Promoting Longview « The Business View

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Feb

5 Hotel Rooms Left In Block for Austin Legislative Trip

By Longview Chamber of Commerce 2 Comments

Categories: Advocacy, Chamber of Commerce and Promoting Longview
Tags: Austin, business solutions, Business Success, Chamber of Commerce, East Texas Coalition, legislative, longview chamber of commerce, Longview Tyler, representation, Sm business representation, texas association of business, us chamber

East Texas Legislative Coalition
Gladewater, Kilgore, Longview, Tyler & White Oak

(Gregg County) More than 70 Gregg County Community leaders are combining forces with Tyler/Smith County to gear up for the 2011 East Texas Coalition trip to Austin. The Longview Chamber’s Business Advocacy Committee has expanded its scope for the 2011 event in the hopes of impacting specific pieces of Legislation and creating a greater awareness among residents of how strong “our” voice can be. The trip is scheduled for Monday, February 28^th and Tuesday, March 1^st.

“The Trip will be an excellent opportunity to lobby for our community and engage in the political process,” says business advocacy co chair Tim Vaughn.

Our attendees will have the opportunity to meet with appointed and elected officials in conjunction with the current state legislative session. A Legislative Reception has also been scheduled for attendees and key legislative representatives on the night of February 28th. This event will also allow Gregg County business leaders the opportunity to meet and discuss issues, face to face, with our state’s elected officials.

If you are interested in participating limited space is available. Be sure and register online at www.longviewchamber.com or call (903) 237-4000.

Jul

8 Ways to Make Your Cash Register Ring

By Longview Chamber of Commerce Leave a Comment

On Thursday, July 22^nd The Longview Partnership offered a webinar through HALO Team. Once again, this learning opportunity was fantastic for our area businesses. Eight key points were discussed which generated several potential solutions to businesses and great discussion items.

1. Offer an experience that impacts all 5 senses

Sight – what is the impression do your customer leave with? Place of business, website, and/or email campaigns?
Hearing – What does your customer hear when they walk into your place of business?
Smell – Every sense creates an experience. Does the aroma of your business match the music you are playing or compliment the product/services you are selling?
Taste – Have you thought about having something special for your customers that reflects the type of experience you want them to have when they visit your place of business?
Touch – What opportunities do you have for your customers to interact with which educates them on your products and/or services?

2. Create and use a consistent and memorable brand

Remember, a brand is not a logo! A logo is a piece of the brand.

3. Pursue the business trifecta

Know what you do best and do it! Stay true to your mission and purpose.
Do you have a proprietary product line? Could you? Have you thought about having a signature items such as a t-shirt, gift soap, food product, etc? Put your logo and website on the packaging. Uses as customer loyalty gifts, hostess gifts, sell in your place of business.
Do you provide value added services? How can you create a customer experience that helps you develop long term loyal customers? Perhaps it is as simple as hosting a “how to” workshop.

4. Focus on customer retention and nurture relationships

What are your touch points with your customer? How often do you “connect” with your customers? Not to talk to… but relate with!

5. Events

Do you host events for your business? Why not? Have you thought about ways you can focus on reinforcing your services, websites, and tools you have to grow your business. Perhaps it is as simple as brining your top customers in and let them review your products and services. Or you host customer appreciation events.

6) Offer Samples

The beverage industry learned years ago that sampling is a great way to build new customers and build relationships with existing customers. They learned years ago through sampling you begin shaping the type of experience potential customers has about your products and services. What can you do? Perhaps you provide items for a silent auction to benefit a non-profit, you set up a trade shows and let give prospective customers mini-items that gives them the opportunity to learn more about your business.

7) Work with Other Businesses

Partnership marketing is an effective way to help reduce your marketing costs. Example: Identify businesses who want to reach the sample target market. Identify marketing strategies that you can work together on to promote your product and services. Take advantage of bounce back programs with each other. If a customer spends $500 with you over “x” period of time send them a thank you card with a gift card to the business you are patterning your marketing with.

8) Be open 24 Hours A Day!!!!

Latest retail trends indicate that buy 2011 customers will be shopping on line first. Are you there? It doesn’t matter what type of business you have you need a website provides customers the opportunity to buy what you are selling. Is your 24/7/365 Market Place Open for Business?

For more information about business development programming visit www.longviewchamber.com today!s

Jun

The Longview Partnership and the Longview Economic Development Corporation Would Like Your HELP!

By Longview Chamber of Commerce Leave a Comment

LEDCO and the Longview Partnership are asking area businesses to help us grow our local economy. Did you know? When you buy local, you help our local economy thrive.

What is a local business?

Any business with operations in the Longview region is a local business. Businesses located here, whether small, family-owned stores or part of a national chain, employ our family members, friends and neighbors and contribute to the local tax base.

Support the business people who reinvest in our community.

What is the potential economic impact?

According to our research, if we will spend 5% more of our paychecks in Longview, it could mean more than $225 million per year will impact our local economy! As this money moves through the community, it multiplies and could result in 1,900 jobs.

Shopping locally positively impacts everyone in our community.

What is the potential impact on our community?

The impact, at only 5%, would be overwhelming; enriching our tax base while keeping our tax rates low, improving public services, streets, parks and playgrounds; expanding business, attracting businesses, retaining jobs and creating new jobs.

Here’s how the I Shop Longview program works:

By visiting local businesses, consumers can be entered into a monthly drawing for prizes and gift certificates provided by participating businesses.
The Longview Economic Development Corporation (LEDCO) encourages involvement of all local businesses. The I Shop Longview campaign is intended to assist local businesses, local residents and the City of Longview.
Please contact the Longview Economic Development Corporation, 903-753-7878, or Info@LongviewUSA.com, for more information about the I Shop Longview program and other efforts underway to support and promote the Longview community.

We appreciate your support in helping us grow our local economy!

Jun

Need Affordable Training?

By Longview Chamber of Commerce Leave a Comment

WE DO THAT, TOO!

Did you know YOUR Chamber Membership Brings You Cost-Friendly Professional Development…

Join us for these upcoming business development programs:

JUNE 10 | 8:30am – 11:00am & 2:00pm – 4:30pm

Real East Texas Friendly Hospitality Training

Customer service professionals and front line staff who come in contact with the visitors to our area need to understand how their attitudes impact your company’s success. This FREE training is designed to help your business to grow because your success fosters and supports tourism, which is vital to our local economy. Having a well-trained staff and happy customers means more business and increased profits for you. Two sessions are conveniently available to allow rotation of employees.

Sponsored by Longview Convention and Visitors Bureau

JUNE 15 | 11:30am – 1:15pm

Tweeting Your Service: How to Use Twitter as a Customer Service Tool

Discover how Twitter can be a powerful customer service tool to capture the customer’s voice – by resolving complaints as well as restoring and strengthening customer relationships. (Fee includes lite lunch.)

Sponsored by Citizens National Bank

JUNE 17 | 8:45am – 9:15am

Fantastic Facebook Marketing Ideas for Small Business

This webinar is full of cheap or free marketing ideas specifically using Facebook. You know I love free and I love Facebook! This webinar will be full of creative ideas, actual tips and strategies for doing a Facebook marketing campaign – small business style.

Sponsored by Longview Convention and Visitors Bureau

JUNE 17 | 11:30am – 1:15pm «

Email Marketing Boot Camp: 12 Secrets to Drive Revenue

Learn how a powerful email campaign can boost business and drive more traffic to your website – in a low-cost way that’s crucial for today’s tight economic times. (Fee includes lite lunch.)

Sponsored by Citizens National Bank

« Attendance restricted to Longview Chamber Members only.

How to Register: Online (www.longviewchamber.com ) or via phone (903.237.4000)

Jun

Marketing Webinar Exceeds Expectations!

By Longview Chamber of Commerce 1 Comment

Today I participated in my first webinar with the Halo Team and WOW was I impressed. The webinar was on marketing and I thought all I need was one take away and it will be worth my time. I’d like to share with you some of the tips that were covered in today’s session.

Tip #1 Always Cover the Basics

Know Your Target Audience
Make customers feel important.
Use your own voice.
Seek and nurture relationships.
Be consistent.

Tip #2 Technology means nothing unless it increases productivity and effectiveness!

Don’t forget about search engine optimization.
Make frequent updates to your website.
Aggressively collect and use e-mail marketing.
Position your web site as the center of your marketing universe.

Tip #3 Don’t get so hung up on technology that you forget about off-line opportunities.

Customer loyalty coupons
Be an educator
Take advantage of advertising “remnants”
Leverage your calendar
Label stuff
Utilize point of sale bag stuffers and bag tags
Donate to worthwhile causes
Reward and appreciate achievement
Partner with other local businesses
Give samples

Tip #4 Social Media Really is a Lever

Throw contests
Ask ridiculous questions
Take, tag, and post photos and videos
Encourage fans to post their own content
Offer limited time promotions on Facebook
Monitor and interact frequently

Tip #5 Develop relationships with the media.

Reach out to journalist through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
Treat the media with respect
Pitch stories with samples
Read and respond to HelpAReporter.com
Share you media coverage shamelessly with your community

The information today was relevant and some great ideas emerged on how the Longview Partnership can do a better job of marketing our programs/events and services! Thank you to Marianna Hayes Chapman at www.halobusiness.com for producing a great training opportunity!

May

Longview Partnership Receives Honorable Mention from the Amercian Chamber of Commerce Executives

By Longview Chamber of Commerce 1 Comment

The Longview Chamber of Commerce received an Honorable Mention award in the campaigns and programs category for our entry in the 26th annual Awards for Communication Excellence competition sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives.

One of twenty-three entries in the campaigns and programs category, the Longview Chamber of Commerce‘s entry was our Community Branding Campaign.

This is the first time in the history of the organization that an award has been received through this national organization. The entry will be recognized in the 2010 ACCE Convention notebook, on the ACCE website and other communication pieces at the annual ACCE Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in August.

May

Business Leaders in Washington DC to Discuss Key Issues

By Longview Chamber of Commerce 1 Comment

Business leaders arrived in DC Monday, May 17th to begin a series of visits with elected officials and federal agencies to discuss key issues that impacts the Longview trade area. U.S. Sen. Cornyn met with the Longview Partnership contingency in his briefing center. (See brief video clip on YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CCyydwZSh4 Key issues discussed included the new Health Care bill and its incredible costs on small business, Cap and Tax, and China’s ability to import steel into our country. Representatives from U.S. Steel outlined their concerns not only from the tubular side but the manufacturing end as well.

Today meetings and visits include:

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
Congressman Louie Gohmert,
Aaron Cutler, Energy & Commerce Committee,
James Wood, Deputy Assistant Secretary with the Clean Coal Program in the Office of Fossil Energy,
Emily Sanders, Executive Director for the Immigration Reform Caucus, and
Representatives from AMTRAK.

Participants will also have the opportunity for a White House tour with Congressman Gohmert and later in the day Dome Tours.

A huge thank you goes to Congressman Gohmert’s staff for helping coordinating meetings and tours!

Stay tuned more to follow later today.

Apr

Council Forum Provides Members Opportunity to Understand Views and Positions of Candidates

By Longview Chamber of Commerce 1 Comment

Categories: The Business View, Downtown Longview, Chamber of Commerce, Leadership, Business Development, Advocacy, Networking Events and Promoting Longview
Tags: longview texas, Longview Chamber, Longview Parntership, development, taxes, City of Longview, Longview City Council Race, Council Forum, multipurpose facility, roads

Tonight the Longview Partnership hosted its first City Council Forum for candidates at the Partnership. All candidates from District 5 and 6 were in attendance.

District 5 has three candidates; Jerry Bell, Richard Manley, and Lefty Vogt.

Jerry Bell stated his main reason for running is he believes Longview has a noise problem from our oil and gas wells in residential areas. He discussed several potential solutions which would help alleviate this situation.

Richard Manley believes this is part of the natural evolution since he and his family moved to Longview 8 years ago. He has become involved in the community with his commitment to helping the Spring Hill Foundation raise $400,000, serves on the board and volunteers for Junior Achievement, has been on the Longview Partnership board and served on the Executive Committee, as well as co-chaired the recent Vision 2015 task force on behalf of the City of Longview. Manley feels he knows how the City works and he does know how business works. Recently, he sold his business and at this time in his life is ready to give back to the community.

Lefty Vogt has lived in Longview for 35 years. He became involved in the City in 1996. Since that time he has attended 65% of City Council meetings. Vogt gave an example of how he helped secure a stop and go light at the corner of Judson and Tyler. He has also served on the HOT (Hotel Occupancy Tax) commission and the 2007 CIP task force for the City. He is running to make things better and wants to address safety issues that will help improve the community.

District 6 has two candidates; Sydney Allen and Debbie Fontaine.

Incumbent Sydney Allen moved to Longview in 1969 and raised three children. He owns Longview Scrap Metal and has served on the Appraisal District, LEDCO and Longview Partnership Board of Directors. He has also served on P&Z and served as chair for three years. Sydney believes his business experience and volunteer service as well as his time on council makes him a good candidate.

Debbie Fontaine moved to Texas after being recruited from Tim Brookshire. Debbie was the first female to go through the Brookshire Grocery Supply management training program and be promoted. After working for Brookshire’s she became a merchandiser. She discovered Longview after coming here to work with Hastings to fix an internal theft problem. She fell in love with the community and has been here ever since. She opened her own small business, Edible Art Bakery, three years ago. Debbie is concerned about the community and wants to be part of moving it forward.

All of the candidates stated they want to see Longview grow and prosper. They each oppose new taxes and they oppose increasing in property taxes. All of the candidates support the proposed multipurpose activity center and would like to see it taken to the voters for funding. Be sure and watch for the forum in its entirety on the City’s cable TV station (channel 5), the Longview Partnership’s YouTube channel and/or the Longview Chamber’s website at www.longviewchamber.com after Wednesday, April 21st. You will be able to hear first hand how candidates feel on such issues as:

How would they adjust the City Budget accordingly with the reported decrease in sales tax amount?
What is the role of a council person?
What is your opinion on Downtown Revitalization?
How would you propose that the City become more developer friendly and encourage more development?
What are your thoughts on current situation of revenue decrease in current budget, and the suggested early retirement – keep employees vs. raise revenue through possible tax increase?

Remember, early voting begins Monday (April 26th) and City Wide elections are May 4th. Be sure and VOTE!

Apr

Longview Partnership Posters Receive ADDY Award

By Longview Chamber of Commerce Leave a Comment

Categories: Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Promoting Longview, The Business View and Visit Longview
Tags: ADDY award, advertising, American Advertising Federation, longview convention & visitors bureau, longview partnership, longview texas, promotion

The Longview Partnership is proud to announce that Forbes&Butler Visual Communications won 12 awards at the annual American Advertising Federation of Shreveport-Bossier Addy® Awards banquet held at the Robinson Film Center in Shreveport, on February 20. The Shreveport-Bossier Advertising Federation ADDY® Awards competition is the first of a three-tiered national competition conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation (AAF). The AAF’s ADDY® Awards honor creative excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest creative standards in the industry.

The following ADDY winners were designed by Jason Butler, Holly Forbes, Jim Tilley, and Abbey Tyson. Forbes&Butler was recognized with the following awards – Gold Addys for Good Shepherd Medical Center Gold Rush 2009, Kilgore College Rangerettes Press Kit, and Corner Bakery Cafe Catering Sales Kit; Silver Addys for Texas Bank and Trust Ecommerce Campaign, RLM General Contractors Sales Kit, LMFA Etchings and Dreamscapes Invitation, LMFA Artists in East Texas Invitation, First United Methodist Church Stained Glass Book, Fish City Grill Table Tent Campaign, and Good Shepherd Medical Center A Fair of the Heart Logo; and Bronze Addys for Longview Amtrak Station Posters and Downtown Brochure, and Paciugo Spring Point of Purchase Campaign.

Over 213 entries were submitted from Texas and Louisiana advertising agencies. Gold ADDY winners will advance to district and then national levels of the ADDY® Award competition. Forbes&Butler is a full service advertising and graphic design company specializing in the creation and production of marketing materials, located in Longview since 2001.

Addy Awards Won by Forbes & Butler

Mar

Why Business EXPO?

By longviewchambermembership Leave a Comment

Are you planning on joining us on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, for the Longview Chamber of 14th Annual Business EXPO? This year’s business-to-business trade show will be open to the public from 1:00-5:00pm at Maude Cobb Convention Activity Center. Over 60 exhibitors are expected to participate this year, with more than half of all available booth space on the trade show floor now secured by local and out-of-area businesses.

The Longview Chamber Business EXPO event specializes in helping its exhibitors build positive relationships with other Longview area businesses. Unlike other similar events, the Longview Chamber event is marketed as a business-to-business networking opportunity, not a general consumer trade show. While this approach has decreased the overall quantity of attendees over the years, it has noticeably increased the quality of the tradeshow’s attendees. Repeat attendees and committee volunteers continue to make note of this as one of the show’s greatest improvements over the last 14 years.

Exhibitor booth rates/sponsorships start at $500. Discounted rates, as low as $350, are available exclusively for Longview Chamber members. To secure an exhibitor booth, contact the Longview Partnership via phone (903.237.4000), email (info1@longviewtx.com) or the web (www.longviewchamber.com).

A kick off luncheon is slated at 11:30am to present the 2010 Leadership Longview Graduates and announce the 2010 Small Business of the Year Recipient and the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year.

The 2010 Business EXPO event sponsors are Angelina College Procurement Assistance and the Better Business Bureau.

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Chamber Office to be Closed Memorial Day May 24, 2012
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Real East Texas Hospitality Training set for Thursday May 21, 2012
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Leadership Longview accepting applications for New Year May 18, 2012
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The Business View

Archive for the 'Promoting Longview' Category

5 Hotel Rooms Left In Block for Austin Legislative Trip

The Longview Partnership and the Longview Economic Development Corporation Would Like Your HELP!

Need Affordable Training?

Longview Partnership Receives Honorable Mention from the Amercian Chamber of Commerce Executives

Business Leaders in Washington DC to Discuss Key Issues

Council Forum Provides Members Opportunity to Understand Views and Positions of Candidates

Longview Partnership Posters Receive ADDY Award

Why Business EXPO?

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