NEWSLETTER ISSUE 4 APRIL 2017 The 2017 SBCC Membership Directories are off to press…….directories will be available for pick up at all upcoming events, luncheons, around town and at the office.

The Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce Scholarship application deadline is fast approaching, April 15th. If you know of a Slate Belt student in Bangor, Pen Argyl, Faith Christian or Career Institute of Technology, have them contact their high school guidance counselor to apply. Also the Frederick R Curcio Jr. scholarship is also available for students continuing their education in computer science. In March the SBCC held its first Professional Brag Party. Thank you to our sponsors: Timeshare Oasis, Chef Keith Miller, Wind Gap Chevy & the Bangor Elks Lodge #1106. Each attendee had the opportunity to network with other business owners as well as the spot light to “brag” about their business. A great time had by all. We will look to do this event again soon. Attached you will find our 17th Annual Scholarship Golf Classic Sponsor form. Over the last 16 years this tournament has raised over $600,000 to help support scholarships that have been given to students in 9 area high schools in Northampton County. Please help us to continue our future business leaders by sponsoring or participating in this event on July 17th at Woodstone Country Club. See sponsor flyer attached.

SBCC Upcoming Events 4/6, 13, 20 & 27: Start and Grow Your Business Seminars, 6-8 PM at the Chamber office. Flyer to follow.

4/18: SBCC Business Luncheon at Chandler Estate, Wind Gap, 12 noon, topic this month is “Everything you ever wanted to know about outdoor advertising but were too afraid to ask”.

4/22: Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting for Johnsonville Farm &Garden newest acquisition, 12 noon, 154 Totts Gap Rd., Bangor.

4/29, 5/6 & 9/9 Northampton County E-cycling Events 5/6: Slate Belt & Nazareth Bath Chamber Night at the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks. Tickets are $35 p.p, includes a $10

food voucher and a Steelhawks t-shirt. See flyer for details. 5/18: Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner @ Tuscarora Inn, Mt. Bethel, 6 PM

7/17: Annual Bi Chamber Scholarship Golf Classis @ Woodstone Country Club 8/16: Annual Bi Chamber Clam Bake

10/18: 2017 Lehigh Valley Meet The Buyers, ArtQuest Steelstacks Bethlehem Much much more to come……

If you have any ideas or suggestions for an event, call Laura at the office, 610 588 1000.

New Members for March Adams Outdoor Advertising

Sal Lombardo, GM 6053 Route 209

Stroudsburg, PA 18360 E-Mail: slombardo@adamsoutdoor.com

Web Site: www.adamsoutdoor.com Billboard & online advertising for all northeast PA counties, Monroe, Northampton, Wayne, Pike, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton,

Phillipsburg, Lackawanna & Luzern

Grace on Broadway

Heather Carison/Eddie Marzigliano 55 Broadway, Suite 1

Bangor PA 18013 610-452-9162

E-Mail: graceonbroadwaypa@gmail.com Refinished furniture, home décor & gifts.

ELECTRICITY BENCHMARK PRICES AND TRENDS For the third week in a row, the Energy Research Council’s (ERC) national benchmark price for an April 2017 electricity contract fell with a decline of 0.7% last week to $0.0743 per kilowatt hour. Electricity prices dropped in every deregulated state last week except in Delaware (0.2%) and Texas (0.7%). By contrast, Illinois (-1.7%) and Maine (-1.5%) posted the greatest decreases. The average benchmark price is now 2.4% below where it was this time last month and where it stood two months ago. The declines in electricity prices since mid-February have produced the biggest month-over-month price reductions in Texas (-5.9%), the District of Columbia (-4.5%), Illinois (-4.4%), and Delaware (-3.7%). Over the past year, the average benchmark price for an April 2017 electricity contract has ranged from a high of $0.0723/kWh on 7/15/16 to a low of $0.0667 on 12/2/16. After bottoming out in December, electricity prices rose nationally in anticipation of a cold winter, then trended sideways until February. Over the past several weeks, prices have shifted down as winter exits and the shoulder months begin. In the wholesale power market, CAISO, ERCOT, and PJM West calendar strips 2019-2021 are within 1% of their all-time lows. MISO, NEPOOL, and NYISO strips are comparatively higher, and trending upward.

Customer Service - An Imperative

The Golden Rule, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," may seem self-evident in the way we try to conduct our personal lives. Yet this axiom is assuming new importance as a guiding principle in the world of business. The climate of the recession-ridden early 1980s, when customers blithely traded away high-quality service in exchange for price reductions or convenience, is no more. Instead, customers are demanding service again. Companies of all sizes are realizing that their strongest selling point can sometimes boil down to treating customers as they would like to be treated - or better. "Consumers are beginning to feel that their needs haven't been met," explains Bonnie Jansen of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs. "They're sick of getting poor service all the time." The message is getting through. According to John Goodman, president of the Technical Assistance Research Programs Institute (TARP), "In the past few years, companies began to realize that service was really a competitive factor, and began to view it as an integral part of their product."

The growing significance of meeting - or exceeding - customer demands for quality service has special implications for small businesses. It is in this arena that small companies can, in the least expensive way, set themselves apart from the competition. In fact, a recent three-year study by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in Washington, D.C. showed that small businesses which put heavy emphasis on customer service were more likely to survive and succeed than competitors who emphasized such advantages as lower prices or type of product. Golden Rule #1: Put the Customer First

"A strong customer ethic must guide your business from the inception," writes author and business owner Paul Hawken in his book Growing a Business. "No matter whether you manufacture, grow, produce, distribute, or sell, you are 'in service.'" Quality customer service begins with your employees. An owner of a successful chain of hair salons advises that the first step is to set standards, then make sure everyone in the company understands them. Finally, he says, reward employees for achieving your service goals. Be sure to seek out and solve any annoyances they might have that could lead to poor morale. An employee with a complaint cannot be completely effective in dealing with customers. "If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers." On the other hand, Hawken warns, if your employees are not customer-oriented, no standards or goals will change that. "We concentrate on hiring people who embody the quality of service for which we strive. It is difficult to teach someone to be helpful and serve others if he or she is misanthropic to begin with." Hiring the best people means trusting them. Your employees should be able to do what is necessary to make the customer happy without fear of reprisal. Hawken says, "Policies and procedures are helpful only as guides toward an end result. When employees run out of possibilities to make the customer happy, they must have the latitude to improvise to make it right. Most employees operate in a state of fear that their own generosity with a customer will be viewed as foolishness by their boss. This situation will stifle flexible customer service."

Golden Rule #2: Stay Close to Your Customers

In the smartest companies, asking questions and listening carefully to the answers is an important part of customer service. These firms train their employees to focus on what the customer is saying, then tailor products or services to meet customer needs. Says one corporate executive, and his words hold true for smaller firms as well, "Knowing what's on the customer's mind is the smartest thing we can do." It is also cheaper than attracting new customers. According to the Customer Service Institute, 65% of a company's business comes from existing customers, and it costs five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one satisfied. Losing a customer is even more expensive. According to studies by the Technical Assistance Research Programs Institute, 91% of unhappy customers will never again buy from a company that has displeased them; they will also voice their dissatisfaction to at least seven other people. This responsibility to be receptive does not lie solely with your employees, however. If you want your business to be successful, you must listen to and talk with customers as well. There is no substitute for getting out and learning from the customers themselves how you might serve them better. The best business owners are not only committed to staying close to their clientele, but also identify with them. They give their customers the level of service they themselves would expect to receive. Moreover, a good relationship with customers necessitates paying attention to every link in the distribution chain; this means listening to everyone who helps get your products to market and asking them for suggestions on improving your service. Be sure to take advantage of feedback from employees, especially those whose everyday job is dealing with customers. They can serve as tremendous reservoirs of information. "Our goal as a company is to create customer service that is not just the best, but legendary," Paul Hawken asserts. "'Legendary' gives everyone who deals with customers a rich sense of the possibilities." Golden Rule #3: Pay Attention to the Little Details

Many owners search for a special touch that will make them stand out from the crowd. Discount coupons, longer hours, home delivery, or free coffee, for example, all show customers you want to take that extra step to please them.

Some of the most effective extras are really very basic adages of conducting good business, although customers are often surprised when they take place. These include answering the phone by the third ring, treating customers respectfully and courteously at all times, greeting them by name, promptly answering their questions, and, if you can't, getting back to them with an answer as quickly as possible, and manufacturing high-quality goods that work the first time and keep working. PRESS RELEASE Ginder Greenhouse & Garden Center & Totts Gap Art Institute hosts “Celebrate Mother Earth Two-Part Workshop April 22nd & May 6th 10 am at Ginder Greenhouse.

Meet The Authors of Letters to Homefront What began as a treasure trove find of over 4000 letters, postcards and v-mails has culminated in the publishing of the Slate Belt Heritage Center’s latest book: Letters to Homefront Magazine: A Love Story Between a Community and Its WWII Soldiers. On Thursday, April 20, 2017 @ 7:00 PM, the Heritage Center will hold its monthly historic presentation entitled: “Meet the Authors”. Present will be: Marc Blau, Chip Turtzo, Deanna Ruzanski and Karen Brewer co-authors of the book along with the volunteer readers who assisted in bringing this story to fruition. It was a project that has been 15 years in the making since the finding of the letters and was finally put into forward motion as of October 2015. It has now blossomed into a total “Labor of Love”. The authors will be present to relate their journey throughout the process and answer questions. On display, in the Chamber Showcases, will be “Homefront and World War II Memorabilia”. Distribution and book signing will be on Sunday April 23rd, at the Heritage Center from 9 -12 Noon. The April 20th event is free and open to the public. The Heritage Center is located at 30 North 1st Street, Bangor, Pa. For additional information contact: Karen Brewer @ 610-588-8615.

Families’ First fundraiser to benefit College Scholarship Fund 2017 at Detzi’s Tavern, Tuesday, April 11, 4-9 pm. Flyer attached. Totts Gap Arts 8 th Annual Arts Fair, Sunday, April 30, 11-4 pm. See flyer.

SBCC Officers & Directors One Year Directors Rosemary Albert, Mary Marshall, Jewel Williamson-Burns, Nadine Moyer, Joann Ginder, Chuck Niclaus, Jeff Ott, Adolph Marth Two Year Directors Paul Donovan, Jr., Lucy Flinn, Fred Curcio, Kim Armitage, Steve Hurni, Bryan Gault, Mike Ortoski

DON’T’ FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: SLATEBELTCHAM BER

Gift Certificates are available at the SBCC office year round for many of our area businesses!

SBCC Mission Statement: To promote and enhance positive business activity and growth in the Slate Belt region with special emphasis on community involvement. SBCC, 187 Blue Valley Dr., Bangor, PA 18013 610.588.1000 info@slatebeltchamber.org www.slatebeltchamber.org

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Jewel Williamson-Burns, CLU, FIC Financial Associate Jewel.williamson-burns@thrivent.com 610-746-0344

Lucy W. Flinn