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Volume 2012, Issue 6
The Chamber Vista A monthly publication of the Sierra Vista Area Chamber June 2012
Volume 2012, Issue #6
“We Mean Business”
Candidate Meet and Greet
With the election season
now in full swing, the Sierra
Vista Area Chamber is
ramping up its efforts to en-
sure the business community
is represented in the political
arena.
Last month, the Chamber’s
Legislative Affairs
Committee agreed
to start meeting
twice a month dur-
ing the summer
and fall to accom-
modate the extra
workload.
This will include
inviting the candi-
dates running for
City Council to
meet with the committee and
Board of Directors to discuss
their campaigns, as well as
how they will work on be-
half of the business commu-
nity if elected.
The committee also felt it
was important to take the
opportunity to get to know
the candidates a little better
and learn about their con-
cerns and priorities.
The Chamber will also be
sending a business issues
focused questionnaire to
each of the City Council
candidates and we will be
publishing their responses on
our website next month.
On Tuesday, July 17, the
Chamber will host a City
Council candidate forum at
Buena High School from 6
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and we
hope many of you will at-
tend this important event.
This will be your chance to
hear what the candidates
have to say about a number
of community issues, includ-
ing the City’s budget, water,
and economic development.
The following week, on
Thursday, July 26, there will
be a great opportunity for the
public to meet face to face
with candidates running for
a wide variety of seats across
Cochise County and beyond.
We are inviting all election
candidates, from local to
State and Federal races, to
attend a Meet & Greet at
Pueblo Del Sol Country
Club from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sponsored by E. F. Edwards
Financial, Office Smart and
Above Board, this event will
feature no formal speeches
from any candidates, but will
offer time to mix and mingle
and ask questions.
Information about both of
these events can be found on
our website, www.sierravistachamber.org
The Chamber is also keeping
a close eye on other
issues facing our com-
munity, including the
future of the Castle &
Cooke Tribute devel-
opment, and the Sierra
Vista Public Schools
bid to become part of a
Joint Technology Edu-
cation District.
We will be hearing
from the key players in-
volved in the coming
months.
In late September, the
Chamber is planning to host
a Congressional District 2
forum featuring the candi-
dates who emerge from the
primaries in August. More
on that event to follow.
Finally, the Legislative Af-
fairs Committee is working
on a candidate endorsement
policy that will spell out the
guidelines and criteria which
need to be followed, should
the Chamber choose to en-
dorse a pro-business candi-
date. We will keep our mem-
bers updated on this process.
An Update From
Executive Director
Amanda Baillie
2
6 Ways to Help Maintain Your
Business Margins
2
Member Spotlight
on PuroClean
3
Staff Spotlight on
David Elkins
3
Chamber Calendar
of Events
4
Events at a Glance 5
7 Ways to Use Facebook to Grow
Your Email Mar-
keting List
6
Member Page 7
Board of Directors/
Chamber Staff
8
Throughout the year, the Cham-
ber hosts a number of events that
help our members to network
and promote their businesses.
We want our members to be able
to market their products and ser-
vices to as many people as possi-
ble.
Simply by becoming a Chamber
member, you are exposing your
company or organization to a
potential new customer base
through resources such as our
online business directory, our
annual Community Profile and
the free webpage each or our
members receives.
Last year we also put together a
marketing and sponsorship brochure
which laid out the range of
promotional opportunities available
through the Chamber to businesses
of all sizes and budgets.
We have now updated that informa-
tion to include some new opportuni-
ties, as well as existing events and
programs, coming up in the next 12
months.
It can be hard for a business to
choose where to spend its marketing
dollars. What will bring you the best
return on your investment? What
marketing medium will best reach
your target audience? What will
gain you the most exposure?
Sometimes it comes down to how
much is in the budget, or whether you
feel strongly about a particular cause
or event.
Our new brochure spells out each
event/program, talks about who at-
tends and participates, and what your
sponsorship money will bring you.
It also includes information on a new
advertisement program, which offers
Chamber members the chance to place
a very affordable ad on our
increasingly popular website.
Whether you are a home based busi-
ness, or a large corporation, there are a
number of opportunities available.
Just call the Chamber at 458-6940 for
more details.
Chamber Update by Executive Director Amanda Baillie
“new advertisement
program, which
offers Chamber
members the chance
to place a very
affordable ad on our
increasingly popular
website”
Page 2 The Chamber Vista
Is the marketplace squeezing your margins?
Do your customers have less disposable
income to spend? Are market forces making
it harder for you to stay profitable?
Making money is a perennial challenge for
small business owners, and simply increas-
ing your prices or selling more products or services – often at compromised margins –
isn’t always the answer.
So, what sustainable strategies can you use
to maintain and grow your margins?
There’s no one-size-fits-all silver bullet, but
here are some suggestions that might pay
off, with your hard work and creativity.
1. Focus on Revenues
Look for ways to ensure predictable reve-
nues. Set targets and ensure the business as
a whole is held accountable, including your
employees. Look for ways to lock clients
into longer-term contracts. This might mean
cutting your rates, but the long-term predict-
able volume will pay off.
Drop clients who aren’t key to your busi-
ness or are simply unprofitable. Instead,
refocus on building relationships with your
existing clients, and invest in marketing to keep your revenues growing. This will help
you plan for variables, such as losing clients
or market changes.
2. Don’t Cut Your Marketing – Do More
While customer service is a huge differenti-
ator for small businesses, customers can
only experience that service if they use your
business. So once you’ve got them through
the door, do everything you can to keep
them coming back. This means making sure you stay top of mind with compelling mar-
keting tactics. See page 6 for one marketing
tactic.
3. Re-Engineer Your Business Processes
Look for ways to do business differently. Is
there a way to use technology to streamline
processes? Would an investment in how
your products are delivered pay off over the
long term? How are your quality controls?
Many businesses lose time and money fix-
ing products or services that are delivered
subpar.
4. Pay Attention to the Details
Money is in the details. Pay attention to
them. For example, cross-check any inven-
tory or deliveries from wholesalers so that
you are 100-percent sure you are getting
everything you paid for. If you operate a
food service business, make sure your staff is properly trained to serve the right size
portions or that food isn’t perishing because
it’s not stored properly. What about your
expenses? Small yet recurring charges and
costs can quickly add over time.
5. Consider Hiring a Business Develop-
ment Professional
Hiring might not seem like a good idea
when margins are tight, but if your current
business strategy is eroding your margins,
making an investment in someone who can
help steer your business down a more prof-itable course might make good business
sense. If you simply don’t have the capital
resources to do this, get advice from an or-
ganization like SCORE. SCORE has a huge
network of small business mentors who
have walked in your shoes and will consult
for free.
6. Align Your Operations Around Cus-
tomer Service
Is everyone on your team singing from the
same hymnal? Consistently, good service is
a huge differentiator in a tough economy
and any setbacks can quickly impact your
margins. From your phone lines to your
website, front of house to the point of sale, do you have a good view of the customer
service experience? Is every staff member
doing what they need to be doing, without
being asked?
6 Ways to Help Maintain Your Business Margins courtesy of SBA.gov
Page 3 Volume 2012, Issue 6
Member Spotlight on PuroClean: by Executive Director Amanda Baillie
Starting a home based business can
take a large leap of faith, and natu-
rally everyone who does it hopes
for much success.
For Lorena Tiburcio the last five
years have seen her business grow
from a home based, husband and
wife endeavor, to a store front op-
eration providing seven full-time
and six part-time jobs.
In 2007, PuroClean was launched
in Sierra Vista following Lorena’s
search for an opportunity to re-enter
the workforce after having brought
four children into the world.
She had no idea what she wanted to
do, but after some research she dis-
covered PuroClean and took the
plunge by investing in a franchise.
“I thought about it for a while and
what I really liked was the chance
to start a franchise from home,” she
said.
So she took off to Florida to partici-
pate in a month-long training
school to learn how to become a
water, mold, fire and trauma spe-
cialist.
Since then, PuroClean has been
helping area residents and business
owners to clean up their properties
after disaster strikes.
“We got our first job in Sierra Vista
within days of opening the busi-
ness,” said Lorena. “And in the last
two years, we literally have not
stopped working.”
The company was kept particularly
busy after the Monument Fire a
year ago, and is currently coming to
the aid of Chamber members, fol-
lowing a fire that damaged several
business locations on Fry Blvd.
PuroClean, which describes itself as
the “Paramedics of Property Dam-
age” is helping those businesses to
get back up and running as soon as
possible.
For further information about
PuroClean call 378-9454 or visit
www.purocleansv.com
Would you like your business to
be featured in the Member
Spotlight? Join us at our next
Business at Twilight for your
chance to win this free benefit.
David is a Texas transplant who
has been with the Chamber for a little
over 7 months. While attending col-
lege, David began working with a For-
tune 500 Company, Altria, as a Mar-
keting Coordinator. During his 5 year
employment, he conducted events,
promotional, product, and brand mar-
keting in major markets including Texas, New Mex-
ico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Nevada.
After his experience in the corporate world, he
changed his focus to helping small businesses in their
marketing efforts and served as the Marketing and
Sales Manager for Peerless Enterprises. While at Peer-
less Enterprises, he received his Bachelors Degree in
Business Management with a concentration in Market-
ing.
He then joined the Chamber as the Communica-
tions Director. David is responsible for creating, writ-
ing and designing all Chamber publications, flyers,
marketing tools, Chamber Vista newsletter, and the
editorial of the Membership Directory and map. Addi-
tionally he is responsible for all social media, smart
phone apps, website, email blasts, photography, event
and program promotions, audio and video of event;
and he also acts as the staff liaison to the Military Af-
fairs Committee.
If you have any questions or comments concerning
integrating your business into different forms of social
media or other mediums he would love to hear from
you.
You can contact David at
[email protected] or on our Facebook
and Twitter pages. Stop by for a visit and either
“follow” or “like us”!
Chamber Staff Spotlight - David Elkins
Page 4 The Chamber Vista
Schedule of Events
June 14 - Business at Twilight -
Better Business Bureau, 100
North Highway 90 (Lawley Kia),
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
June 16 - Frye’s Ultimate’s Rib-
bon Cutting, 11:30 am, 1618 E.
Fry Blvd.
June 19 - Legislative Affairs
Committee Meeting, Sierra Vista
Chamber, 8:00 am - 9:00 am
June 22 - Bag It Up DJ Ribbon
Cutting, 4:30 pm, 1120 Calle
Estudiante, Sierra Vista
June 23 - Art Show 2012, Mall at
Sierra Vista, 10:00 am.- 5:00 pm
June 29-Chamber101, Sierra
Vista Chamber, 11:30am -1:00
pm.
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3 4 5
6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14
BAT
15 16
Ribbon
Cutting
17 18 19
LAC
20 21 22
Ribbon
Cutting
23
Art
24 25 26 27 28 29
Cham-
ber101
30
June 2012
Business at Twilight
Hosted by:
Better Business Bureau
100 North Highway 90 (Lawley Kia)
June 14
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Catered by MIA’s Mexican Grille
Come out for great networking opportunities, prizes
and 50/50 raffles.
Leadership Sierra Vista
“Shaping the Sierra Vista Area
One Leader at a Time”
Leadership Sierra Vista is a community leadership
development program of the Sierra Vista Area Chamber. The Leadership Program is limited to 20 participants and
anyone can apply. The Leadership Program benefits the in-
dividual participant, their employer and the community as a
whole.
For more information see the included
Leadership Brochure
Page 5 Volume 2012, Issue 6
Did you know that you can place your
business card size ad in the Vista for
only $50 per issue or your logo
for $25!!!
Sign up for 12 issues and save
$100 on a business card ad and $50 on a
logo placement.
Events at A Glance
For upcoming events please visit us at www.sierravistachamber.org/events
Clockwise from Top Left: M.A.C. Co-Chairs Elsie
MacMillan & Wallace Ricks & Executive Director
Amanda Baillie present Garrison Commander Col.
Faulkner with a departing gift for his support of the
Chamber., The Chamber Staff celebrating Cinco De
Mayo at the West End Fair., John Hargraves
“pumps” the B.A.T. attendees up before the trip
down to Bisbee., Bisbee After 5 B.A.T. attendees
enjoying their first stop., Carolyn McLain browses
through different types of teas at Divine Teas &
Novelties during the Bisbee After 5 B.A.T., Gradu-
ates of Leadership Sierra Vista pose with their
plaques after the graduation ceremony. Ribbon Cut-
ting for our new chocolate fondue member Velata.,
Ribbon cutting attendees enjoying Velata’s products.
Page 6 The Chamber Vista
Do you have a great e-newsletter program?
Looking to build your list of email sub-
scribers while you offer more valuable con-
tent to your Facebook fans?
Facebook and other social media are great
tools for building connections and commu-
nity for your business and its customers. But Facebook isn’t always the best outlet
for communicating your most important
updates. Newsfeeds are busy places, and it
can be hard to get the attention of fans as
easily as a newsletter or email update can.
But how can you convert your fans to email
subscribers and get them onto a list you can
segment, target and own?
Facebook is ever-evolving, and the intro-
duction of the new Timeline in March this
year has changed the way page managers
and brands use Facebook. Here are seven
ways you can use your page to grow your
email list.
1) Find a Home for Your E-Newsletter
Content
Before you do anything to your page, make sure you have a home for your e-newsletter
archives and a clear sign-up page (both
hosted on your website). This gives you
both the opportunity to extend the life of
your content, and a URL you can share via
social media, and clearly shows fans what
they can expect if they sign up.
2) Consult Your Email Marketing Tool/
Software
Chances are that you are sending your e-
newsletters out with the help of an industry
email marketing tool or software. Check
what features your provider offers. Many
include apps you can customize and add to
your Facebook page to help you drive email
sign-ups. They show up as boxes under-
neath your main cover photo. Plus, they
automatically integrate new opt-ins to your
subscription database.
Many email marketing providers also let
you build custom email sign-up forms or
pages within Facebook.
3) Add a Sign-Up App
Before you embark on any DIY app build-
ing, consult the tools you may already have
in your armory. If you don’t have access to custom apps or you just want to build your
own, the good news is that the Facebook
Timeline offers many more options for
building apps (such as an email sign-up box
and page) than the old format did. The op-
tions for incorporating your brand look and
feel are also limitless.
Once you’ve added your email sign-up app
or box, be sure to make it more prominent.
Just hover over the “Edit” button and select
the tab you want to swap it with from the
drop-down menu.
Tip: A very important point to note about
calls to action in the new Timeline is that
you can’t add any promotional language or
graphics to the main cover image (this in-
cludes email sign-ups).
4) Optimize Your “About” Description
You probably noticed that the new Time-
line page lets you add a 150-character de-
scription of your business underneath your
profile picture. Use this real estate to add a
link to an email sign-up page, or if you
have a sign-up box or app, post a link to it
here.
5) Highlight or Pin Updates About your
E-Newsletter
It’s always been a good strategy to remind your Facebook fans about your e-newsletter
and encourage sign-ups using regular page
updates. But now you can get more expo-
sure for these posts by pinning them to the
top of your update feed for seven days. Al-
ternatively, you can showcase them using
the highlight tool (where the post expands
to the full width of the page).
6) Offer Incentives
Ideally, your newsletter content should be
compelling enough to sell itself, but why
not run an occasional contest to encourage
sign-ups via Facebook?
7) Be Proactive About New Sign-Ups and
Make Your Content the Best it Can Be
Now that you’ve got the attention of your
Facebook fans, make them feel welcome
and keep them interested with great con-
tent.
Set up automatic welcome emails to new
subscribers with a link to your latest news-letter, your blog, and so on. Add social
sharing features to your newsletter so your
content is constantly being spread virally.
Don’t forget: if your content isn’t valuable
or worth looking forward to, your time is
better served investing in other outreach
strategies.
7 Ways to Use Facebook to Grow Your Email Marketing List Courtesy of SBA.gov
Get a grant to save money on water costs! Your business can improve its
cash flow while supporting the econ-
omy, Ft. Huachuca, and the San Pedro
River. Who's eligible? Any business in the
Sierra Vista Subwatershed (including
Sierra Vista, Bisbee, Tombstone, Naco, Huachuca City and the unincorporated
areas).
How do you get started? It is as easy as 1-2-3!
1) Call a friendly Water Wise Specialist at 458-8278 x 2150 and make an ap-
pointment for a complimentary on-site
visit.
2) Decide what you want to replace or install. With your input, the Water Wise
Specialist will offer recommendations
and together you will figure out how you can save water and money.
3) Fill out an easy, one-page applica-
tion.
Grants help you: Replace older toilets with newer ones.
Install waterless urinals.
Replace outdated commercial washing
machines with water efficient ones. Install cartridge filters for swimming
pools instead of sand filters.
Remove costly turf or install an easy Xeriscape or RainScape.
There are many more options to choose
from. Call a Water Wise Specialist today!
Upper San Pedro Partnership Water Conservation Grant Program - up to $2,000 in 45 days!
Page 7 Volume 2012, Issue 6
Thank You to These Members for Renewing Their Commitment to The Business Community:
A Special Welcome to Our New Members!
3 Kings Automotive - 335 - 8900
American Cancer Society, Relay for Life
of Sierra Vista - 323 - 4209
Belleza Fine Art Gallery - 432-5877
Blue Star Families - 335 - 2593
Contours Spa-Lon - 803 - 0774
Counseling Services - Dr. Nance -
378-1357
Dr. Yvonne D. Lee & Associates, LLC -
417-0100
Elect Rachel Gray for City Council -
477-1144
House of Schade - 459-1377
Hummingbird House - (253) 225-1474
In The Event Of… - 378-9602
Nature’s Healthier Choices - 266-1627
RVRO Temp Housing - (888) 868-1236
The Boeing Company - (210) 859-7277
Velata - 266-5068
1st Dental Care
Bayada Nurses
Berg’s Heating & Air Conditioning
Bowie Power Station
CareNet Pregnancy Center of Cochise
County, Inc
Data Systems & Technology, Inc.
Desert Swing
Freedom Automotive
Jan Pro Cleaning
Lawley Automotive Center
Lawley’s Team Ford
Mountain View Air Conditioning &
Heating
Mountain View Gardens
PanTerra Gallery
Sierra Suites
Sierra Vista Dental
Sierra Vista Symphony Association
Stachel & Associates, P.C.
Tactical Tracking Operations School,
Executive Club Members American Family Insurance
Arizona Water Company
Best Buy
BrightStar
CACI, Inc.
Campstone Transfer, Inc.
Castle & Cooke, Inc.
Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC
CGI
Cherry Creek Radio
City of Sierra Vista
Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc.
Cox
Data Systems & Technology, Inc.
Dental Village
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot
Farmers Insurance - Ginny Francis
Garden Terrace Assisted Living
Home
General Dynamics Information
Technology
Horizon Moving Systems of Sierra
Vista, Inc.
Huachuca Mountain Insurance
Agency
KKYZ Radio
Landmark Café
Lawley Automotive Center
Lawley’s Team Ford
Life Care Center
Long Realty Co.
Longhorn Restaurant
Mall at Sierra Vista
ManTech Telecommunications &
Info Systems
Mobile Marketing Blueprint
Nathan Williams, Law Office
National Bank of Arizona
New Frontier Animal Medical
Center
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Patio Pools & Spas
Pioneer Title Agency
Pueblo del Sol Country Club
Restless Wings Photography
Rosemont Copper Company
Salient Federal Solutions
Sentrillion
Sierra Vista Ace Hardware
Sierra Vista Herald Bisbee Daily
Review
Sierra Vista Regional Health Center
Southeastern Arizona Contractors
Association
Southern Arizona Media
Productions
Southwest Gas Corporation
Southwestern Eye Center
Stachel & Associates, P.C.
STG Inc.
Stilwell’s Learning Center, LLC
Suburban Extended Stay Hotels
Sulpher Springs Valley Electric
Coop.
Sun Canyon Inn
TDY Housing, LLC
TMS - Ty Media Services
TownePlace Suites by Marriott
University of Phoenix -Sierra Vista
Campus
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Waddell & Reed Financial
Advisors, David Burnett
Wayland Baptist University
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Windemere Hotel & Conference
Center
21 E. Wilcox Dr.
Sierra Vista, AZ. 85635
The Chamber Vista is a publication of the Sierra Vista Area Chamber 21 E. Wilcox Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 (520) 458-6940, Fax: (520) 452-0878
www.sierravistachamber.org Mission Statement The Sierra Vista Area Chamber promotes business and provides leadership for the improvement of the community. 2012-13 Board of Directors Executive Officers Chairwoman - Dee Dee Hoeft, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Past Chairman - Frank Gonzalez, Lawley Automotive Chair Elect - Jean Giuffrida, Long Realty Treasurer - Michael Benson, TDY Housing Secretary - Rick Shelley - Horizon Moving Systems of Sierra Vista Board Members Elsie MacMillan - Sierra Toyota Ken Cecil - Mall at Sierra Vista Phil Vega - Sierra Vista Herald / Bisbee Daily Review Randy Sueskind– Cherry Creek Radio Pamela Anderson - Landmark Café Jack Blair - Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative Anita Farrow - National Bank of Arizona Joe Stroud - Edwards Financial, Inc. Nancy Nash - Stuff ‘N Baskets Nathan Williams - Nathan Williams, Law Office
Sierra Vista Area Chamber PRESORTED
STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
HEREFORD, AZ
PERMIT NO. 29
CURRENT RESIDENT OR
Chamber Staff Executive Director - Amanda Baillie, [email protected] Membership & Marketing Director- John Hargraves III, [email protected] Communications Director - David Elkins, [email protected] Office Manager - Leah Hastings, [email protected] Events Coordinator - Diane Erwin, [email protected] Administrative Assistant - Leah Barnes, [email protected]