The United States loves small businesses Why is this? Small businesses are seen as a positive influence “on the way things are going in this country.”

Small businesses are in a unique position to create valuable customer experiences. Their products and services are often niche; the target customer is very defined; and business operations are agile and unconstrained by corporate rules and processes. Small businesses are also trusted for their integrity, community engagement and customer service.

But what can you do to grow the appeal of your brand – without breaking the bank? Here are 10 tips that can help:

What is your brand?

It’s important to understand that your brand is much more than your logo, merchandising or products. It is about the sum total of the experiences customers have with your business. This includes the visual elements of your business, but it also includes what you do, how you do it, what your customer interactions are like, the type of information you share in your marketing and on social media. All these elements help establish the trust and credibility of your business.

Stand out

Standing out means being different. If your brand is going to be strong, you need to be able to pinpoint what it is that makes what you do unique. What differentiates you from others in your industry? Don’t forget to weave your differentiators into your company’s messaging and marketing.

Have great products and services

Word of mouth is often a small businesses greatest lead generator, so having great products and services that people talk about is a critical part of your brand and why you are in business.  Even the most outgoing and charming small business owner is not going to succeed in bringing customers back, unless the product or service they provide delivers and exceeds expectations. Don’t lose sight of your product – keep refining it, testing new offerings, and making sure you always put product first, not the money it brings in.

Get your name and logo right

This is essential to brand recognition and it’s important to get it right the first time (changing your name and logo can be costly down the road). Your logo and name should be easily recognizable and reflect the nature and tone of your business as well as appeal to your target market.

Have a distinct voice

A great way to ensure your distinct brand message is delivered consistently across your business is to focus on how you and your employees interact and communicate with customers – in-person, on the phone and on social media. Not sure what your “voice” should be? Look to other brands. What do they do that you’d like to emulate? How do they greet and interact with you? What is it that they do that makes you feel good about doing business with them?

Be an advocate for your business – not just a salesman

You don’t have to be the greatest salesman to succeed in business. Selling takes many forms – and being a brand advocate gels them all together. For example, many small business owners strive to be the number one salesman, the number one cheerleader, and the number one fan of their own business (you’ve got to be excited about it if you want others to be excited too). If you are passionate about your business, be an advocate for it.

Be reliable

Letting your customers down by failing to live up to your own promises and brand standards can be particularly harmful for small businesses that depend heavily on referrals. The foundation of brand loyalty lies in great service – a happy customer is a loyal customer. So make sure you aren’t making promises that you can’t keep.

Have a value proposition

Value, not to be mistaken with price, can help define your brand and differentiate you from the competition. What niche do you serve? What do you do well in that niche that makes you different from everyone else? What are the emotional benefits of what you do? The answers to these questions will help define what your value is to your customers – it could be your great customer service, product quality, innovation, or any combination of these.

 

 

 

As an advocate for business in Redlands, the Chamber of Commerce encourages the community to continue supporting local businesses while the City of Redlands works to improve our local infrastructure.

The City of Redlands has embarked on a major Capital Improvement Project for the intersection of Redlands Boulevard and Alabama Street. Average daily traffic reaches 20,000 vehicles on Redlands Boulevard and 18,000 vehicles on Alabama Street, according to the City’s Municipal Utilities and Engineering Department.

Improvements to this area vital to the City and local business include: widening the intersection in all directions; installing pipeline within the project area;, ADA and sidewalk improvements; creating a signalized T-intersection at Colton Avenue where it merges with Redlands Boulevard; and realigning a 22-foot-offset on Alabama Street.

While temporarily inconvenient, these improvements will ultimately ease travel for residents and visitors and create a welcoming environment for all our local businesses.

All businesses remain open during construction and marked entrances are there to help direct you to your favorite local merchants. The Chamber encourages residents and visitors to support these businesses.

For more information about the project, please call Olivia Crowley, Community Relations Coordinator for the City of Redlands at 909-798-7584 ext. 3.

 

 

A BETTER CLASS LIMOUSINE

Scott Shambli

P. O. Box 7942

Redlands, CA 92375

Phone: 792-5356

 

A STORAGE PLACE

Natalie Barker

650 New York Street

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 792-0185

 

ALBREKTSON & SHUMATE, LLP

Kathleen Albrektson

1801 Orange Tree Lane, Suite 230

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 335-9658

 

ALLSTATE INSURANCE

Todd Underwood

1263 Brookside, Suite C

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 793-1002

 

ARTHUR MURRAY DANCE STUDIO

Drew Rodriquez

1969 Orange Tree Lane

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 793-8140

 

BORTON PETRINI. LLP

Norma Grosjean

1461 Ford Street, Suite 201

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 381-0527

 

CHILDHELP – INLAND EMPIRE CHAPTER

Jo Ann VonWald

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 307-8626

 

CRAFTON HILLS COLLEGE

Michelle Riggs

11711 Sand Canyon Road

Yucaipa, CA 92399

Phone: 389-3372

 

DYNASTY SUITES REDLANDS

David Giri

1235 West Colton Avenue

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 793-6648

 

EDWARDS MANSION

Chris Wilcott

2064 Orange Tree Lane

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 793-2031

 

FIVE TEN

Wally Barker

1419 W. State Street

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 798-4222

 

HATFIELD BUICK-GMC

Bill Hatfield

301 E. Redlands Blvd

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 793-3238

 

JANET STOUDER-BRANDON ATTORNEY AT LAW

Janet Brandon

104 E. Olive Avenue, Suite 103

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 792-9282

 

JUICE IT UP

Cathy Griffin

1275 Alabama

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 335-8400

 

L. RAY ASHWORTH, CPA

L. Ray Ashworth

1101 Orange Street

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 307-0880

ONE STOP LANDCAPE SUPPLY

Louis Curti

13024 San Timoteo Canyon Road

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 798-1278

 

PAUL DEREBERY

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 951-255-5793

 

REDLANDS ANTIQUE AUCTION

Roy Jameson – Ron Curan

1547 Park Avenue

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 798-1177

 

REDLANDS AUTO PLAZA

Alex Delgado

500 W. Redlands Blvd

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 793-2141

 

REDLANDS BLUEPRINT COMPANY

Daney Bachiu

922-B New York Street

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 792-3478

 

REDLANDS FOOTHILL GROVES

Manuel Martinez

304 Ninth Street

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 793-2164

 

REDLANDSMILL

John Mills

301 Ninth Street, Suite 100

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 792-9453

 

REDLANDS POOL SERVICE

Matt Arath

700 E. Redlands Blvd, Suite U – PMB 32

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 792-4500

 

SANBORN’S AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

Missy Sanborn

415 E. High Street

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 798-7183

 

SEND OUT CARDS

Cathy Houwen

P. O. Box 2007

La Habra, CA 90632

Phone: 760-895-7526

 

SHAKLEE – RANDY & CINDY GENUNG

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 793-3905

 

SOMERFORD PLACE

Jennifer Castaneda

1319 Brookside Avenue

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 793-9500

 

SUNSET FUNERAL CARE

Jenny Vannatter-Wright

305 W. State Street

Redlands, CA 92373

Phone: 362-2161

 

THE OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY

Shawn Cuddy

1635 Industrial Park Avenue

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 798-7774

 

TOYOTA OF REDLANDS – SCION OF REDLANDS

Paul Smith

921 New York Street

Redlands, CA 92374

Phone: 793-0300

 

YUCAIPA-CALIMESA NEWS MIRROR

Toebe Bush

35154 Yucaipa Blvd,

Yucaipa, CA 92399

Phone: 797-9101

 

Look we all know the holidays have not only arrived too soon but they got here on the tail of a meteor and it slammed right smack dab into our lives unannounced! I’m convinced that we skipped a month or two this year I just haven’t figured out which ones.  I keep asking my friends at the PD to put out an APB or BOLO or WDIG to assist in recovering the time that will help to de-stress  the situation at hand but alas it seems there are higher priorities.

So we at the Chamber have come up with the next best thing – the answer to de-stressing !

It’s FUN! The fun we have on tap is the 5K NIGHT LIGHT RUN, Saturday, December 27, 6 PM in Downtown Redlands.

It’s absolutely impossible not to enjoy yourself, your friends, your family and even strangers when you are totally decked out in neon gear, glowing with LED lights, glow sticks, bracelets head gear and face paint. You can’t worry about what you haven’t baked, who you didn’t buy for what needs to be hauled out of the house or what wasn’t, mulled or brined.

And the best part, you don’t even have to RUN, no sirree, you can walk, skip, stroll, meander, push the kids in strollers, or pull them in wagons. If you really want to run I suppose you can but sadly the fun would be over way to fast so I recommend you just don’t do it! You can even use it as an excuse to walk the dog as long as Fido is on a leash and decked out in glow gear.

The light show at the start/finish line will be will dazzle the senses. The music will be positively rocking, guaranteed to get the juices flowing so we really will be able to make it through the “rest of the season”. And when the run is over you can join the revelers and visit the local downtown businesses to recap every step of the race, show off your original couture and discuss how ridiculous the guy at the next table looks.

Be a part of the fun, register on line a www:redlandschambernightlightrun.com or stop by the chamber office and register in person and get an early bird, smart person discount.

We’ll get you started on your race outfit by providing a T-shirt necklace, bracelets bibs, (racing not drooling) and the rest is only limited by your own imagination.

For more information log on to www:redlandschambernightlightrun.com or call the chamber office at 793-2546.

Stone Wheel Olive Oil Company is located in beautiful Downtown Redlands, at 7 N. Fifth Street, A unique shop that offers high quality olive oils and Balsamic Vinegars.  The unique family-owned tasting room and retail store specializing in the freshest, highest-quality extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar from around the world. Experience a broad selection of naturally flavored and infused olive oils and naturally flavored balsamic vinegars, all at an affordable price. Olive Oil tasting tempts visitors with a wine- like experience. Enjoy an unhurried visit chatting with owner Alisa Chatman or one of the friendly staff to teach you about olive varietals, where they grow, are harvested, pressed and products. Tasting can include either straight-up sipping like the professionals or with a dip of bread. Much like wine tasting each nuance and flavor is savored. Foodies know olive oil is a delicious healthy addition to salads, soups, pasta, drizzled over grilled vegetables, fish, or goat’s cheese. Substitute for butter in recipes to reduce fat and cholesterol. Stop by and try as many flavors as you like; they represent extraordinary examples of fresh, unique quality and value impossible to duplicate in traditional supermarket brands.

The downtown shop is open 6 days a week. Alisa and staff encourages visitors to stop by anytime and enjoy free tastings!   Flavor Infused Olive Oils and Vinegars make perfect gifts and now that the holidays are careening towards us, it’s the perfect time to find a unique and personal gift from Stone Wheel Olive Oil Company! Let Alisa and her staff help you make the right decision and give the gift of great flavors to your friends and family.

Stone Wheel Olive Oil has recently branched out into the sale of olives along with various spreads imported from France. The spreads, provided by The Bread Dip Company offers products that can be used as a vegetable dip or bread spread. Spread flavors include Artichoke and Capers, Sundried Tomato, and Olive & Herbs.  The Smoked Olive products are now available in the store.

For more information about flavor infused Olive Oil or Balsamic Vinegars call 793-7272 or visit for a tasting experience at 7 N. Fifth Street.