NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS & OPPORTUNITIES
Happy Holidays to you, your staff, families, and friends alike! With December here, New Year is just around the corner. With that comes not only a new year, but new beginnings and new opportunities. A fresh start, and a busy start with season arriving. Marathon has its own new beginnings with a new Mayor (Dick Ramsay), new Councilman Mark Senmartin, new hotels and attractions being built, and more.
With all these positive and encouraging changes come opportunities. These opportunities come in the form of marketing/advertising, operational, and physical. The marketing and advertising opportunities come from new businesses being added to our community. Restaurants, hotels, customs at MTH Airport, attractions, etc. will all impact your current business. Determining how to add to or alter your marketing plans to include these new facilities will be important to getting the word out about your business. Use any cross-promotional marketing opportunities that apply, as well as using these new facilities (when built/operational) to help advertise your business. In addition, there will be operational opportunities for your business as well. Whether hiring additional staff to accommodate increased work demands, or fine tuning staffs’ responsibilities to be more efficient and effective as a business; use this to improve your business and do not perceive as something you just “have to do or as stressful;” therefore, take full advantage of the situation.
Lastly, there will be physical opportunities to improve the appeal, look, layout, etc. of your business. It is amazing what a coat of paint can do, as well as some landscaping. With all these great new businesses opening up there will be more competition, so it is important for everyone to “up their game” so to speak. As JFK said, “a rising tide lifts all boats,” so be sure to once again look at this as an opportunity to further improve your business; whether in the three ways just discussed above, or in any other way not mentioned in this letter. Improving the physical appearance of your business will help you to stand out from the crowd, and after all, we all want to “stand out” from our competition and just in general.
It has been another great year for your Marathon Chamber of Commerce, as well as for Marathon and the Middle Keys! I hope we have fulfilled our promise to you, our valued member; to promote, support, and advocate for your business. We are always trying to improve ourselves, and if you have any ideas on how we can better serve your business please do not hesitate to let me know.
The Marathon Chamber Board of Directors, staff, and I are all committed to working for and with you and your staff. Please be sure to get involved in our beneficial programs; ask questions, and let your Marathon Chamber work for you. Have an amazing (and safe) Holidays and New Year!
Most Respectfully,
CEO
Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce
(305) 743-5417
ceo@floridakeysmarathon.com
www.FloridaKeysMarathon.com