Do you get SPAM-A-LOT?

Have you ever received an e-mail and wondered how in the world you got on that mailing list? I have. It is annoying. I am sure that at times e-mails from any business can be an annoyance, including the chamber….Yes, we know we send out lots of e-mails to you, but it is only because we want you to be able to get the most out of your chamber membership.
My problem is not the number of e-mails received, it is receiving e-mails that I don’t want nor know how to stop receiving. In 2010, the Chamber signed up for a service called Constant Contact, a web-based company that assists in e-mail marketing. The benefits of this service are numerous….

Constant Contact allows you to (1) keep an up to date database of e-mail contacts, (2) view who is opening your e-mails,(3) who is clicking any links on them, and (4)check who is forwarding them to others. Constant Contact offers easy templates that allow you to create nice looking e-mails (I have to admit it took a bit of time for me to figure out how to remain creative while using these templates, but it’s possible.)

All the above benefits are worth signing up for Constant Contact, but the most important is the fact they help keep our e-mails LEGAL. There are so many people/companies out there who are sending e-mails that don’t fall in line with the federal CAN-SPAM Act. This Act sets rules for commercial e-mail use including: Don’t use false or misleading header information; Don’t use deceptive subject lines; Identify the message as an ad; Tell recipients where you’re located; Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future e-mail from you; and Honor opt-out requests promptly.

I don’t want to beat anyone over the head with legalities on this blog, so if you want more information, click the link below for everything you need to know about CAN-SPAM.

http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus61-can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business 

Now here is my added extra plug for Constant Contact….this company is so great, they are offering a discount to any Valpo Chamber member if you sign up….and you thought you had to have an American Express Card to have privileges.

If after reading this e-mail you would like information on signing up for Constant Contact, visit www.constantcontact.com/chambermembers.

Kurt Gillins
Programs Director
kgillins@valparaisochamber.org

 

Who do you know that has a business and is NOT a Chamber member?

But they should be!?

Invite them to the second annual Member/Guest event on Thursday, September 22 from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. This is a FREE event to all members bringing a guest. We will serve cocktails and appetizers upstairs at the chamber office. Nonmembers will have an opportunity to learn a little bit more about the Valpo Chamber, in a casual, social environment.

The 2010 debut of this event was fun.

“Last year Methodist Hospitals attended the Member/Chamber Guest Event, and decided to become a Valparaiso Chamber member,” commented Evelyn Morrison, Marketing & Corporate Communications Manager, Methodist Hospitals. “I was very impressed by the number of businesses that belong to the Chamber and the number of other programs they offer to their members. We are delighted to be a part of the Valpo Chamber.”

The 2010 event was attended by about 50 people. Eight attendees won door prizes, and one lucky nonmember won a $100 certificate to apply to a chamber membership.

Please consider coming out for another great Member/Guest event this year. Contact Danielle Oeding for more information, or to RSVP for the event.

Danielle Oeding
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
oeding@valparaisochamber.org

Valparaiso Notecards and Postcards exclusively at Valpo Chamber!

Recently, my friend Susie told me that one of her friends was moving from Valpo and she wanted to get her a going away gift and asked me if I had any gift ideas. I told her I knew the perfect gift – Valparaiso Note cards offered exclusively by the Valpo Chamber. These note cards are sold as a set of six cards each with a lovely – and different – photo of Valparaiso on the front. The inside of the note card is blank to allow for the recipient to add whatever greeting they’d like. In addition, the set of cards come packaged in a beautiful blue ribbon making it perfect to give as-is. Susie took advantage of my idea and was so happy with the gift cards she bought for her friend, that she bought a set for herself!

These note cards are perfect as thank you cards, invitations, professional notes, personal stationary, and hostess gifts. And thinking way ahead, they even make a perfect stocking stuffer! An additional benefit to purchasing these note cards (with envelopes) is they are very reasonably priced – a set of six for only $7.00! The note cards can also be sold separately.

In addition to note cards, the Valpo Chamber is also now selling postcards. Choose from one of the six available postcards, each featuring the same photo displayed on the note cards. The back includes information about the photo and a space for the recipient’s address. Postcards are $1.00 each.

If you would like to purchase either the note cards, postcards, or both, please contact the Valpo Chamber office at 219-462-1105 or e-mail us at info@valparaisochamber.org.

Julie Gaskell
Vice President, Operations
gaskell@valparaisochamber.org

Promote Your Business to the Community!

Try these easy, quick, and fun ways to get your business more business!

EASY - Has your business taken advantage of the free brochure rack in the Valpo Chamber lobby? Our high-traffic lobby has an area for your marketing information to be displayed - and it is for Chamber members only!

Do you have news you want to share? Send in your information for our monthly “Members in Motion” e-Blast (1,300 recipients) or to our quarterly “Around Town” feature in Valparaiso Magazine (17,000 readers) Submit your business articles in paragraph form - i.e. awards, new additions to staff or promotions of title, change of business location, events - that are 130 words or less. Articles are subject to approval and may be edited. Due to space constraints, articles will be accepted on a first-come/first-serve basis.

QUICK - Want to network with other businesses affiliated with the Valpo Chamber? Promotional items representing your business may be placed in the new member tote bags. These tote bags are distributed at the New Member Welcome – about 100 each year. You never know what connections could be made!

FUN - As a chamber member you have the opportunity to host a Business After Hours at your place of business and showcase your services to all the members of the Valpo Chamber! Is your business new to the greater Valparaiso area? Why not schedule a ribbon cutting to introduce your business to the community!

For more information on any of these ways to gain exposure for your business, contact the Valpo Chamber at (219) 462-1105 today!

Susan Antoszewski

Marketing & Communications Specialist

santoszewski@valparaisochamber.org

Get the most out of your membership!

New members often have the same question. “If I were to devote my resources to one event during the year, which one would you suggest?”

Mike and Rob Moreth, Simko Signs

I always encourage every member to be involved in as many events and programs as possible, but if I had to choose the most important of the year, it would be Chamber Network Night. Many members view this event as the Valpo Chamber’s premiere event.

On the fourth Thursday of October of each year, over 1000 business professionals invade the Porter County Expo Center for the largest business-to-business networking events in Northwest Indiana. Over 170 booths showcase some of the best businesses in the region with their new products, services or just a healthy reminder that they are ready to do business with you.

Unique to many of the other business expos in the region is the fact that we market this event as business-to-business networking. We don’t restrict the attendance to only business professionals, but we don’t advertise to the general public either. This event is to help you build relationships with other businesses in the area and grow through those relationships.
Please consider reserving your booth for Chamber Network Night this year on Thursday, October 27. Every year the booth space sells out and there is a waiting list. Booth prices vary, so make sure you check out the reservation form on our website and call me if you have any questions.

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE ONLINE!

Chamber Network Night
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Porter County Expo Center
215 E Division Rd
Valparaiso, IN 46383

Must be 21 to attend.

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Booth-to-Booth Networking
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – Doors Open
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Special Business After Hours featuring 12 restaurants from Porter County

Kurt Gillins
Programs Director
kgillins@valparaisochamber.org

Continuing the Education of Employees

This month I had the great fortune of attending my third year at the Institute for Organization Management. This program is held across the country at various sites throughout the year and is hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. I am thrilled each year to be able to participate in this class where I can learn the “ins and outs” of organizations like chambers and associations and I can bring back to Valparaiso some best practices and trends from around the country.

The Valpo Chamber has a long-standing tradition of continuing the education of its employees and I would encourage you to look into opportunities for you and your employees to continue down the road of education.

As I am sure you have heard already, the Valpo Chamber is hosting the Disney Institute on Tuesday, August 16. What you may not have heard is that if you are in a profession where you need to obtain continuing education credits, this event may get you closer to your quota. Disney Institute will give you the necessary paperwork to file with your organization for credit once you have received authorization from your association or professional group and completed the course.

As of today there are less than 30 spaces remaining for this event. That may sound like a lot of space, but just last week we had a company call with 26 reservations. That is a company that sees the value in continuing the education of their employees, as well as the value in this wonderful Disney Institute event.

If you are interested in attending Disney Institute or sending your employees, give me a call at the Chamber and we can get the registration completed. Don’t delay!

Kurt Gillins
Programs Director
kgillins@valparaisochamber.org

Valpo Chamber Gift Certificates! Great Gift! Great Marketing Tool!

If you’ve ever been the recipient of a Valpo Chamber Gift Certificate, you already know what a great gift it is. You have a choice of over 100 different venues where to spend it! I don’t know about you but I love to spend “gift” money. Cash disappears on incidentals, but you HAVE to spend the gift certificate before it expires.

I have redeemed my chamber gift certificates to eat out, get my nails done, or simply buy groceries. I have given them as gifts to co-workers, the mailman, or as a birthday gift. I have even donated them to non-profits to use as a silent auction item or inside a gift basket door prize. Everyone loves to receive a gift certificate because it gives the recipient a choice of where to spend, and there are SO many choices.

In 2010, the Valpo Chamber sold approximately $98,000 worth of gift certificates. ANYONE can purchase, so we see businesses buying large quantities to give to employees at holiday time, AND we see folks stopping in to buy one or two … for coaches, schoolteachers, real estate closings, and “thank you for dog sitting” gifts! The marketability is diverse and vast. The number of certificates sold in 2010 was over 5000, in varying increments. Certificates are sold at ANY denomination the buyer stipulates.

So, we know chamber gift certificates have value for the recipient. But, what about the value to our member participants?

The 100+ vendors currently participating on this program pay ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the marketing effect of this program. Every certificate sold includes an alphabetical list of vendors, plus the list is included on our website. Our annual directory defines vendors by including a shopping cart icon next to their name. Moreover, the chamber markets the certificates in email blasts and newspaper advertising, particularly at holiday time. The chamber does its best to bring exposure to all those vendors participating on the program.

Then, if a certificate IS redeemed at the vendor’s business, they simply retain the document, return it to the chamber office, and receive a 95% reimbursement check from the chamber. The top vendor on the program in 2010 received enough reimbursements back from the chamber that their annual membership could have been paid eight times over! The next “top five” vendors where certificates were redeemed include a grocery store, restaurant, automotive shop, butcher, and fueling center. Those five businesses were reimbursed $22,540 collectively…which, again, more than paid for their individual investments with the chamber.

Bottom line. Valpo Chamber Gift Certificates are the perfect gift, AND the perfect opportunity to promote your business to other businesses and to the community at large.

Want to view a complete list of current vendors? Learn more about becoming a vendor? Or, purchase a chamber gift certificate? Click here.

Danielle Oeding
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
oeding@valparaisochamber.org