Building a customer base is crucial for all businesses. Whether your business is a large manufacturer, a service provider, or a small retailer or restaurant, customers and the revenue they provide are truly the life blood of an organization.

Sometimes customer numbers grow organically, but more often it happens because of strategic steps taken by the business owner and staff. Those steps can include marketing, advertising, merchandising, offering needed or desired products or services, and providing a certain level of customer service before, during, and after a sale. All these things work in tandem to help businesses grow.

The CHQ Chamber works year-round on initiatives that help to drive foot traffic into local businesses. That includes the ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card, direct events designed to encourage people to visit local businesses such as Doors Open Jamestown, First Friday in Westfield and Made in Falconer, thousands of direct referrals each year, ribbon cuttings designed to showcase new businesses, and social media content that consistently and directly promotes local business.

Each year the CHQ Chamber sells approximately $70,000 worth of ShopLocalCHQ Gift Cards. Because the ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card program is a closed loop system encompassing only members of the Chamber, that is money that ultimately gets spent at local businesses. Each gift card sold comes with a list of the 165+ locations where it can be redeemed, making it not just a revenue producing program, but also a foot traffic driver. Countless times people who have purchased the card have glanced at the list and exclaimed, “Wow! I didn’t know you could use it at so many places!” Whether the card holder wants to enjoy a meal in a local restaurant or make a purchase in a local store, they can find a place to use the ShopLocalCHQ Gift Card. And just by entering those businesses, they will learn about other products and services available.

Doors Open Jamestown has always been an event that drives local people to local attractions, museums, and businesses. In the past we have run a variety of contests to encourage multiple-venue visits on a single day. This year is no exception, but our foot traffic initiative has taken yet another step forward. Visitors can easily sign on to our Doors Open online pass, answer a quick question at each location, and then enter to win one of four enormous prize packages which will be given out next week. By working with a new online platform we have streamlined the process and made it into a fun online game so players can use their phone without even downloading an app or facing text charges. It’s easy and fun. To play along today (Saturday, January 25) visit go.chqchamber.org and sign in to the pass.

The CHQ Chamber will hold a workshop in late February on building foot traffic, and we hope to see numerous businesspeople there to get more tips and information.

CHQ CHAMBER TO CONVENE THE STATE OF BUSINESS JANUARY 31

Monday, January 27 will be the final day to register for the first annual State of Business breakfast in Chautauqua County. The CHQ Chamber has convened a panel of experts that cut across economic sectors to provide updates as well as answer questions from the audience. Each panelist will have five minutes to present some of their successes and challenges to provide a comprehensive look at how the business community is faring in our county. Following the presentations we will take questions from the audience and allow for a moderated discussion with our panelists. Our panelists will be Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development; Courtney Curatolo, Executive Director of the Small Business Development Center at JCC; Todd Tranum, Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier & President of Dream It Do It WNY; Andrew Nixon, Executive Director of the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau; and Katie Geise, Executive Director of Chautauqua Works.

The State of Business breakfast will be held at 8am, Friday, January 31 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 150 West 4th Street, Jamestown. Advanced registration is required. Registration is open online through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chqchamber.org. The cost is $27, which includes a buffet breakfast as well as support for the year-round activities of the CHQ Chamber as we focus on building vital connections, providing professional resources, and championing our local businesses in Chautauqua County. The State of Business breakfast is sponsored by the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency, UPMC Chautauqua, Jamestown Community College, Media One Radio Group, the Observer, and The Post-Journal.

BUSINESS BUILDER WORKSHOP: BOOST YOUR FOOT TRAFFIC

The CHQ Chamber will present its first Business Builder Workshop of the year on the crucial topic of boosting foot traffic for local businesses. Whether you have a retail shop, restaurant, or service industry, you’ll gain some tips on how to drive more customers through your door.

This Business Builder Workshop will be held Wednesday, February 26 from 9:30 – 11:30 am at the SUNY Fredonia Center for Innovation and Economic Development (formerly the Technology Incubator), 214 Central Avenue, Dunkirk. This event is designed to be both a learning experience tied with a bit of networking. It is free for all to attend. Pre-registration is requested for planning purposes and is open now through the Chamber’s web calendar at www.chqchamber.org.