Greater TehachapiChamber Of Commerce209 E Tehachapi Blvd

P.O. Box 401Tehachapi, CA 93581

661 822-4180Fax 661 822-9036

www.tehachapi.com

Newsletter

Your Chamber Working For You

Phone Calls598

Office Visitors

637

Referrals

1192

Directories

22

Maps

0

Information Packets

42

We'd like to share some ways we have promoted your business last month…

Gold Level

Silver Level

September 2015

Bronze Level

Platinum Level

Free Admission • Free Food • Free Drawings • Free Tote Bags *

GOLD SPONSORS

*To First 300 Attendees

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS American Pacific Mortgage • Employers Choice Online, Inc.

National Chavez Center • The Woods Pavilion

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ChairpersonMarty Pay

Farmers Insurance

Chair eleCtJim Wallace

Tehachapi Cancer Foundation

treasurerKathy Carey

BVS Properties

• DireCtors •Susan Abrego

Tehachapi Cleaning ProZ

Lorraine Berry Individual

Carl GehrickeTBB

Carolyn WilesTerra-Gen Power, LLC

Ida PerkinsPresident

Heather PardusReceptionist

2015Board of Directors

Staff

Please join the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce at our September Chamber Network Luncheon, Tuesday, September 15, 2015 12:00 p.m. at Don Juan's, 20700 South St, Ste B-C. Our guest speaker will be Mike Hart, Morning News Anchor at KERO 23ABC. With 24 years of experience in news reporting at 23ABC, Mike will be discussing how news has changed over the years and the impact social media has had on news gathering and reporting.Starting as a weekend sportscaster in May 1991, Mike has worked his way up through the ranks to his current position as 23ABC's morning show anchor.The excitement of live shots, anchoring the desk and working on special reports are the highlight of Mike's job. He wrote, produced, edited and anchored 23ABC's one-hour special report on the 50th anniversary of the Kern County earthquake entitled, "On Shaky Ground."Born in Detroit, Mike has lived in six states, attending five different grade schools and two high schools. His father, mother, sister and four brothers all reside in Scottsdale, Arizona.A graduate of Arizona State University in 1986, Mike shares a fondness for the Sun Devils, along with his father's alma mater, Notre Dame. Mike moved to Bakersfield in May 1991. He and his wife Lori have two sons, Michael and Cody.The Hart family is extremely active in Arabian horse shows with numerous horses in training. Two horses, Bonphire and Pikasso have taken home a U.S. National Championship and U.S. Sport Horse Championship.When he's not working the newsroom, Mike is the PA voice of the Bakersfield Condors.As a boxing ring announcer since 1992, Mike has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports and Showtime in shows all over the country, from the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills to the stockyards in Austin, TX.Mike also finds time to belt out a few tunes with his swing band, Chesterfield King and the Sultans of Swing.He also finds time to volunteer at his sons' school and is active in several local charities.If there was ever a time Mike entertained the thought of leaving Bakersfield and Kern County, that day is long gone. The Harts have planted roots in this part of the Central Valley and look forward to growing with the community for years to come.The cost is $15 for Chamber Members, $20 for Non-Chamber members, which includes lunch. Reservations are required. Please make your reservation by calling the Chamber at 661-822-4180. Reservation deadline is Friday, September 11, 2015.

September Chamber Network LuncheonMike Hart

Morning Show Anchor KERO 23ABC

tehachapi.com working for our members

We'd like to share with you a summary of our website business directory

activity last month

Main Directory Search Page Visits

Alphabetical Listing SearchCategorical Listing SearchSearch ForNew Member ListingReferred to Member WebsiteEmails Sent to MembersMember Map Views

834

2,3023989731419

6,4431,046

Calls Placed to Members 2,199Category Sponsor Ad 7

This space could be yours! Call the Chamber for

information on putting your business card and web link

ad here!

Luncheon Sponsored by

The Tehachapi News is pleased to sponsor the September Chamber Network Luncheon. Our staff regularly attends the luncheons and we have found the networking opportunity to be essential to our success. We encourage all Tehachapi businesses and individuals interested in business and economic development to plan to attend the informative luncheon.

We have some special publications coming up and we would like the opportunity to discuss how you can be a part of them. Included will be: Healthy Tehachapi to publish Sept. 30 (ad deadline Sept. 21); Prepare to Celebrate, to help prepare for all your holiday needs, to publish Oct. 7 (ad deadline Sept. 28); and Fall Home & Garden Showcase to publish Oct. 14 (ad deadline Sept. 29). Be sure to ask about specials and discounts.

With our weekly newspaper reaching virtually everyone in the Greater Tehachapi Area, a variety of special publications, and our website, TehachapiNews.com, the Tehachapi News continues to reach more people, more often, than any other publication, and we invite you to meet with our advertising staff to discuss how our products can benefit your business – very affordably!

For more information, call us at 822-6828.We look forward to seeing you at the September

luncheon.

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PROUDLY ANNOUNCING THE GRAND OPENING OF

Tehachapi Branch801 W. Tehachapi Blvd, Ste #3

Tehachapi, CA 93561Join us for refreshments and light hors d’oeuvres and o�cial ribbon cutting.

Laura JohnsonJe� K. LaMonteRon Depew

September 16th, 20155 pm - 7 pm

Ribbon Cutting at 5:30 pm

Meet your local Digni�ed Team and see what we can do for you!

Big Papa’s Steakhouse & Saloon

will host September’s Mixer for the

Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, September 9th At

1001 W Tehachapi Blvd, Ste C-200

Tehachapi, CA

661-822-7272 CHAM

BER M

IXER

5pm—7pm

H’orderves, refreshments,

and a no host bar

Come join us for great food

Don’t forget to drop in to

The free drawing for

A special gift basket

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Welcome Our Newest Members

BlueLine RentalSteve Lupica3440 Allen Rd

Bakersfield, CA 93314(661) 213-7181

Edward Jones InvestmentsJennifer V. Howard

709 W Valley Blvd, Ste BTehachapi, CA 93561

(661) 823-4879

FPSDiane Fernandez

20725 South St, #100Tehachapi, CA 93561

(661) 370-6321

Sky Mountain DentalDr. Daniel D. Heer, DMD

19737 Valley BlvdTehachapi, CA 93561

(661) 823-7644

World Wind & Solar, LLCNikki Cummings

915 Tehachapi-Willow Springs RdTehachapi, CA 93561

(661) 822-4877

September Membership Anniversaries27 YearsKarl's Heavy Duty Mobile Truck Repair19 YearsKent Turner ConstructionGeorge & Anne Marie NovingerOptimal Hospice18 YearsTriangle Rock Products17 YearsHilltop Welcoming Service11 Years Lamar AdvertisingThink Travel10 YearsTehachapi Martital Arts CenterTom See & Associates8 YearsSail Thru Car Wash

7 YearsRotary Club of Tehachapi6 YearsMercury Graphics5 YearsThe Butcher ShopFIELD3 YearsSuperior Coach Limousine Service2 YearsMerry MaidsSheridan'sThe UPS Store #64411 YearCreative Connections, Inc.Diana P Wade, ADRHoney Wagon Brewing

Congressman McCarthy, Senator Fuller, and Assemblywoman Grove Mobile Office Hours at the Chamber

Government Representatives will hold office hours at the Chamber office on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 from 10 to 11 AM. For appointments, contact the following representatives:

Congressman McCarthy, Representative Keenan Hochschild, 661-327-3611 Senator Fuller, Representative Romeo Agbalog, 661-323-0443 Assemblywoman Grove, Representative Javier Reyes, 661-395-2995

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Protecting Your Business Reputation Online

SCORE.orgby Rochelle Robinson

Do you know what current and potential customers will find when they do an online search for your business name? As much as the Internet can help build your small business, it can also cause irrevocable harm if you’re not actively taking the steps to protect your online reputation.

Secure Your Online BrandPart of establishing your brand requires securing your online entities. Securing your business name on multiple platforms can prevent brand confusion.

Website URLSecure your domain name as soon as possible. Select a domain name that is directly related to your business trade name. While the .com should be your primary domain extension, consider securing multiple domain extensions like .net or .org. You may want to further protect your busi-ness brand by trademark registration. Purchase variations of your domain name. For example, if you’ve got a music business named Three Phase Beats, consider purchasing 3PhaseBeats, 3PhaseBeat, or 3FazeBeats. You can redirect the traffic to your primary domain name to avoid losing valuable web traffic and potential customers.

Social Media Secure your username on popular social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn immediately. Even if you aren’t fully prepared to utilize the service, secure the appropriate name before some-one with ill-intent does. Use an e-mail address designed specifically for social media and a secure, hard-to-guess password to protect your accounts in case an employee’s e-mail address is hacked or the person responsible for social media leaves. Services like KnowEm and NameChk can help you identify available names on multiple social media platforms.

Business ListingsIf you’ve been in business a decent amount of time, your business is probably listed in an online directory waiting for you to claim it. Popular search engines offer business directory listings that allow you to claim your business information, ensuring it appears on maps and search engine result pages. Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yelp, YellowPages, and

TripAdvisor are a few popular sites that allow you to claim and edit your online business profile.

Monitor Your Online BrandMonitoring your brand is an essential part of protecting your reputation. You should always know what people are saying about your business online. You can hire a company to man-age your online reputation or you can do it yourself.

Search Engine ResultsMonitoring the online reputation of your small business should become a routine task that you perform on a regular basis to provide quick damage control and address customer concerns. Set up Google Alerts to receive e-mails each time your business name is mentioned online. Perform an online search for your business name on a routine basis to monitor the results. Use tools like Topsy, Trackur, and Social Men-tion to monitor references to your business.

Social Media TrackingUsing Twitter’s search feature, perform a search on your username (@Username) and relevant hashtags. According to Twitter, if someone sends you a reply and you are not following them, the reply will not appear in your Home timeline. Instead, the reply will appear in your Notifications tab. In other social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest, perform a search of your business name and book-mark the results page to make it easier.

Be Ready for Damage ControlEstablish a plan to address comments or answer customer questions and concerns.

Negative Comments or ReviewsMost customers will go online when they have a negative experience. Monitoring your online brand regularly can pre-vent negative comments from lingering, and demonstrates that you value your brand and customers. Be prepared to address their concerns, offer an explanation and possible compensation, and avoid being angry and defensive. Be authentic and helpful in your response.

Positive Comments or ReviewsShow appreciation for people who leave a positive review or comment. Acknowledge any favorable mentions by respond-ing and thanking the user for taking the time to share an experience. Encourage more customers to leave positive comments on your online profiles to show the value of your business.

Monitoring your online reputation is critical to the success of your business. Customers search the Internet with regu-larity and a review -- negative or positive -- can impact your business. Creating a strong and consistent online presence and regularly monitoring it can help ensure accurate online mentions, counteract negative comments, and encourage positive reviews.

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The Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce and the 2015 Mountain Festival Committee would like to recognize and express our appreciation for the following sponsors who supported our 52nd Annual Tehachapi Mountain Festival®. Sim Sanitation, Inc., The Loop Newspaper, and The UPS Store Gold Rush Sponsors; City of Tehachapi, nrg Renew, Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District, and Terra-Gen Power, LLC, Silver Mine Sponsors; Dave's Auto Repair, Kieffe & Sons Ford, National Chavez Center, and South Street Digital, Carnival Round Up Sponsors; Bakersfield Family Medical Center, City of Tehachapi, 'hachapi Tees, nrg Renew, RST Cranes, Inc., Sim Sanitation, Inc., Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District, Terra-Gen Power, LLC, The Loop Newspaper and The UPS Store-Tehachapi, Branding Iron T-Shirt Sponsors; Banks Pest Control, BSE Rents, ‘hachapi Tees, Hoffmann Hospice, Race Communications, RST Cranes, and The Woods Pavilion, Gazebo Entertainment Sponsors.

These business sponsors make it possible to do many of the activities that are part of Mountain Festival. As you patronize them throughout the year, please say Thank You.

The community calls on them and they willingly support many activities and organizations.

The Mountain Festival Committee begins work every January in order to make this community event successful, and our 52nd Annual Tehachapi Mountain Festival® was no exception. Each committee member gives of themselves by providing valuable support to this community event and promoting civic pride. Being part of this committee, they were able to contribute significantly to the economic growth and awareness of our beautiful community, which encourages people to want to come to Tehachapi to live, work and raise their families. The Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce gratefully acknowledges the committee, for without them there would be no Mountain Festival: Carl Gehricke, Chairman; Richard Perkins, Heather Pardus, Susan Abrego, Kathy Carey, Marty Pay, Jim Wallace, Carolyn Wiles, Dal Bunn, Heidi Tully, David & Barbara Shaw, Taylor Shaw, Jed Hannan, Kerry Taylor, Tina Larson, Kathleen Kline, and Bob Bakman.

Thanks go to hard working Chamber Directors who volunteered for various tasks: Susan Abrego, Kathy Carey, Carl Gehricke, Marty Pay, Jim Wallace, and Carolyn Wiles.

Thank you to employees from AltaOne Federal Credit Union, Bank of the West, Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, Union Bank, Farmers Insurance Marty Pay, Jackie Wood, Kathy Alexander and Kurtis Gruenstein, for helping with the carnival ticket booth.

Thank you to Tina Larson, Debra Watkins, and the gang from Alert Disaster Restoration; Lara & Mike Berard, Robin & Leonard Gregg Union Bank; Laurie & Todd Dobbins and Jesse Nevarez Terra-Gen Power, LLC; Lydia Chaney South Street Digital, , Kathleen Kline and Dave Fuller for working

at the Beer Garden; Pat Doody The Loop Newspaper for working at the Chamber Booth; Gary Jones for the awesome job done as Sound Engineer and MC of the Mountain Festival Entertainment; Taylor Shaw, Parade Organizer, David & Barbara Shaw, Parade Co-Chairs and their many volunteers for the work on the Mountain Festival Parade. Also, thanks to the volunteers from Rotary Club of Tehachapi and The Tehachapi Cancer Foundation who manned Soft Drink Booths in the park while distributing their information. The Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce would like to extend its appreciation to the officers of the Tehachapi Police Department and Knights Event Management for all of their hard work to insure that the Mountain Festival was a safe and enjoyable community event. Carl Gehricke, Mountain Festival Chairman, deserves a very special thank you. Carl worked diligently to make thisthe best one yet. He tried to make an appearance at nearlyevery Mountain Festival event. Thanks Carl, great job!

It is difficult to name and to adequately express our gratitude and appreciation for each and everyone who has done favors, given assistance, offered special help and advice for the Mountain Festival, because surely someone would be left out. There are so many individuals and organizations to thank for helping to make our 52nd Tehachapi Mountain Festival® an event that attracts thousands of people to our beautiful home.

It is truly a community event and we sincerely appreciate your hard work. Our hats are off to you!!!!!

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Chamber Office Closed

GTEDC Mtg7:30 AM The Shed

sun Mon tue WeD thu Fri sat5

6 7 1098 11 12

1713 18 19

20

14 15 16

21 2522 23 24 26

Calendar of Events September 2015

29 30

s h o p l o c a l !Support your local business community

www.tehachapi.com

4321

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Chamber ServiCeSFor Members Only

Mailing Labels Electronic (Excel) Mailing List

$35.00 $50.00

Directory of MembersAvailable to all at No Charge

Free to Members OnlyDisplay of Cards & Brochures in the Chamber Office Referrals From: Phone Calls Walk-In's Internet First Hotspot in Newsletter (first 90 days of membership)

Website Advertising - Members OnlyContact Chamber Office for pricing and options

Employment Posters 2015Members Non-Members

$55.00 $74.00

Advertising - Members OnlyNewsletter Hotspot Newsletter Card per month per year

$ 35.00 $ 25.00 $200.00

Relocation Packet Insert/per year

$125.00

City Council Mtg 6 PMClaude L Wells

Education Center

Chamber Mixer hosted by Big Papa's Steakhouse &

Saloon 5-7 PM 1001 W Tehachapi Blvd, Ste C-200 661-822-7272Chamber Office Closed

TVRPD Board Mtg 5:30 PM490 West D St

First Friday Art Reception 5-8 PM

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CHAMBER LUNCHEONDon Juan's 12:00 PM

City Council Mtg 6 PMClaude L Wells

Education Center

Kawaiisu Cultural Center Go Native Event

10 AM-5 PM Central Park661-340-0032

TUSD Board Mtg 6 PM

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For detailed information on events, visit our Community Calendar at www.tehachapi.com

Government Reps See page 4 for appt info

Board of Directors MtgChamber Office 5:30 PM

Dignified Home LoansGrand Opening 5-7 PMRibbon Cutting 5:30 PM801 W Tehachapi Blvd, Ste 3 888-225-7985

TUSD Board Mtg 6 PM

Fall Business ShowcaseWest Park Activity Ctr4-7PM 661-822-4180

Chamber Office Closed

TVRPD Tehachapi Tarmac 5K & Kid 1 Mile

Run 8 AM 661-822-3228

Tehachapi GranFondoDowntown 822-2200

Fiddlin' Down The Tracks 8 AM Country Oaks Church

Fall Harvest Faire 10 AM - 5 PM Railroad Park

661-822-6062

Fall Harvest Faire 10 AM - 4 PM Railroad Park

661-822-6062

Fiddlin' Down The Tracks 1 PM Country Oaks Church

The Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Coggno.com, offers a selection of online training courses for purchase directly from the Chamber website. We’ve hand-picked courses that we feel are relevant to our businesses and their employees, as well as individuals looking for additional education. Course topics include Human Resources, Compliance, Business Management, Safety, Soft-ware and much more. All courses will be available on-demand, 24/7. The training courses are spe-cifically designed to address many of the issues around risk and liability faced by businesses today, as well as develop the skills of your employees. To view course selection click here.

If you have questions about our online training courses, please give us a call 661-822-4180.