Members & LakeTown Landing businesses attend MLBA Nite Out
Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Contributors, MLBA Members, LakeTown Landing business owners and those interested in the Moses Lake Business Association attended the Moses Lake Business Association’s Quarterly Nite Out on Tuesday, February 21st.
There was networking, hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting by Camas Cove Cellars in MLBA’s conference room in Desert Plaza at Third & Alder in LakeTown Landing.
The featured speaker for the evening was Patrick Malone (MS/PCED) WSU Extension Service Community Vitality and Columbia Area Asset Building Team Member. Patrick is passionate about small business and their importance in our communities. He spoke about the benefits of working with other businesses, cross promotions and more. He touched on topics all business owners could relate too and told the group of 50 attendees to think larger than they are, being a part of a group such as the MLBA gives businesses and even larger voice and presence in the community. It’s about the “experience” of downtown and shopping local and not about individual businesses. Creating strategic business partnerships with other businesses and how these partnership come into play on a day-to-day basis makes businesses stronger. Patrick says, “Businesses need to build a cohesive puzzle, don’t just be an isolated piece (an integrated network of businesses performing together.”
Patrick also touched on the idea that small business is not sales based, small business is customer service based. How can we partner with our other local businesses and create value added incentives, share referrals and drive business between our businesses? It’s about building these relationships with each other than makes the community stronger.
Patrick currently teaches the “Starting Your Own Business” workshop put on by The Prosperity Center. In his class of business entrepreneurs and those looking to freshen up their business skills he encourages them to have $0 startup costs, he suggests doing this by looking beyond purchasing items but using the bartering system. Because cash flow is a challenge to all businesses it’s worth taking a second look at how you can barter. For example, bartering with a local furniture store for a display in your store, thus making everything for sale, driving traffic to the furniture store and then in turn they can give your business name out as a referral as well.
The evening concluded with prize giveaways donated by area businesses. The prize winners were: Stephanie Voigt (Cornfusion Gourmet Popcorn) winning the full-page ad from The Columbia Basin Herald & Royal Register; Joey Hernandez (Inland Cellular) winning a full-page ad in VENUE Magazine; Cindy Alporque (Essentials Skin & Wellness Center) winning radio spots from KWIQ-Country 100.3; LuAnn Hayford (Furniture Center) winning graphic design and business cards from Michaelle Boetger Graphic Designs; and Jenelle Ottmar (SocialBasin.com) winning a gift basket from Inland Cellular.
Thanks to all our sponsors for making this event possible. The next quarterly MLBA Nite Out is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17th from 5:30-7:30pm at Desert Plaza (Third & Alder) in LakeTown Landing. If you area Main Street Tax Credit Incentive Contributor, MLBA Member, LakeTown Landing business owner or interested in the Moses Lake Business Association you are invited to attend this event. For more information check out our website, sign up for our monthly e-newsletter or become a fan of MLBAcares.org on Facebook.
MLBA’s goal is to improve the economic development of the Moses Lake business community through organization, promotion, design, and economic restructuring. We are here to support our downtown shopping district, LakeTown Landing. With gas prices on the rise let’s figure out how we can encourage our residents to Shop Moses Lake First!
The Moses Lake Business Association (MLBA) is a non-profit organization formed in 1993 by interested Moses Lake citizens. The purpose of the organization is to stimulate economic development in the Moses Lake business district called LakeTown Landing and to promote the area as an exciting place to live, shop, work and play. The MLBA also seeks to maintain a healthy business community and a high quality of life. MLBA is a member of the Washington State Downtown Revitalization Program. It is currently seeking to obtain Main Street Program status, which will benefit the organization by qualifying for state and national funding for programs and projects. The four components of this program are design, economic restructuring, promotion and organization.
To contact the Moses Lake Business Association you can call 509-764-1745 or visit their website at www.mlbacares.org. You can also become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mlbacares or www.facebook.com/LakeTownLanding.
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Patrick Malone Patrick Malone (MS/PCED) WSU Extension Service Community Vitality and Columbia Area Asset Building Team Member speaks to attendees of the MLBA Nite Out.
The prize winners were: (left to right) Jenelle Ottmar (SocialBasin.com) winning a gift basket from Inland Cellular; ; LuAnn Hayford (Furniture Center) winning graphic design and business cards from Michaelle Boetger Graphic Designs; Cindy Alporque (not shown, accepting is Rebekah McCabe (Essentials Skin & Wellness Center) winning radio spots from KWIQ-Country 100.3; Stephanie Voigt (Cornfusion Gourmet Popcorn) winning the full-page ad from The Columbia Basin Herald & Royal Register; and Joey Hernandez.
