Chamber Focus | April 2023

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

2023 Spirit of Santa Fe Trail Continues through April 9

Temple Chamber of Commerce Staff

The Spirit of Santa Fe Trail continues through April 9. The experience that began March 31 invites guests to explore the growing number of Central Texas wineries, distilleries, and breweries. The annual event hosted by the Temple Chamber of Commerce is a self-guided tour featuring 15 locations. Guests can enjoy an exclusive offer from each location through April 9 with a $25 ticket.

APRIL 2023

SPIRIT OF SANTA FE TRAIL

Through April 9, 2023

Various locations throughout Central TX templechamber.com/spiritofsantafe

BUSINESS LINK LUNCH

Thursday, April 13, 2023

12:00 - 1:00 pm

Sponsored by: First United Bank & Trust Register at templechamber.com/events

The trail is one of seven signature initiatives hosted by the Temple Chamber. The Chamber’s signature initiatives generate supporting income for the nonprofit organization, which enables it to provide a range of resources and programs for local businesses.

The $25 ticket cost to enjoy the Spirit of Santa Fe Trail is nominal compared to the exclusive offers that come with it. Offers range from sample tastings to a flight of pours, and even a buy one get one dinner.

Participating Locations Include:

● 3 Texans Winery & Vineyard (Temple)

● Axis Winery (Salado)

● Barrow Brewing Company (Salado)

● BeeMaRosa Vineyard & Winery (Belton)

● Bold Republic Brewing (Temple)

● Dancing Bee Winery (Rogers)

● En Gedi Vineyards and Winery (Calvert)

● Fire Base Brewing Company (Temple)

● Red Caboose Distillery (Clifton)

● Red Caboose Winery (Clifton)

● Tanglefoot Brewing (Temple)

● Wilson Valley Mercantile (Little River - Academy)

“One weekend proved too short for guests to truly experience how much the Central Texas craft beverage industry has grown,” said the Temple Chamber of Commerce President Rod Henry. “Plus, this year features more venues to visit, including a new distillery in LittleRiver Academy, and we wanted guests to have a chance to see them all.”

The event showcases Central Texas's mark in the adult beverage space and introduces the community to new businesses and new products from old favorites. Organizers of the Spirit of Santa Fe Trail ask that guests drink responsibly, avoid drinking and driving, and have a designated driver.

The Spirit of Santa Fe Trail is made possible by generous sponsors: American Legion Post 133; City of Temple; Emerson Construction; Emporium Spice; First United Bank; KCEN Channel 6; Ludwick, Montgomery & Stapp; McLane Company; McLane Intelligent Solutions; Perry Office Plus; Polar Texas Bottling Company; and West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry, PC.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Thursday, April 20, 2023

5:00 - 7:00 pm

Sponsored by: Downtown Temple

Learn more at templechamber.com/events

● Kissing Tree Vineyards (Eddy)

● Moose & Goose Winery (Temple)

● Nolan Creek Brewery (Belton)

For a list of offerings and operating hours for each location, and to purchase tickets, visit www.templechamber. com/spiritofsantafe.

March New Chamber Members

Amplify Credit Union

Juston Hargrove | (512) 904 2462

1328 Adam Lane

Belton, TX 76513

goamplify.com

Credit Unions

BeeMaRosa Vineyard & Winery

Sharon Beeram | (254) 913 6856

204 East Loop 121

Belton, TX 76513

www.beemarosa.com

Winery

Vineyards

Canyon Creek Memory Care

Matt Peterson | (254) 410 6006

4257 Lowe's Drive

Temple, TX 76502

canyoncreekcare.com

Assisted Living Facilities

Cen Tex Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center

Robert Gortarez | (254) 778 2286

2410 East Adams Avenue

Temple, TX 76501

www.centexrecovery.org

Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation

Nonprofit Foundations

Chupacabra Strength and Conditioning

Erik Estrada | (254) 228 5771

201 South Main Street

Temple, TX 76501

www.chupafit.com

Fitness Woman Owned Businesses

Veteran Owned Businesses

Crushr Central Texas

Peter Nelson | (904) 401 6523

800 Embassy Drive

Austin, TX 78702

dumpstercrushr.com

Waste Management

Woman Owned Businesses

Great Clips - West Adams

Allen Einboden | (254) 314 2076

7075 W. Adams, Ste. 120

Temple, TX 76502

www.greatclips.com

Beauty Salons

Kristen Distributing

George Garcia | (979) 219 6329

2274 Industrial Blvd. Temple, TX 76504

kristendistributing.com

Distributors

LVR Management

David Patterson | (254) 771-2228

3144 S. 5th St. Temple, TX 76502

www.lvrmgt.com

Property Management

Veteran Owned Businesses

La Tejana Dulces Picantes

April Velasquez | (915) 861 1525

Temple, TX

www.facebook.com/

latejanadulcespicantes

Gourmet Candy

Minority Owned Businesses

Woman Owned Businesses

Matt Dick/Vista Real Estate

Matt Dick | (254) 820 7327

Belton, TX 76513

www.mattdick.viewvistashomes.com

Real Estate

McLane Technology Partners

Tracy Morris | (254) 770 6111

4001 Central Pointe Pkwy

Building 300 Temple, TX 76504

www.mclanetech.com

Industry Software Developers

Nolan Creek Brewery

Kenna Brockway | (254) 613 4190

206 N. Penelope St.

Belton, TX 76513

nolancreek.beer

Brewery & Taproom

Omega Furniture & Design Solutions

Scott Janes | (254) 348 1848

2034 Allena Lane

Temple, TX 76502

www.omegafds.com

Furniture

Prolift Garage Doors of Killeen

Mario Guajardo | (254) 450-3056

Killeen, TX

www.proliftdoors.com/killeen

Garage Door Service

Minority Owned Businesses

Woman Owned Businesses

Ricky Brenek, 49 Financial

Ricky Brenek | (254) 721-5011

Temple, TX

49financial.com

Financial Services

Temple Nutrition & Energy

Ron Reynolds | (254) 231-3388

3010 S. 31st Street

Temple, TX 76502

www.templenutritionenergy.com

Smoothie and Juice Bar

Health Food

March Renewing Chamber Members

Academy ISD

Accent Real Estate Services

ACH Pest Inc.

Baird, Crews, Schiller & Whitaker, PC

Blaze Pizza

Brockway, Gersbach, Franklin & Niemeier, PC

Central Counties Services

Central Texas Council Of Governments

Cure & Francis Law Office

Edward Jones

Daryl Riegel, Financial Advisor

Generator Supercenter of Central TX

Girl Scouts of Central Texas

Heart of Texas Shred MedWaste Waco

Kasberg, Patrick & Associates, LP

KCEN Channel 6

Kenya's Keys Voice & Piano Studio

Lengefeld Lumber Company

Magnolia Realty/Jodi Brazeal

Mark Gillmeister Roofing

Mary Jane Roach Realty, LLC

Mary Jane Roach Realty, LLC/Steve Roach

Monteith Abstract & Title Company, Inc.

Leadership Temple Class of 2024: Accepting Applications

Temple Chamber of Commerce Staff

The Temple Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is excited to announce that the Leadership Temple program is now accepting applications for the Class of 2024.

Leadership Temple is a professional development and education program that surveys the inner workings of Temple and Central Texas helping both current and emerging leaders understand the dynamics of the community and the role leadership plays in its long-term success. The 9-month program has class sessions once a month, and topics covered include City, County, and State Govern-

Omega Builders

Pattillo, Brown & Hill, LLP

Perry Office Plus

Priority Janitorial Services, LLC

Red Caboose Winery

Roger Daniel - Ameriprise Financial

Tanglefoot Brewing

The Hub Temple, LLC

United Fitness Partners

Visiting Angels

Wings Pizza N Things

Workforce Solutions of Central Texas

ment; Fort Hood; Economic Development; and Social Services. The program facilitates opportunities for dialogue among participants and current community, business, and non-profit leaders. It also encourages participants to engage in activities that contribute to the growth and betterment of the community.

Further details about the program, including the application, are available at www.templechamber.com/leadershiptemple. The application deadline is Friday, June 16, 2023.

RIBBON CUTTING

1st Place Awards & Embroidery Temple Grand Opening

Quality Service for Over 30 Years.

With an award or gift, you can give recognition, capture fond memories, and acknowledge hard work. Since 1984, our family has been creating quality awards and gifts to commemorate those milestones, providing the same level of passion and excellence of those who earned the award. We are an Awards, Engraving and Embroidery store. We offer inexpensive goods with some of the fastest turnaround times.

Justin Ruiz

118 S. Main St. Temple, TX 76501 (254) 410-7051

www.1stplacetemple.com

Corks and Barrels Grand Opening

Located in West Temple - An elaborate selection of wines, whiskeys, and craft cocktails + Live Music!

Cindy Bittenbinder

7373 Honeysuckle, Ste. 150 Temple, TX 76502

(254) 727-4011

www.corksandbarrelstemple.com

RIBBON CUTTING

Knox Pianos Sales & Service Grand Opening

Your full-service, friendly piano store. From the living room to the concert hall, Knox Pianos is your premier piano company serving all of Central Texas.

Paradise Nails & Spa Grand Re-Opening

If you are looking for a place that helps you to rejuvenate your beauty, come and try our salon – Paradise Nail and Spa located conveniently in Temple. When walking through our door, you would be pampered carefully by the well-trained, enthusiastic, and whole-hearted staff. In addition, you will have a chance to experience a variety of services: Manicures, Pedicures, and Waxing, which are always served with the best quality and at decent prices. Hundreds of beautiful and stylish nail models along with numerous gel colors are available for you to choose freely!

Thanh Nguyen

8774 W. Adams Ave., Ste. 5 Temple, TX 76502 (254) 598-2397

www.paradisenailspatemple.com

Wayne Knox 2314 W. Adams Ave., Ste. D Temple, TX 76504 (254) 314-2080

www.knoxpianos.com

The Governor's Small Business Summit - Temple

When:

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Where: Temple, TX

About:

The Governor's Small Business Summit - Temple will feature panel sessions relating to marketing and ecommerce essentials, insights into cybersecurity, finance and funding and more!

Plus, you'll have the opportunity to connect with state, regional and local organizations at the Resource Providers Fair. This is a chance to be connected with business partners who can provide key insights on critical business topics.

More information & registration coming soon at gov.texas.gov/events.

The Bin Spa & Power Washing

March Business After Hours was all Mudbugs, Automobiles, and Networking

Temple Chamber of Commerce Staff

Despite fears of threatening weather, two chambers, an auto dealer, and an advertising agency took a chance and moved forward with a March Business After Hours crawfish boil.

The event was a collaborative effort between the Temple Chamber of Commerce and the Belton Area Chamber of Commerce and was co-hosted and sponsored by Don Ringler Automotive and Lamar Advertising Company.

The wind was so forceful that tablecloths were secured with yards of tape. However, the breeze was a welcome addition on the unseasonably warm day, which drew a crowd of more than 150 guests.

Unlike other Business After Hours, this outdoor kickoff to crawfish season featured live Zydeco music courtesy of Bourland Landscape Supplies & Outdoor

Power Equipment and POOL-ology, plenty of crawdads, and overflowing tailgates. But like all Chamber Business After Hours, the opportunity to meet and connect with other members of the local business community served as the driving force for the event.

Business After Hours is designed for members and prospective members to discover what’s happening with the Chamber, establish business relationships, and hear directly from sponsors. If you missed this one, we captured the spirit, fun, and fellowship in photos for you to enjoy!

All photos courtesy of Kaysie Sparks, Social Media & Promotions Coordinator for Don Ringler Automotive.

Small Business Connect Kickoff Breakfast Launches with Meta Seminar

Temple Chamber of Commerce Staff

Small Business owners and marketing professionals seeking expert insights gathered early at the Hilton Garden Inn on March 28, 2023, where they also enjoyed breakfast, networking, and an informative seminar featuring Certified Facebook Lead Trainer and Ads Expert Tristen Sutton.

Registration for the event filled quickly at more than 50 guests, and same-day registrants who were added to a waitlist.

“Fortunately, we were able to accommodate everyone who arrived. We really had a full house,” said Bobbie Jo Young, Director of Membership Development for the Temple Chamber of Commerce.

Small Business Connect was a long-anticipated initiative of the Temple Chamber of Commerce and Temple’s recent relationship with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, helped catapult the initiative forward by recommending one of its subject matter experts to speak on a topic relevant to business owners who use their platforms.

“This event has been in the making for several years,” said Temple Chamber of Commerce President Rod Henry. “Having the right people, in the right place, at the right time made it all possible.”

‘Determine the Audience You Want to Reach’ is the seminar Sutton led attendees through. The session included steps to identify potential customers and best practices for engaging them in order to make the most of marketing dollars when leveraging tools like Facebook and Instagram Ads to drive leads for business.

Using the example of a high-end landscaping company that also offered gardening products, Sutton walked the crowd through developing an avatar for the fictitious organization. The avatar, more commonly known as a marketing persona, is used as a quick point of reference when developing messages for advertisements or determining the best places to market their products.

“Everyone who can afford your product is not your target audience,” Sutton told attendees, and acknowledged a common response he hears from entrepreneurs and business owners when he asks who they are trying to reach.

Sutton explained the conversion cove, where need and desire meet, is where businesses should focus their marketing efforts. Afterall, he explained, marketing is simply access to attention.

Sutton described how granular social ad platforms can be and allow marketers to decide who sees their ads and when. He also explained that businesses are entirely in control of how much they spend on an ad from as small a budget as $1 a day; however, he advised that social media ads are just one way to access the attention of prospective customers.

Sutton also expressed the value of free avenues such as Facebook groups that allow you to join conversations with people and prospective customers who share an interest in the products and services you offer. He warns against using groups as an opportunity to sell.

Instead, he advocates for business owners to be trusted advisors who add value to the conversations by answering questions they are knowledgeable about and offering recommendations when the situation calls for it. Not only does it help establish like and trust (the key elements in making sales), Sutton emphasized, but it establishes business owners as subject matter experts, which further builds credibility with target audiences.

Small Business Connect is designed to accommodate small business owners who often fill multiple roles and carefully balance their time. So, although the seminar topics are specific, the seminar content is a high-level overview with key takeaways that can be quickly implemented.

Attendees of the Meta seminar left with a template to help identify the target audiences who are most likely to purchase the products and services they offer, including the specific product or service that would be most affordable to those audiences based on demographic information collected while developing the avatar. Additionally, attendees learned they can access on-demand content and training developed by Meta via facebook.com/blueprint.

This month’s Small Business Connect was the first of a quarterly seminar series. Small Business Connect is a signature initiative of the Temple Chamber to champion resources and opportunities to enhance local small businesses, providing training from a subject matter expert.

Temple Chamber of Commerce Board Member and President of Perry Office Plus H.B. Macey serves as Chair of the initiative, which is made possible with the support and engagement of Meta, Extraco Banks, Ludwick Montgomery & Stapp, McLane Intelligent Solutions, and the Hilton Garden Inn.

H.B. Macey (left), Tristen Sutton (center), and Rod Henry (right) at the Small Business Connect Inaugural Seminar March 28, 2023.