8, 2015 for all retailers/restaurants
in the community.

Highlighting Silver Sponsors

of the

Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Co.

Chamber of Commerce

You are invited to attend or be part of the 2015 Christmas Parade!

Thursday, December 3, 2015

6:30 p.m.

Downtown Fitzgerald!

2015 Christmas Parade Application

The Fitzgerald - Ben Hill Co. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors would like to evaluate our local licensing & permitting process for the City of Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County.

The survey will identify opportunities and areas that may need attention. If you have applied for a business license or a permit, please take time and give your feedback about your experiences with getting a local business license and permit process.

Take the Survey

Let the Chamber know if you would like to include your promotional items...We are running low, it's a great problem to have!!!!

Looking for that Great Christmas Gift!

Go see Broome Firearms, Inc for their NEW collection of Guns!

Monday - Friday

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Tell Harvey the Chamber sent you!

Look what Serenity Day Spa

has in stock!

New snoozies and aloe-infused slumber sleepers are at Serenity Day Spa! They also offer tween sizes now! Come get yours while they last.

How do I market my small business

A question we hear a lot is: how do I market my business when I have a very small marketing/advertising budget? There are many ways to do this and here are some tips that we would recommend:

Write a press release :: Send out a press release detailing your business proposition and what makes it unique. Do this often!
Use Twitter :: You need to make people aware of you and your products or services. Twitter's also a fantastic way to spread discounts and offers: tweet out every time you're offering a bargain.
Use Facebook :: Upload photos of your products and update your status to let customers know what you're up to. It's another way of letting people know you exist and makes you look professional.
Start a blog :: You should style yourself as an expert on your particular field or industry. It's the perfect way to enforce brand messages and engage with customers. If people read and like your posts, they'll respect your brand even more.
Create a Website :: The first thing a customer will do when trying to find out about your business is Google it. An attractive website can make your business look ultra professional and should be the home of your online presence.
Email marketing :: Get customers to fill in a form with their email address on it whenever they buy from you and have a 'Sign up for more information' field on your 'Contact us' page. This will help you build a list of email addresses to contact whenever you have a new product or offer.
Make a memorable business card :: Business cards are cheap to make and a great way of ensuring people remember your business. When you meet potential customers at an event, give them your business card. If it's fun and memorable they may show it to friends. Effectively they're marketing your business for you.
Offer a discount card :: It's a great way to reward customers for their loyalty and persuade them to keep using your business.
Have happy customers write you a review and put it on your website :: Encourage customers to write a short email or letter about the positive experience they had when using your business. Put these testimonials on your website and maybe frame some exceptional ones in your shop/office. People will be more willing to use you if they see that other customers have had a positive experience.

To Grow Or Not To Grow...

Article by: David Dunn, Consultant,
SBDC Albany Office

Starting a business is a tough challenge, but there is a tougher one - growing that business successfully. In the company's beginning, you are doing most of the work, you make the decisions, and you have more control. Starting a business indeed requires long hours and lots of sacrifices, but growing the business is another great effort that requires different talents and skills.

About YOUR business?

Do you have exciting information about YOUR business? Send it to the Chamber and we'll share it with our other members! Email news about your business to Derinda Lewis at derindalewis@mchsi.com. Keep it to 90 words or fewer and submit the information just the way you want it to appear. We reserve the right to publish as well as edit any posting.