Local Businesses Network for Better Community

Every week, businesses are meeting in offices, meeting rooms and restaurants throughout Bonney Lake and Sumner to strengthen the local retail core.

They meet through the Chamber of Commerce or affiliations such as Business Network International (BNI), and Bonney Lake, Buckley, Enumclaw Networking Group (BBE), to name a few. From these, new subgroups are being created, like a women’s networking group sponsored by Lake Tapps online coupon website .

As businesses tighten their belts, marketing budgets are often the first to be cut, but at what cost? Networking is about face-to-face marketing. It is having the opportunity to show you care about your business and the businesses in your local community.

Joyce Singleton, owner of The Referral Institute in Tacoma, spoke at the Bonney Lake Chamber Luncheon on Feb. 17 about networking. Prior to the '80s, most small- to mid-sized communities (like Bonney Lake and Sumner) were generally “responsible for the personal welfare of others,” said Singleton. As time went on, that philosophy changed, but the current economy has revitalized the local business market in a different way.

“We have now moved back toward our old ways,” she continued. “We are again working towards creating community, changing our sales mindset and switching to a marketing mindset.”

The City of Bonney Lake's official downtown plan is working toward establishing a downtown area and a YMCA to increase a feeling of community. The City of Sumner is also working toward a community center and recently changed the Sumner Promotion Association to the , bringing the values of the history and a successful downtown business core together.

The philosophy behind a more holistic retail community is that more people will stay in town and shop. Hopefully, this will result in a lower turnover in local businesses, thus leading to a stronger feeling of stability. A half-empty strip mall or street leaves locals with an uneasy feeling, wondering what is happening in the economy of the town.

As businesses stabilize, our local economy strengthens. Anyone who has moved a retail store a few times knows the associated costs. The longer a business is able to stay in one location, the less likely it is to raise prices and the more likely it is to carry items the community needs, thus increasing the likelihood of its longevity.

Brian Kaplan, co-owner of and marketing company Wisdom Bridge Productions, says through network marketing he is “learning to be a resource for others.” He continues to run multiple networking groups in our area, expanding the pool of people he can refer others to. When he began focusing on this concept, he said his business grew 300 percent in five weeks.

Through networking, business owners can see beyond the confines of their doors, allowing them to refer customers and friends to other types of local businesses. This further grows the feeling of community and helps us to continue to prosper as well keep our townspeople shopping locally. As for financial gain, Singleton points out, “when [goodness] ripples out, it will ripple back.”