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LOL Si - Thats like my son says: "I have standards - I'd never go out with a woman who would date a guy like me" Guess someday he will have to lower his standards.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3487 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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Chamber member, health club, thats all I have time for
-------------------- Michael A Latham Tee's Me Shirt & Sign 16462 Jefferson Davis Highway Colonial Heights Va. 804-835-3299 signdogopie@aol.com Posts: 379 | From: Colonial Heights, Virginia | Registered: Feb 2004
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I am the secretary of the Mars Area Chamber of Commerce. In fact, I have been trying to quit for a year now but there are no replacements! I also belong to the Letterheads, since 1994. Sometimes community stuff gets you business. Love....Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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club membership can be stifling for the meek at heart, but for someone with a little "spunk", it can be exhilerating. i belong to the museum board in our community. once you dust the cobwebs out, it is interesting to belong. it does open many doors for business. just so it is not volunteer, coming out of your pocket. jillbeans can vouch for that. fiddles.
-------------------- Faye Welsh (fiddles) 4848 cherry street allison park, pa. 15101 fiddles51@yahoo.com Posts: 259 | From: 4848 Cherry St. Allison Park,Pa. 15101 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Not enough room on this website to hold the long answer!
Short answer, I now belong to the local Chamber and to a Networking Group called the Organized Referral Network Inc. (ORNI) Out of the two, I have ONLY gotten business from the Network group. The difference is that the networking group is strictly business. Meeting every week, promoting our own businesses and always trying to promote others. No "Citizen of the Year" or "Student of the Century" crap - just business...and fun and comraderie, and a good lunch. Our group is an independent venture, but there is probably a nationally associated group in your neck of the woods (I believe is is called TIPS).
Check out our website at ORNI Referral Network if you want to see how it's done. Call me if you have any questions.
-------------------- Gene Golden Gettysburg Signs Gettysburg PA 17325 717-334-0200 genegolden@gettysburgsigns.com
"Art is knowing when to stop." Posts: 1578 | From: Gettysburg, PA | Registered: Jun 2003
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We belong to the Chamber. We pay our dues by doing the golf outing signs every year. Can't really say we get anything out of it but we break even. Our Chamber has cocktail parties and seminars and "business man/woman of the year" suppers....the usual stuff. Not really overly valuable contacts, as a general rule. I am on the public library board. I really enjoy that. It's a meeting a month and pretty low key. We are expanding to the second story of the building we own now though, so there should be more decisions to be made/meetings pretty soon. It's pretty exciting though because we have really been lucky with our funding, have quite a bit of money that has been donated and we have great plans. I belong to a Literary Society. We meet once a month at someone's home, discuss a book we have read, someone does a report on an assigned subject, we tell jokes and have tea with the silver service and real napkins. (ladeda!) It really isn't my style, but I really like the ladies I have met and I wouldn't have gotten to know them otherwise. It lets me to get dressed up, see other people's homes and socialize. This year I am the publicity chairman and parlimentarian. (I have to take notes and get all the meetings put in the paper.) I'm thinking about joining a quilting guild. Bill has coached JFL (young kids) football for 20+ years and he SAYS he isn't doing it this fall. It is a bunch of hours, meetings, practices, games, planning, etc. but he absolutely loves it. He enjoys the kids and doing the plays. He dislikes dealing with the paperwork and the "personalities" of some of the parents and coaches. I am glad we will have the fall back, but I know he will miss it. I bet they will talk him back into doing something... I used to belong to Jr. Women's Club and Sweet Adelines....TOO much stuff to do TOO many times!! They were constantly requesting "favors" and it was just was too much of a committment. I wasn't enjoying it. I was dreading it! OUR favorite organization is the Letterheads! We have a blast at meets, have good friends we have met from all over the world, and learn some cool stuff, get to travel all over.....how could anything be BETTER than that!!
-------------------- Jane Diaz Diaz Sign Art 628 W. Lincoln Ave. Pontiac, Il. 61764 815-844-7024 www.diazsignart.com Posts: 4102 | From: Pontiac, IL USA | Registered: Feb 1999
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Chamber of Commerce is the biggest source of beggars and junk mailers known to man. Seems like every non profit organization gets the list of Chamber members and they are always bugging you for money or free junk. No thanks.
-------------------- Mike Berry New England Posts: 534 | From: New England | Registered: Jan 2002
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I can't agree with Mike on that. I belong to the local Chamber here, and have pulled some business out of the monthly business-after-hours events. Several years ago they needed a sign for the information center at the train station in Mystic; I donated a nice carved sign and it made for some good publicity, at least among the business leaders who pay attention.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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In 25 plus years, I've belonged to three different Chambers of Commerce, and they were all "something for nothing clubs". (not to mention that if you buy homeowners insurance ffrom someone oTHER than the 52 insurance salesman in the Chamber, you're labeled a traitor).
I was a member of Kiwanis for about 12 years, and enjoyed that more. We actually did some good for the community, helped a local children's home, etc.
With the EXCEPTION of a Chamber of Commerce, I'm willing to state that most organizations with be that steriotypical "you'll get out of it what you put into it."
I still belong to a community group that mentors troubled kids. I speak and demonstrate my skills for small groups of teens at a vocational school, and I get much more out of that than I put in.
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I'm a chamber member in two different towns, BNI (Business Networking International), Presently president of the Optimist Club in my town, Volunteer Firefighter, Letterville Resident, I'm certain I'm missing a few!
Being part of clubs in my town as made me alot more visible, business and personal, and given me a new sense of belonging!
I like my little town and want to give back what it's given to me!
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I haven't posted here for a while but I do watch the parade regularly. This topic is something I though I could contribute to.
In 15 years in business we have belonged to the Burlington and Waterdown Chambers (Randy will know where they are) and a Burlington based networking group (in fact I am the President of it this year). We have gotten business from all but it takes involvement and working the crowd to get it. Also you have to skate around the "somethng for nothing" crowd. Both of the Chambers of Commerce (Waterdown has about 100 members and Burlington over 400) have bought lots of signs from us. So has the networking group.
I find a better source for business is causes. We have been involved in three causes over the years where we got to meet lots of people around town. Many of them with salaried white collar jobs in big organizations. Once these people get to know you, find out what you do and know that you support the same cause they do they will take pity on you and find business for you at their employer. I have done work for Revenue Canada, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and McMaster University as a unexpected windfall from cause involvement. It's a phenomen that I never anticipated...but it seems to happen everytime.
-------------------- Chuck Churchill, It's A Good Sign Inc. 3245 Harvester Rd, U-12 Burlington, Ont. Phone: 905-681-8775 Fax: 905-681-8945 Posts: 633 | From: Burlington, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm just not a joiner. Guess I'm a fuddy dud in that respect.
I joined my neighbourhood association, but didn't go to meetings. When they wanted a sign, I submitted designs, and then joined the "sign committee". Wow, that was quite an annoying "investment" of time. Personally, I'm not a good "hob nobber", and I really can't stomach the committee stuff too well.
I do join stuff like charitable walks or bike rides. Dave and I do the Diabetes ride every year, and I did the Race for the Cure this year.
I'm very surprised at myself for becoming as involved with the crazy bunch on this website as I have. Who'd of thought? Musta been a weak moment. Joining this group has brought about so many good changes for me that I couldn't begin to do it justice by listing the positive things off.
When I worked for Joe's shop, we were a member of the local Chamber and I would help during trade shows. I just remember coming home with more biz cards and promotional "stuff" than anything. Lots of sales pitches being tossed around, ... but that's just part of the game I guess.
I don't like placing myself in social settings that are staged to sell. I also don't like pushing myself on people. Kinda has an Amway feeling about it, which I find uncomfortable. (not that there's anything wrong with that ... just not for me)
Networking is a good thing. I guess I do it more on personal levels with folks I meet daily, and more by just showing enthusiasm for my job rather than paying to join groups and going to regular meetings.
I dunno, another thing is that it's always kind of rubbed me the wrong way to refer someone, or to be referred by people who have a vested interest in doing so. I just feel recommendations should be based on the experience of someone's work or character without any obligations to do so.
To each their own. Nettie
-------------------- "When Love and Skill Work Together ... Expect a Masterpiece"
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I'm in a lead exchanging group & have done extremely well in the 8 or 10 months I've been invlolved. I have done work for probably 10 other members, and 2 or more repeat jobs for at least half of them. I also have bought goods or services from around 10 other members.
I feel that a referral to use another member is not made just because they are in the club, it is because I have met them, heard them get up & speak about the exact nature of their business & any specializations or prefrences for ideal clients & have heard other members complimenting them for jobs well done.
I feel that someone I know using a tradesperson I refer from our organization instead of a stranger from the phone book will stand a much greater chance of satisfactory service because that tradesperson will know I referred that client, & that I will be having breakfast with them every week. We all drop the ball once in a while, take too long, charge a little too much... but due to the success I have had in this organization, I would be extra careful to see that the referrals from the group will all be taken care of, so my reputation will continue to draw more business.
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fiddles.
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Randy
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