I really enjoyed my first Lakeland Chamber of Commerce Business & Breakfast at 7:30am this morning at Lakeland Habitat for Humanity 1317 George Jenkins Blvd.

OK, 7:30 in the am is a bit early for me to be out and about (unless I’m going to Disney World!), but this IS businees & BREAKFAST. Chamber staffers Amy Wiggins (membership account exec) and Christine Murphy (admin. asst) cheerily greeted me at the door and pointed me toweard the coffee <thank you>. There were about 40  of the other local shakers and movers grabbing some yogurt, bagels, sausage biscuits and the like while doing the morning networking thing.

I met local Realtor Janet Shearer (read her Polk County Real Estate blog here) and we talked for awhile. She just got her first internet marketing lead! It’s thrilling to meet sharp local entrepreneurs getting results from marketing online Keep up the good work, Janet!

The chambers’ Champions mentor newbie members like me and I got to visit with one of ‘em, Wade Altman, business support specialist with Superior Business Technologies. They sell and service computer systems, networks, telephone systems and security system for small businesses like mine. Good to know!

Claire Twomey, Executive Director of Lakeland Habitat for Humanity [contact her at (863) 682-3812], told us all about what the organization has done for low-income families here in the area. Did you know that the families have to work to help other families build homes FIRST? They also have to make a down-payment and get a loan, but Habitat makes it affordable for them to have a home. Claire said that they have helped 100 families so far here in Lakeland.

Our Lakeland Habitat is now offering more volunteer opportunities for churches and civic groups to get involved with their new A Brush with Kindness program. It’s a locally-operated program, Claire said,  serving low-income homeowners who struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes. Certainly, many of our local seniors and challenged citizens need this sort of assistance and it helps the entire community!

Unlike so many bailout and entitlement programs today, Habitat for Humanity helps people to help themselves. The organization has to buy land, materials and pay building contractors (like plumbers and electricians). And, they keep their administrative costs around 3% so donations mainly go to the actual program services in the community. If you are looking to get involved in improving our community, I would recommend that you check them out!

Claudia Tritton, business development director for the Lakeland Economic Development Council gave a stimulating presentation on how they are continuing to help the area grow by adding significant new businesses, keeping companies here  and helping existing businesses expand.  Some of their recent successes include WellDyneRx, Firmenich, Pepperidge Farm, Saddle Creek and GTECH Printing. Her excitement is contagious! Claudia reinforced the reasons I moved here and have made a commitment to grow my internet marketing consultant business here in Lakeland.

After the presentations, we were escorted out (Disney-style) through the “gift shop”.  The ReStore is Habitat’s thrift shop for building materials, furniture and the like. Yes, they even have the kitchen sink! And lighting fixtures, windows, doors, tile… WOW! I didn’t know this existed here. It’s a great place to shop for your next home improvement project and the money goes to a great cause, too!

I was really impressed by the business & breakfast event. I got to connect with some local business people. I learned more about our wonderful community – how we are helping each other and growing together. And, breakfast! All for only five bucks as a Lakeland Chamber of Commerce member…

Maybe you should call Amy at 688-8551 ext. 229 to find out how the chamber fits into your marketing plan. I’m really pleased how it’s working for me already! Tell her Jack Duncan sent ya…

If you have comments or a story to share about the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity or how we are growing as a community, please post it here [or you can call me at (863) 668-1086 anytime....].

Have a great day today!

It’s time to take a step backward and gain perspective on this whole “business” idea.

I examine several companies in Lakeland every day to evaluate their position in our economic community. Some are wildly successful in their field and very profitable. Some are struggling. And some have recently gone out of business. As a resident of Lakeland and a small business owner myself, I depend on the success of our community in order to survive and thrive personally and professionally. As a matter of fact, it’s Polk County and the State of Florida, too.

Cypress Gardens just went out of business. Closed. No more visitors. No tourists to spend their money along Cypress Gardens Boulevard shops and restaurants. More jobs gone. More county and state taxes gone. The Butterfly effect will ripple through Winter Haven to Auburndale to Lake Wales to Bartow to Lakeland and beyond.

The problem with Cypress Gardens, as with so many businesses here, is perspective. What is important to YOUR business? Go ahead – make a list. I’ll wait.

Ask most business owners this fundamental question and you’ll usually get these responses: location, product or service, management, cash-flow, traffic, the economy, employees, customer satisfaction, overhead, pricing and market share. Sure, all those things are important to achieving business success. There is a crucial factor that most of us don’t really consider and it may be the MOST basic and important reason business succeed or fail: communication.

A basic college degree generally requires a communication class and I have taught many, many classes. I always start off with a simple definition of the communication process.

Communication requires a sender to form a message and deliver it through a channel to a receiver who must provide a response. Think about it. Does any business get done unless that happens? You can’t get a location or employees or a bank account or a loan or customers or market share or profits without communication. It doesn’t matter if you are a plumber or air conditioning company or a dentist or an attorney or Wal-Mart. How and what and when and to whom you communicate will determine your business success on a very basic level. What is important to your business?

Your business depends on your ability to send the right message to the right audience at the right time in the right way to get them to take the action you want. Who is going to be more successful in business: an owner who communicates well or one who does not? How well you communicate is going to determine your sales and your profits (or losses). If you’re not satisfied with your profits (I’m not), then maybe you need to take a look at that.

Easy question: What is the fastest growing means of communication in human history? You’re right – the internet. How important is THAT to your business? Is your competition taking advantage of internet marketing? Are YOU? Are you getting the response you want from your website? What can you do today to communicate better to improve your business?

I’d be glad to take a look at your website and offer three ideas for improvement at no charge. No strings. The only condition is that your business has to be headquartered in Polk County. Email me at info@radianceroadmarketing.com or call me right now at (863) 668-1086. You may not qualify to be a client, since I only work with a few, select companies, but your business is important to all of us here in Lakeland. I want to help you to succeed.

Lakeland Internet Marketing