May 2009 Hardscrabble Hardscrabble Hardscrabble RED HOOK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Official Publication of the Facilitating a supportive business environment while cultivating service relationships among members, visitors and the community. NEWS Our Membership Breakfast on April 15, 2009 was once again a nice membership networking mixer. We would like to thank Officer in Charge, Patrick Hildenbrand of the Village of Red Hook Police; Detective Charles Locke of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, and Captain Paul Piastro of the Sheriff’s Department who took the time to speak at our business breakfast about the recent break-ins, what we can do to prevent them, and the diligent work that they are doing to protect our community. Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911...you are not “bothering” them. The last thing our police officers want to hear is, “.....I should have called you but didn’t think it was important enough.” Thank you to An Apple A Day Diner for their delicious buffet breakfast and all who attended. Our May breakfast will be held on May 20, 2009. A combination of beautiful weather, and a spectacular sunset, provided fun, entertainment and delicious food to everyone of the Red Hook business people who attended our Spring April Mixer held at The Rhinecliff Hotel on April 17, 2009. As you can see from the pictures (shown on pg. 4), there was plenty of great conversation and laughs, as we were serenaded by the wonderful guitar musings of David Temple. This event was a welcomed respite at the end of a busy week. Thank you to all of our members who attended, and everyone, stay tuned for more great social and networking events provided by the Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce. Regards, Susan Simon The Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce Invites you to Join Us For Live Music, Silent Auction Hors d’oeuvres, Wine & Beer Kaatsbaan Dance Center Tivoli, NY June 12, 2009 6:00 pm—9:00 pm Sponsored by: Rhinebeck Savings Bank $10.oo members $15.oo non-members RSVP by June 5, 2009 845-758-0824 [email protected]Thank you to the Rhinebeck Savings Bank for their continued support of the Chamber and providing office space at no charge. Recap of April Breakfast and April Mixer The Inaugural of “Red Hot Summer Nights” Notes from Emma’s Corner New Members Community & Calendar of Upcoming Events Upcoming June Event at The Kaatsbaan Dance Center
Transcript
May 2009
HardscrabbleHardscrabbleHardscrabble R E D H O O K A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E
The Official Publication
of the
Facilitating a supportive business environment while cultivating service
relationships among members, visitors and the community.
NEWS
A Message from our President
Our Membership Breakfast on April 15, 2009 was once again a nice membership networking mixer. We would like to thank Officer in Charge, Patrick Hildenbrand of the Village of Red Hook Police; Detective Charles Locke of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, and Captain Paul Piastro of the Sheriff’s Department who took the time to speak at our business breakfast about the recent break-ins, what we can do to prevent them, and the diligent work that they are doing to protect our community. Remember, if you see anything suspicious, call 911...you are not “bothering” them. The last thing our police officers want to hear is, “.....I should have called you but didn’t think it was important enough.”
Thank you to An Apple A Day Diner for their delicious buffet breakfast and all who attended. Our May breakfast will be held on May 20, 2009.
A combination of beautiful weather, and a spectacular sunset, provided fun, entertainment and delicious food to everyone of the Red Hook business people who attended our Spring April Mixer held at The Rhinecliff Hotel on April 17, 2009. As you can see from the pictures (shown on pg. 4), there was plenty of great conversation and laughs, as we were serenaded by the wonderful guitar musings of David Temple. This event was a welcomed respite at the end of a busy week.
Thank you to all of our members who attended, and everyone, stay tuned for more great social and networking events provided by the Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce.
May 20, 2009 - Chamber Membership Breakfast Meeting - Time:7:30 AM - 9:00 AM - An Apple a Day Diner, Rt. 9., Red Hook. Cost: $12.00 members paid in advance. $15.members paid at the door, $25. non-members. RSVP by May 15, 2009. Further details, on our website. www.redhookchamber.org
May 29, 2009 - 1st Inaugural “Red Hot Summer Nights”- Friday nights starting on May 29, June 26, July 24, & August 28. Enjoy warm summer evenings in the village of Red Hook- further details enclosed. Come join us!
June 12, 2009 - “Save The Date”- Chamber Mixer Event at Kaatsbaan
Dance Center - See front page for more details.
CHAMBER EVENTS CALENDAR
CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS BRIEF Chamber Booth - The booth in the village is now open. Volunteers are needed.
If you have some free time and you’d like to sit in the booth and greet visitors even
for just an hour or two, please call the Chamber office today at 845-758-0824.
Business News - Is your business having a sale? Offering a special discount for
Chamber members? Grand Opening Event? Tell us! This newsletter is here for you.
Tell us your Business News and we will do our very best to publish it in the
newsletter as well as on the website. We are here to get the word out to the public.
EMMA’S CORNER
The flowers are blooming. Easter is past. Now we are looking forward to nice weather. Time to plant a garden, to think about a vacation and all
the fun things we do in summer.
I am looking forward to being in the booth to greet visitors. I have been laid up from a fall in March, but I am determined to be there to welcome anyone who stops by for information.
We have so much to offer visitors. We have our farmers market, pick your own farms and various other sites to visit.
Tom Sullivan of Orchard View Studio and I are starting to coordinate our pictorial history of Red Hook, past and present. If you see someone taking pictures, it will be Tom. We hope to have it ready for the 50th anniversary of the Chamber next year. Watch for more news about the anniversary celebration in future issues of the news-letter. Happy Profitable Summer! Emma
Page 3
May 2009
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Bee Bee The Clown Jackie Reynolds, Owner
11 Rowe Road Milan, NY 12571
845-758-1938
Gigi Market & Café Laura Pensiero, Owner
227 Pitcher Lane Red Hook, New York 12571
845-758-1999
Grey Printing Grey Zeien, Owner
37 Chestnut St. Cold Spring, NY 10516
845-265-4510
Flatiron Jessica Stafford, President
7488 So. Broadway Red Hook, NY 12571
845-758-8260
Earth Energy Connections, Inc.
Steven Couse, President 35 Mahikan Drive
Hudson, NY 12534 518-249-4613
The Clubhouse Bar & Grill Kim Mastro & Elise Benton, Owners
650 Route 199 Red Hook, NY 12571
845-758-3006
David Temple - Classical Guitar 22 Kelly Road
Red Hook, NY 12571 845-758-0174
May 2009 - Weisbrod ArtWork on Display at Rhinebeck Savings
Atrium Gallery - Joel Weisbrod’s current works are on display at the Rhine-
beck Branch now through May 2009. The new Gazen Gallery of Rhinebeck
will have their grand opening and ribbon cutting on May 1, 2009.
May 25, 2009 - VFW Post 7765 Memorial Day Parade - The parade
kick-off will be at 10:00 AM. Proceeding through the village onto Rt. 9
North with a ceremony at Memorial Park (across from the IGA. Refresh-
ments will follow at the VFW Post on 32 Elizabeth St. All are welcome to
attend.
NEW MEMBERS
Congratulations to Thomas Sullivan, owner of the Orchard View
Photography Studio, Red Hook, who recently received the Professional
Photographers Association of New Jersey’s highest award for services and
achievement. The award was presented at the annual convention in
Atlantic City in April.
Tom specializes in portraiture, wedding, bar and bat mitzvahs, and
commercial photography. He formerly owned and operated the Dennis
Studio in Bergenfield, NJ. Besides being a member of PPANJ, he is also a
member of the Photographers of America and this month will become a
member of the Society of Professional Photographers of New York.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Hardscrabble NEWS
Page 4
PHOTOS FROM APRIL BREAKFAST AND SPRING APRIL MIXER AT THE RHINECLIFF HOTEL
Photos from the Spring April Mixer
Beautiful Sunset on the Hudson from the Rhinecliff Hotel
Page 5
May 2009
A Bail-Out Plan for
Back Pain?
The government is supporting the economic system to prevent
further meltdown. Will it work? Who knows! We do know that
you are busy supporting your own business and cannot afford to
make a mistake… or to be in pain so you can’t work.
That is why more and more are turning to chiropractic. It has
been shown to help many cases both simple and severe. Doctors
of Chiropractic do tests to be sure that chiropractic or another
form of care is best for you. To get answers to questions, or to
seek short-term care with no obligation for extensive care plans,
call Dr. Ford F. Franklin in Red Hook. Red Hook business
owners can get in right away when you get a break.
Just call to let us know you are coming.
7392 S. Broadway, in the Old Soap Factory
845-758-3600
Page 6
Hardscrabble NEWS
6 Steps to Small Business Success
1. Start Smart. Identify a niche. Don’t compete to be the lowest cost provider.
Look for what makes your product or service unique and adds a
special value for the client and charge for that value. Every
business has many facets. Start with what you know and like;
start a business that has meaning to you. Keep in mind that we
don’t know what the future holds, many of the jobs and
businesses of tomorrow don’t exist today. You can create your
own success.
Now is the time to dream. To start smart, you should like the
idea of the business. The way to earn a good income and build
wealth is by serving clients well, making their life better in some
way—it’s more than filling a need in the marketplace. To
succeed you want to test the idea to make sure your potential
clients like the idea too. Test your ideas.
2. Set up Systems. The most basic system every business should have is a good
financial system. Ask yourself how am I going to generate
enough income to support myself and my family. Begin here.
Put together a personal budget, so you know what it costs you to
live. Now, you can move on to the business budget and sales
planning, so you can see how many sales you need to break even
and make a profit. The start-up expense plan, operating budget
and your accounting software are vital to your success.
3. Seek out Sales. The daunting question is how do you go about seeking out your
first sale. Recognize that since you don’t have a big ad budget
to be seen by everyone, you need to target a niche and get
connected in your market community, be it local, regional or
national. You need other people selling for you—not
employees—goodwill referrals. Get out and talk to as many
people as you can. Join organizations that would have clients for
your product or service. Become a visible part of your market,
and then ask for the sale. You begin the sales process with peo-
ple that you know. Yes, it’s okay to start with friends and family
as your first customers, and then broaden from there.
4. Aim for Growth. The basic tenant of creating a company is that you own the
company. You are not just creating a job for yourself. It’s less
risk and less investment to get a job. Building a business is
creating a company that is more than the job itself. Think about
the future. How large do you want the company to be in terms
of sales, net profit and employees? Your answer to each of these
questions will influence how you grow. There are varying costs
and profits associated with growth. It’s important to make a
deliberate choice early about how you want to grow your
company.
5. Leverage Opportunities. Good luck. Good fortune. Good timing. All play a part in
business. As a business owner, be very clear about your core
focus for the business and how it serves clients. Your core
business is what pays the bills. Then, as an entrepreneur you are
about opportunity. When you see a potential opportunity or
stroke of luck measure it against your core business focus. Good
fortune is great, when it matches your vision for the business.
Always consider if a good opportunity is the right fit for your
business. If something looks great, but it’s not in sync with your
long-term plan and budget, think carefully before committing
your company’s resources.
Take advantage of good opportunities that make sense for you
long term. A perfect example is McDonalds. Ray Krock started
a small business that became a large franchise network with a
consistent product, consistent systems and an ability to seize
opportunities such as the Arch card and offering healthy salads
to meet the interests of today's consumers.
6. Plan Your Exit. Someday you may want to sell your business or retire from busi-
ness. Today, ask yourself what’s next? How can I have an asset
in the future that someone will buy? If you are going to sell
someday, you have to have something to sell—a plan, vision,
business on the books, equipment and systems. Whether you
have been in business for one week, one year or 15 years—look
ahead to what the business itself will be as an asset. Your busi-
ness has value, value you are creating today. To sell or distribute
equity in the business you need to have it down on paper and
keep good financials. Know the worth of your business, so you
can know the value it can bring to your future wealth and/or
retirement.
Paul Kopelcheck is the Past Board Chair of SCORE
“Counselors to America’s Small Business.” Kopelcheck started,
grew and sold his own business. Currently he resides in Hilton
Head, South Carolina and serves on the boards of numerous
community and charitable organizations.
Brought to you by SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Busi-
For the seventh year, the village of Red Hook has received national recognition and has been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to commu-nity forestry.
The village is also the recipient of a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating progress in its community forestry program in the following activity areas: education and public relations; com-munitywide tree event; continuing education for tree managers and a utility partnership.
The village has met the four (4) standards to become a Tree City USA community: having a tree board or department; having a tree care ordinance; having a comprehensive community forestry program and observing Arbor Day.
The Tree City USA Program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
