Abilene News letter

Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce 1

Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce

500 North Buckeye Abilene, KS 67410

785-263-1770 [email protected]

Chamber Update...

July 2012

Marketing, Advertising, Promoting—all ways to get the word out about your

business! When you stop inviting customers to your business...your business

slows down. One of my old bosses used to say…”back when the deprecia-

tion hit, two companies looked at it differently. One company pulled the

budget line for advertising (Montgomery Wards) the other increased their

advertising (Sears)” … who survived? He also told me, “if you keep doing

what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting”. Is it time to take

a new fresh look at your marketing and advertising? Do you need someone

to brainstorm with to help jumpstart your creativity?

As a chamber member, one of your benefits is to visit with me. I have over

15 years experience with advertising, marketing, promotions, events, copy

writing, etc. I really enjoy brainstorming, creating and helping you with new

and exciting ways to attract more customers to your door! So, please take

advantage of my expertise and let’s get fresh ideas flowing!

“Capital isn’t so important in business. Experience isn’t so important. You

can get both these things. What is important is ideas. If you have ideas, you

have the main asset you need, and there isn’t any limit to

what you can do with your business and your life.”

-Harvey Firestone

Make it a great day-Cindy Issitt, President

Chamber Update-monthly column

1

Business After Hours Smart Insurance

1

Market Update 2

Meatloaf Recipe Is It Okay To Lie What is a Chamber of Commerce?

2 2 3

2012 Board of Direc-tors

4

Over Come the Awkward Silence

4

In This Issue:

We enjoyed touring their new building at 215 NW 15th in Abilene. Delicious refreshments were enjoyed by all. Lynn Peterson won the $50 cash attendance prize and Central Ks Mental Health Center was drawn for the chamber cash drawing, but no one was present to win!

If you wish to host a BAH, call the Chamber office.

Experience Abilene!!Experience Abilene!!Experience Abilene!!Experience Abilene!!

Thank you to Smart Insurance for hosting the monthly BAH—7/10/12

A successful man is

one who can lay a

firm foundation with

the bricks others

have thrown at him!

-David Brinkley


∗ There are currently 132 residential properties

for sale in the Abilene area.

∗ There is 12 month supply of homes on the

market.

∗ Last month 6 properties sold, 11 went under

contract, and 32 were newly listed.

∗ Sales volume was down 60% and home

prices were down 40.6% from the same pe-

riod last year.

∗ It took an average of 125 days to list and

close a property.

∗ Homes are selling for an average of 92% of

their current list price.

Market Update is provided to you by Shelly Crane

of Cook Real Estate. Please feel free to contact Shel-

ley at 785-263-3111 with your questions or need for

additional information regarding Abilene or Dickin-

son County real estate market.

Continental Meatloaf

Mix 1 # ground beef with

3/4 c fine bread crumbs,

2/3 c water, 1 T chopped

parsley, 1/2 c grated par-

mesan cheese, 2 beaten eggs, 1 sm

chopped onion, 1 t salt, 1/4 t pepper. Brush

baking dish with 2 T Olive Oil; sprinkle with 2

T bread crumbs. Shape 1/2 meat mixture into

loaf and put into dish. Mix 3/4 c small curd

cottage cheese with 1 egg, 1/2 T chopped

parsley and 1.2 t salt; spread evenly over top

of meat. Cover with remaining meat mixture,

pressing edges of meat layers together. Brush

top with 2 T olive oil; chill 30 minutes. Bake in

a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Serves 4-6

Market Update—May 2012 One of MY Favorite Recipes!! Enjoy!

Experience Abilene!!

IS IT OKAY TO LIE ?

Two elderly men were admitted to a long-term care facility and were assigned roommates. One was injured in a car acci-dent and was not expected to live; the other had advanced heart disease and had just undergone a triple bypass sur-gery. The car accident victim was now permanently blind and the heart patient was required to get out of bed each day and walk a little to exercise his heart. Each morning around 10:45 the heart patient would painfully rise from his bed. As soon the blind roommate heard him up he would ask: "Could you look out our window and tell me what you see". The heart patient would slowly walk to the window and pull back the blinds. He would gaze out the window then begin to relate all the sights he saw outside their room window. He would describe the birds and various animals he saw. To the delight of his roommate he would talk about the people he saw walking down the street as they entered or left the nu-merous buildings on the street. On the second day the heart patient noticed the actions of a young man who came outside to eat his lunch in the park. He sat by a beautiful water fountain not far from an attractive young lady who was also eating her lunch near the foun-tain. As the days went on it seemed the young man was sitting a little closer to the woman and it was obvious she no-ticed. They soon were engaging in conversations and often times they'd share bits of their lunches. From what the heart patient could tell a relationship was beginning to develop between this young couple. Perhaps they might fall in love, get married and enjoy a wonderful life together said the blind man.

Unexpectedly a few nights later, the heart patient died from complications. His personal possessions were quickly gath-ered and removed from their room. The next morning a new patient with a broken arm was moved in. As lunch time neared the blind man asked his new roommate to go the window and describe the events taking place outside - he par-ticularly wanted to know about the young couple having lunch by the fountain. The new roommate hopped out of bed and briskly walked over to the window. He pulled back the blinds starred for several seconds then began to laugh uncontrollably. "Why are you laughing" asked the blind man? "Because you asked me to tell you what was going on outside our window. Our window faces the back side of another building and there is nothing but a solid wall of bricks. There is absolutely nothing of interest for you out our window".

….sometimes yes, its okay to lie. ...

July 2012


Experience Abilene!! July 2012

What is a Chamber of Commerce? What is a Chamber of Commerce? What is a Chamber of Commerce? What is a Chamber of Commerce?

DefinitionDefinitionDefinitionDefinition - A chamber of commerce is an organization of businesses seeking to further their collective inter-

ests, while advancing their community. Business owners in towns, cities and other territories voluntarily

form these local societies/networks to advocate on behalf of the community at large, economic prosperity

and business interests.

Chamber missions vary, but they all tend to focus to some degree on five primary goals: Building communi-

ties (regions/states/nations) to which residents, visitors and investors are attracted; Promoting those com-

munities; Striving to ensure future prosperity via a pro-business climate; Representing the unified voice of the

employer community; and Reducing transactional friction through well-functioning networks. Chambers

have other features in common. Most are led by private-sector employers, self-funded, organized around

boards/committees of volunteers and independent. They share a common ambition for sustained prosper-

ity of their community/region, built on thriving employers. Most are ardent proponents of the free market

system, resisting attempts to overly burden private sector enterprise and investment.

Local businesses are voluntary paying members of a chamber (non-profits, quasi-public and even public sec-

tor employers also sometimes pay dues to belong). The membership, acting collectively, elects a board of

directors and/or executive council to set policy for, and guide the workings of, the chamber. The board or

executive committee then hires a chief executive (various titles), plus an appropriate and affordable number

of staff to run the organization.

While most chambers work closely with government, they are not part of government although many con-

sider the process of appropriately influencing elected/appointed officials to be one of their most important

functions.

MembershipMembershipMembershipMembership - under the private, volunteer membership model, which exists in the USA, companies are not

obligated to become chamber members. Businesses and other employers pay dues to belong and expect to

receive the benefits of membership as long as they continue to invest in the organization. They usually ac-

cept any reputable business as a member, though dues investment schedules can sometimes result in in-

tended or unintended exclusivity.

It is important to note that in most cases it is the company that is the member, not an individual. A member

company is then encouraged to involve numerous senior level employees in the work of the chamber.

While five, ten or more individuals from a given company will identify themselves as "members" of the cham-

ber, only the organization they work for is counted when a chamber states its size. A company is free to join

(pay dues to) multiple chambers and many mid-size to large firms do so (especially neighbors), in order to

further advance their companies' market or policy interests.

Dues amounts are typically determined by the size of the member company (employee count or annual

revenue), rather than by the number of people engaged in the chamber form that company. Some cham-

bers have adapted pay-as-you-go or funding models based on specific categories or quantity of service pro-

vided to member companies. … to be continued ...

——-Part 1 in a series to help YOU understand what a Chamber of Commerce is and what it means to you and the community you live, work and play in.


2012 Board of Directors:

Executive Committee:

Chairman, Sheldon Jones, Copeland Insurance

Vice Chair, Kelly Cooper, Cooper Clean

Treasurer, Sandy Foltz, Pottberg, Gassman &

Hoffman

Board Members:

Kyle Adams, Concordia Tractor Inc.

Marc Beswick, Ks Army National Guard

Diane Miller, M & M Tire and Auto

Mark Miller, Memorial Health System

Julie Patton, Abilene Reflector-Chronicle

Joleen Rankin, First American Title

Becky Schwab, Cook Real Estate

Dr. Tim Shafer, Abilene School District

Linda Smith, Eisenhower Presidential Library,

Museum and Boyhood Home.

Abilene Area Chamber of CommerceAbilene Area Chamber of CommerceAbilene Area Chamber of CommerceAbilene Area Chamber of Commerce 500 North Buckeye

Abilene, KS 67410

Phone: 785-263-1770

Fax: 785-263-1536

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.abileneks.net

Follow the Abilene Area Chamber of Follow the Abilene Area Chamber of Follow the Abilene Area Chamber of Follow the Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook, or follow Cindy Commerce on Facebook, or follow Cindy Commerce on Facebook, or follow Cindy Commerce on Facebook, or follow Cindy Issitt on Twitter...Issitt on Twitter...Issitt on Twitter...Issitt on Twitter...

Experience Abilene!

---July Tip---

Overcome The Awkward SilenceOvercome The Awkward SilenceOvercome The Awkward SilenceOvercome The Awkward Silence

Discussions during meetings can be feast or famine. Either you can’t get a word in

edgewise or no one speaks up. Next time your meeting falls silent, try these tactics:

1. Let It Be. Let It Be. Let It Be. Let It Be. Wait a moment before breaking the silence and offering a suggestion. The

group may need time to reflect on an idea.

2. Name It. Name It. Name It. Name It. Call out what’s happening, and ask the group about it, “it seems we’ve

gone quiet. Does anyone want to talk about what’s going on?”

3. Take A Break. Take A Break. Take A Break. Take A Break. Sometimes a short break gives people the chance to refocus.

-Adapted from Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter

Self Improvement

Abilene News letter