July/August 2011
Mind Your Business
A Publication of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation
WHAT’S INSIDE: LACDC
1, 2, 3
SBDC
4
CHAMBER
5, 6, 7
MAINSTREET 8, 9 LAMVB
10, 11
Destination Business program comes to Los Alamos Six local business people have returned from Destination Business Boot Camp, ready to infuse their own and other businesses with fresh energy to make improvements in their businesses.
Melanie Bennett of UPEX and Bennett’s Jewelry, Kent Pegg of Los Alamos Fitness Center, Denise Lane of The Hill Diner, Don Taylor of Don Taylor’s Photography, Brad Burk of Hot Rocks Java Cafe and Steve Watts of Los Alamos Cooperative Market made the trip to Jon Schallert’s Destination Business Boot Camp in Longmont, Colorado, along with SBDC Director Don Wright and Chamber member services coordinator Katy Korkos. They have returned full of inspiration, with ideas about developing a strategic vision for their businesses, featuring unique products, improving marketing and the appearance of their businesses, engaging their employees, and making their businesses into true destinations. Schallert classifies destination businesses as those who create their own traffic, and pull customers from beyond the local area. “If you’re content to just draw from your local
marketplace, that’s fine, but that’s not what we’re talking about here,” Schallert said. “Shop Local is a great idea, but you can’t let it affect your strategy.” Schallert will visit Los Alamos August 10 and 11. He will give a condensed version of the workshop to all interested businesspeople and Chambers of Commerce throughout New Mexico the morning of August 10th at the Best Western Hilltop House. Registration is available on the calendar of the Chamber of Commerce website, www. losalamoschamber.com. Later that evening from 4:30 to 6 p.m., the entire community is invited to learn about the challenges local businesses are facing in the current economy and how every citizen who values our local business community can help. The trip to Schallert’s Boot Camp was sponsored primarily by the LACDC and LANB. LA Fitness, UPEX/Bennett’s Jewelry, Hill Diner, Don Taylor’s Photography, Los Alamos Coop Market, Hot Rocks Java Café and Film Festival also supported the project. Sign up now for the “condensed version” of the Destination Boot Camp at www. LosAlamosChamber.com
FAN Club
July 13th UNMLA 5:30 pm to 7:00 p.m. August 22nd Chamber hosted by United Way and Blue Window Bistro Contact Katy Korkos 505.661.4816 or email katyk@losalamos.org