Tourism is a major industry and capturing your share of our local tourists will help your business thrive. The Chamber encourages you to stop in and learn more about our advertising tools that can help you succeed. Local sights, conventions, and activities draw visitors from across the country to the area each year, making itRead more
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Marketing and advertising are only part of the equation when attracting new clients. Service is perhaps the single most important aspect of any business. If your business provides good service, but you are still losing clients, it is important to identify the reasons. We have identified some of the problems local businesses encounter when marketingRead more
Spas are well-known for pampering their clients – and charging a premium for their services. Despite the high prices that come with massages, scrubs, and treatments, the world’s leading spas have been able to turn a tidy profit by focusing on delivering exceptional customer service. Here’s what your business can learn from these high-end service-orientatedRead more
Amazon is the largest online store and hosts products from some of the biggest brands in the world. They are also known for large inventories and discounts, so competing based on price can be a tall order for local startups. Interestingly, about 50% of the products you encounter at Amazon in the United States areRead more
The RACI matrix is a simple method of assigning roles within a team. It’s adaptable even for the most complicated projects and can be used for a single team or multiple teams completing different phases of the project. What is the RACI Matrix? RACI is an acronym for the four roles that stakeholders hold inRead more
Every entrepreneur wants to grow their business. As a result, penetrating the target market remains a great measure of success. Additionally, this strategy can allow a boost in revenue, increased brand awareness or evidence of brand loyalty, and more. At the chamber, we believe that business owners require a focused strategy that aligns with theRead more
Local Government Budgets: To: Owatonna City Council, Steele County Commissioners From: Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce Re: 2025 Budgets Thank you for serving the community as an elected official and making difficult decisions to improve the area. Recognizing the challenges of making decisions that impact many facets of the businesses and residents, it’s the OwatonnaRead more
It’s a long-standing conflict, how do governments protect the environment while still allowing for economic growth? How do we strike a balance that keeps our waterways clean and allows for new houses to be built? The city of Owatonna is governed on the water side by a permit called the MS4 general permit, enforced throughRead more
Minimal growth in regional economies: Four of six regional economies experienced net declines in jobs and total labor force from 2019-2023. Further, each region in Minnesota underperformed the U.S. economy so far this decade. The Twin Cities, which anchors the state’s economy, lost 1.2% of total employment from 2019-2023, compared to the U.S. which increased jobsRead more
When you work with Edward Jones, our team will help you work toward your financial goals. We’ll learn which special moments you want to create in your life — and then we’ll design a tailored strategy to help you build the future you envision. Together. Matt Edwards, CIMA® Financial Advisor 112 West Broadway Owatonna, MNRead more
