Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce

Lea McLeod, a Portland-based “Job Therapist,” was the speaker at our April Brown Bag Lunch & Learn at the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce. Lea’s topic was Bossonomics and she gave us 10 ways to improve office productivity and relationships between managers and employees. These tips are also very useful for small business owners and solo-entrepreneurs working with clients.

1. Build a good relationship from the start. When you begin to work with someone new, find out how they like to communicate, what they expect for keeping in touch, etc. Don’t make assumptions!

2. Have a regular conversation. This is so important. Don’t think that emails or texts can take the place of a good, regular conversation with your boss.

3. Clarify goals. What’s most important to work on? What’s the focus–for the year, for the week, etc.? How are you going to quantify it? It’s amazing how many people work without having clear goals to aim for.

4. Know your manager’s goals. Chances are, your manager has different goals than you do. And you only do better if you help them reach their goals–in addition to focusing on your own.

5. Hold up your end of the bargain. One of the things that Lea highlighted was the rule of “no surprises.” Don’t ever let your boss get blindsided by something you knew was coming. Own your mistakes, take responsibility, offer solutions instead of just complaining about problems.

6. Assume good intentions. People do say things like, “My manager is trying to make my life miserable.” But chances are, that’s not true. Your manager probably doesn’t get up in the morning thinking of ways to screw up your day. Most people are just trying to get through the week, have a good life, take care of their family, etc.

7. Assume imperfection. We’re all human. Go easy on your manager. If they do something you really don’t like or that interferes with your ability to get your job done, point it out. No one has classes in how to be a manager, so give them some help in learning how to do their job better.

8. Give feedback. It’s ok to tell your manager how they’re doing. It’s great to let them know when something they did really worked or didn’t work. Learn to ask great questions and not make assumptions for how you’re supposed to do your work. If there’s something you need, tell them.

9. Give recognition. The most successful people celebrate the successes of others. They don’t throw their manager (or the employees) under the bus. Managers are very often unsung heroes, so doing a little shout-out at a meeting or on your Facebook page–or letting their boss know something positive is a great practice.

10. Be kind. Again. We’re all human. Life isn’t easy. We’re all trying our best so no matter which of the above you’re tackling, talk to your manager in the way you’d like someone to talk to you. Be kind.

And the one thing you can say that will instantly change the course of any “Bad Manager” day?

How can I help you?

Find out more about Lea’s work at www.leamcleod.com.

And be sure to sign up for our May Brown Bag Lunch and Learn on May 23rd.
Matt Wilson tells us everything smart business owners need to learn about the Cloud.

It’s a Very Good Time to be an SACC Member…

It’s been a full and busy late winter and spring at the Chamber… We’re taking a breather this week just to look back at what we’ve accomplished in the first quarter of 2013—and take a peek at what lies ahead.

Special thanks to Karey, Krhys and Andy in the office who have done a stellar job with day-to-day operations.

Our #1 goal is to provide you the tools, connections and education to help you do what you most want to do—make more money and experience more success in your business.

So… this spring we’ve offered a host of educational opportunities from impressive area experts to more than 100 Chamber and community members.   

Here are some of the topics we’ve covered…

Board Members and Legal Experts Jay McRostie & Rod Barker shared the 5 Biggest Legal Issues Affecting Business Owners at two of our luncheons. 

Feng Shui Expert Paula Springer gave us 10 Ways to Ignite Workspace Mojo by making changes in our office space. People brought in photos for some one-on-one advice from Paula.

Promotions & Marketing Expert Eric Torgerson shared some cool promotional products along with teaching us how strategically using these products is a powerful tool for connecting with existing and potential clients.

“Job Therapist” Lea McLeod taught a great Brown Bag on “Bossonomics”—and gave us several very good ways to improve the relationship between employees and bosses for a much more productive workplace.

We’ve held Good Morning and Good Evening Sandy at the following locations:

Peak Trophy & Engraving

Kiwanis

Party Lite

Antfarm

HoodView Academy
Dita’s Chocolates

SHS Health Clinic

Take Shape for Life

Island Oasis

In March, we worked with Antfarm to host a special Chamber After Hours and Board Q&A Session.

We’ve reinstituted our great Ambassador program and, headed by Lisa Foster, they held a successful first Cash Mob at the very charming Gifts of Past to Present, where more than 20 people shopped local and picked up wonderful items. (If you haven’t been in for a while, you’ve got to check out all the beautiful gifts.) The next one happens this Saturday, May 18^th. Location TBA on Wednesday!

We’re also in the middle of a Chamber Mini-Mob campaign, encouraging both Chamber and community members to shop local and leave a special card that enters the business they’ve visited and themselves in a June drawing.

With our partner Like That Productions, we’re gearing up for a better-than-ever Music Fair and Feast from July 11-14. We’re working with generous local businesses bring this popular annual event to the Sandy Mountain Days—with more for kids, and a special Sunday celebration.

We welcomed First Friday visitors to the Visitor Center in April and May—with art exhibits by local painter Clair Harrison and photographer Rod Stroh. Come see Rod’s beautiful photographs on display until June.

Thanks to the generosity and expertise of the Small Business Development Council at MHCC, we’re very excited to announce a series of Summer Business-Building Classes. We’ll be offering six (free or low-cost) workshops this summer on topics of great value of business owners—from Bookkeeping and Insurance, to Social Media and Website basics. Keep an eye out for more on these upcoming classes.

Chamber Member Cherokee Designs has been busy creating a very clean and user-friendly new website, www.sandyareachamber.org—we now offer a full community calendar and online payment option for your convenience.

We’ve welcomed many renewing Chamber Members (thank you for continued support of your chamber!) and brand-new members. We’re so glad you’re here and have made the decision to invest in your community and your business by joining the SACC.

New Members:

Rose Country Realty

L’BRI

The Local Buzz

Peak Trophy & Engraving

Douglas Ridge Rifle Club

Buddha Kat Winery

Coming up on June 12, we’re welcoming the CEO of Your Marketing University, Ely Delaney, as a very special guest speaker at the Chamber Luncheon. Marketing is the #1 most important thing we can do as small business owners, but as we all know, it’s often the thing that slips to the bottom of the to-do list. Don’t miss Ely’s presentation,“Discover the 5 Steps to Becoming a Marketing Rockstar in Your Industry.”

It’s a great time to be a Chamber member and we’re here to work for you.

Please let us know how we can serve you and help you to be as successful as you can be in your business. Thanks for your continued membership in and support of the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce.

On behalf of the SACC Board,

Madeleine Eno

President

Marketing your business to your ideal customer and clients is easier than ever… and thanks to social media platforms (like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Linked In, etc.), you can get the word out even if you have  NO marketing budget. Because these platforms are free, they make it super cost-effective to market your business, products and services. Your biggest expense is your time. The hardest part (yet the most important part) is creating your strategy. Once you have a good strategy in place, consistency is the key.

Here are a few tips as you work on your social media marketing.

• Position yourself as an expert in your field. Provide valuable information about your industry. Give Top 10 lists of tips and advice. Share how-to information for some of the common problems your customers or clients face. Think of the questions customers ask you most often and post the answers. Post pictures of your business or people enjoying your business.
• Keep the pitches in balance. Don’t make all your social media posts pitches for your business–people will stop reading your posts fast. Ask questions. Start a dialogue. Share pictures or stories. Think of being a resource for your community, rather than just selling to them.
• Ensure people can find you on the web. Make sure your posts lead people back to your website–and that your website is accurate, attractive and current.
• Interact often with your online community. Send birthday wishes to your customers and people who’ve liked your page. Comment on others’ blogs or posts. Share others’ posts of blogs on your page.

Need more ideas as you’re getting started or doing more with social media?

Here are a few online resources that provide a ton of information and ideas:

www.forbes.com

www.mashable.com

www.socialmediatips.com

And don’t forget…..

Your Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce can help. We offer several low-cost and free marketing opportunities for members, along with classes and trainings in social media and marketing. And we love sharing your news on our Facebook page. Make sure you post any news or specials on our page and we’ll spread the word.