Chamber

Happenings

What’s going on at the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce

Happy Monday Chamber Members!

2018 Has been off to a great start here at the Chamber. We are wel-coming new members and working on scheduling all of our Member networking events for the year as well as Lunch & Learns. If your business is interested in hosting a “Coffee & Connections” event, please let me know. Those are offered on Tuesday or Thursday mornings from 7:30 –9:00 am. There is information about the Chamber Business After Hour events on page 3 of this newsletter. These are held (typically) on Thursday evenings from 5-7pm. Any Chamber

Member is able to present at a Lunch & Learn event at the Chamber Office. We are looking for a few more businesses that are interested in presenting in 2018. I would ask that you commit to attending at least one of these events this year, something that you haven’t done before– and see what opportunities come from

it!

The Chamber ended 2017 with 250 active members, our highest Mem-bership base to date. I hope to see this momentum continue and work on our member retention numbers. What are some of the current Chamber programs

that you utilize? Do you have a suggestion for a new program that you have been a part of before? I am always up for learning about new ideas and creative ways to get members engaged What are your business goals for the new year? Let’s set up a meeting to discuss them and see what the Chamber can do to as-sist you in reaching those goals. Does your business have a representative in our Ambassador group? This would be a great way to start getting more in-volved in Chamber activities. Our next meeting is this Wednesday, February

7th at the Chamber office.

The beginning of the year is a great time to get your Member Portal up-dated. If it has been a while since you have logged in, contact me today and I can assist you with resetting passwords, etc. You can edit employee infor-mation (who gets the newsletter, weekly emails), update your logo, upcoming events, jobs that you are looking to fill– all at no additional cost! We want to be sure that people are getting the most up to date information about your busi-

ness when they search our website.

The future of our community is closely tied to the quality and commit-ment of our next generation of leaders. Leadership Washington County, a nine-month program (March-November) of the Blair Area Chamber of Commerce, in-creases the base of informed, capable leaders willing to volunteer their talents to meet community needs. This year brings our seventh class of Leadership Wash-ington County. We are partnering with Pamela Quinn, Lead Your Legacy, and I believe each participant is going to have an amazing experience. Watch the Feb-

ruary issue of Chamber Happenings for the class introductions.

I am looking forward to another great year at the Blair Area Chamber!

Thank you for all the continued support.

Thank You for supporting Chamber Member businesses and events!

-Jordan Rishel

“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.”

Theodore Isaac Rubin

January 2018

Blair Area Chamber of Commerce

1646 Washington St. Blair, NE 68008 402-533-4455 Jordan@Blairchamber.org www.BlairChamber.org

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 1: Ladies Day Out

February 1: NE Chamber Annual Mtg/Legislative Caucus

February 2&3: Valentine’s Day Open House @Master’s Hand Candle Company

February 5,12,19,26: Blair Kiwanis Club Mtg @Fernando’s

February 6, 13, 20,27: Blair Rotary Club Mtg @Fernando’s

February 7: Chamber Ambassador Mtg @BACC Office

February 9: Blair Cosmopolitan Club Wild Game Feed

February 13: Wash. Cty. Board of Supervisor Mtg.

February 13: Blair City Council Mtg.

February 14: Downtown Business Meeting

February 14: Blair Optimist Club Meeting @BACC

February 14: Valentine’s Day

February 15: Lunch & Learn: Prairie Star Botanicals “Introduction to Prairie Herbs” 12Noon @BACC

February 17: MCH Auxiliary Winter Gala Fundraiser: Boots & Bling Casino Night

February 19: President’s Day/ BACC Office Closed

February 19: Village of Arlington Board Meeting

February 19: City of Fort Calhoun Council Meeting

February 21: BACC Board of Directors Meeting

February 22: Coffee & Connections @Brian Brown , CFP PlanVest 7:30-9:00 am

February 26: Northeast Nebraska Chambers Day at the State Capitol

February 27: Wash. Cty. Board of Supervisors Mtg.

February 27: Blair City Council Meeting

March 1: Ladies Day Out

March 1 & 2: Leadership Washington County Class VII Opening Retreat!

March 6: Chamber Coffee & Connections @H & R Block Blair 7:30-9:00 am

March 7: Chamber Ambassador Mtg.

March 9: Dueling Pianos @South Creek Conference Ctr

March 14: Downtown Business Mtg

March 22: LWC Legislative Day in Lincoln

March 24: Optimist Easter Egg Hunt

March 27: Optimist Spring Fashion Show

March 29: Courtside Marketing Lunch & Learn @BACC

WINTER EVENTS

November Ambassador Meeting– an early baby shower for Valerie Reyes

2017 Scarecrow Contest Winner, Fairway Oil!

Jenson Shires hayrack at Sugarplum. Photo Credit: Joe Burns

Sugarplum 2017:

Over 1000 children participated in the Walk

Over 700 bowls of soup served at the Soup Supper

Thank You to everyone that participated and Thank You to all of the Volun-

teers! We could not do this event for the community with out each of you!

We are currently booking our Chamber Business After Hours for 2018. There are just a few months that remain open to

host, contact the Chamber office today to get your business on the calendar! 402-533-4455

Too far north

111 North 14th Street Fort Calhoun, ne * (402) 468-9463 *

www.toofarnorthwine.com * e-mail: toofarnorth1@gmail.com

TOO FAR NORTH

ARTICLE PROVIDED BY CHRISTIE MCCARTHY

CHAMBER AMBASSADOR FOR LINCOLN FEDERAL SAVINGS BANK

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT :

Business Spotlight Article January 2018

Too Far North is a Nebraska Wine and Craft Beer destination in Fort Calhoun NE. Dane and

Sandy Kucera started Too Far North in 2005 selling Nebraska wines. With ancestors on both sides of

Sandy’s family living in Washington County, she has deep roots in the area. Having lived on both coasts

due to Dane’s service in the US Marine Corps, they moved from California back to Nebraska, Sandy

dreaming of starting a vineyard. Dane works in the background helping with events, but stays busy with

his job as a Captain on the Omaha Fire Department. A member of the local Fort Calhoun Legion 348 and

Omaha VFW 2503, Dane is a Gulf War Veteran and Navy trained Reconnaissance Diver. Due to their

background, they observe the Marine Corps Birthday every year on November 10th when Dane and Sandy

display recruiting posters and other Marine memorabilia. They also participate as a destination on the

Nebraska Wine Passport and annually with the Omaha North Hills Pottery Tour when pottery from guest

artists is displayed inside and wine and microbrews are served during the 2 day tour.

Too Far North is located in a historic building originally built by Omaha’s Metz Brothers Brewing

Company as a saloon in 1904. It has been used by multiple businesses through the years. An avid Metz

beer collector and amateur historian, Sandy is very knowledgeable about Nebraska, its wines and beers

and the owners who sell them to her. With the network of vendors she has developed, she consistently

carries new items. Involved in the community, Sandy partners with the Washington County Fair for a

Wine Tasting event and participates in the Fort Atkinson Octoberfest and Fort Calhoun’s “Christmas in

Calhoun”. Sandy’s main focus is on providing excellent customer service making Too Far North is a very

enjoyable destination. Starting soon, she will be offering seasonal wines and beers for the holidays and

along with growlers to go. Too Far North is a US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drop off location.

Visit Sandy during the hours of 2-7:00pm Wednesday and Thursday, 2-7:30pm Friday and Saturday, 2-

6:00pm on Sunday.

Visit www.toofarnorthwine.com or the Facebook page to see more information

6 Ways to Build Long Lasting Customer Relationships In this age of consumerism, there's a choice for every product. You alone do not hold a monopoly on your product so you must understand that the customer is king. For a business to be sustained and stay viable, the customer must always come first. Keep-ing them happy and returning for more is the ultimate goal for any business. Several studies have shown that repeat customers buy significantly more on their visit than first time customers and repeat cus-tomers are also more likely to recommend you to someone close to them. In our current environment of increasing competition, building relationships with customers has now been brought into the spotlight and businesses are focusing a lot more of their attention on the matter. Customers are real people with feelings and emotions, which can be tapped to establish a bond. Custom-ers are not nameless faces on the Internet, nor are they faceless voices on the phone. For a business, each customer is a distinct individual who matters. As ad man extraordinaire David Ogily said, “The customer is not a moron. She is your wife.” Show Them Respect Customers are real people with real emotions. Each one is a distinct individual who matters; not one more than the other, but all of equal importance. You must establish a bond from the outset. Customers are crucial to the survival of your business and they deserve the best possible behavior. In order for them to warm to you, you must show sincerity and be respectful to them and their needs. Carrying yourself in a man-nerly and professional fashion will help you win their respect. This is the first step to thawing the ice. Share Your Knowledge Customers appreciate informative advice so if you are able to display your knowledge and expertise in your field, there is every chance they will warm to you. Staying professional in approach and demeanor are essential to success. The most widespread channel for knowledge sharing is the Internet. This is the biggest platform to show your customers that you are an expert in your chosen field. Respond to Customer Queries A customer’s query immediately answered builds goodwill and increases the chances of his returning for a purchase. Have a pro-cess in place to collect customer feedback and a way to log not only complaints, but also how you and your company respond to issues as they are reported so this can be replicated if the issue ever arises again. This is not only the case for negative feedback. Businesses should also pay close attention to positive feedback. Not only do positive comments help tell a company what they are doing right but they also encourage others to take notice of them. Reward Them Customers feel rewarded when an exclusive offer is made to them, or to a select group of frequent customers. Not only does a loyalty program provide a practical, hard reason for continuing to buy (the accumulation of points towards a reward, or higher level of service) but it also provides information about the customers that allows their needs to be met more efficiently and effec-tively. Rewarding existing customers for their continued loyalty will not only increase retention, but also increase the number of new customers your business brings in. This will occur through positive feedback from existing customers and also eye-catching loyalty deals, which will draw them in. Example of reward programs include loyalty programs, offering discounts on selected lines, point rewards, and also giving away free items with multiple purchases. Be Active on Social Media There is a new tool available called social customer relationship management or CRM. This tool has become one of the most important marketing tools for many businesses. It lets you make the most of your social media interactions by tying them in with a database and allowing you to manage the data easier. Social networks are a great way to stay in touch with customers and build relationships. Through social media we get a front row seat into the latest develop-ments of our customers’ lives and in doing so can begin to measure their needs. Facebook and Twitter are the most popular tools for business to interact through social media, so “Likes” and “Follows” are the first steps in building a customer relationship. Comments on your business, or mentions in the industry you are in, can be used as valuable feedback and will determine how best to move forward. Frequently update your social media sites to try and garner some feedback and interaction from custom-ers. Always respond to criticism, don’t simply ignore it. You must show the world you are going to find a solution and are taking steps to eradicate the fault. Networking A successful networker knows that it is not just what s/he receives from others but what s/he gives that determines whether the networker is building solid relationships. The entire purpose of networking is to build solid, trusting relationships–business rela-tionships that are of value to everyone involved. You want your customers to feel that they are going to obtain something of val-ue from your service. Networking will grow your business, attract long-lasting business associates, and develop a solid referral base for your business.

Brian Cleary is the Ch ief Executive of County Tipperary Chamber of Com merce. He ’s also the past director of

Chambers Ireland. He writes for a number of online publications and is a regular co-presenter of the 'Small Business Show' a

syndicated radio program broadcast on a number of stations throughout Ireland and available as a podcast. You can find

him on Twitter @ChamberBrian.

JANUARY 2018

Follow us on Social Media!

58 different non-profit organizations in Washington County, nearly

400 unique donations and a grand total of $53,909.83 raised!

(Photo courtesy of the Enterprise Publishing Co.)

Washington County Gives 2017