Thursday, April 3, 2014

NWA Emerging Leaders Roll Out Mastermind Groups



By: Whitney Yoder
Vice-President of Development
Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce
 

NWA Emerging Leaders is committed to personal and professional development for emerging talent in our region.  That is evidenced by a new program rolling out in April; Legacy Mastermind Groups.  Mastermind Groups bring a combination of brainstorming, education, peer accountability, and support in a group setting to sharpen business and personal skills.  In short, belonging to a mastermind group helps you and your fellow group members grow and achieve success.  

Here are some of the great benefits that come with participating in a Mastermind Group:
  1. You’ll be part of an exclusive community, a small, tightly knit group of like-minded peers all working toward similar objectives;
  2. Advisement.  You’ll lose that feeling of being alone as a business person as the other members of the group turn into your informal advisory board;
  3. Collaboration.  You may find someone in the group who is a perfect fit for a project you’re working on.  How great would it be to find that missing person you’ve been seeking?;
  4. Extend your network.  People do business with people they know, like, and trust, and these mastermind groups are great ways to build your network by making new, trusted friends;
  5. New learning.  Even if you’ve been in your field for years and years, and are an industry expert, you’ll still learn new things from the experiences and perspectives of your new friends;
  6. Cross-promotion.  Your business will benefit as you and your group members find ways to work together and cross promote each other’s services to your respective client, customer, and vendor groups;
  7. Think bigger.  One of the greatest benefits of mastermind groups, brainstorming on a regular basis with a group of driven, intelligent people is going to make you a bigger person.  You will think bigger, take on bigger challenges, and grow into a bigger person
Mastermind groups encourage you to challenge yourself and others to set and accomplish important goals, but to be successful members have to be willing to commit, listen, and give their best to each participant.

These aren’t classes; they’re not networking groups; and they’re not coaching.  They’re simply you and a group of highly committed peers engaging to make each other better.  

In the business world, author Napoleon Hill, who wrote the famous book “Think and Grow Rich”, says mastermind groups are the basis for every great fortune, and that great power can be accumulated through no other principle.

Not everyone who joins a mastermind group wants to become rich or powerful, but Hill’s comment points to the power of what can happen when a group of committed individuals focus their energy on helping each other grow.

Groups are forming now, so to make sure you have the opportunity to get your own personal advisory board.  Currently over 100 people have signed up to participate in a group.  The program kicks-off with a luncheon on April 23, 2014.  For more information or to sign-up contact Whitney Yoder at 479-619-3197.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

RLACC Releases Community Assessment Report

By: Brad Phillips
Vice-President, Marketing Communications
Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce



The Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the City of Rogers and the City of Lowell released to the public its Community Assessment report, a detailed examination of the Rogers-Lowell area as a place to live, work and do business.  The Assessment leverages quantitative and qualitative research conducted during Phase 1 of the six-month, four-phase strategic planning process to update the vision for a new Community Action Plan.  This Community Assessment completes phase two of the project, delivers a comprehensive overview of the trends and challenges facing Rogers-Lowell in 2014 and beyond, and within the context of residents' vision for the future and the implications of regional development.  The visioning process culminates later this year with the development of a Community Action Plan and Implementation Guidelines.

The Assessment reveals a community and region that has experienced rapid population growth, driven predominately by young couples and their children.  These families are attracted to a community that is centrally located within the region, home to relatively high quality public schools and offers comparatively affordable single-family housing.  The Assessment also reveals a place that has seen enormous growth in its Hispanic population;  residents want to ensure that Rogers doesn't become a segregated community socioeconomically along racial and ethnic lines.  Residents of all races and ethnicities indicated that they are proud of the fact that the community is welcoming and want to ensure that the community is united.  

The community is also a place that has experienced a great deal of economic transition within
a relatively resilient and growing regional economy.  Retail and professional services have emerged while manufacturing and distribution have remained a key component of the economy. Continued growth has given rise to concerns from residents about traffic, transportation and other issues.  "Residents wonder what the future of the community will hold for them, their children, and their businesses," said Raymond Burns, President/CEO of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce.  "They wonder if the next generation will be attracted to the amenities that are currently available.  Will there be an abundant supply of young, skilled workers to support diversified economic growth?  What will Downtown Rogers look like in the future, and will it be a place that young residents want to visit?"




Market Street Services, based in Atlanta, is facilitating the process for development of the
new, Community Action Plan. The Plan will build upon the history and success of past
strategic planning efforts such as Vision 2025 community's future.  The development consists
of four phases:  Stakeholder Input(complete), Community Assessment(complete), Community Action Plan and Implementation Guidelines. The process will last approximately six months
and is set to conclude in July 2014.

The Community Assessment report may be accessed at http://www.rogerslowellvision.com/project_downloads.html