With fall right around the corner, everyone's calendars are getting full real quick.  I would like to discuss a few tips to keep your hectic schedule from getting out of control and ways to get your brand out while having fun.  As owners, marketers, and managers we need to ensure our brand is everywhere and it looks good.  Did you know you are not the only one that makes this happen?  You have employees and customers that want to sing your praises.  Let them do it!  Send them to your next networking event as your substitute.  It is a win win for you and your customers.  They get to tell about their business and sing your praises. Sending an employee to the event let's that employee know you trust and value them.  If they are being groomed to move up, this will help.

Are you getting ready to have a big event or launch a new product?  Have a networking event you have to attend?  Sponsor the event to announce your event or product.  They will market you being there with your announcement and if done by the Goochland County Chamber of Commerce, you are added as a co-host to the event on Facebook which allows you to post things on the event page.  For very little money, you get marketing done in half the time.  Bring someone from your office that is helping with the event or knows the product and have them do the marketing for it while you do the networking you planned on doing.  By doing so, you are given an opportunity to evaluate your employee/co-worker and they can learn from you how to do the networking.  In a sense, you are becoming their mentor which is huge when developing employees and helping co-workers grow.

Attend, sponsor, participate in Multi Business Events.  When two businesses team up to do an after hours or open house event, you can bet there will be new people to meet.  Are one of the businesses your client or are you there's?  Show up and support them even if it is only for a few minutes.  They will reciprocate and tell others of your support.  By having your employees and/or co-workers attend the events, they learn more about the businesses you contract with and assist in getting your brand exposure.  Why is this essential knowledge for your employees and co-workers?  It gives them a bigger portion of the picture that helps define your brand.  The more they know, the better they are able to assist with daily operations and offer new and creative ways to help improve relationships, products and/or services, and your brand. 

In October the Goochland County Chamber of Commerce is hosting their annual Goochland Business and Community Expo.  This is a great opportunity to show your brand, product and/or services, and employees off to Goochland County Residents.  Marketing is key at  this event and the Chamber does 90% of the work.  All they ask you to do is share the event on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, in your office and your community.  By sponsoring the event, you can have yard signs leading up to the venue which gets people interested and they will come looking for your booth.  You are also given lead spots on marketing.  When you set up your table, ensure you have an employee or co-worker with you that you are mentoring so they can see how it is done.  By exposing them to the environment, you are setting them up to do more of these which in turn allows you to attend more which equals more face time for your brand.

Also in October, the Goochland County Chamber of Commerce and Powhatan Chamber of Commerce are getting together to host an Open House at Drive Shack in Goochland.  By bringing your employee and/or co-worker, they can focus on your current clientele and you can focus on getting new ones.  Even better, they will see someone they know that you have been trying to connect with and is able to connect you.

If you are looking for more insight on this topic, please contact our office and we schedule one to one time with you to further explore opportunities with the Goochland County Chamber of Commerce and other areas of concern.