CBICC logo

Category: Uncategorized

Ignite and Empower Your Team with Verbal Feedback

Posted on by Melissa Brown

Verbal feedback is a great way for bosses and team leaders to demonstrate their appreciation and encourage their employees. When used correctly, this kind of feedback not only boosts morale but also creates an atmosphere where employees feel valued, respected, and encouraged. If using words to affirm your employees does not come naturally to you, you are not alone. The good news is that giving verbal feedback is a skill you can develop over time that will benefit you as a leader and everyone around you. Read on to learn more about when to give positive feedback and what to say to open hearts and minds.

Praise Achievements
Everyone appreciates recognition for a job well done, and your employees are no different. If someone has done an outstanding job on a project, acknowledge their effort and outcome. Praise is especially meaningful when workers have encountered unforeseen obstacles, difficult clients, or delays. When it comes to what to say, be specific. Inc. contributor and founder of Leadership from the Core, Marcel Schwantes provides these inspirational examples:

“I understand that analyzing the vast amount of data for our presentation was a difficult and time-consuming task. You did a remarkable job interpreting the results in a way everyone could comprehend.”

“I cannot express how much your extra mentoring efforts for the new employees have impacted the entire team. They were able to hit the ground running quickly due to your help during their crucial first three months with the company. The whole team has exceeded its productivity as a result.”

Commend the Person, not Just the Performance
An exciting aspect of positive feedback is that it motivates individuals differently.

According to Harvard Business Review, recognition should go beyond performance and extend into appreciation, which acknowledges a person not just for what they have done but for who they are. When giving verbal appreciation, focus on comments that encompass an employee’s special traits and talents, such as dedication, collaboration, and leadership. Schwantes provides these examples when it comes to providing praise based on leadership qualities:

“Your positive and optimistic attitude on Monday mornings has significantly impacted the team. They eagerly anticipate Mondays and feed off your positive energy throughout the week. This has spread to other teams as well.”

“How you handled last week’s crisis with your calm, composed, and self-assured demeanor was a game changer. Instead of people panicking and blaming each other, your attitude helped the team focus on finding solutions for the client and fixing the process to prevent similar issues in the future. You were instrumental in saving the company from losing one of its best clients.”

Schwantes also recommends that leaders use their words of encouragement to help workers feel secure. Job security is always a top concern for employees. When leaders affirm an individual’s place and future in the company, they offer more than compliments but peace of mind.

The Takeaway: Notice & Take Action
Giving praise that encompasses performance, personality, and someone’s place in the company are all great ways to practice words of affirmation. Take inspiration from Schwantes and customize his ideas to fit your observations and employees. And remember: a thoughtful email or note from a boss will go a long way in making someone feel seen, recognized, and appreciated.

The Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.

Boost Your Business: 3 Powerful Marketing Strategies for Small Business

Posted on by Melissa Brown

As a small business owner, you may often juggle the demands of running your business and effectively marketing it. But attracting new customers, nurturing existing relationships, and building loyalty doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In this article, we will explore three powerful marketing strategies that can boost your business while keeping your sanity and budget intact.

Understand Your Customer
Before developing any marketing plan, it is crucial to understand your target audience. The better you know your customer, the better you can tailor your messaging and offerings to meet their needs. Use these simple questions to help form a customer profile.

Who is your ideal customer?
What motivates them?
What pain points are they trying to solve?
To gain this understanding, you can use your experience as the business owner. However, if you want more precise data, market research tools can help. For example, you can survey your existing customers to learn more about their behaviors, preferences, and satisfaction levels. Pay special attention to how they discovered your business and whether they are local or come from a farther distance. This data can help you target your marketing geographically, in addition to understanding the impact of advertising versus customer word-of-mouth.

Conducting competitor analysis is another way of learning more about what offers are working or what services might be missing for your prospective customer base. Hubspot offers a helpful guide to small business owners looking to learn more about their competition. Lastly, make sure you have completed a free business profile with Google, so you are able to monitor online metrics like website traffic and customer behavior through Google Analytics. With this information, you can develop a customer persona that will help guide your marketing efforts.

Partner with Other Businesses
Collaborating with other businesses that share your values and target audience can be an excellent way to reach new customers. For example, you can team up with a complimentary business to host an event or create a joint promotion. This can help to amplify your message and attract new customers who have yet to discover your business.

If your business has a physical location, consider collaborating with other businesses on the block. In a small shopping district in Portland, Oregon, businesses collaborate during the holiday season with a ‘golden ticket’ promotion. The concept rewards customers by giving them a golden ticket that can be used at partner stores in the shopping district. By gamifying holiday shopping and role modeling reciprocity, the business community has tapped into some known consumer behaviors: customers like to have fun and feel good about their purchases.

Offer Incentives and Rewards
People love rewards and incentives, as seen in the golden ticket example. Offering a discount or loyalty program can be an effective way to encourage repeat business. Additionally, if you have a referral program, you can encourage your satisfied customers to spread the word about your business to their friends and family. If starting a loyalty program feels daunting, check out Indeed’s framework that includes five steps to help create your own loyalty or referral program.

Long-term programs are great, but don’t miss the opportunity to wow first time customers who may be exploring your business or comparing you to a customer. Offer tantalizing promotions, discounts, or bonus items for minimum purchases. And remember: it’s great to be generous, but make sure the math works out in your favor. NerdWallet advises weighing specific risks and benefits of your promotion in order to prioritize profitability.

Keep it Simple
You don’t have to do everything at once. Simply try one strategy at a time and see what works. As you learn more about your customer, partner with compatriot businesses, and offer strategic incentives and rewards, you will be on your way to building a loyal base of customers.

The Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.

Kish for the Cure Online Auction Fundraiser to Begin November 8

Posted on by Melissa Brown
Kish for the Cure Logo

STATE COLLEGE, PA – November 7, 2023 – Kish Bank invites the public to join in the fight against cancer through its Kish for the Cure Online Auction fundraiser supporting local cancer-related nonprofits, taking place November 8–17. Bidders can support an important cause while bidding on great items that include premium baskets, experiences, collector memorabilia, and more!

Kish for the Cure is an annual grassroots fundraising effort led by Kish employees that benefits local cancer-related nonprofits the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund, PA Pink Zone, and Relay For Life of Mifflin/Juniata. These organizations make a major difference in the central PA region by funding cancer awareness, research, treatment programs at area hospitals, and financial support for local individuals and families facing cancer, and Kish is proud to support their efforts. With help from customers, local businesses, and friends, Kish has raised over $460,000 for these organizations since 2012.

To browse or bid in the Online Auction, visit handbid.app.link/kftc23. The auction opens for bidding Wednesday, November 8 at 9:00 a.m. and closes Friday, November 17 at 5:00 p.m. Monetary donations are also welcome and can be made online at handbid.app.link/kftc-donate or in person at any Kish Bank branch. For more information, please visit MyKish.com/cure.

State College Regional Airport

Posted on by Melissa Brown
group of people outside of the state college airport sign

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State and the Centre County Airport Authority (CCAA) have announced that University Park Airport will be renamed State College Regional Airport on November 3.


This change will help alleviate confusion and clarify that the location is the region’s airport and a convenient alternative to commuting to more remote airports, such as Pittsburgh or Harrisburg. In addition to providing clarity on the location, State College Re- gional Airport better reflects the service area, the continuing investment in the economic development of Centre County and beyond, as well as the broad array of transportation options available at the location. Currently, University Park Airport offers regular daily flights on American with convenient connections to Philadelphia International (PHL) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD); and United has service from State College to Newark International (EWR) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). New destinations and expanded service are continuously being sought as the airline industry adjusts following the Covid pandemic.
“With a new name, the State College Regional Airport will continue to provide outstand- ing service to travelers locally and throughout Central Pennsylvania,” said Sara Thorn- dike, Penn State senior vice president for finance and business and University treasurer.


“The renaming of our airport started a long time ago with the public rebranding us the State College Airport. By officially renaming the airport, we are eliminating confusion for our passengers. The airline city code has been SCE from the very beginning of commer- cial air service at this airport dating back to 1978,” said James Meyer, Executive Director of CCAA.
“This process has been a true collaboration between Penn State and the Airport Author- ity,” said Chris Groshel, CCAA Board Chair. “Our goal has always been to build and promote the airport as a convenient transportation hub to serve central Pennsylvania. The State College Regional Airport name will facilitate travel for the many thousands of travelers who pass through our terminal annually.”

Achieve Big Things When You Think Small

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Achieve Big Things When You Think Small

• Entrepreneurs are encouraged to have ambitious goals, but it is also important to take time to focus on the present.
• One way for small business owners to gain an advantage is to build a rapport with their initial customers: personalize support, actively solicit feedback, and create customer success teams.
• Focusing on small numbers associated with the business can lead to a better understanding of profit margins and ROI; investing in a strong POS system can help with this.
• Lastly, taking daily actions that support long-term plans and recognizing employees’ contributions will help businesses grow and scale.

~ 672 words/ 3 min. read 

Entrepreneurs, particularly those running small businesses, are often encouraged to aim high. What’s the pace of your business growth? How soon can you onboard a team? What’s the timeline for expanding to multiple locations? Although it’s common practice to idealize an accelerated pathway to success, it is valuable to slow down and concentrate on the present. For those managing lean start-ups or small ventures, adopting a “think small” mentality has significant advantages. Here are three ways focusing on the little things makes a big difference.

#1 Learn from Your Initial Customers

Building a rapport with first-time customers is one of the most crucial actions a business owner can take. After all, they’re choosing your products and services for the first time. Understanding what drew them to your business is valuable feedback that will help your business grow. Was it the charm of your sales pitch, your interpersonal skills, or factors such as your product package or location?

Connecting with your customers is more than a growth strategy—it’s a differentiator. In their article, “Rapport-Building Questions: 68 Memorable Questions for Establishing Rapport with Customers,” Hubspot suggests focusing on these strategies to build rapport with your business patrons:

Personalize Customer Support

Take time to learn your customers’ first names and use them to personalize communication. Survey and email automation tools have made adding personal touches easier than ever.

Actively Solicit Feedback

Customer reviews make a real difference in how many first-time buyers choose your business. Encourage customers to leave google reviews or testimonials through positive messaging or even incentives. The time customers take to leave a review and your gratitude fosters customer loyalty.

Create a Customer Success Team

Customer success and customer service have an important difference: the first is proactive and the second is reactive. By ensuring customers achieve their goals when they do business with you, you’re showing that you care about their experience and building long-term connections.

#2 Focus on Small Numbers

In addition to cultivating relationships with individual customers, Hannah Shr, senior program manager at ICA Fund, recommends concentrating on the smaller numbers associated with your business. These might include a single transaction, one SKU, a solitary purchase order, or a single credit card swipe. As inconsequential as these figures may seem, understanding them is key to unlocking broader concepts around your profit margins, sales, and ROI.

Investing in a strong POS (point of sale) system to help calculate this kind of data is one of the most important things a small business can do. The Small Business Association defines POS as including “the hardware and software related to transactions, such as the cash drawer, credit card swipe bar, barcode scanners, receipt printers, and more.” The SBA also notes that a quality POS system can help you do more than improve functionality and track real-time data, it can also help evaluate employee sales records, manage inventory, and prepare for taxes.

#3 Take Action Daily

Like most things in life, your vision becomes reality when you execute consistently. When it comes to your business, consider the small actions you can take daily that support your long-term goals. The US Chamber of Commerce has 10 action steps small business can take to grow and scale that range from social media exposure to optimizing your website. And one of the most practical and important steps you can take today is recognizing your employees.

Hiring and retention has become even more challenging for employers in the last few years, but it’s also re-energized the conversation around workplace happiness and satisfaction. Jessica Elliot, US Chamber contributor, offers these helpful strategies for making employee recognition straightforward and effective:
• Gather employee details with a profile template you can use over and over
• Take high-quality images and create short videos of team member contributions
• Spotlight employees of the week/month on multiple channels, including your website

The Bottom Line

As you look to the future of your business, remember: thinking small pays big dividends. Focusing on the customer experience, employee satisfaction, and real-time data create a solid foundation for business growth. Each action you take will become the stepping stones for the business you’ve always wanted.