When you decide to become a member or investor of the Greater Freeport Partnership, we understand that a value calculation is made. Is the cost of membership equal to or less than the value you get from being a member and supporting the work that we do at the Partnership?
Because we understand that, we work hard to provide value to our members every day. Our members are diverse, therefore what they value is also diverse. The Partnership provides a wide range of services, programs, events, and resources that are designed to be useful to some segment of our membership. A small sample of our recent work demonstrates the variety of services offered to provide value to the diverse membership:
· Last weekend, we hosted the Stephenson County Home Show to showcase businesses that provide a wide range of services to homeowners.
· We hosted a Manufacturing Roundtable discussing workforce challenges many local manufacturers are experiencing in recruiting and retaining quality workers with representatives from local education entities.
· This weekend, we are hosting the fourth annual Pretzel Fest, a family-friendly event highlighting cultural and recreational aspects of Freeport and Stephenson County.
· We provided information on the Enterprise Zone and other incentive programs to new and existing businesses. These programs can lower the cost of development, making it easier for businesses to grow.
· We worked one-on-one with people looking to kick-start their dream of starting and running a business, giving them personalized assistance, guidance, and advice.
· We hosted the Pitch Competition for BASE Camp, the culmination of our entrepreneur and small business education program to help support those starting and growing their own businesses.
· We promoted businesses, organizations, events, and programs through social media, press releases, and our two weekly newsletters. Our business community, residents and visitors look to those publications for information on what is happening and things to do.
· This Friday is the beginning of Stephenson County Restaurant Week to promote the great restaurants in Freeport and Stephenson County.
· We hosted a ribbon cutting and a Business After Hours, a networking event, at Elliott, Trainor & Weller, P.C. to celebrate their name change and their addition of another attorney to their firm.
While this list is not exhaustive, it does give you an idea of the variety of services we provide to ensure value for our members. Whether these activities have directly impacted your
business, we hope you see the value that is provided to our region as a whole and what your support and membership means to the entirety of our work. If there is some way we can help make your membership more valuable, please let us know!
BIll Clow is the Business Engagement Director for the Greater Freeport Partnership. He can be reached at bclow@greaterfreeport.com or 815-233-1353.
