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Month: September 2023

Why Serving Your Community Can Grow Your Business

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

SUMMARY

  • Engaging in community service builds a positive reputation, encourages staff retention and loyalty, and amplifies core values.
  • Serving your community may help you hire and retain employees who are a better culture fit—younger generations of jobseekers want to find fulfillment in their work.
  • When picking partners for community engagement, choose those that align with your company’s core values and areas of expertise.
  • Businesses should be creative in their approach and enjoy participating in projects that get them excited.
  • ~ 645 words / 3.5 minute read

Running a small business requires dedication and time. But have you ever considered the benefits of community service? It may seem like one more thing to add, but research shows that helping your community can actually support your business goals. Serving your community helps boost your reputation, retain top talent, and create a more positive workplace. Keep reading to discover more about the power of giving back to your community.

Change How the Community Sees Your Business
Business owners start up because they want to solve a problem or fulfill a need in the community. However, once you’re up and running, making a profit often becomes the top priority. When this happens, members of the community may see you as someone who is just there to make a buck.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses and organizations stepped up to serve their community and live out their core values. Entrepreneur magazine reported that during the shutdown, After-School-All-Stars, a national nonprofit that runs after school programs, tuned into the needs of their local communities and started providing meals, distance learning, and mental health support for students and families.

You don’t need an economic crisis to show up for your community. You can demonstrate your company’s values by volunteering as a group or sponsoring an event you believe in. One study found that a whopping 78% of consumers want businesses to take the lead on social issues. In other words, when you invest your time or money into important service opportunities customers take notice. When you give back, people see you as part of the community and are more likely to use your business.

Hire and Retain Employees that Share Your Values
If your business’s number one goal is profit, you will attract employees who feel the same way. Their loyalty will be limited to the next paycheck, and for the most part, they won’t go above and beyond when you need it. However, when your company lives its core values within the community, retention rates will be higher, and you will attract skilled people who want to do more than simply show up.

This strategy is especially important if you hire younger employees. Forbes reported that 83% of millennials said they would be more loyal to a company that contributed to social and environmental issues. They also found that Gen Z, the newest group to enter the workforce, expect their employer to have a purpose beyond profit. Gen Z job candidates even showed they are more likely to read mission statements and value documents.

When you have a company culture that includes giving back, you can attract aspirational employees. These workers want to be connected to something bigger than themselves, and when your business gives them that opportunity, they find more than employment–they find fulfillment.

Pick the Right Partners
Of course, when you choose to do community outreach, it needs to fit with your organization’s core values and areas of expertise. To find opportunities that are right for you and your business, try some of the strategies listed below.

What problems exist in my community today? Whether it’s supporting local schools or animal shelters, find a cause that aligns with your values.
Encourage employees to volunteer during work hours. Maybe it’s just one hour a month, but when employees can give back during work hours they don’t have to choose between serving and time off.

Create a custom plan for volunteering based on what matters to your employees.
Share about the time and investment your employees give on social media or your website. People love feel-good stories and this will help boost the perception of your business.

The Bottom Line
Above all, be creative in your approach and choose projects that get you excited. Your enthusiasm will shine through and make your business memorable in the eyes of your community.

Stuckey Automotive Purchases Price Motor Sales Dealership

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Matt Stuckey, President of Stuckey Automotive, has announced the acquisition of Price Motor Sales, located at 288 Water Street in Cassville, PA.  Price Motor Sales, a Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealer first established in 1943, is owned and operated by Fred and Susan Price.  The dealership will be known as Stuckey Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram effective September 18, 2023. 

The all-new Stuckey Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram will mark the sixth dealership under the Stuckey Automotive group of companies.  Stuckey Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram joins Stuckey Ford and Stuckey Subaru, both in Hollidaysburg, Stuckey GMC in Altoona, Stuckey Ford of Bellefonte, and the newly renovated Stuckey Mitsubishi Super Centre in State College.

The buy/sell transpired when the Price family phoned Matt Stuckey.  Mr. Fred Price stated, “We’ve been dreaming about the next chapter of our lives for a while now.  Before we could act on anything, we had to consider the future of our dealership.  We wanted to find someone who would respect and care for our employees, our community, and our family’s legacy as much as we do.  It turns out we didn’t have to look too far.  We found that someone in Matt Stuckey.” 

Matt Stuckey, President of Stuckey Automotive, replied, “It’s been a lot of fun working with a multigenerational family-owned business, like ours, to bring this deal to fruition.  We are grateful for the opportunity that’s been bestowed upon us.  Stuckey Automotive is now positioned to sell Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram products and service those vehicles to a new market here in Central PA.”

Price Motor Sales employs seven sales and service professionals.  “Buying a dealership is one thing.  Retaining a dealership’s talent is quite another.  Fortunately for us, the Price sales and service teams have accepted our offer to join the Stuckey Automotive organization.  This will certainly help to advance our recruiting efforts in the Huntingdon area,” added Samantha Longenecker, Director of Human Resources at Stuckey Automotive.  The Price family will continue to own and operate the Price Motor Collision Repair Center in Cassville. 

Stuckey Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram will host a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony in the Spring of 2024, at which time the company will announce plans to move the dealership to a new permanent location in Huntingdon.  For more information about Stuckey Automotive, please contact Karen Beauchamp, Marketing Director, at 814.693.4866 or Karen@StuckeyAuto.com.  

About Stuckey Automotive:

Stuckey Automotive, established in 1959 with the founding of Stuckey Ford in Hollidaysburg, is a Duncansville-based dealership that proudly serves the communities in Blair and Centre counties and throughout central Pennsylvania. Collectively, the Stuckey Automotive dealerships serve the Ford, Subaru, GMC, Mitsubishi, commercial vehicle, and used vehicle markets.  A solution for all automotive needs, each dealership offers a complementary service and parts center and access to the Stuckey Automotive Collision Center.  For more information, visit StuckeyAutomotive.com.  

Mount Nittany Health’s Physician Group Establishes Tuition Reimbursement Program with the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology

Posted on by Chamber of Business & Industry Centre County

Partnership will cover tuition for full-time and part-time LPN and CMA students

Mount Nittany Health is pleased to announce a partnership with the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI) to provide tuition assistance to students enrolled full-time or part-time in the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Certified Medical Assistants (CMA) programs. As part of the program, students will receive employment agreements to work at Mount Nittany Physician Group upon graduation, if they meet the eligibility requirements.

“Mount Nittany Physician Group is looking to the future,” said Kathleen Rhine, President and CEO of Mount Nittany Health. “As we continue in our mission of ‘Healthier People, Stronger Community,’ it is a priority for us to increase our clinical staff to continue providing high-quality care to our patients. This partnership with CPI will help create a pipeline of LPNs and CMAs as we continue to innovate ways to serve the local community.”

The program will cover full tuition for eligible and selected full-time and part time students of the LPN program and the CMA program offered by CPI.

“We’re excited to provide this educational opportunity to the local community,” said Amy Trithart, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, SHRM-SCP, Chief Human Resources and Ancillary Services Officer, Mount Nittany Health. “As an employer of choice in the area, Mount Nittany Physician Group is an important part of Mount Nittany Health which has over 2,400 employees at our 19 locations in the Centre region. This partnership is an innovative way to continue to attract top talent to our healthcare system.”

“We are very pleased to expand our long-standing partnership with Mount Nittany Physician Group” stated Todd Taylor, Vice President, Post-Secondary Education for CPI. “In addition to outstanding career opportunities available at Mount Nittany Physician Group at graduation, participating CPI students will now have tuition sponsorship funding available to them to focus on their studies and graduate with little to no student debt. It really is a great time to be thinking about a career in the medical field. CPI looks forward to working closely with Mount Nittany Health as we grow our campus and expand our health-related degree programs.” said Taylor.

If you are interested in learning more about the program, please contact please contact Megan McKalips, Manager, Talent Acquisition, Mount Nittany Health at Megan.McKalips@mountnittany.org. More information about the program is also available at cpi.edu/practical-nursing.

Do personal stories help or hurt your business? 

Posted on by Chamber of Business & Industry Centre County

SUMMARY

  • Telling personal stories is an effective way to engage customers and humanize your brand.
  • Make sure the story relates to your company’s values or mission. Use HubSpot’s guide to business storytelling as a resource when crafting stories.
  • Personal stories do not have to be about you—they can be about your customers too.
  • When done well, telling personal stories can help you become known for what makes your business special and attract ideal clients.
    ~ 665 words / 3.5 minute read

Telling a story is one of the oldest ways humans have of connecting with each other. When it comes to your business, how you share personal stories in public spaces such as social media matters. Recounting life lessons or turning points can inspire and uplift your audience. However, sharing your deepest or darkest experiences with an audience that encompasses long-time friends, employees, clients, and industry partners can negatively affect your business. So, how do you know which stories inspire trust and build your brand and which to avoid? Read on to learn more about how to ensure your personal brand aligns with your business.

Your Mission is Personal
A personal story is different from a ‘confessional’ story. And this distinction can help you separate what goes too far from what supports your business goals. For example, an inspiring story about overcoming an injury to win your college track competition is great, but if the focus is on your college awards or the fascinating details of your surgery it may come across as self-absorbed or out of touch. On the other hand, when you connect overcoming obstacles to your company’s values or even your reason-for-being, it works toward creating a positive image of your business and shines a spotlight on your company’s mission.

Social media is a busy place and most consumers are there for deals and entertainment. Ensuring your content connects sends a clear message to your customers: you can trust me with your time.

Hubspot’s guide to business storytelling is a great resource for telling more engaging stories. They advise keeping the following points in mind to keep your stories—even personal ones—on target.

  • Captivating stories keep the reader engaged and invested.
  • Plausible tales create a believable version of reality for the reader.
  • Educational pieces encourage curiosity and further knowledge.
  • Relatable content connects readers with familiar people and places.
  • Memorable stories use humor, inspiration, even shock.

Use Stories to Reveal Lessons
The best leaders share personal stories that inspire and reveal lessons about how they overcame obstacles and achieved success. Richard Branson does this well in his recent Master Class, where he describes his battle with dyslexia which effectively blocked his formal education. He turned this personal setback into a positive learning experience by sharing how his ability to collaborate, delegate, and see the world in a unique way helped build his business empire. The implied lesson to his audience is that your perceived weakness can become a strength, when you adapt a new mindset. Branson’s course is called “Disruptive Entrepreneurship,” which makes his personal story perfectly aligned. This connection is important because now his dyslexia is more than a confession but a source of inspiration.

Get Personal with Customer Stories
Not every story needs to be about yourself or even your team. Your customer’s lives are a great source of inspiration. Get strategic when you share stories that correspond to your customer avatars. Sometimes customers will voluntarily share their story with you, but expect to devote intentional time following up with customers. Use these tips, provided by Forbes’ contributor Stephanie Burns, to collect compelling testimonials and tell better success stories.

  1. Make sure to ask the right questions. Instead of ‘Would you recommend me to a friend or family,’ try asking ‘How is your life better now that we’ve worked together?’
  2. When a client sends an email telling you about their success or posts a rave review online, follow up. Set up a time to ask more questions and gather details for your story.
  3. Don’t wait until the end of the process. Let your audience experience what it’s like to work with you by chronicling the customer journey in real time.

The Takeaway
Telling personal stories can be a great way to humanize your brand and connect with your customers. When you ensure your stories support your business’s goals and connect with your audience, you’ll become known for what makes your business special and attract your ideal clients.

Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak Opens New Office in Altoona; Now Has Six Locations Throughout Northeast and Central Pennsylvania

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, an elder law firm with current locations in State College, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox, Pa., is pleased to announce the opening of a new office, located at 1913 East Pleasant Valley Blvd. in Altoona. The firm will begin seeing new and prospective clients in this new location on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. This marks the sixth location for SGY, which opened another new office earlier this month in Wilkes-Barre. The Altoona office can be reached at 814-900-7613.

“We have been serving clients from the greater Altoona and Blair County areas for several years now, ever since the firm moved into State College in 2015,” said Attorney Jenna Franks, a partner at the firm. “This new office in Altoona will allow us to better serve these clients that live closer to Altoona, as well as further grow our practice and the number of people we’ll be able to assist in the future with their various estate and long-term care planning needs.”

SGY was founded 21 years ago by Attorney Julie Steinbacher, who opened a single office in Williamsport, Pa., and for over the last two decades, has assisted thousands of clients with their legal planning needs for their second half of life. The firm acquired the State College elder law firm of Goodall & Yurchak in 2015. In 2021, upon the retirement of Attorney Leslie Wizelman, SGY acquired her former elder law firm with locations in Wyalusing and Wysox, enabling it add a wide swath of Pennsylvania’s northern tier to its geographic footprint.

The firm’s mission is to provide protection in times of prosperity, security in times of uncertainty and comfort in times of crisis. It focuses solely on elder law, which enables it to provide a full suite of services relates to estate planning, both basic and advanced. SGY’s services include, but aren’t limited to wills, powers of attorney, special needs planning, estate administration, will disputes, guardianships, long-term care planning, nursing home Medicaid planning, wealth protection and tax planning, business succession planning, veterans’ benefits planning, elder care navigation, and Alzheimer’s and dementia planning.

The firm anticipates hiring additional staff for the Altoona office as it continues to grow its client base in Blair County and beyond in the coming months. Initially, however, the office will be staffed with team members that are currently working out of its State College location.

Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak is an elder care and special needs law firm offering quality representation to clients throughout Pennsylvania. It now has six locations in Altoona, State College, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox. Since its beginning in 2002, the firm has dedicated itself to practicing law with extraordinary standards of ethics and values. The vision of the firm has been to provide individuals and their families with a unique plan to protect their assets for their spouses and future generations, while providing for their immediate and long-term needs. More information, including resources and seminar information, can be found at PAElderCounsel.com To schedule your appointment at any of its offices, call 1-800-351-8334.