Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 128, Number 13, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 31 March 2005 — Page 6

Page 6

• Advance News • Thursday. March 31. 2005

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ADVANCE NEWS PHOTOS/ANTHONY GADSON Above: Nappanee Tire owner Dwight Moudy has a talk with Bill Fales at the Business Expo. Right: Through Our Eye’s Janyce Guckenberger shares information.

Expo provides exposure

By Anthony Godson Editor When businesses enter into a chamber of commerce, they are hoping that the membership can help can lead to more connections, which can in turn lead to more business. To help businesses get their name out, the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce holds an open house at one its member's locations each month. The problem for some businesses is that they are not located in Nappanee or don't have the space to hold an open house. For these businesses, the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce holds an annual Business Expo where these businesses can all come to showcase their businesses. "I work out of my home, and

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just don't have the space to hold an open house there," Tony Bucci of Extreme Entertainment said. "If I were to hold an open house, I'd have to clean up for about a month." Instead of having the chore of cleaning up, Bucci and eight other new chamber members gathered at the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce office on March 22, even flooding into the hallways. "We hold an open house for new members every month at their location, but this is for those that don't have a convenient location," chamber executive director Larry Andrew’s said. "We have 21 new members this year, and got nine of them to show up tonight." Of the nine, the type of business ranged from tires at Nappanee Tire so Mary Kay

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Community

products, and then to a Bremen bed and breakfast. One thing all the businesses did have in common was the goal to get the word out about themselves. "My wife and I live in Nappaneej and wanted to be more involved in the community," Fred Lechlitner, of Farm Bureau Insurance in Goshen said. "This is a good opportunity for me to get the word out about myself, and to meet new people." Meeting new people is one the biggest goals at the expo. "This is an opportunity for people in the community to see these businesses, and a good source for networking," Andrews said. Lechlitner had the opportunity to meet new people during the two-hour event, which may lead to more business.

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"You really have a good chance to meet and talk to people here," he said. While most chamber members are looking to increase profits, some such as Through Our Eyes, are looking to -increase donations. "We are a nonprofit organization that promotes Union Center Therapy, which helps special needs children," Janyce Guckenberger said. Union Center Therapy works to allow anyone who needs its services to only pay what they can, be it through insurance or

Medicaid. "We don't want to turn away anyone," Guckenberger said. "We want to make sure money is available to run the clinic." Because costs to run the clinic are often times more expensive than what they receive from its clients' insurance, Through Our Eyes works to raise the additional money needed, keeping the cost down for its clients. "We hold fundraisers and take donations, because we don't receive any money from the government," Guckenberger said. Events like the Business Expo is just another way Through

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Our Eyes is spreading the word about itself, after watching the Center already grow from 68 clients per week a year ago to its current 214 a week. "It has grown by work of mouth," Guckenberger said. Growth by work of mouth is what the Business Expo is all about, and from the look of attendance, Andrews sees growth on the horizon. "This is the value of the being a chamber member," he said. "Being able to host an open house for these bu'SlWSses means a lot and often assists in more business."