News for Chamber

6 Ways to Improve Customer Trust  People buy from those they know, like, and trust.  Knowing comes from marketing and advertising.   Like is cultivated by showing potential customers your human and endearing side. But how in the world do you help someone with minimal interaction with you and your business, trust you? It’s not as hard as you may think. 1. Be Transparent in Your Copy Stay away from ...read more

Customer Experiences Will Build or Destroy Your Business  Written By:  Dan Bates, President/CEO, Greater Hamilton ChamberSmart businesses understand and recognize the value of positive interaction.  Customers generate the revenue a business needs to thrive but the circles of influence those customers have can make or break the future of a business or organization. With today’s social media, ...read more

  Manufacturing Tips: 7 Ways to Improve Employee PerformanceOne of the surest formulas for manufacturing success is to pair advanced technology with highly trained workers. In recent years, finding qualified workers has been challenging for many companies. So, when you find the right people, consider these seven suggestions to maximize their skills — and retain ...read more

As a small business owner, your reputation is everything. It will make or break your business. Warren Buffet understood the value of a good business reputation when he said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.”  But protecting your reputation in the days of social media is hard. According to the White House ...read more

Being a business owner has its rewards and its challenges. If you’ve been in business longer than a hot second, you’ve likely experienced both. Often the freedoms override the dissatisfaction, but if you find that the negatives are wearing on you, don’t get discouraged. The earlier you recognize the most common challenges of business ownership, the more likely you’ll be able to take them in ...read more

20 Inexpensive Ways to Surprise and Delight Your Customers There's a lot of noise out there right now. It's hard for a business to break through. But let's say you do and someone is trying you out for the first time. How can you not only exceed their expectations but delight them in a way they'll be talking about you later. Here are a few ideas on how you can make a big impression: Making a big ...read more

Do you need more customers? Are traditional ways of increasing revenue not working for you? That may be because today's customers want to get to know you as a business. One way to help make that happen is by participating in social media. Another way is by hosting an in-person event. Whether you host a business event in partnership with a charity to help them raise money or simply have a ...read more

Well I am six months into my role as President and CEO of this organization and just had to share some thoughts. First of all, I want to thank the staff and members of the Greater Hamilton Chamber for their support these first six months. I also want to express my thanks to the City of Hamilton for welcoming me as a partner in the incredible journey of this great City. Last night at the ...read more

Not PCI-Compliant? It’s a Risky Move for Your Business Here’s the truth: Any business that accepts credit card payments needs to be PCI-compliant. Why? Because if your business is non-compliant and a customer’s cardholder data is compromised as result of your negligence, you’re the one who pays. What Is PCI? The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements ...read more