Chamber Connections Blog
Understanding Your Chamber – Part 3
Part 3: What Is the Troy Development Council? In our last Understanding Your Chamber article, we explored the different roles community organizations play in moving Troy forward. This time, we’re taking a closer look at one organization that works closely with the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce: the Troy Development Council. You may have heard…
Understanding Your Chamber – Part 2
Who Does What in Troy? One of Troy’s greatest strengths is the number of organizations and people working every day to move our community forward. It can also make things a little confusing. The Troy Area Chamber of Commerce, Troy Development Council, City of Troy, Troy Main Street, Miami County, The Troy Foundation, and other…
Understanding Your Chamber – Part 1
Why Advocacy Matters At the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce, one of our most important responsibilities extends beyond networking events, ribbon cuttings, and educational programs. We serve as an advocate for the businesses that invest in our community, employ our neighbors, and contribute to the quality of life we all enjoy. Advocacy is one of the core…
The Missing Piece in Your Business Story
Business owners are often encouraged to define their “why.” In fact, ever since Simon Sinek’s famous TED Talk, business pros have been asking themselves: Why do I do what I do? Why does my business exist? Why should customers care? Those are useful questions, but they can also lead to broad answers that sound suspiciously…
Being Findable Online Just Changed a Little. Here’s Your Checklist
Have you paid attention to search results recently? Not yours, but the results you receive when you search for something. If so, you’ve probably noticed Google summarizes sources to give a quick, general answer before listing any page results. And it doesn’t stop there. People are turning to their AI of choice to get immediate answers without having to sort through all the noise that…
This One Thing Still Beats Any Algorithm
There’s no shortage of technology available to today’s business owners and if you can’t find what you need today, wait around a minute and it will undoubtedly appear. (If not, the tech exists that you could probably create it yourself with some AI coding tool.) Artificial intelligence can write marketing copy. Social media platforms can…
Your Best Customers Probably Don’t Know Everything You Offer
You might think your best customers already know everything your business does. After all, they’ve bought from you before. They follow you on social media. They’re on your email list. They’ve been in your store, visited your website, or worked with your team. Maybe they’ve event sent work your way. But they probably don’t know…
How to Use Connections As a Competitive Advantage
It’s not what you know, but who you know. Sound familiar? Connections are-and have always been-a quick start to opportunity. In a world where customers can compare prices in seconds, scroll past ads without blinking, and research a business before ever making contact, relationships carry weight. More than ever. People want to know…
Your Business Has Changed. Has Your Insurance?
When you first opened your business, you probably checked a long list of boxes. Business license? Done. Website? Yep. Insurance? Handled. But here’s the thing about your businesses-you’re probably not the same business today as you were when you opened. Not if you’re successful. You’ve had to change, keep up with demand, even possibly pivot.…
How to Harness the Power of Your Reviews to Increase Sales
A good review is a sales team member you didn’t have to train, pay, or gently remind to update the CRM. It’s also the most brilliant marketer you have. Hopefully you’re already collecting positive reviews. But it’s likely you read them, feel good for 12 seconds, and then they sit quietly on Google,…
Need Money for Your Small Business?
Here’s What You Need to Know About SBA’s Patriot Pitch Competition The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched the Patriot Pitch Competition, a national pitch contest designed to spotlight innovative small businesses across the country. The competition includes a $1 million cash prize pool funded by Clover Network, Inc., and eligible small businesses…
Are You Accidentally Killing Your Business’ Unique Value Proposition?
Are You Accidentally Killing Your Business’ Unique Value Proposition? Most businesses don’t lose their edge in one dramatic, cinematic moment. They lose it quietly. A tweak here. Following a trend there. A consultant recommendation that sounds smart but doesn’t fit. A few AI-generated ideas pasted into the marketing plan with the confidence of someone assembling…