Mid Michigan Second Wave writer Julia Woehrer chatted with
Clare Area Chamber of Commerce manager Lisa McCartney about the challenges of being a new manger, the impact of the Amish on the local economy and the importance of helping local businesses thrive.
Mid Michigan Second Wave: You have only been chamber manager for a few months. What obstacles have you overcome transitioning into this position and what successes have you had thus far?
Lisa McCartney: It’s always hard to pick up where others left off. Styles are different, ideas are different, direction is different, the list can go on and on. I have re-branded the chamber by creating a new logo, overhauling the website and monthly newsletter and trying to get back to promoting area businesses. I want to provide business owners with ideas on how to reach their customers better and provide contacts who can help market their businesses.
MMSW: The chamber offers many benefits to its members, including the Roundtable Referral Program. Tell me more about this networking group.
LM: Members of the ROB (Referrals over Breakfast) group benefit from networking opportunities that maximize the referral of their business. This is based on relationship marketing, passing leads to others, giving testimonials and networking.
MMSW: Are Amish businesses members of the chamber?
LM: We do have chamber members who are Amish. We also "feature" Amish-owned businesses since people are so fascinated by their way of life. We have a listing and map of the businesses that shows where to find them, since many are off the beaten path.
MMSW: You list a variety of Amish-owned businesses as members including Yoder’s Buggy Shop, Colonville Harness Shop and Surrey Road Quilt Shop. How does having a strong Amish community in the county help the local economy?
LM: Tourism. Many people come into the area to shop at the Amish businesses. John Henry Yoder also hosts the quilt auction and flea market twice a year which brings in 500 vendors and thousands of spectators.
MMSW: The 19th annual
Horse Progress Days are coming up June 29 and 30 in Clare. Tell me a little bit more about this event and why it is important to local farmers to be able to attend an event like this.
LM: This event rotates between five states in the Midwest and comes to Michigan every six years. This events serves those who care for horses, use horse drawn equipment or are interested in those. The presenters at this event provide education in horse training, feeding and care. This allows people to come together and network providing them with information regarding horse care and farming with horses.
MMSW: Tell me about Clare’s
Summer Fest which takes place the weekend before the Fourth of July.
LM: Summer Fest is an annual one-day festival, held in Shamrock Park, where families can enjoy free hotdogs provided by Witbeck’s Family Foods, a free kids’ carnival hosted by the Baptist Church and fireworks at dark. About 4,000 people attend this free family event.
MMSW: What are the key things that draw visitors to the county?
LM: Clare County offers quite a variety of outdoor activities. We have golf courses, a ski hill, mountain bike trails, the rail trail, a four-wheel-drive park and of course lots of land for hunting. We also host many events throughout the year that attract many visitors. Coming up in August, the
Old 27 Car Tour makes a stop in Clare for the night. The Car Tour promoters are expecting 500 cars to participate this year. That evening Clare will host its weekly concert in the park and farm and arts market and also our
Brew Fest.
MMSW: How many members does the chamber have? How many do you hope to add in the next year?
LM: We currently have just over 140 members. I am planning a campaign drive for new members this fall to increase our membership base.
MMSW: What are some of the biggest obstacles that local businesses in the area face?
LM: Big box stores and the Internet. The businesses with the most success have figured out how to tap into the specialty market and offer things that are unique and may not be available anywhere else.
MMSW: Tell me about a local business that has fared exceptionally well despite the recent recession.
LM: Cops and Doughnuts Bakery. Every successful business knows how to market their business and having a good product helps, too.
MMSW: Was the chamber able to provide encouragement or additional assistance during the recent economic recession?
LM: The chamber has been going through changes and is refocusing on members and small business. We have been creating seminars promoting small business and resources available to them, many of them free. The chamber is also functioning on a very limited budget and I want the area businesses to see that marketing and promotion can be done for free or at very little cost.
MMSW: What are some of your ideas for promoting the chamber?
LM: It’s not about promoting the chamber, it’s about promoting the local businesses. Right now I am trying to put the chamber on a track where it is the place for business owners to turn for information. I think it has been a while since that was the purpose of the chamber and it is going to take a lot of proving to business owners that a change needs to happen.
MMSW: How do you plan to increase the chamber’s online presence?
LM: We launched a new
website in April. It seems to be well received because our hits have increased about 300 percent. We have also changed our weekly e-newsletter and are trying to keep content fresh. Any business that sends us information on what they have going on, we post and promote it. It’s one way for businesses to get free advertising. Social media hasn’t had as big a reception, but we will continue to post and hopefully that will be another avenue to reach people.
MMSW: Tell me about yourself. How did you get to where you are today?
LM: I grew up in the central Michigan area and attended college at CMU. My background is in graphic design and public relations. I have spent time working and volunteering with non-profit organizations. I have worked with budgets that have forced me to be creative with advertising. I understand how to promote and get noticed when your budget doesn’t allow for it. I think that knowledge is highly beneficial for me to reach out to the area businesses and get them to understand they don’t need a huge budget to promote their business. I want these businesses to succeed; it’s what keeps our city vibrant and that can’t go away.
MMSW: What are your hopes for the future of the chamber?
LM: I would like to see more programs to benefit the business owner. We are starting a new program to shop local on the second Saturday of the month. We are still working through the details and hope to launch it in July. I am also hoping to run a membership drive for new members in the fall. This was done in the past, but has been dropped. I really think this needs to come back to not only increase our membership but also get the chamber representatives into the community and show business owners support.
Editor's Note: This interview was edited and condensed.
Julia Woehrer is a freelance writer and photographer. She attended the School of Art and Design at Northern Michigan University where she concentrated in photography and minored in journalism. She volunteers at a local no-kill cat shelter and enjoys spending time with her cats, Bella and Macy.