Welcome to our first edition of Member Direct! As part of the Boyne Area Chamber membership outreach, you will receive Member Direct monthly. Content will include information that is more business specific than our weekly newsletter. Our target audience is YOU - our loyal members. As we develop each edition, we encourage your feedback. And let us know if you would like more information on advertising and submitting content.

Frozen Boyne - Winter Support Local Promotion To continue the success of our Jingle Boyne Holiday promotion, the chamber has launched a winter promotion, Frozen Boyne during February and March. Just like Jingle Boyne, this promotion is at no cost to members or guests that want to participate. It also does not require chamber members to provide any specific special or discount. This allows YOU to determine your level of engagement as a Boyne Area Chamber member.  From our Frozen Boyne flyer: Enjoy "Frozen Boyne" as you support local and win! Show us how you enjoy the winter in the Boyne Area.  How it works: Beginning February 1st through March 17, 2021  Share photos of you enjoying amazing winter activities in the Boyne Area Supporting ANY Chamber member business Ice-skating at Avalanche Sledding at Avalanche Tubing at Boyne Mountain Skiing or snowboarding at Boyne Mountain Outdoor dining at a Boyne Area restaurant or enjoying take out Fat tire biking at Avalanche Our first winner was randomly chosen Friday at 7pm via FaceBook live on the chamber's page. A new winner will be chosen every Friday night until March 19.  Thank you Emerson Meyer - Waffle Cabin for donating a $25 gift card plus some sweet Waffle Cabin swag!! (pun most definitely intended) Contact Lisa if your business would like to donate a prize - lisa@boynechamber.com.

BOYNE AREA CHAMBER BRINGING BACK SMELTANIA We are bringing back the winter festival “Smeltania”- Saturday, February 27th from 1-6pm. While we are still finalizing details, events confirmed will include local restaurants in the Pavilion at Veteran's Park offering their specialties. Eat in the park, bring your own shanty, or take it to go. There will a scavenger hunt around Boyne City, The Heritage Center will be providing some history of Smeltania, Contests, local specials at area businesses, music, and fun!!! Watch the chamber's Facebook page for updates. All restrictions by the Health Department in regards to Covid guidelines will be strictly adhered to. Chamber Members - Let us know how you would like to be involved! We are looking for volunteers, sponsors, ideas, and support. Contact us at kim@boynechamber.com 231-582-6222. Our goal is to make this an annual festival that will be bigger and better every year.

Do you ever wonder how we decide what to share or post on the chamber FaceBook page? The answer is easy! We share member posts that have tagged us. Or the business sent us a message letting us know that they have news to share. With over 350 members, it would be impractical to view every Facebook page looking for news to share. So we need you to help us help you! If you are not on social media but are interested in taking advantage of this FREE marketing and promotions platform let us know. We can schedule a one to one training session in our office. 231-582-6222

Thank you to our Boyne Tough members! Thanks to our members that stepped up in 2020 and added $100 to their annual chamber dues!! It was YOUR generosity that allowed us to keep our promise to not drop any member in 2020 because of non-payment of dues.

How can I be a Premium Chamber Member???

Chamber Check FAQ Most of you are familiar with our Chamber Check program. To clarify how to use the program we have compiled a list of frequently asked questions. How can my business be part of this program? Easy-just give us a call 231-582-6222 Once I accept a chamber check, how do I get paid? Deposit at your bank just like a personal check that was received for payment. Chamber checks cannot be cashed - only deposited into your business bank account. What if the customer's bill is not the exact amount of their chamber check? In this instance, treat the chamber check like a gift card. It is up to you to decide how to reimburse your customer if change is due. You can give change or issue store credit. DO NOT ALTER THE CHECK IN ANY WAY. Will a chamber check expire? Yes, chamber checks are good for one year from the date of issue. Do not accept a check that is over one year old - advise customer to contact the chamber. The old Boyne Bucks program has been discontinued and the chamber will not give reimbursement after December 31, 2021.

Governor Whitmer Focuses on Finding Common Ground to Grow Michigan’s Economy in State of the State Address, Urges the Legislature to Pass the MI COVID Recovery Plan. Governor also announces plans to get Michigan Back to Work, protect public health, provide $500 grants to educators, calls for bipartisan action on prescription drugs, local road funding. Click here for complete story.

MIOSHA Ambassador Program A great way to demonstrate that your business is following workplace safety and health assistance during Covid-19. A FREE and easy process - no citations or penalties. Contact MIOSHA's Consultation and Education and Training (CET) Division 517-284-7712 The Boyne Area Chamber is a participating business - are you?

Get your complimentary gas energy upgrades today! Interested, but don't know where to begin? Let DTE help take the fuss out of energy upgrades, so you can focus on your business. For a limited time, the Business Energy Consultation (BEC) Program is offering a virtual assessment to help you identify gas energy savings upgrades that you can install to cut energy consumption. Eligible projects can include smart thermostats, faucet aerators, showerheads, and pipe wrap. Participating customers have saved up to 40% on their annual energy costs. Start your BEC virtual assessment.

TIP OF THE MITT SCORE OFFERING FREE WEBINAR ON MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR WEBSITE IN 2021 An estimated 40% of small businesses still don't have their own website. The majority of these business owners think they can't afford a website or they assume they don't need one. However, as the current pandemic continues to make in-person business more difficult, the idea of needing a website is changing quickly. With website traffic up an amazing 70%, we need to capitalize on those new visits!  Tip of the Mitt SCORE is proud to bring a free webinar to the business community on making the most of your website in 2021. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Register in advance for this meeting - Take a Workshop.  SCORE Tip of the Mitt provides free and confidential business advice and counseling tailored to meet the needs of area businesses and entrepreneurs. For more information about SCORE, visit tipofthemitt.score.org.

Are you getting the MOST from your Boyne Area Chamber membership? These benefits are all part of every membership: Job postings on our website, FaceBook and weekly newsletter Customize how your business listing appears on our website. Keep important business information up to date on our Digital Directory. Promote specials and sales on our website, Facebook and weekly newsletter. And the best part - YOU can do all this yourself through our Members Information Center. What to learn more? Contact Lisa to schedule one to one training - lisa@boynechamber.com.

This dedicated e-newsletter is provided to chamber members only. Advertising and content are from Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce members.   If you would like information on how to advertise or submit content to our 350+ members, contact lisa@boynechamber.com or call 231-582-6222.