January 2007 Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
ABA meeting at the Library:
Tuesday, February 6, starting 7:00 p.m.
66 Front Street (downstairs, via side door)
Meetings are free of charge, and are open to all business owners, executives, and managers
Panel Discussion on Referrals: “Six Degrees of Separation”
Panel: Glenn M. Travis of GMT Home Designs, Inc. (Moderator);
Eric Hamilton of Merrill Lynch; Judi Teller, Realtor - Berkshire Realty Group; and Bob DePeron, Mortgage Broker - Money-Wise Solutions LLC
This discussion will help each of us see how we can more effectively recommend fellow ABA members -- and their products and services -- to people in our own "circle" outside the ABA, as well as to other members.
We'll also nominate officers for next year!
Nomination of officers for next year, which starts April 1, 2007
On February 6, the Nominating Committee Chair, Dianna Hopper of Di's Little Friends Playcare, will present the slate of officers to be voted on in March, and will take additional nominations from the floor. Serving as an officer of the ABA brings increased exposure for your business or organization, including having your bio and photo publicized on the Web site. It's also a lot of fun!
Please see the Bylaws for a description of officer positions, and consider stepping up. The Bylaws are under the "About ABA" tab on the site. Call Dianna at 508-736-3724 if you're interested in being nominated.
Other ways to get involved:
- We're looking for a member to oversee this summer's "Rediscover Ashland" event -- in whatever form it may take. Contact Bob DePeron at 508-665-4225 if you're interested or need more information.
- The Membership Committee is a vital part of the ABA. New members bring fresh ideas and additional networking opportunities that benefit us all. If you'd like to chair or be part of this committee, contact Glenn M. Travis at 508-881-7992 -- or come to the meeting to learn more.
Have you renewed your ABA membership?
You'll get a big discount if you renew for 2 years at once -- it's only $80 for 2 full years!
With a new year beginning, you may want to review all the great benefits of being an ABA member -- to be sure you're taking full advantage of all that the ABA offers. Click the "Member benefits" tab on the Web site for a complete description of benefits. Remember, the ABA has FREE racks to display your business cards around town. And you can publicize what you do on WACA-TV's "ABA Membership Spotlight" program. You'll notice some NEW benefits, too!
- You can now publicize your discounted products and services for ABA members only, and if you'd like, we'll link to a page on your own Web site at no charge.
- You can also publicize testimonials about your business, from any two of your satisfied customers. Starting in March, we'll draw a name at each ABA meeting to see which member's testimonials will be showcased on the first page of the Web site.
E-mail your testimonials and your discounts wording now to: Publicity@AshlandBusinessAssociation.com
We need your current e-mail address!
Because ABA newsletters and other important member communications go by e-mail, be sure we have a valid e-mail address for you. Right now there are many missing addresses, so even if you think we have yours, please check the Web roster to be sure.
Note: We'll soon provide free hot linking for all e-mail and Web site addresses shown in the roster! Send any corrections to your listing to Publicity@AshlandBusinessAssociation.com.
Welcome Baskets
As mentioned last month, the ABA will distribute Welcome Baskets to new Ashland residents starting in April. To see if you have leftover items from the previous Welcome Baskets program, view the inventory sheet posted on the Web site. You may need to update your materials or add enough to meet the quantity of 30 required. New participants are also welcome to join in. Very soon, we'll announce a special meeting at the Library, where you can drop off your items and find out what needs to happen to get them included in the baskets. |
