Another record breaking year!

  Over 5000 new members brought into Chambers through YCC partnered  Membership Events, and more than $1,150,000 (that’s million) raised for Chambers across the country.
Thank you all and all our clients !
 Thanks Baytown, Athens, Rockport, Portland, Marshall, Lufkin, Richardson, Pearland, Beaumont, Sherman, Copperas   Cove & Oak Cliff Texas Chambers! Thanks Goodyear, Arizona, Oakland, California, Carson City, Nevada, Fort Wayne,     Indiana, Warrensburg & St. Joseph, Missouri, Great Bend & Atchison, Kansas, Joliet & Crystal, Lake Illinois Chambers!

Hurrahs to Midland, & Victoria, Texas Chambers for topping 300 new members!

Hurrah, hurrah, to Round Rock & Tyler, Texas Chambers for topping 400 in their Membership Events

Recently a comment was freely given to us. It was meant as a compliment about our newsletter, but I think it missed the point. The comment was, “You don’t advertise your services enough.”
Thank you!
When Lorraine first had the idea of a newsletter in 1994, the primary purpose was to be a conduit for Chambers to receive good information on a variety of Chamber activities produced successfully by other Chambers. The secondary purpose was to advertise Your Chamber Connection and the role it could play as the membership partner of Chambers. Based on the above comment, I think we have succeeded. We never wanted to produce an advertising flyer that would be tossed in with the junk mail. We wanted substance along with our story.
Over the years, substance has included features on Non Dues Income, Membership Retention Strategies, Chamber and Board Management Strategies, and Chamber Programs like the next article from the Joplin, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, as well as some fun stuff.
As far as advertising goes, if you can’t read through the pictures and the numbers that we want to be your Membership Partner, perhaps you perhaps you don‘t understand advertising. Large or small Chamber, we want to increase your membership through one of our Membership Events.
Call us at 800.768.6241, fax us at 817.492.0785, or email us at info@chamberconnect.com. (Now that’s advertising.)




AHEAD OF THE CURVE DEPT: Joplin Business & Technology Incubator; A new era for the Joplin (MO) area economy began in August, 2003. The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and members of the Joplin Business and Technology Incubator Taskforce, held a ceremonial groundbreaking event in the parking lot of the newly formed Incubator project. The Chamber, which is a member of the National Business Incubator Association, recently purchased the property adjacent to their office. The 11,000 square foot building is a two story, turn of the century building and will become the trademark location for creating new business opportunities in the area. The term “incubator” refers both to the physical facility and the support given to new and expanding businesses that are nurtured through either early start-up or expansion  two of the most difficult times businesses face. The Taskforce, which consists of twenty-five Chamber member volunteers, has been meeting to discuss the development of the project. Funding for the incubator will come from government grants and community contributions through fundraising efforts. Remodeling and construction are planned for early 2004. Although building renovation has not started, a local company has already seen the importance of the incubator concept. KMo Corp, a recently formed company located in Galena, Kansas, felt they needed an immediate high profile office in Joplin, and the incubator fit their requirements. Bob Ruggles, Director of Operations, toured the building during the recent groundbreaking event and in less than one week, signed a lease to become the first tenant. KMo Corp crews cleaned and applied a fresh coat of paint to three empty rooms. KMo Corp is a leading organization supporting manufacturing, construction, and engineering in the pharmaceutical, food processing, and fine chemical industries. For more information on the Incubator project, please contact Steve Russell at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, 417-624-4150
(Ed. Note: Congratulations from all of us here at YCC to President Rob O’Brien, the staff, and membership of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce.  This progressive Chamber  was awarded the honor of Missouri Chamber of Commerce of the Year!)
THE DOCTOR IS “IN” DEPT: A physician claims these are actual comments from his patients  made while he was performing  colonoscopies:
1. "Take it easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone before."
2. "Can you hear me NOW?"
3. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
4. "You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married."
5. "Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?"
6. "You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out. You do the Hokey Pokey...."
7. "Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!"
8. "If your hand doesn't fit, you must acquit."
9. "Hey, Doc, let me know if you find my dignity."
10. "You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?"
11. "Could you write me a note for my wife, saying that my head is not, in fact, up there?"

THANK YOU DEPT: Now that 2003 has come and gone, we at YCC would like to repeat our thanks to all the Chambers, staff, and great volunteers that worked with us on their Membership Events.
In 2003 we conducted very successful events in Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Nevada, Indiana, Arizona, and California with over 5000 new members recruited and over $1,150,000.00 raised.
We also held numerous Chamber Reality Check sessions (A.K.A. “Badda Boom, Badda Bing Reality Checks”) and stirred up some fun and excitement at several Chamber banquets and luncheons.
We try very hard to make a difference in your Chamber, whether we are doing a Membership Event, a half-day Reality Check, or a banquet. We appreciate the trust you have in us and the loyalty you continue to show year after year. Eighty percent of our business is from Chambers we have worked with before so our loyalty is to you as well.
We truly wish everyone a very successful 2004 in all of your projects, and we hope you will keep us in mind as you begin planning your year ahead. Always remember, we are only a phone call away. (800.678.6241)




$NON DUES INCOME DEPT: Here is something that Chambers in medium to larger communities could try (where it is legal): a calendar drawing. Many years ago, my father-in-law did this as a money raiser for the Kiwanis Club up north. I just saw it recently updated at a Chamber whose name shall be unknown, just because of legalities.
Here is how it works:
1. Print a 1000 copies of a twelve month calendar featuring black/white photos of the Chamber and some of the community’s special sights.
2. Number all copies from 1-1000 and include a return address and name form.
3. Sell each calendar for $25.00 each.
4. Sell ALL the calendars before January 1st.
5. Have a daily drawing from January 1st through and including December 31st.
6. Pay out $30 for any calendar drawn on a normal day, $100 for a calendar drawn on a recognized Federal holiday (there are nine of them), and $1000 on the 1st drawing on January 1st.
You should clear about $9,000 to $12,000..
Here’s how;
1. Calendar sales = $25,000.
2. Calendar printing cost = $1000.
3.  355 daily drawings at $30 each = $10650.
4. 8 holiday drawings at $100 each = $800.
5. New Years Day drawing at $1000.
This equals a profit of $11,550, and even if you pay out to your members and staff a commission of $2 per calendar, you will still have a net gain of $9,150.00.
Just remember to consider two things:
1. Is it legal in my state?
2. Can we sell all 1000 calendars?
If the answer to both is yes, then you have a winner!
If you do well the 1st year, consider doubling the printing and increasing the payouts the 2nd year.
Change the weekend drawings to $100 on Saturdays & Sundays, the holiday drawings to $300, and add another $1000 on the 4th of July drawing. Do the numbers. Cha ching!




ENGLISH AS A 2nd LANGUAGE DEPT: The group known as The Plain English Campaign recently awarded (from the AP) its absolutely avoided if possible, Foot In Mouth Award for 2003 to…… you guessed it, three politicians, and no, President Bush did not make the top three.
Third place went to a British Politician (who should have known better as the English language was made popular by the Brits), Chris Patten. His assessment of Britain’s main opposition party was this: “Having committed political suicide, the Conservative Party is now living to regret it.”
Not to be outdone, recently elected California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger garnered second place with: “I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman.”
The top Foot In Mouth Award for the most baffling statement by a public figure went to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for: “Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns, and there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns  the one we don’t know we don’t know.”
If you are scratching your head about that, consider what Plain English Campaign spokesman John Lister said as to why Rumsfeld got First Place: “We think we know what he means, but we don’t know if we really know!”

Macy Deitchman
Your Chamber Connection
macy@chamberconnect.com