In April of 2008 I helped two clients get a great deal on brand new Honda Pilot Suv’s. They both wanted a better buying experience than just walking into a dealership. Although both vehicles were equipped slightly differently, they each bought the vehicle way below an average dealer selling price. This is because at that time there were dealer -to-dealer incentives NOT available to the public. Well because I am a dealer the price was discounted over $3000 more than it would have been to you. You can shop ’till you drop on-line. But brokers can make the final difference. All vehicles cost a lot of money these days. The average selling price in America is about $23,000 on a new car. How do you know you are getting the bottom line best price without a friend in the business? You don’t. You wouldn’t have medical or dental work done without a professional. Car buying is no different.
Consider the case of the poor women who called 911 on her cell phone to have the police come and escort her out of the dealership, rather than be forced into a car deal she did not want. She called Bob Bonnell at Vehicle Buyer’s Service and received a lower price on the same vehicle with NO hassle or pressure. That’s why I started this business.
A professional agent can help you navigate through the automotive world. Which at the moment…is pretty complex. How do you know whether to buy a gasoline powered car or a Hybrid or a Bio-Diesel powered vehicle. It’s not an easy decision sometimes. But my experience is worth 1000’s of hours of your research time. There are actually 20 + straight gas powered vehicles that can get almost the same mileage as a Toyota Prius and cost many thousands of dollars less.
A friend asked me the other day…hey what should I do when I buy my new Chevrolet Silverado truck? Take the $4000 rebate or the 0% financing for 60 months? You don’t even have to touch a calculator to figure this one out. Always take the cash. The factory is hoping you will take the 0% financing. Whenever the factory wants you to go a certain way…run he other direction. Taking the cash ALWAYS insures that you get the ENTIRE rebate. What if you take the financing and only keep the truck for 36 months? You only received 36/60ths of the whole rebate. That’s right think about it. And you can never get the rest of it back. That’s why the manufacturer wants you to take the financing. No money off the top of the deal and the average time someone keeps a car in America is about 26 months…believe it or not.
A final thought…many people have asked me if they should trade in their 25mpg vehicle for one that gets 30 mpg. I tell them DEFINITELY NOT. You can’t justify the extra cost of trading “up”. Anyone who drives a vehicle that currently gets 25mpg or more right now is in great shape. Just enjoy the drive!! But when it does come time to buy, sell or trade-in your present vehicle for another one…just think Bob Bonnell at Vehicle Buyer’s Service..It really is a Better Way to Buy any Car! 503-643-4585.
This article was published on behalf of Bob Bonnell by Ed Bejarana, Editor of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce Business Blog. Bob will be hosting the Good morning East Portland Chamber Event on Wednesday September 3, 2008 at 7:30am. To learn more about Bob and the services he offers, please visiting us at:
1417 SE 107th St, Portland, Oregon 97216
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Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Business Profile
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How many times have you been asked by a client if you knew anyone who could help them with something you don’t do? You’ve worked hard to become a trusted resource, your spent a great deal of time developing your relationship, would you like to be considered the “go-to guy or gal” when your customer needs help of any sorts?
Turn this question around, what if you had a group of friends who fed you new leads? What would you do for those people? Would you return the favor? Of course you would, that is networking 101. Where else can you find people with a shared interest in this type of networking activity? Ok, there are dozens of places…but this article is highlighting why the East Portland Chamber of Commerce is better. No biased opinion here! Maybe just a little.
Networking at a Chamber of Commerce is about meeting new people who have a financial interest in helping you and your business find new customers. The “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” is the typical first thought in this type of situation, but the actual procedure is “I’ll scratch your back and you remember me for doing it.”
When working the room at the East Portland Chamber, there are a couple thing you should keep in mind that will help you gain more trust and more leads. People like other people, let them get to know you. Everyone is land blasted every day from a hundred different directions for a better this or a cheaper that. When meeting someone for the very first time, get to know them and tell them about you. Everyone in the room is interested in what you do for a living, but first things first, lets build a friendship that will go a LONG ways to improving recall when the time comes.
Let me put this another way. When you are talking with you best clients and they mention they have a need for a service or product you don’t offer; are you more or less likely to recommend someone: “Gee, I know this guy in my Chamber who does something like that. I think his name is Paul something.” are you going to be viewed as a star with an intro like that? Here is a better approach:
“Oh, you need a new tradeshow display? I know the perfect guy, his name is Ed and he does a lot of work for the Chamber. He is the blog editor, he plays music he has created several displays for other chamber members and he even recently brought his grandson to the chamber before taking him on a tour of a local University. I’ve got his number right here in my bag.”
Ok, get beyond the shameless self grandizing plug… It could happen because I’ve built friendships in the chamber and people know me for who I am BY what I do. Important tip number two: get involved.
So reviewing our tips:
- Get to know the people in the chamber and let them get to know you.
- Get involved and help with chamber activities.
If you are an active member in the chamber and you have built good friendships with the other members in the chamber, you will be in a better position to help your customer when they have a special need.
Ed Bejarana
Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Membership Matters
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For one year, I chose to live in poverty. I lived on $908 a month (before taxes) and rented a small studio in southeast Portland that ate up half of my income. To live within my means, I stopped driving my car and started biking. Clothes were hand-washed when I didn’t have quarters. I clipped coupons and invested in some duct tape to “fix it all,” including a repair to make my backpack packable. Shopping trips to the mall became a thing of the past, and I graciously accepted offers for free meals. I denied myself simple pleasures, including the privacy of my own bathroom which I shared with three other tenants in my apartment building.
Poverty is not a choice for many of the people who come to SE Works. Our programs provide education and employment resources, as well as comprehensive support and guidance from staff, so that youth and adults can find quality, living wage employment. We have general programs for adults, as well as programs targeted to formerly-incarcerated individuals, at-risk youth, and immigrants.
As the coordinator of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program, I regularly meet immigrants who have very limited incomes. Many live in apartments meant for two people, but they house five, six, or seven. Some use food stamps, and many shop at discount food stores such as Grocery Outlet and Save-A-Lot. They often work minimum wage jobs—cleaning houses, painting, and stocking shelves—that require the use of little to no English. Yet, the most striking characteristic shared by a good portion of this population is their job history: many were professionals in their native countries such as doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, journalists, accountants, etc. Unfortunately, they lack the ability to articulate their professional skills in English and must take the jobs that will feed their families.
These obstacles, though, do little to cloud their determination to learn English (and may also be a source of motivation). Everyday I am greeted by ESL students with eager smiles, clutching their copious English notes and determined to learn at least one new word during their tutoring session. The journey to learn English is long and arduous, yet these students continue learning—one word at a time—to ultimately live the “dream” and re-enter their professional fields.
My choice to live in poverty was fueled by my desire to serve people like SE Works’ ESL students. In 2006, I decided to join the AmeriCorps, a national service organization committed to eliminating poverty in the United States. AmeriCorps members commit to at least a year of service and are provided with a modest living allowance equal to the income of the people they’re serving.
While the sacrifices I made for one year were difficult, they paled compared to the satisfaction of changing people’s lives. Few things are more fulfilling than hearing a student use an idiom correctly, being graciously thanked everyday, or working with service-driven volunteers. At SE Works, I am able to continue my life-long goal: to help others help themselves.
Of course, now I don’t have to sacrifice “perks” like my own bathroom. ☺
Elizebett Eslinger
Literacy Services Coordinator
This article was posted on behalf of Elizebett by Ed Bejarana, Editor of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce Blog.
Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Member Profile
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My dad passed away a number of years ago and I miss going fishing with him dearly. The other day I got a chance to go fishing with someone else’s dad, as it turns out it was his last fishing trip here on earth. I always loved fishing with my dad, and often remember him when I am alone on the water. My recent honored passenger had his last fishing memories with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. I was privileged to be there to bear witness to this special time together.
My honored passenger was an 87 year old father. He didn’t walk very fast, nor could he walk very far, so I pulled my 22′ pontoon boat as close to the shore along the dock as I could. He exited the van by the end of the boat dock and aided by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, made his way to my boat’s edge. The son had setup this trip for his dad to give him one more day on the water doing what he loved–fishing.
Dad couldn’t handle stepping over the gunnels on most boats, but my boat almost sits flush with the dock. Stepping aboard to soft seating, plenty of space to move around and a couch for a more intimate journey was appealing to my client, this man’s son. Dad stepped aboard the stable vessel and we were off to catch some fish.
I setup Dad with my personal rod and reel, the one I use when going out to be with nature and visit with my father, and it wasn’t long before my honored passenger was sharing his fishing tales with all aboard. With his line in the water and the boat trolling along, dad reminisced about the days on the water with his old wooden car top boat. One year his wife bought him a used outboard motor for Christmas. She also knew how much he loved fishing. When he wasn’t reeling in fish, we were all blessed by his joyful stories of fishing in his prime. Dad loved feeling the sudden jerk of the line as a trout attacked the lure and we loved seeing the sparkle in his eye’s and joy in his heart. If you haven’t guessed, this trip was much more than me taking a client to the best fishing spots, this trip was the last journey of a fisherman and I was privileged to be his guide.
When my honored guest departed the boat that day he thanked me for a great trip. In his eyes, I saw a level a joy that I can not put into words. Fishing with Bear is much more than a business for me, my journey as a fishing guide is a way for me to pay tribute to my own father and to bless others with the excitement and joy of this wonderful sport. Thanks dad!
Fishermen tell stories about the big one that got away, but that day will stay with me forever.
Ken “Bear” Cole
This article was published on behalf of Fishing with Bear by Ed Bejarana, Editor of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce Blog.
Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Member Profile
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This past Wednesday the Web and Technology team hosted the Good Morning East Portland Chamber of Commerce meeting. The purpose was to roll out the new website, blogsite, newsletter and advertising opportunities!
As a member of the East Portland Chamber, you now have access to purchasing ad space on the chamber website! A technology improvement members have been asking for for sometime. Thanks to Vicki Moser and CooperMoon Design, the technology is now in the hands of YOU, the chamber member.
We have 105 ad spaces available on the various web pages and quarterly and annual rates for this ad space is WAY below industry averages for a site like your chamber site. For more information about how you, the members, can partake in the advertising opportunities, please visit us at an upcoming AM Meeting. If you are not a member and would like to participate, please consider joining the chamber.
You can also contact the webteam for more information.
The web team also introduced the new blog site layout. The blog site is the information hub for you and your business to start a relationship with future customers.
How do blogs work?
They are social by nature and time driven. Because the medium is text based, the major search engines are better able to determine relevancy to various keyword searches. Put another way, if your website uses any particular keyword phrase one in the meta data, once in the page description and once more in the body text, google can evaluate the importance of that keyword phrase as pretty high (provided you follow all the industry standard guidelines). However, if google is going to evaluate which site to list first, the one that has three uses of the keyword phrase or an entire article written on the keyword phrase topic, which site do you think google will list first?
Blogs work because the very nature of the article is single topic based, time sensitive, and socially driven. That last one, Socially Driven, requires an entire article just to explain so stay tuned.
The last new introduction by the web team was the new newsletter format which ties everything together and keeps the happenings of the chamber in the eyes of those who are interested in chamber activities. Using html techniques, the news letter works more like a portable website than a boring text document. Links to additional resources, advertising opportunities, categorized chamber information; the new newsletter layout is a quantum leap improvement over past versions (Thank you Norm Rice of FirstClass Properties).
All in all, your web and technology team has been very busy over the last year. Please take a moment to visit the site, read and comment on the blog, and pass along your newsletter to other interested people.
Ed Bejarana
Blog Editor
Vicki Moser with CooperMoon Design joined the East Portland Chamber, in part, to over come her shyness. In an interview for this article, Vicki told me, “I’m one of those quiet ones who just likes going about her business doing a good job with little fanfare.” To get involved, Vicki first started at the greeters table, but quickly realized that she could better serve the chamber by utilizing her 30 years of graphic design experience to help improve the website. Knowing how critical effective website design and function was the business, Vicki made it a personal objective to create a professional website for the chamber that give visitors an enlightened experience.
Norm Rice with First Class Properties is one of the original charter members of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce. Norm told me in our pre article interview, “Some four years ago a group of us were discussing how a chamber in today’s world might look if we could design one from the bottom up. All of us either lived, worked and had businesses in East Portland. After many long months with these visionaries (Don LaGrande, Judith Huck, Holly Moss, Jill Critchfield, Jeff Bennett ,Monty Knittel, & Tim Brunner) the concept of a virtual chamber began to be discussed. Rather than a physical office we could supply an avenue for chamber members to not only highlight their businesses, but would also be “an office” where they could have access to local services while at the same time serving as our Chamber voice.”
Ed Bejarana with Zenith Exhibits, Inc. is the most recent addition to the web and technologies team. Going from being one engineer in a building of 400+ to being self-employed and working from home in just four short years is a bit of a culture shock. My joining the East Portland Chamber of Commerce was a way for me to stay in contact with people outside of my family. I thirst for knowledge and believe the best way to learn new things is to be around new people. With a background in membership development I set my sights on not only joining the chamber, but joining the membership development committee. With my experience in internet technologies my participation in the web development team was a natural fit.
We are the team who is working together to help all the members (current and future) of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce gain better internet exposure for themselves and their businesses. Please join us on Wednesday to learn about all the new internet technologies available for your utilization. Learn, grow and be heard is the mantra adopted by the chamber, your chamber internet resources have taken a quantum leap forward to help you achieve that goal.
There are numerous options for people seeking chiropractic assistance in Portland. In our clinic, we practice an approach to chiropractic called Clinical Biomechanics of Posture (CBP). Often, when I’m asked to explain briefly how this approach is unique, I end by saying something like, “We’re the posture experts” or “We improve health by improving your posture.” Unfortunately, I’ve come to realize that to many people those words don’t mean much.
This realization really hit home this past March when I was attending a morning meeting of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce where the featured speaker was Portland City Commissioner Jeff Cogan. The most memorable thing about that morning for me was a lengthy discussion regarding the structural integrity of the Sellwood Bridge. To everyone else, it was a discussion about Portland infrastructure; to me, it was a powerful metaphor for the relationship between body structure and function.
I found the whole discussion just fascinating. The possibility—however remote—that the structural integrity of that bridge might be compromised, really had people concerned.
But few people, if any, ever give much thought to what the consequences are when poor posture compromises the body’s structural integrity. Now, please understand that the kind of poor posture I’m talking about requires more than just standing up straight to correct.
For example, a patient came to us last December complaining of constant headaches, depression, indigestion, neck pain, and sharp, shooting pain down both arms all the way to her hands. X-ray analysis revealed, in addition to serious degeneration, that the curve of her neck, viewed from the side, was reduced by 148%. In other words, she had not only lost her neck’s entire natural curve, but it was actually curving in the wrong direction!
After 6 months of treatment we have nearly eliminated the reversal, her neck and arm pain have abated; she has had just one headache over the past three months, she has fewer problems with indigestion, and her outlook on life is considerably more optimistic.
This is just one case study showing how correcting a postural problem can improve overall health. The Results section of our website contains before and after x-rays showing correction of a variety of global postural problems. My hope is that if you can actually see what I’m talking about, then the connection between structure, function and health will make better sense.
And if you want a better understanding of why correcting abnormal spinal curves improves health, you can start by clicking on the following link to a blog on our website and reading the entry titled “Basic Chiropractic Philosophy and the Effects of Spinal Subluxation.”
Yours in good health,
Barry Shulak, DC
This article was published on behalf of Barry Shulak by Ed Bejarana, East Portland Chamber of Commerce Blog Editor. To learn more about the East Portland Chamber of Commerce, please visit us at one of our Wednesday morning meetings.
Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Member Profile
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The East Portland Chamber of Commerce values our relationships with our community and especially our chamber members. Grow, Learn and Be Heard is our vision. Since two of our vision goals pertains to communication, we have under taken a HUGE effort to make both happen.
To grow, we must be heard, or in the case of the internet, be seen and read. Our Business Blog uses a Personality Based Marketing approach that is both interesting for the reader and attractive for the search engines. With every article published skyrocketing to the first page on Google, Yahoo and MSN; we are already achieving the Be Heard vision statement. Now it is time to GROW.
Everyone knows the old adage, “if you build it they will come”, but it is not the case when the target audience doesn’t understand what you’ve built. The East Portland Chamber of Commerce has built a trifecta of E-Marketing. Our new website, scheduled for rollout on August 13th, is using the newest proven search engine visibility technologies to maximize chamber member visibility. The Business Blog is designed to further connect our chamber members with the business community we serve and the chamber member’s news letter is the glue that brings everything together. Three major undertakings by an all volunteer staff designed to help you, the member of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce.
As with every chamber, the community outreach is only as good as the “members” make it. While we have great tools that are effective and easy to use, it does require YOU to make them successful. Writing blog articles using our Personality Based approach is fun and easy, just send an eMail with your thoughts to Ed Bejarana, Zenith Exhibits, Inc. and he (I) will work with you to get it published. The new website has an entire page devoted to you and your business. Send your page edits to Vicki Moser. The news letter is filled with chamber news and announcements–announcements that help you find resources, business growth ideas, and learn about news members. You need only submit your posting information to Norm Rice to get his help with publishing in the News letter.
These communication mediums are also your tools for bringing new members into the chamber. When you receive your weekly news letter, forward it to three friends. When you are eMailing a client, include a link to the chamber website and when you are networking with other business associates, mention the great stories on the chamber business blog.
To learn more about becoming a member of the East Portland Chamber of Commerce, please visit one of our Good Morning East Portland meetings or visit our website today.
Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Membership Matters
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Weight loss and healthy living, never in a million years would I have guessed I would be where I am today; a Certified Health Coach helping other women in their prime get all they can out of life.
My own struggles with weight loss brought me to this point in my life. I live each day with a passion to help others, if not find life changing happiness, at least find life changing healthiness.
Being a woman in my prime, I was not willing to accept a life filled with calorie dense foods and diminishing health consequences. I took charge of my destiny and believe I can help other women do the same. My husband has been very supportive and my friends and family have long since stopped rolling their eyes when I talk about healthy living because even they have seen the transformation I’ve under gone.
Addressing women’s health is more than just the physical aspect; women’s health depends on emotional, spiritual and physical well being. It is my passion for bringing this health balance to women throughout the Portland Metro Area that has brought me to the East Portland Chamber of Commerce. The chamber’s openness to me has inspired me to write to you on my own blog, to share my stories of success in the never end health battle all women face.
My name is Teresa Rodden and I am a healthy woman and a Certified Health Coach with Take Shape For Life (ID# 22394601). Thank you for taking some time to get to know me through my articles on the East Portland Chamber of Commerce. I invite you to learn more about who I am and why I’ve made women’s health my passion. Please visit my new healthy living blog; CoachTeresa. If you’ll commit; I’ll help you SUCCEED!
Teresa Rodden
(503) 502-5851
Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Member Profile
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I’ve been a member of more than a few Chamber of Commerces in my business lifetime, but the East Portland Chamber is different for me.
Maybe the chamber is different because I’m different! As a young salesman just entering the market (many years ago in a land far far away) I was eager to prove my worth in the eyes of my bosses. With sales managers breathing down my neck, the goal outlook I had for a Chamber of Commerce was much different. Today, as the business owner, I place a very high value on friendships.
In my short time at the East Portland Chamber I feel like everyone around me has accepted me with open arms. I have more friends now from the chamber than I did before (in my youth). More chamber members are doing business with me now than before (when I was motived by sales figures). Am I experiencing a differ type of Chamber or just seeing (for the first time) a different me?
Reading this article (and knowing I serve on the Membership Committee for the Chamber) you should take my words with a grain of salt because I am sure they are biased. Prove me wrong! Visit the chamber and see for yourself. Are these people different, is the chamber different or am I just “typing” smoke? After you visit us, please come back and add your comments to this article.
Now, why do I feel things are different at the East Portland Chamber of Commerce?
Being on the outskirts of a major metro area, like Portland, Oregon, the chamber members seem to rely more on one another to help navigate the business mine field. I’ve received several business altering suggestions from fellow chamber members.
We all know chambers to be crawling with “card droppers”, people only interested in YOU learning about THEM. These people run from chamber to chamber handing out as many business cards as possible and then they fade away into the night never to be seen again! I’m not going to suggest we don’t have people that fit this description visit us from time to time, but we don’t seem to have a large volume of them dropping in on us on a weekly bases. What we do have is a nucleolus of strong business men and women who attend the meetings on a regular basis and contribute greatly to the East Portland community.
I’ll write more about the charitable activities of the chamber in another article, but I will say the charitable activities of this chamber feel more like community service. I’ve been a part of several charity activities in many different types of organizations. The East Portland charity work makes me feel good about who I am and what I do.
Ok, last reason, for now, as to why I feel the East Portland Chamber is different. Because everyone in the chamber seems to be interested in “my” business success. The newest membership program is called “What’s In It For Me”. The entire program is centered around the chamber member and how to give them what they need to reach more customers, improve their business services and run their business better.
We meet for coffee, refreshments, and business networking every Wednesday morning from 7:30am to 9am. Please visit us and when you do, please say your heard about us on the Blog!
Ed Bejarana
East Portland Chamber of Commerce Blog Editor
Posted by Ed Bejarana at 10:32 AM. Filed under: Membership Matters
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