Weekly News 

5 October 2009

From the keyboard of Lee Schearer,

"Building a Foundation for the Future"

As a member of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) I anxiously await the monthly publication for its insight and thoughtful articles. This month the magazine addressed the words mentioned above and it made me stop and consider its meaning as it applies to the Chapel Hill Leads Group.

For it is a fact that we, as members of the Leads group, are truly building a "foundation" for not only our individual futures but also for the future of our colleagues and a future for those whom we may never meet, as was demonstrated recently through our semi-annual food drive which resulted in the food and monetary collection that will provide over 14,000 meals.

As in a building the most important component is a strong foundation. As members of the Leads Group, we have demonstrated that strength throughout the years and we are reminded of that fact by the number of Leads Groups that have emerged throughout the region. We can take pride in knowing that the foundation of our group is strong and the future is bright for entrepreneur's such as yourself.

I invite you to come join us this Wednesday morning, with a smile on your face, a skip in your step and pride in knowing that you have contributed to a strong foundation of entrepreneurship in your community.

Respectfully,

Lee Schearer

Calendar:
Weekly Meeting:
Our regularly scheduled weekly meeting will be held Wednesday morning at Extraordinary Ventures, Inc., 200 South Elliott Road, Chapel Hill from 8:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Meeting Dues are $5.00 per week.  Place your business card and $1.00 in the Optional Drawing. One card will be selected and that person will receive the week's kitty. For Express Check-In, please arrive with a $5.00, a $1.00, and a business card and we will check you in. We greatly appreciate your bringing correct change. We cannot change large denomination bills ($10, $20, $50, etc.) and cannot accept checks.
This Week's Speaker:
Marcia Corprew is on the brink of completing the 4th annual edition of Town Planner Calendar. Marcia will share an overview how Town Planner Calendar is affordable for businesses of any size, as well as how effectively it ensures that the community knows your business.
Speaker's Schedule for October/November 2009
14 October - open
21 October - Barbara-Lynn Freed, Center for Transformational Studies
28 October - Vivienne Carosso, Cookie Lee Fine Fashion Jewelry
4 November - Dave Kauwe, Hawaiian Dave's Tropical Treats
11 November - Maggie Peltier, FamPhotory, LLC
18 November - Tollan Wade, TRIPLE T PRODUCTIONS, Inc.
25 November - Open

Keep It Simple - Attend the Leads Group meeting at least 50% of the time for 3 consecutive months. Ask Lou Umscheid to place you on the speakers schedule. Continue to attend at least 50% of the Leads Group meetings until your presentation. Continue to attend the Leads Group meeting to strengthen your new referral network.
Did You Know:
CHLG Business Networking Social Event - 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, October 8, 2009
Harry's Market at White Cross, 3300 Highway 54 West, Chapel Hill will host the Chapel Hill Leads Group Business Networking Social Event this Thursday, 10 September from 6:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. This informal get-together is designed to assist you in developing a stronger network by socializing with your fellow Chapel Hill Leads Group members. Remember, as with all Chapel Hill Leads Group social events, you are welcome to invite potential members, your partners and families. Please plan to attend this event and to enjoy the opportunity to socialize with your fellow Chapel Hill Leads Group members.
Community Tuesdays - All Day, Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Every Tuesday this October four wonderful local restaurants—Spanky's, Squid's, 411 West, and MEZ are supporting and promoting the Chamber’s Foundation for a Sustainable Community through a program called Community Tuesdays.

They have generously identified the Chamber's Foundation as the recipient of five percent of the total sales of all four restaurants on the four Tuesdays in October (6, 13, 20, 27). Lunch, dinner, drinks, catering...it all counts.

Please consider scheduling your business lunch or evening event at either Spanky's, Squid's, 411 West, or MEZ on a Tuesday; you’ll support a great local business and our Foundation’s work in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Small Business Roundtable - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Putting It All Together Online: How to use your website, a blog, facebook and other online tools to successfully market your business. - Alan Hecht - Founder and President, MULTI-CHANNEL MARKETING

What you will learn:

  1. Marketing starts with the Market - Understanding your Market
  2. Setting the Table with your Website as the Centerpiece - The 4 Key Elements
  3. Creating "guest" Invitations
    • Search Engines
    • Blogs
    • Social Media – interactive – attendees will be asked to share any success stories they have had with social media
  4. Measuring Effectiveness
    • Measuring Techniques

Attendance is limited to 30 registrants. If you or any of your employees have an interest in this timely and essential session, RSVP to Whitney Woodyard by August 31 and reserve your seat today.

The Small Business Roundtable meets the first Wednesday of each month in the Greater Chapel Hill Association of REALTORS Conference Room at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, 104 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill, 27514. Small Business Roundtable membership is open to active Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce members. Contact Robert Altier of DeWitt Law at 919.338.8200 or  Whitney Woodyard of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce Program Coordinator at 919.357.9980 for information regarding the Small Business Roundtable.

Chapel Hill Candidates Forum - 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce is hosting a forum for candidates running for Town Council at Lincoln Center.
Carrboro Candidates Forum - 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce is hosting a forum for candidates running for Town Council at Carrboro Town Hall.
Community Tuesdays - All Day, Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Every Tuesday this October four wonderful local restaurants—Spanky's, Squid's, 411 West, and MEZ are supporting and promoting the Chamber’s Foundation for a Sustainable Community through a program called Community Tuesdays.

They have generously identified the Chamber's Foundation as the recipient of five percent of the total sales of all four restaurants on the four Tuesdays in October (6, 13, 20, 27). Lunch, dinner, drinks, catering...it all counts.

Please consider scheduling your business lunch or evening event at either Spanky's, Squid's, 411 West, or MEZ on a Tuesday; you’ll support a great local business and our Foundation’s work in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Non-Profit Roundtable - 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 14, 2009
"Green Plus: How to save and make money by going green and sustainable"; Kirsten Hausman, Foundation for a Sustainable Community, Director of Client Relations and Communications

About the presenter: Kirsten joined the Foundation after relocating to Chapel Hill from Colorado in April 2008. Growing up in Niger and Morocco, she learned about sustainable development and the environment and she has been passionate about them both ever since. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Denver in 2004. She came to the Foundation to coordinate programs and events and planned the 2008 Inter-city Visit and Leadership conference to Ann Arbor, MI.

She started working with Green Plus and the Institute for Sustainable Development in December 2008. Her responsibilities include managing Green Plus clients, coordinating events and communications, and managing the Green Plus website.

What you will learn:

  • An overview of how becoming more sustainable (and sharing that with your customers, employees, and community) can help strengthen your businesses.
  • What the Green Plus program can do for your business financially, environmentally, and socially
  • How to acquire Green Plus certification
If you or any of your employees have an interest in this timely and essential session about learning how to use media to make your message move, please RSVP back to Whitney Woodyard at wwoodyard@carolinachamber.org no later than October 6. We only have room for 30 participants so reserve your seat today!

Registration required. Bring your own lunch. Free for Chamber members. Contact Whitney Woodyard, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce Program Coordinator, at 919.357.9980 for information regarding the Non-Profit Roundtable.
Business After Hours - Courtyard by Marriott - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Chamber's premiere monthly networking event, Business After Hours will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott. The Business After Hours is hosted and sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott and is located at 100 Marriott Way, Chapel Hill, 27517.

Contact Whitney Woodyard of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce at 919.357.9980 for additional information regarding Business After Hours. Don't forget your business cards!
Networking In Your Neighborhood
Alamance Leads Group
The Alamance Leads Group (www.alamanceleads.com) meets every Monday at Mimi's Cafe, Alamance Crossing off I-40/I-85 at Exit 140, Burlington, 27215. Dick O'Donnell (dickodonnell@clearwire.net) with Cableless Solutions (919-760-5476) is the facilitator. The Alamance Leads Group meet from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Apex Leads Group
The Apex Leads Group (www.apexleadsgroup.com) meets every Tuesday at Carrabba's Italian Grill, 1201 Haddon Hall Drive, Apex 27502. Barry & Ellen Sherrill (aimgrouptwo@yahoo.com) with AIM Group Two Promotional Products (919-387-7588) are the facilitators. The Apex Leads Group meet from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Breakfast Club
Just a reminder that the breakfast club is still meeting at 7:00am at the Weathervane Restaurant. Anyone is invited to share good conversation and a quick breakfast before our regular Leads Group meeting at our new location. This is one way that we can continue to support the management & staff that supported the Leads Group for such a long time.
Cary Leads Group
The Cary Leads Group (www.caryleadsgroup.com) meets Thursdays at the BNC, 649 Walnut Street, Cary 27511. Andy Siouville (919-363-7010) is the facilitator. The Cary Leads Group meet from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Chapel Hill Leads Group
The Chapel Hill Leads Group (www.chapelhillleads.com) meets every Wednesday at Extraordinary Ventures (www.extraordinaryventures.org), 200 South Elliott Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Lee Schearer (919-490-1922) with American Real Estate and Appraisal Company and Don Bonin (919-542-2446) with Town & Country Trader are the facilitators. The Chapel Hill Leads Group meet from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Chatham County Leads Group
The Chatham County Leads Group meets every Tuesday at Our Neighborhood School Pizzeria (www.ourneighborhoodschool.com/pizzeria.html), 87 Thompson Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Don Bonin (chathamcountylg@gmail.com) (919-542-2446) with Town & Country Trader  is the facilitator. The Chatham County Leads Group meet from 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
Durham Leads Group
The Durham Leads Group meets every Tuesday at Piper's Deli (www.pipersdeli.com), 3219 Old Chapel Hill Road, Durham, NC 27707. Randy Bernstein (Randy@etchNstitch.com) (919-732-3473) with Etch N Stitch and Jane Clark (Jane.A.Clark@EdwardJones.com) (919-419-1761) with Edward Jones Investments are the facilitators. The Durham Leads Group meet from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Hillsborough Leads Group
The Hillsborough Leads Group (www.hillsboroughleads.net) meets every Thursday morning of each month at The Village Diner, 600 West King Street, Hillsborough, NC. Ned Parsons of Parson’s Business Solutions (919-493-0985) and Caryn Byrd of Comfort Assurance Group (919-259-6401) are the facilitators. The Hillsborough Leads Group meet from 8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Holly Springs Leads Group
Holly Springs Leads Group (hollyspringsleadsgroup.com) meets every Wednesday at Java Divine (www.javadivine.com) in the Bass Lake Shopping Center, 128 Bass Lake Road, Holly Springs, NC. Wendy Harrington with Sidekick Communications (919-208-7484) and Barb Louis with PartyLite Gifts (919-772-9560) are the facilitators. The Holly Springs Leads Group meet from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
North Raleigh Leads Group
The North Raleigh Leads Group (www.northraleighleads.com) meets every Monday morning at the Stone Wolf Coffee, 8300 Health Park, Raleigh, NC. David Stoner with EnviroFix (919-847-5355) and Charlie Edinger with Second Chance Solutions (919-219-5264) are the facilitators. The North Raleigh Leads Group meet from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Northern Wake Leads Group
The Northern Wake Leads Group (www.northernwakeleads.com) meets every Tuesday morning at the Bottle & Bean, 929 Heritage Lake Road, Suite 600, Wake Forest, NC, 27587. Sue Robinson with 4-Minute Fitness/ Genetic Nutrition (919-570-0913) and Lisa Angell with Mary Kay Cosmetics (919-676-0451) are the facilitators. The Northern Wake Leads Group meet from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Western Wake Leads Group
Western Wake Leads Group (westernwakeleads.com) meets every Thursday morning at the BNC, 649 Walnut Street, Cary NC 27511. Bill Carraway with Pre-Paid Legal (919-605-4895) is the facilitator.  The cost will be $5 and includes breakfast. The Western Wake Leads Group meet from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. For further information click here: http://smallbiz.meetup.com/483/calendar/7054450/ or call the BNC at 919-342-5251.