Put your business face(book) on

I ignored the facebook buzz for months, assuming it was a dumb kid thing, or another Myspace type site to stay away from. The first time I really looked at it was after Rob Wells brought it up last year at a chamber meeting, but that still didn’t convince me to pay it any attention. Shamefully, I have to admit that what finally made me sign into it was wanting a farm on Farmtown like my co-worker had.

Facebook gives you a mini web presence for yourself and your business and allows you to connect with friends, other people in the community or people with similar interests. Information you share is posted immediately on your friend’s and fan’s news feeds. You can post pictures of new arrivals, remind people of sale dates, and link to merchandise sites or to your web site to give people more information.

Once I found my way around the site, the potential as a local business tool became obvious. Facebook allows you to create a page for your business and share news about your business with fans immediately- and at no cost. It won’t replace other forms of advertising, but it can be used with it to reach people you might miss with an ad, or to remind people of sales you are running, or to create an immediate interest in a new item.

There are a good number of Wallace businesses that have a facebook page. BrandSource, One Peacock Place, Art of Hope, Fancy Farmer, Farrior’s, Peek-a-BooTique, Willa’s Florist & Gifts, Polka Dot Zebra, Butter Box, Riverside Antiques Barn, The Duplin Times, Johnson Realty and Dunn Realty all have pages where they post specials and news about new merchandise or listings. Farrior’s and several other stores have a fanbox which updates their facebook postings on their web site, so the most current sales information is always updated. To get all the listings from one source, Discover Downtown Wallace is also on facebook, and posts from any Wallace business are posted through it. The fanboxes for several businesses also have live feeds on the Discover Downtown Wallace blog for those viewers who haven’t made the leap to facebook.

No discussion of facebook can be had without the warnings though. There is a potential for computer viruses- so only add people you know as “friends”. Stay away from video links, no matter how enticing they look, as it is a favorite virus delivery method. Use the privacy settings to control who sees your information and to control the flood of junk postings when someone gets a high score in a game.

Look at what the other local businesses are doing with the site, and see if you think it can work for yours. You’ll be surprised at how many Wallace folks you’ll find on facebook to add as friends, and how many will become a fan of your business. Once you set up your site, don’t forget to use it! It takes less than ten minutes to post a new comment, so try to do that at least once a week.

If you take the leap, and join the facebook community, don’t forget to add me as a friend, and let me know your business has a page. I’m abandoning the farm at New Year’s, so keep me busy! Marlane Carcopo

2009 Wallace Christmas Parade

Our thanks to all the sponsors, participants and spectators at the 2009 Wallace Christmas Parade. The event was a huge success again this year thanks to all of you!

James Sprunt offers Small Business Seminar series

“Entrepreneur Academy” 2010

James Sprunt Community College Small Business Center 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm each session

How to Start a Business - Tuesday, January 5 – Boyette Bldg. Room 122 All of the requirements of starting a business, legal structure, business plan, market plans, web site presence, license, etc. will be shared.
How to Write a Business Plan - Tuesday, January 12 – Boyette Bldg. Room 113 The key components of a business plan and cash flow analysis will be discussed.
How to Finance Your Small Business – Tuesday, January 19 – Boyette Bldg. Room 113 This seminar provides facts about adequate financing for your small business. Topics include sources for business capital, selecting a bank and negotiating financing.
How to Market & Advertise Your Business – Tuesday, February 2 – Boyette Bldg. SBC Conf. Room This seminar helps the small business owner develop an effective marketing program. Learn how to reach your target market with effective promotions, advertising, direct mail, telemarketing, Internet, personal selling, and public relations.
Tax Reporting Requirements for Small Businesses – Tuesday, February 9 – Boyette Bldg. Room 113 This seminar will help small business owners with basic state and federal tax issues that arise in everyday business activity.
Record Keeping for Small Businesses – Tuesday, February 16 – Boyette Bldg. Room 113 This seminar will cover the basics of keeping complete and accurate records to manage the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow of the business.
Certificate Requirements: Participants who attend all six sessions will receive a Certificate of Completion. Participants who are not interested in receiving a certificate are also welcome to attend. To reserve a seat in these workshops, call the James Sprunt Community College Small Business Center at 910-296-2430 or sbc@jamessprunt.edu.

“Going Green” Seminar Series 2010

6:00 – 9:00 pm each session Boyette Building, Room 113 each session

“Going green” – What does it all mean? These sessions are designed to give an introduction to businesses and individuals on how to make your business, home and community more “green,” and what the benefits of these actions might be.
Going Green 101 – Tuesday, January 26 –This session will put all areas of “going green” in perspective, and teach businesses and entrepreneurs how to discover sustainable green business advantages that can increase revenues and profits. Green business opportunities will also be explored.
Weatherization Tax Incentives and Energy Audits in the “Green” Economy – Tuesday, February 23 - This session will provide an overview of the weatherization tax credits, and how you may be able to apply them to your business and/or home. You will also learn how to conduct an energy audit of your home or business to determine how to make “going green” save you money!!
Introduction to Solar Power and Other Alternative Energy Sources – Tuesday, March 23 – This session will provide an overview of the fundamentals of photovoltaic (solar) systems, and other alternative energy sources. Examples will be provided to show how these alternative energy technologies might be implemented in your business, home, or agricultural buildings to decrease your utility bill.
Certificate Requirements: Participants who attend all three sessions will receive a Certificate of Completion. Participants who are not interested in receiving a certificate are also welcome to attend. To reserve a seat in these workshops, call the James Sprunt Community College Small Business Center at 910-296-2430 or sbc@jamessprunt.edu

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

The weather was perfect and the crowds came out for the 5th Annual Christmas at Twilight! With the extended hours, the crowds began to arrive even before 2:00, and continued throughout the event. The number of visitors to the event are estimated at 3,500. The Tons of Toys drive at the Santa House received many donations.

Next up is the Wallace Christmas Parade, scheduled for December 12, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. If you wish to participate in the parade, the form is inside, and MUST be returned as soon as possible. The parade begins at the Wallace Crossing shopping center on US 117 and ends on Main Street at the FirstBaptist Church.

Santa will be in the Santa House after the parade, 1:00 to 3:00 that afternoon. Photos with Santa will be available for the children for a $5 donation or the donation of a new unwrapped $5 toy. Santa will also take Christmas photos with pets this year after the parade. Proceeds from pet photos will benefit Pet Friends of Duplin County.

See you at the parade!