Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel
Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

In This Issue
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS
THOUGHTS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
2014 CHAMBER MAP ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS
GOLF TOURNAMENT
MEMBER NEWS
OTHER NEWS
Member News February 2014

THANK YOU TO OUR NEWSLETTER SPONSORS

 

 

 

 

   

 

   

  

  

                   
We welcome the following businesses who joined the Chamber over the last several months:

 

January
Graceful Recovery
O'Reilly Auto Parts
Women, Work, and Community
York County Toastmasters
 
December
Bank of America
Bennett's Store, Inc.
Hartwell House Inn
Melissa's Mighty Finds
Ogunquit Museum of American Art
 
November
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
GymNation
Port Yoga
Spurling Training Systems
 
October
Kennebunk Toy Co.
Robert Zuke Builders
Stem to Stern
Tanger Outlet Centers

     We thank all of our members for their support and commitment to the Chamber's mission.
  
 
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

 

February 19

Business Before Hours

7:30am - 9:00am
Simple Strategies for E-Mail Marketing
Presented by Nathan O'Leary from
Mainely SEO
Held at Chamber Office

February 27

Business After Hours

5:30pm - 7:30pm
Habitat for Humanity's ReStore

March 19
Business After Hours
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Weirs Motors

March 31
Business Seminar
10:00am - 1:00pm
Cash Flow Workshop
Presented by the Maine Center for Women, Work, and Community
Held at Chamber Office

 

    

  
 Congratulations to the Kennebunkport Business Association for another successful Christmas Prelude™!
 It was enjoyed by many! 

 

   

  

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2013-2014 Board of Directors
  

Chair 

David "Duffy" Cluff

Duffy's Tavern & Grill

 

Vice-Chair

Laura Dolce

York County Coast Star 

 

Secretary

 Christopher Doiron

Biddeford Savings Bank

 

Treasurer

Eileen Brogli

Kennebunk Investment Services

 

Past Chair

Sarah Lindblom

Captain Jefferds Inn

 

Senior Trustees

 Vicki Lyons

Southern ME Medical Center

 

Todd Shea

Town of Arundel

 

Board Members

 

Michelle Moore Allen

Bath Fitter of Maine

 

Mark Birmingham

Coldwell-Banker 

 

Sandra Bisson

Peoples United Bank

 

Eric Brodar

Inn at English Meadows

 

 Damien Callahan

Port Inn Kennebunk

 

Kim Chilton

Bank of America

 

Hydi Dixon

HydiDrive

  

Beth Geary

Kennebunkport Resort Collection

 

Tina Hewett-Gordon

The Nonantum Resort

 

Kerrie Leclair

Animal Welfare Society

 

Bill Macdonald

Home Check in Maine

 

Ken Mason

Seaside Inn

 

 Michelle McNeil Brown, MBA

Accountant

 

Matthew Williams

Hodsdon & Ayer

 

Rick Wolf

The B&B Team

 

Linda Zuke

Weirs Motors

 

Staff

 

Denise Clavette

Executive Director

director@visitthekennebunks.com 

 

Traci Freed

Membership & Marketing Manager

members@visitthekennebunks.com 

 

Dawn Brennan-Daly

Operations Coordinator

info@visitthekennebunks.com 

 
Rindy Cluff

Carol Copeland

Ken Meier

Debbie Nelson

Information Center Staff

 

 

 

 

ARE YOU FOLLOWING US ON

SOCIAL MEDIA? 

  

  

  

Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce

 

  

Administrative Offices & Tourism Information  Center

16 Water Street

 Downtown Kennebunk

 

Tourism Information Center

1 Chase Hill Rd

Lower Village Kennebunk

  

Mailing Address

PO Box 740

Kennebunk, ME 04043

 

 

www.visitthekennebunks.com 

info@visitthekennebunks.com 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 THOUGHTS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

 

For many of us, the winter season is spent reflecting on the past year, celebrating successes, looking at opportunities and planning for the busy season. The Board of Directors and staff at the Chamber are no different. The Chamber offers Business After Hours, Business Before Hours, business seminars and events, and as importantly, is here to help your business, the community and to connect businesses with resources.

 

The Chamber is moving forward and you will see positive happenings in the next several months including:

  • a new re-designed, responsive and interactive website;
  • destination marketing to show the exceptional place we live, work and play in;
  • help our communities with strategies for business and economic development;
  • member visits;
  • and, membership engaged in a strategic planning process.

With an open-door philosophy, the Chamber welcomes you to stop by. We would love to hear from you. If you have ideas, concerns, or need help navigating through business resources and information, feel free to call me or set up a time to meet. I would be more than happy to help.

 

 ADVERTISE ON THE 2014 CHAMBER MAP

   

 The 2014 Chamber Map is a great opportunity to promote your business to visitors and new residents to the area.  The color map has a circulation of 13,000 and highlights local attractions, beaches, hiking trails and boat launches.  With an expanded detail of Ocean Avenue, Dock Square and Lower Village, the map provides excellent driving and walking directions.

 

Advertising Rates

$499 for single block ad

$998 for double block ad

 

Ad Specs

Full color (CMYK)

2.25" wide by 2" tall

 

Deadline

February 14, 2014

 

For more information or to reserve your space, contact Traci Freed 

at 967-0857 or  members@visitthekennebunks.com 

BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS 

 

Join us for an educational session on February 19th

 

Nathan O'Leary, the owner of Mainely SEO and an authorized local expert for Constant Contact will be presenting at our next Business Before Hours event on February 19th at 7:30 am. 

 

Simple Strategies for Email Marketing 
  This information-packed seminar will show you how email marketing will help drive your business success.  Discover how consistent, permission-based communication with your customers will help you stay connected, increase referrals, and generate repeat sales and unwavering customer loyalty. This program gives you a concise but comprehensive overview of how easy it is to create and send professional-looking email newsletters and promotions. 

 

The seminar will be held at the Chamber office and the cost is $5 for members and $10 for non-members.

  

Registration for this event closes at 20 attendees so register early by contacting the Chamber at 967-0857 or members@visitthekennebunks.com.

  

 

 

 

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS   

 

Thank you for joining us!

 

We were pleased to have two Business After Hours events in January.  Thank you to Arundel Ford and Huntington Common for hosting these events and to all members who attended.

 

There are still dates available for members to host Business After Hours.  Please contact the Chamber at members@visitthekennebunks.com if you are interested.

  

  
 MEMBER NEWS
 

 

Mail-It Unlimited Celebrates 25th Anniversary 

 

It all started on March 3, 1989 at 50 Main Street, Kennebunk. Mail-It Unlimited began its journey in a 600 sq. ft. store offering only simple pack & shipping service as well as photocopies and faxing. By the late '90's the store front had doubled in size to 1200 sq. ft. In the fall of 1999, Mail-It Unlimited made an unplanned move to Shoppers Village. That move allowed the continued growth of the business over the past 15 years. We now begin to celebrate our 25th year in our 6500 sq. ft. store with award winning packaging and shipping services and one of the largest gift stores in Southern Maine.

 

We want to thank our loyal customers for their support. Our success, past, present and future depends on you. Come help us celebrate March 3rd through March 7th. Follow us on Facebook for details

 

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Gorham Savings Bank's LaunchPad Competition

                   

   Calling all entrepreneurs!  You know that great idea you've been sitting on?  It could be worth $30,000.  Enter the Gorham Savings Bank Launchpad business contest by February 14, 2014 at www.gorhamsavingsbank.com/Launchpad.

 

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Women, Work, and Community Class Offerings

 

Women, Work, and Community offers classes for York and Cumberland Counties.  Topics include career planning, financial planning and the basics for starting a business. The winter/spring schedule is available here.

 

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The Wayfarer Featured in The Portland Press Herald

 

The Wayfarer in Cape Porpoise was featured in Dine Out Maine in the The Portland Press Herald.  Read the full article here.

 

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River Tree Arts Announces Winter Schedule

 

River Tree Arts announces their new winter schedule. The Winter Term for all classes at River Tree Arts started the week of January 13th. RTA has a new expanded adult catalogue, which includes sewing, watercolor, landscape acrylics, graphic novels, and drawing club. Also there are evening art parties for adults, which is a way to have fun with a group of people and let loose.

 

New River Tree Kids classes include Creative Kids on Mondays, Ukulele Club and Circus Arts on Tuesdays and a Saturday preschool dance class, in addition to existing theater dance art & music classes during the week. For middle school students, we are offering Altered Books, Drawing Club, Stage Door and Music Theory. Some classes are held at MSK, with late bus dismissal. Students can arrive at RTA by school bus from within the RSU 21 district. Kennebunkport students will arrive on Bus #14; all Kennebunk students will arrive on bus #2.

 

For the full class schedule, events and gallery calendar, please visit www.rivertreearts.org or call 967-9120.

  

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The Hive Hosts Drumbalaya Drum Circle

 

The Hive will host Drumbalaya drum circle on 2nd Saturdays, starting February 8th at 3pm. 

 

Well-behaved, attentive children of ALL ages (adults included) are welcome. Our circle is freestyle meaning that it is not a led experience, but a shared musical event.

  

Extra drums and rhythm toys are available for use. Admission is free. Hope to see you there!

 

For information, contact: Karen Banning at karen.banning@caringcompanion.net 

 

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Biddeford Memory Cafe

 

Karen Banning, Director at Caring Companion Home Care, will be leading the Biddeford Memory Cafe, 2nd Thursdays, 11am at Elements cafe in Biddeford. 

 

Both Karen and Ken Capron, founder of the cafes, will be featured on Zaffie Hadiaris' TV program this Friday to discuss the program. Check Channel 3's website for repeated program times.

 

"Memory Caf�s are places where persons with Alzheimer's or a related dementia can go with their care partners to just socialize and have fun with other people going through similar things. At a memory caf�, people can relax and just be themselves, knowing that no one judges them and all who are there are going through almost the same things that they go through every day. A Memory Caf� has no real agenda or stated purpose except to enjoy each other's company. Sometimes the group may decide that it wants to have speakers or an educational component, or do special activities like go to museums or music recitals. Some memory caf�'s are built around a concept like the arts, or to do a charitable act. Each memory caf� around the country is different; all are grass roots efforts to assist the person with dementia and their care partner to have a good day.The first cafe opened in the Netherlands in 1997. Dr. Miesen later helped the UK start their cafes in 2000. The first Alzheimer's Cafe in the US started in 2008 in Santa Fe, NM."

 

Website: http://memoryworks.org 

Contact: Ken Capron, 797-7891, kcapron1@maine.rr.com 

 

    

OTHER NEWS 

 

 Help Spread the Word about IRS Free File

 

The IRS needs your help to spread the word about a free tax prep program for your employees, clients and customers. Free File offers free, brand-name software for individuals or families that made $58,000 or less last year. That's 70 percent of Americans. For people who made more, there's Free File Fillable Forms. Free File is available January 17 through October 15 at IRS.gov/freefile.

 

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Online Training from the U.S. Small Business Administration

 

The Small Business Administration is offering online training this month on various topics, including Contracting for Veteran Entrepreneurs, Twitter Chat for Young Entrepreneurs and Success with Online Reviews from Yelp and SBA.  Learn more here.