Engage

4 E N G A G E Y O U R Q U A R T E R LY C H A M B E R B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR According to Forbes Magazine, North Carolina was voted the second Best State for Business in 2015, and we have ranked in the top five states for the last ten years. We have a lowered unemployment rate at 4.9% in June this year in the state and 6.4% in Fayetteville. How do you take advantage of the opportunity to start a business or grow your current business in Fayetteville? The Greater Fayetteville Chamber offers valuable programs and educational opportunities to help your business grow. This year you will see some new programs catered to specific types of businesses and groups. Our goal is to connect with other companies who can work together and create new opportunities for success. One of the best ways to grow a business is to network. Meeting others will quickly contribute to your bottom line. Make sure everyone knows what you do. Advertise! People are visual. We remember advertisements. Branding your business and yourself will bring customers and opportunities. Building relationships is important in any business. Today these relationships are built in person and online with social media. The Chamber Board and our Ambassadors want to hear from you. It is our goal to have a personal relationship with our members and understand your business. Each month we want to focus on a member business and highlight an Ambassador. We appreciate the companies that stand behind our Ambassadors. The Military Affairs Council (MAC) builds relationships between individuals, businesses and the leadership and families at Fort Bragg. What a great opportunity! This year MAC will open the membership to our sister Chambers, Hope Mills and Spring Lake, for example. Please extend a welcome to our new directors, Lynn M. Grates and our new chair, Bob Ervin, from FTCC. I wish I could be a Fayetteville Young Professional! Our young professionals have a great impact on our future and have already demonstrated they are ready to be leaders in business and in our community. Check out their calendar of events online and join them! We have some exciting events coming up! We hope to see you at the State of the Community and the Oyster Roast. I also hope you will let us know if you have partnered with another member to win a business deal or have ideas for workshops you would like to see scheduled. As we make Fayetteville a wonderful place to live and to do business, we always want to highlight your successes! K I T T I J O F I N C H C H A I R / C E N T U R Y L I N K

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