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SANDWICH BUSINESS GROUP
MINUTES
December 7, 2009
ATTENDING
Ben Adriance, Don Brown, Patsy Carega, Julie Deak, Diane Johnson, Bob MacArthur, Nancy Morton, Don Sutton
Chairman Don Brown called the meeting to order at 8:50 a.m. at Mocha Rizing.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Don B noted that the correct time of the Micro Credit networking meeting on December 9th should be 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The minutes of the November 2, 2009 meeting were approved as corrected.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Julie reported a balance as of December 6th of $2,904.02 plus an outstanding receivable of $123.75. The Treasurer’s report was approved.
OLD BUSINESS
Halloween Festivities
- Leo Green submitted a bill for $100 for Halloween candy, which we had agreed to support.
Christmas Fair
- Overall the event was upbeat, and vendors were pleased.
- Horse drawn carriage ride
- SBG had agreed to support at least one day @ $500 and the crafts people wanted to support a second day. Don was able to negotiate a rate of $870 for both days. Don B wrote a check to John Knight for $800. Crafts people came up with $430. Donations totaling $75 and a check for $100 from last year meant that the net cost to SBG for the carriage rides was $195.
- Don’s impression is that it’s a good idea to have the horse drawn carriage both days. However, the cost is substantial. We might become more proactive as SBG to attract more people to town. Patsy noted that overall the attendance on Sunday was much lower; although many people who had visited on Saturday returned on Sunday. Should we consider consolidating to Saturday?
- We agreed that there are ways to communicate more effectively. For examples, having someone assigned to the carriage to there was no one on the wagon to inform riders about town businesses and other resources. Nobody understood that they could pick up the wagon at any stop. Better communication. Provide maps that include the various stops.
Christmas tree lighting
- Nancy reported there was sparse attendance at the tree lighting. It had started to snow an hour before and it was felt that some people were concerned about getting home. Nancy suggested having an appearance by Santa as part of the festivities.
Other activities
- The ladies aid lunch went very well. Historical society was very pleased. Garden club sold their usual amount. We are competing with many events in surrounding towns. Breakfast with Santa was a little bit ahead of last year.
- We agreed to address Christmas in the Village next year at our first post summer meeting.
ONGOING BUSINESS
Winter Carnival, January 30th
Nancy Morton shared the following list of events for winter carnival.
- Snow sculpture contest for kids and adults
- Kids snow shoe race
- Sandwich Sidehillers 4 mile snowshoe race.
- Ice carving on the steps of the town hall
- Activities at the ice rink, including public skating and trivia questions
- Chile contest upstairs at Town Hall
- Bonfire – Christmas trees welcome
- 3 on 3 basketball tourney for families (looking for gift certificates for the winners)
- Battle of the bands at Town Hall
- Scavenger Hunt
Don S inquired if this is a Sandwich only affair? It is, although other people are welcome, and it has always been open to the public. Don noted that if we promoted the event to a larger audience, we might attract more folks to come to Sandwich.
Don B asked Nancy if there are ways that SBG can help. She would appreciate help with advertising and encouraging residents and businesses in town to get involved in snow sculptures. Depending on the conditions we could encourage a sculpture contest. We discussed the possibility of including horse drawn sleigh demonstrations or rides.
Sled Dog Race, February 20th
At our last meeting SBG approved support of the Sled Dog Race through a Lead Dog sponsorship of $150. We have not yet sent them a check. Julie will forward the check and completed form.
SBG Annual Meeting
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday January 27th beginning at 6:30 p.m. As in past years the cost will be$15 per person for food and non-alcoholic beverages.
UPCOMING BUSINESS FORUMS AND NETWORK EVENTS:
- December 9th at Corner House Inn at 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Micro-credit networking meeting led by Janet Cote, MicroCredit-NH Regional Manager. Registration is required. Contact Janet at (603) 620-0319 or jcote@microcreditnh.org . Light refreshments will be offered.
- December 10th at Squam Lakes Science Center at 8:00 a.m.: Squam Lakes Chamber will sponsor a presentation on Current Lending Policies to Business Owners. Sue Perry, VP of Commercial Lending for Northway Bank, will be the speaker. RSVP at 968-4494.
- December 13th from 1:00-4:00 Bear Camp Valley Garden Club is holding its holiday house tour. Tickets are $20 available in advance at Mocha Rizing. Homes featured in the tour include 324 Wentworth Hill, 7 Maple Street, 711 Mount Israel Road, and 147 Quaker Whiteface Road.
- January 13th 4-6 p.m. at Boyd auditorium at Plymouth State University: Social Media Workshop sponsored by the Central NH Chambers.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Marketing Committee
Don S reported on the committee meeting in November. The committee reviewed last year’s approaches to see if we needed to increase dues. They felt that last year’s marketing initiatives were on target. Our distribution plan was effective and we should do it again this year. The committee recommends repeating last year’s plan, and, depending on increases in the costs of printing and distribution over last year there is no need to increase membership fees.
The committee also discussed ways to incorporate Elizabeth MacRelish’s suggestions regarding web site and internet enhancements. Diane noted that the more time her column appears somewhere, the easier it is for the search engines to connect with SBG. We discussed putting a YouTube video on the web. We could ask for a volunteer at the annual meeting to write a blog. Julie recommended developing our internet presence.
Don S. thinks it would be a great idea to see if it would be possible to put a Discover Sandwich bill board in the parking lot of the Old Country Store in Moultonborough. Julie suggested that we consider reaching out to tour busses.
Nominating Committee
Don Sutton and Patsy Carega served as the nominating committee for next year’s officers. They have had conversations with many folks, but are not yet ready to announce the proposed slate.
NEXT MEETING
The next SBG meeting will be January 4, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. at Mocha Rizing.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 a.m.
SECOND CUP CONVERSATIONS
After a brief break Elizabeth MacRelish led an enthusiastic and informative discussion of internet marketing for small businesses.
Respectfully Submitted,
Bob MacArthur
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