TOWNE LAKE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Member Spotlight

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

From the

Towne Lake
Business Association

One of the primary goals of the Towne Lake Business Association (TLBA) is to assist member businesses in becoming successful by providing an avenue for education and training. With that in mind, this month's column will focus on an area in which all businesses can strive for continuous improvement — quality customer service.

W. Clement Stone once stated, "the bitterness of poor quality and service remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." It's time for all local businesses to embrace the Towne Lake area community and continuously strive to earn its residents' trust and patronage. Too many businesses have closed in the Towne Lake area over the years for a variety of reasons. Although many of these businesses may blame "lack of community support" as the reason for their closure, the reality may be that our community "did not perceive quality products or services" being provided by these businesses.

Did you know that it costs about 10 times more to get a new customer than to keep an existing one! Furthermore, the best and least expensive source of new business always has been referrals. Unfortunately, a bad experience can be very costly and can lead to that customer telling nine others about the problem, whereas a good customer experience may be retold only once. Some of the best lessons in business may come from what we all should have learned starting in kindergarten — be honest, play fair, be polite and most importantly treat people the way you want to be treated. This alone may make your business successful. Of course it would be wise to train yourself and your staff to continuously improve the level of service and quality of products offered to your customers.

Finally, we want to thank Don and Vickie Holyfield of the Peachtree Planning Corporation for the January Lunch "N" Learn Workshop on financial planning and wealth creation.

As always, we thank you for supporting our local businesses, and thus, our Towne Lake area community. And please help us "Keep Towne Lake Dollars in Towne Lake."

 Wayne Kosbe, President

NOTE: The Member Spotlight highlights one TLBA member each month with information showcasing their business. Visit us at www.tlba.org.

Pictured above from left: (standing) Elizabeth Allen, Diana Edge, and David Ingram. (Seated) Suzette O'Neal and Beverly Hayes.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution launched the Cherokee Edition on September 1997. By March, the office opened in the South Pointe Shopping Center.

Beverly Hayes covers the Towne Lake area and also serves as Secretary to the Towne Lake Business Association. Beverly has over 27 years of experience in advertising. Most recently, she was selected as West Division winner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Territory Sales Person of the Year honors. David Ingram has over 25 years of sales experience and covers Historic Main Street. Diana Edge covers North Cherokee and has 14 years of experience. Elizabeth Allen is the Advertising Assistant, and Suzette O'Neal, the Ad Creative Graphic Artist, has 16 years of design experience.

Ira Griffith, the Cherokee Retail Sales Manager, says, "The great thing about the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's product offering is our ability to place your ad in surrounding counties and increase your market coverage at very affordable rates. Small business owners in Cherokee want to grow their businesses, and a great way to do it is to advertise in the Cherokee section with readership from Towne Lake and Woodstock to Riverstone Parkway and beyond on Thursdays. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cherokee section is devoted to bringing community news coverage on a weekly basis at affordable advertising rates for local businesses. An advertiser can repeat the ad in adjacent counties such as North Fulton or East Cobb with our discount plans. We also can offer a zoned and affordable presence in the Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution Living Section. Other products offered include the Home & Garden section published weekly, Buyer's Edge delivered to high demographic non-subscribers in the Atlanta metro area, and Special Accent Issues offered periodically through the year." For further information, please call (770) 373-8719.