Celebrating 60 Years
BUSINESS
a publication of the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce
CONNECTION
IDEAS FOR INEXPENSIVE & FREE MARKETING
M
ust effective marketing always eat up significant amounts of your small business operating expenses? Fortunately, no. A lot of low-cost and even free-to-use marketing options are available for your business, smart ways for you to reach your customers. No method is entirely free because you need to consider your time involved as a cost factor. Yet, by investing dedicated time on a regular basis for cheap marketing solutions, the return on your investment can yield significant dividends. Get Social Some of your best customer contacts may be through the Internet, Continued on pg 11
VISION ST. CHARLES COUNTY PROGRAM GRADUATES TOMORROW’S LEADERS
V
ision St. Charles County Leadership held the graduation ceremony for the class of 2013 on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at Community Commons at the Spencer Road Library. Alumni were invited to honor the 2013 Visionary of the year Barb Griffith, 2013 Mentor of the Year Mark Hollander, Class of 2013 Board Representative Jay Herigodt and induct the Class of 2013 into the alumni association. Class members include Alison Tucker, St. Charles
Continued on pg 4
APRIL 2013
Don’t miss the O’Fallon Chamber’s
General Membership LUNCHEON Tuesday, April 23 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. @ Elks Lodge 2587 1163 Tom Ginnever, O’Fallon, MO 63366 Join us for our April Luncheon as our very own David Harrington with CFG Wealth Services/MetLife talks with us about Business Killers. We’ll also be joined by Traci Everman with the St. Charles County Association of REALTORS who will update us on the current real estate market for our area. Don’t forget to register in advance and save $5! Call 636-240-1818 or email Sara@OFallonChamber.org
Sponsored by:
O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday, April 9 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. JAN’S TRAVEL & CRUISE
7326 Village Center Dr | O’Fallon, MO 63368 Stay for 5 minutes or 2 hours, whichever fits into your schedule best. Our free monthly Business After Hours are a great way to build relationships with many of your fellow Chamber Members. Average attendance at these free events is around 60 Chamber Members!
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O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce
Rise & Shine...
to join us for the O’Fallon Chamber’s Morning Schmooze, a FREE monthly, networking event open to Chamber members. Arrive ready to network with a pocket full of business cards and a 1 minute infomercial.
Thursday, April 18 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Garden Villas of O’Fallon
7092 S Outer 364 | O’Fallon, MO 63368
Mission Statement: The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce is committed to promoting economic vitality in O’Fallon and the St. Charles County Region while providing members with networking opportunities, education and advocacy in public policy decisions affecting business. Vision Statement: The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce will be the catalyst for the prosperity of our community as a valued resource for businesses, organizations, and residents. Officers: Adam Hopper, PNC Bank, Chair of the Board Jeff Arneson, JLJ Technology, 1st Vice Chair Michael Favazza, Favazza & Associates, 2nd Vice Chair Ron Epps, F&M Bank and Trust, Treasurer Stacee Gilmore, Promotions Pronto, Secretary Cindy Elking, Quintessential Catering, Past-Chair Directors: Harold Bliggenstorfer, Missouri Baptist University Mark Crank, Marcos Productions Wayne Daniels, CORD Moving Heather Deatz, Community News Tim DeGhelder, St. Charles City-County Library Julie Feast, Ameren Missouri Kim Michaels, Charter Business Brian Richardson, KFAV 99.9 FM Jan Stanczak, Jan’s Travel & Cruise Staff: Erin Williams, President/CEO Sara Henderson, Communications Director Sam Byers, Membership Services Director Nina DeAngelo, Member Engagement Director
THIS ISSUE VOL.2 IS.4 IN
2145 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr. O’Fallon, MO 63366 Phone: 636-240-1818 Email: info@OFallonChamber.org www.OFallonChamber.org
Inexpensive Marketing ........... p cover & 7 Vision Class of 2013 ............... p cover & 4 Ribbon Cuttings .................................... p 5 News from the Chairman ...................... p 5 Firecracker Run ..................................... p 6 Calendar of Events ............................... p 7 New Members ....................................... p 8 Leads Group Guest Day ........................ p 8 Member Anniversaries .......................... p 9 Member Mentions ............................... p 10 Chamber Activities............................. p 13
CHAMBER PARTNERS
&LANDSCAPE LAWN SOLUTIONS APRIL 2013 | BUSINESS CONNECTION | 3
VISION
CONTINUED County Department of Community Health & the Environment; Cindy Elking, Quintessential Catering; Danielle Fowler, Fifth Third Bank; Debbie Wolfmeier, SSM St. Joseph Health Center; Don Hutson, The Missouri Bank; Erin Wolfman, Jewish Federation in St. Louis; Jay Herigodt, City of O’Fallon; Jill Gould, ESJB, Inc; John Ditch, Community Living, Inc; Ken Hammell, City of O’Fallon; Kyle Smith, UMB Bank; Lynette Watson, University of Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Center; Mark Crank, Marcos Productions; Mary LynamMiller, Willows Way; Michelle Woods, Habitat for Humanity St. Charles; Renee’ Tillman, YMCA of Great St. Louis; Rhonda Hubbard, Providence Bank; Rich Metz, Commerce Bank; Sara Henderson, O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce; Susan Campbell, Mid Rivers Promos; Susan KallashBailey, ITN St. Charles; Suzanne Correnti, Lutheran Senior Services, Breeze Park; Victoria Walker, Crider Health Center; and Marty Limpert, St. Charles County Ambulance District.
Vision St. Charles County Leadership is currently accepting applications for the Class of 2014. Vision’s mission is to educate community and business leaders by providing experiences that will increase awareness, develop leadership skills and motivate participants to be actively engaged in St. Charles County. The Vision St. Charles County Leadership program works to: • Inform leaders about the challenges and opportunities facing our state and to encourage solutions and collaboration. • Inspire leaders to become active in a organization, community, or statewide efforts that make Missouri a better place to work and live. • Challenge leaders to increase their awareness about themselves and their state and to maximize their leadership potential. • Provide an opportunity to network with a variety of individuals to strengthen personal and organizational clout.
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The class meets one day a month from August 2013 to March 2014 with the exception of a two day retreat in August and a two day trip to Jefferson City in February. Some of the topics covered include civic leadership, economic development, education and health care. Please send your application and a $25 non-refundable application fee to the address on the application by May 31, 2013. The application will be refunded if you are not accepted into the program. The additional $600 in tuition is due by July 1, 2013. Applicants for the program must have the support and commitment of their business or organization. Every March applications of emerging and established leaders are sought from all segments of the community. Individuals representing a broad community spectrum will be accepted as members of the Vision St. Charles County Leadership program. Applications are available on the Vision website at www.visionleadership.org.
RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES WELCOME TO O’FALLON! First quarter numbers are in and we are making great progress in meeting our 2013 goals! As you may have noticed our events are growing, already this year we have seen a 5% increase in attendance at our networking functions. In the past three months over 270 of you have attended a networking event, representing 205 organizations. So, once again, I’d like to invite you to get engaged in your Chamber membership. We have something for everyone! Networking, Education, Tech/Comm, Events or Legislative Awareness, let us know what your interest is and we can get you plugged in. Actually, let us know how we can serve your business better when we give you a call later this month. Our annual Operation Thank You is just a couple of weeks away, Board Members and Ambassadors will be making phone calls to check in with our members to update information, hear any suggestions, and of course, thank you for your membership. As a board member, I can tell you that we look forward to this program every year.
The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce and the City of O’Fallon are excited to welcome these new businesses to the community and to help them celebrate with a with a Ribbon Cutting ceremony.
Instant Imprints 3086 WingHaven Blvd, O’Fallon, MO 63368
Finally, if you have not done so already, I encourage you to go out and vote today. For more information on the O’Fallon election, visit www.OFallonChamber.org/ election-2013. Until next month, Adam Hopper Chairman of the Board
First State Bank 300 Woodlawn Ave, O’Fallon, MO 63366
Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings: April 4th @ 1:30 p.m. Angels on Duty April 11 @ 3:30 p.m. Find Your Piece Consignment Shop April 17th @ 11:30 a.m. Cupcake Amore
Daddy Ray Burgers 8814 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, O’Fallon, MO 63366 APRIL 2013 | BUSINESS CONNECTION | 5
Presented by
R E K C A FIRECR RUN
T
he O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce is proud to host the 29th Annual USATF Certified Firecracker Run on Thursday, July 4, 2013, in O’Fallon, MO. The Firecracker Run offers something for everyone! The Race begins at 7:00 a.m. and consists of a 10K, 5K and a 1 Mile Fun Run. Awards will be given to the overall winner for male and female racers of the 5K and 10K. There will also be awards given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers (male and female) of each class in the 5K and 10K. Ribbons will be given to all participants of the 1 Mile Fun Run. The event will begin at the T.R. Hughes Ball Park located in O’Fallon, MO at 900 T.R. Hughes Blvd. A Pace Car will be leading runners through North O’Fallon and the race will end over home plate on the field of the River City Rascals. Runners will be met with a Health Expo, vendors, attendance prizes and an awards ceremony following the event. After the race, stick around the ballpark for the 2013
START YOUR 4TH OF JULY OFF WITH A BANG! Heritage & Freedom Fest parade by the City of O’Fallon. T-Shirts & Tek shirts (upcharge) are available to the first 1,300 runners. Shirt style and size guaranteed to runners registered by May 31, after that date shirts are available on a first come, first serve basis. The cost of event is $25 for early registration for the 10K and 5K run and $30 after May 31. The early registration for the 1 Mile Fun Run is $15.00 or $20.00 after May 31. You can register online at www. firecrackerrun.net. There will be race day registration from 6:00 a.m. until 6:30 a.m. July 4th at the event. Packet Pickup will be held on Tuesday, July 2nd and Wednesday, July 3rd from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Big River Running located at 2548 Hwy K, O’Fallon, MO 63366 or race day Monday, July 4th from 6:00 am to 6:30 a.m. at the River City Rascals Ball Park. The Firecracker Run is the O’Fallon Chambers biggest event of the year
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and both participants and committee members have a lot of fun in the process. If you would like to help with the planning committee, it’s not too late to get involved! In addition to the committee there are also numerous opportunities to publicize your business through sponsorships which range in amount from $250 to $1,000. For more info contact Sam Byers at sam@ofallonchamber.org.
Firecracker Run proceeds benefit the mission of the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce: The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce is committed to promoting economic vitality in O’Fallon and the St. Charles County Region while providing members with networking opportunities, education, and advocacy in public policy decisions affecting business.
CHAMBER CALENDAR APRIL 2013 April 4, 2013 New Member Briefing O’Fallon Chamber Office 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. April 4, 2013 10 Year Anniversary Open House Angels on Duty 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. April 8, 2013 O’Fallon Elite Leads Group IQ Fast Print 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. April 9, 2013 Business After Hours Travel Leaders/Jan’s Travel and Cruise 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. April 10, 2013 Masters of Business Leads Group Webster University 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. April 11, 2013 Ribbon Cutting Find Your Piece Consignment Shop 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
April 16, 2013 Board of Directors Meeting O’Fallon Chamber Office 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
April 24, 2013 Masters of Business Leads Group Webster University 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
May 2, 2013 New Member Briefing O’Fallon Chamber Office 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
April 17, 2013 Ribbon Cutting Cupcake Amore 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. April 18, 2013 Morning Schmooze Garden Villas of O’Fallon 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 AM Tech/Comm Meeting Spencer Road Library Branch 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. April 22, 2013 O’Fallon Elite Leads Group IQ Fast Print 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. April 23, 2013 General Membership Luncheon 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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MASTERS OF BUSINESS GUEST DAY
T
he O’Fallon Chamber’s Monday leads group invites you to expand your horizons with the Masters of Business Guest Day. If you are looking for a fun and innovative way to expand your clientele base, then this leads group may be the perfect fit for you and your business. On April 10, 2013 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. everyone is invited to attend the Masters of Business leads group to learn about the opportunities the group offers. O’Fallon Chamber members and non-members are welcome to spend an hour with this dynamic group of professionals. The meeting will be held at Webster University Winghaven located at 2299 Technology Dr. Ste 300, in O’Fallon, MO. Light refreshments served. Contact Nina DeAngelo for more info at 636-240-1818 or Nina@OFallonChamber.org.
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leads were passed during the month of MARCH by the members our leads groups!
Would you like to join of the groups to build closer business relationships? Contact Nina at 636-240-1818 or Nina@OFallonChamber.org
NEW MEMBERS
A VERY SPECIAL WELCOME! Butler Chiropractic Chiropractors Scott Butler 28 Crossroads Plz O’Fallon, MO 63368 636-294-6260 www.drscottbutler.com
Holy Cross Lutheran Church Church Darlene Birk 8945 Veterans Memorial Pkwy O’Fallon, MO 63366 636-272-4505 www.hcross.com
Faithfully Yours Apparel & Promotions Advertising: Promotional Products John Durajczyk 6209 Mid Rivers Mall Dr, Ste 281 St. Charles, MO 63304 636-928-1570 www.faithfullyyours.com
Kona Ice St. Charles County, Gateway Mini Melts Restaurants: Frozen Desserts Brent Kirkpatrick 636-795-5693 www.konamobilecafe.com
Farmhouse Sandwiches, INC Restaurants Ken Cobb 1120 Technology Dr, Ste 113A O’Fallon, MO 63368 636-329-9555 www.farmhousesandwich.com
No Hunger Holiday Non-Profit Organization John Callahan 2 Carrington Ct St. Peters, MO 63376 636-926-2343 www.facebook.com/ NoHungerHoliday
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Vogelsang Pest Management Pest Control Jeff Vogelsang 631 Stone Bend Trail Wentzville, MO 63385 314-601-1789 www.vogelsangpeststl.com
Spring is here... is your disater plan ready? Contact Officer Stower’s at the O’Fallon Police Department for Support Services at 636-379-3816 or astowers@ofallon.mo.us.
Escape to...
MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES THANK YOU!
Congratulations and thank you to the following companies who as of March 2013 have been O’Fallon Chamber members for...
with
®
2 Years Gracie Barra
9 Years Bristol Seafood Grill
O’Fallon Kiwanis Club
Reliance Bank
WB Industries 3 Years Textile Corporation
10 Years Francis Howell School District 12 Years Bank of Old Monroe
4 Years David Evans
Cee Kay Supply, Inc. 5 Years Lou Fusz Chrysler Jeep Dodge
Now, there is an even better reason to attend O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce events! You’ve always had the opportunity for networking, building referrals and learning from your fellow members; now you could mwin the vacation of a lifetime! Throughout 2013 each time you attend a General Membership Meeting, Business After Hours or Morning Schmooze (35 chances), your name will be entered into a drawing. The winning vacation recipient will be drawn at the Annual Awards luncheon held on December 17, 2013.
6 Years After Hours Pediatric Urgent Care Residence Inn - O’Fallon
Grand Oaks Heating & Air Conditioning 14 Years Hazelwood & Weber LLC 18 Years O’Fallon Fire Protection
7 Years AAA Automobile Club BMO Harris Bank WingHaven Red Robin Gourmet Burgers - Hwy K Senator Scott Rupp
The more you attend, the better your chance are of winning!
Call Travel Leaders/Jan’s Travel & Cruise for other great travel opportunities! 636-561-2626 www.travelleaders-janstravel.com
For only $100 you can send an Email Annoucment to every O’Fallon Chamber member! Contact Sara@OFallonChamber.org for more info. APRIL 2013 | BUSINESS CONNECTION | 9
MEMBER MENTIONS NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
Keep up to date with news, sales, events and more from your fellow members. Contact Sara at sara@ofallonchamber.org to submit your information for future newsletters. Check out www.ofallonchamber.org for more member news and events. Celebrate Our 1-year Anniversary! Alliance Credit Union is offering two great deals to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of it’s O’Fallon Personal Service Branch. Join us at 1167 Bryan Road during the month of April to take advantage of the following offers: • 1.01% APY on 2-year CDs with a $5,000 maximum deposit • 1.95% APR on 60-month Car Loans We look forward to your visit during the month of April. Call us at 636343-7005, ext. 8140 with any questions. *APY= Annual Percentage Yield. $5,000 maximum. New money only. One CD per member. Must open savings account with minimum $5 deposit to establish membership. **Loan is NADA retail value for cars 2009 & later. For new members or external refinances for current members. Cannot be combined withany other offers.
O’Fallon Kiwanis Mixer Bank of Old Monroe 401 T. R. Hughes Blvd O’Fallon, MO 63366 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM CST April 17, 2013 We will have snacks and drinks. Basically it is an opportunity to come learn about the O’Fallon Kiwanis and all the things we do in the area. It’s similar to an afterhours mixer we are just showing of what we do instead of the business we have. Contact Don Hutson at dhutson@ themissouribank.com for more information.
RUN. LIVE. LEARN. 10K, 5K, Fun Run & Expo On Saturday, April 27, 2013, St. Charles Community College will present the 21st annual RUN. LIVE. LEARN. 10K, 5K, Fun Run and Health and Wellness Expo. Both the 10K and 5K races are USATF certified courses and chip timed. Race entry fee includes a full-color dry-tec T-shirt in men’s, women’s and youth sizes (while supplies last), refreshments and tickets for prize baskets drawing. Race information and registration: www.stchas.edu/run REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE $5 PER PERSON! $20 per person for 10K or 5K, and $15 per person for Fun Run until April 19. After April 19, $25 per person for 10K or 5K, and $20 per person for Fun Run.
O’Fallon Rotary’s Annual Three Cheers for Charity On Monday, May 13th between 5 PM to 8 PM, join the O’Fallon Rotary Club for fun, food, music, and prizes at McGurk’s Public House 108 Main Street O’Fallon, Mo. This is the O’Fallon Rotary’s Annual Three Cheers for Charity Event. For a donation of only $10, you can enjoy heavy appetizers, soft drinks, and attendance prizes. There will be a 50 – 50 raffle and a cash bar available. All profits will go to charities and local causes. Tickets can be purchased at the event or you can call or email – Darryl.Sandweg@pbtc.net; phone 636-980-1777.
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Rents Rick’s Roadside Barn Special event rental for casual weddings, trivia nights, mouse races, birthday parties, class reunions, high school dances and other special events will be offered beginning March 2013. If you are interested in reserving the barn for your private party, please call 636-734-7420.
Habitat for Humanity of St. Charles County 2013 Women’s Build Women Build seeks to encourage women volunteers to further the home-building mission of Habitat for Humanity. We have the opportunity to build 6 more homes in this subdivision and plan to break ground on 2 of them in May; one of them being the Women Build home. Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week is May 4th12th, 2013. We will host our “kickoff” event with a groundbreaking ceremony on May 11th, 2013 in our Enclaves at Eisenhower subdivision with the partner family, volunteers, staff and our 2013 Women Build teams. The timeline for a typical Habitat home is based on a 17 week build schedule and we have group day opportunities on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays starting May 11th. If you are interested in becoming a team captain or joining a team, please contact Lauren Grotegeers, Resource Development Coordinator, at 636-978-5712 or lauren@ habitatstcharles.org for additional information.
MARKETING
CONTINUES FROM COVER PAGE particularly popular social media and networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Consider establishing a Facebook page about your business, sending 140-character updates via Twitter tweets and using LinkedIn to post your profile. LinkedIn also offers an “Answers” section where you can demonstrate your business expertise by responding to specific questions.
Get Local Joining local organizations can be an effective way for you to get the word out particularly if your customer base is localized. Business-oriented associations and your Chamber of Commerce are free or charge a small fee. If an appropriate group is not available in your area, consider starting your own.
Website Housekeeping Your company website is one way customers will find your business. Certainly, you can pay for expensive pay per-click advertising to gain new customers, but your customers can find you too if your site is visible online, individual pages show up high on the search engine results pages, and you employ keywords and key word phrases to help attract attention to your site. Check your website regularly to make sure that it is working properly with active links and relevant information included.
Reward Customers Encouraging customer loyalty is an excellent way to attract and retain business. Writing for Entrepreneur magazine, marketing expert and author Kim T. Gordon advises businesses to reward their best customers by offering graduated rewards with an increased cash value. Essentially, you are encouraging customers to step up their use of your products and services in exchange for low-cost rewards. You can also reward customers who bring new customers to you.
Promotional Tools Hard copy tools such as flyers, newsletters and brochures work for some businesses, but you need to evaluate their effectiveness. SCORE advises small businesses to study what these tools have to say about your business.
Guest Spots Contact your local newspaper, radio or television outlet, and offer your expertise about a certain subject matter. For example, if your company deals with Hazmat cleanup, you may be tapped for your expert analysis. Don’t wait for a crisis to happen; let members of the news media know who you are, sending out periodic press releases to your established contacts. Writing for Business Insider, Aaron Kwittken offers nine examples of what he calls “Carpe Diem PR” or seize-the-moment public relations opportunities timed to coincide with the important news stories of the day.
Free Samples Giving away product for free can seem expensive, but you may be able to do this at no cost with the help of a supplier. For example, in exchange for promoting a product through your store, ask your supplier to provide the free samples. You may need to hang a banner or offer optimum shelf space in exchange, but the promotional angle will be paid by someone else.
Click here for original article. http://smallbusiness.chron. com/ideas-inexpensive-marketing-1004.html
Interested in Advertising in the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce
BUSINESS CONNECTION? Call Brian @ 636-219-9653 or email brian@kfav.com APRIL 2013 | BUSINESS CONNECTION | 11
CHAMBER ACTIVITIES
New members are welcomed at the March General Membership Meeting held at Christy Banquet Center!
Some serious networking at the March Business After Hours at Marcos Productions.
Mike Bounds gave us some great tips on how to be better at sales and get to know our customers.
A packed house and Instant Imprints new space in WingHaven.
Waking up with friends at the March Morning Schooze at Summity Community Church.
Karen Kelly shows us how to play shuffle board at the March Business After Hours.
Over 130 O’Fallon Chamber members attended the March General Membership Meeting at the Christy Banquet Center.
It was well worth the wait at Daddy Ray Burgers on opening day. Yummy!
Emily, Amy and Sue Ann enjoy the company at the March BAH.