Spring has sprung, the economy is on an upswing and consumer confidence is at a high since the recession of 2007. We are seeing business growth in all sectors and we have more members joining the Chamber than at any time since 2007. These are all good things and we should all be grateful for the current business climate. But where do we go from here?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at an all-time high, having burst through the 16,000 barrier recently. Are stocks over-valued or will we continue to see their values increase? Housing prices have nearly recovered to pre-2007 levels. We know that they were at an artificial high due to many sub-prime loans enabling people to buy homes that couldn't afford them. The real estate market appears to have reached equilibrium. What we do know is that supply is thin and interest rates have climbed, dampening affordability. But where do we go from here?
While some psychics claim they can tell the future, most of us can only guess. What Chamber members generally believe is that the fundamentals of business generally lead to success. Provide value to your customers through the products and services you promote and provide great customer service. Get to know your customers and future customers. When they know you, trust you, and respect you, they will do business with you.
The Chamber provides many opportunities to network with others and to learn about important issues affecting your business. Some examples are how to use social media and new technology as well as the dos and don'ts of human resources and finances.
How do you project your company's image on the Internet and across social media? We have help for that and many other things.
As I mentioned last month, the Chamber is always working for you even when you can't attend our seminars and functions. We are watching job-killing legislation in Sacramento and weighing in on issues that are harmful to business or helpful to business. In Carlsbad, we are opening doors at the city to help our members get through the city's processes and weighing in on ordinances, existing or proposed, that have an impact on our members and on our quality of life.
Best of all, we have a great staff working on our behalf. Please join me on congratulating our President and CEO, Ted Owen, on reaching a milestone of 10 years at the helm of the Chamber.
Ted has done a great job on building local and regional relationships and guiding the Chamber through difficult times. He has my thanks and I hope you will give him yours and congratulate him on a job well done.
Where do we go from here? I'm not certain, but I am sure that if we go with fellow Chamber members and staff, we'll go a lot farther in the direction we want to. Have a great spring season and I'll be back with more thoughts next month.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is at an all-time high, having burst through the 16,000 barrier recently. Are stocks over-valued or will we continue to see their values increase? Housing prices have nearly recovered to pre-2007 levels. We know that they were at an artificial high due to many sub-prime loans enabling people to buy homes that couldn't afford them. The real estate market appears to have reached equilibrium. What we do know is that supply is thin and interest rates have climbed, dampening affordability. But where do we go from here?
While some psychics claim they can tell the future, most of us can only guess. What Chamber members generally believe is that the fundamentals of business generally lead to success. Provide value to your customers through the products and services you promote and provide great customer service. Get to know your customers and future customers. When they know you, trust you, and respect you, they will do business with you.
The Chamber provides many opportunities to network with others and to learn about important issues affecting your business. Some examples are how to use social media and new technology as well as the dos and don'ts of human resources and finances.
How do you project your company's image on the Internet and across social media? We have help for that and many other things.
As I mentioned last month, the Chamber is always working for you even when you can't attend our seminars and functions. We are watching job-killing legislation in Sacramento and weighing in on issues that are harmful to business or helpful to business. In Carlsbad, we are opening doors at the city to help our members get through the city's processes and weighing in on ordinances, existing or proposed, that have an impact on our members and on our quality of life.
Best of all, we have a great staff working on our behalf. Please join me on congratulating our President and CEO, Ted Owen, on reaching a milestone of 10 years at the helm of the Chamber.
Ted has done a great job on building local and regional relationships and guiding the Chamber through difficult times. He has my thanks and I hope you will give him yours and congratulate him on a job well done.
Where do we go from here? I'm not certain, but I am sure that if we go with fellow Chamber members and staff, we'll go a lot farther in the direction we want to. Have a great spring season and I'll be back with more thoughts next month.