Marketing Northwest Arkansas as an entrepreneurial hub

If you've spent more than a minute in Northwest Arkansas, you know it's the place to be. Unfortunately, it's often an uphill battle selling this idea to outsiders, but the proof is in the pudding: once people visit our community and spend a little time here, they get it.

Similarly, if you're remotely familiar with Northwest Arkansas, you know that our region attracts some of the very best and brightest for careers with Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt Transportation and local outposts for hundreds of internationally-recognized Consumer Product Companies such as Kraft, Coca-Cola, Unilever and 3M. The caliber of these world-class companies make Northwest Arkansas an undiscovered gem for innovative people, ideas and cutting-edge development.

This October, Rogers will host the region's first Startup Weekend to bring developers, startup and dotcom enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists, legal minds and entrepreneurs together for a one-of-a-kind event. Startup Weekend is an intensive, 54-hour event held in cities worldwide to encourage and incubate business propositions and startup projects. Typically held in cities such as Seattle, Washington (where a recent Startup Weekend event was hosted at the Google offices), the events are hosted in areas known for their critical mass of technology infrastructure, emerging talent and entrepreneurial spirit.

Attendees will will descend upon the University of Arkansas Global Campus in Rogers for NWA Startup Weekend on October 2 – 4. Throughout the weekend, individuals with diverse backgrounds, skill sets and work/life experience pitch, tweak and solidify business propositions, with events often resulting in as many as half a dozen viable projects which teams may pursue
beyond the weekend. Attendees range from 35 to 200+ depending on location.

While a startup venture is the technical goal, many attendees attend for the opportunity to mingle and learn from others and for the intense experience, which may supplement their current career or support them in future endeavors. Many employers support the participation of their employees, understanding that the event stimulates innovation which may benefit the attendee’s current company.

The NWA Startup Weekend will be presented by Rockfish Interactive(www.rockfishinteractive.com) at the University of Arkansas Global Campus at the Arkansas World Trade Center in Rogers (http://globalcampus.uark.edu/). Tickets are $75 per person for the entire weekend (including meals) and are available at http://nwarkansas.startupweekend.org. A limited number of opportunities for companies desiring to meet and mingle with highly-motivated entrepreneurs in a dynamic, intimate setting are available through meal sponsorship for attendees. The Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce serves as a partner and catalyst in bringing this unique event to Northwest Arkansas.

To say the least, we can't wait for this meeting of the minds. Get your tickets, tell a genius you know to attend or simply follow event updates on Twitter: @NWAStartupWknd.

Dive into social media to better your business!

It's been very gratifying to be able to serve our members by brokering information about social media as an absolutely free marketing tool to grow their businesses. This is a no-brainer for the Chamber, since we have always positioned ourselves as a clearinghouse of information for our member businesses. It's exciting to see our staff helping both members and the general public understand these tools.

In fact, literally as I type this I am listening to our Director of Workforce and Small Business, Gretchen Laffoon, explain to a job seeker that LinkedIn is an "online resume that is changing the face of job hunting." I agree - think of it as your virtual business card.

To many, social media is written off as the fad of the day. In fact, an article by Steve Millard in the Summer 2009 issue of Chamber Executive magazine regarding social media reads:

The topic might surface at a staff meeting, or in a board discussion, or at a workshop... and all of a sudden, someone is saying how their chamber needs to do this "social media thing." The twenty-something program coordinator looks up with a glimmer in her eye - after all, it's about time! The senior leaders and volunteer leaders over fifty arch their eyebrows and wonder aloud what the value of getting involved with this new type of tool will be, while those in between are both excited and vexed about what it all means for their chamber and their members.

Here's the next sentence in Millard's article, and it is a gem:

These are the same types of conversations we were having just ten to fifteen years ago regarding websites and email! And in most cases, we all came through that evolution reasonably well.

At the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, we don't see social media as a way to make a buck or position ourselves as expert in something we are not. We DO see an absolutely incredible opportunity to serve our members by offering easy, painless access to information (in layman's terms!) on how to use social media to the benefit of your business. While there are plenty of purely social sites out there, we focus on what works for professionals and businesses.

And here's the caveat: we're not tech wizards or media experts, but we do know where you're coming from. Let us help you navigate the social media waters (and save you plenty of time in doing so). Whether you've explored these tools a little or don't have the foggiest idea what they are and how to use them, this is a learning environment for every level. Join us at our next workshop on July 24 by registering here: http://rogerslowellarcoc.weblinkconnect.com/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=3139.

Grow Your Business Without Spending Money and Time!

Sound too good to be true? Wait until you see what we have up our sleeves for our member businesses to help you survive and thrive in this economy. We understand that as much as you’d like to attend seminars and attend networking events, it’s hard to justify leaving your business to grow your business. We get it!

In 2008, we launched BuyNWA, an initiative to support local businesses and stimulate the economy (visit www.BuyNWA.biz for more information). We promised phase two of BuyNWA in early 2009… here it is! We’ve launched half a dozen FREE new for our member businesses:

1. $$ BusinessConnect Tool
We receive dozens of requests from individuals seeking catering, printing, meeting space, you name it. Now those bids and requests will be online so YOU can respond! Members and the public may fill out the BusinessConnect Request on www.RogersLowell.com, and requests are posted on our website and e-mailed to appropriate member businesses! For more information: http://tinyurl.com/dxvfuc.

2. Member AID Videos
No matter how much you’d love to attend our seminars to help your business, you can’t leave your business to attend, right? Soon you’ll be able to view online videos on advertising seminars, workshops and technology to benefit your business - stay tuned!

3. Member News
You’ve got exciting news, and you want to tell our other 2,010 member businesses! Let everyone know about a new office, an open house or a prestigious award! Member News updates are posted online, and links are sent to our 2,750 weekly e-mail recipients. For more information on submitting news or to read current news: http://tinyurl.com/cwp9ym.

4. LinkedIn
Use the fastest-growing online professional network in the world to build your business and show your credibility – link to the Rogers-Lowell Chamber profile! People are more likely to do business with chamber members, and you can benefit from our connections! Members, join our group here: http://www.linkedin.com/groupRegistration?gid=1823711.

5. Twitter
It’s a little cutting edge, but the possibilities are endless. Follow the Chamber’s “tweets” on Twitter, and stumble on new connections and ideas in the process! Trust us, you have to try it to understand it! http://twitter.com/RLACC

6. Chamber Blog
Wait, you're already onto this! Follow informal, conversational posts on our newest efforts and ideas through the Rogers-Lowell Chamber blog. What’s in it for you? Up-to-the-minute information and a chance to give us feedback on what works, and what else you need to succeed! http://rogerslowellchamber.blogspot.com/

That was a lot to process, wasn’t it? Don’t worry if you’re confused or overwhelmed – we promise, it’s all easier than it sounds! Just call us and we will (slowly!) walk you through all of these new membership tools. We’re also offering free workshops to explore these topics. For more information, contact Beth Stephens (479.619.3192 or beth@rogerslowell.com).