Greetings and welcome from the Mont Clare / Elmwood Park Chamber of Commerce! The sister communities of Mont Clare and Elmwood Park, Illinois, are a great place to live, work and shop.

Look the Mont Clare/Elmwood Park Community Guide Online edition, brought to you by the Mont Clare/Elmwood Park Chamber of Commerce and Pioneer Press.  If you didn't get a copy and would like one, Contact the Chamber.

View the guide online in either PDF  or HTML

Featured Member Profile: 3Planets – Internet Solutions

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year!

Many of our fellow chamber members are looking at the coming New Year with an unhealthy amount of caution and fear. We’ve been hearing from the “Talking Heads” in the media that the “Economy” is in for hard times. Given all the doom-and-gloom, it’s a wonder that any small business owner gets out of bed in the morning.

The truth is that even with a 6.7% unemployment rate, there is a 93.3% employment rate! According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average unemployment rate from January 1990 to November 2008 was… a little less than 5.5 %.

According to a recent survey done by Opinion Research Corporation “77% of Americans Blame Media for Making Economic Crisis Worse”. What’s a business owner to do? I have a couple of suggestions…

• Talk to your current customers. It’s far less costly to keep a customer than to get a new one. Make sure that you know what your customers want and let them know you are willing to work with them.
   
• Ask your current customers for referrals. If they like the job that you’re doing for them, they’ll be happy to give you referrals. Likewise, if you know people who could use their services, be sure to refer them!
   
• Talk softly but market your company everywhere you go. Consider embroidering your company logo on your shirts, blazer, jackets or vests – It will be a conversation starter. Conversations that could lead to more business!
   
• Meet and greet all your neighbors in the industrial park, the office building or neighborhood you’re in, or walk around to every building you can see from your company’s location. Chances are they don’t know what you do, but could need you some time — especially if you’re in retail.
   
• Take a care package sample to all your neighbors with coupons too — especially if you’re in retail, food sales, supplies, etc.
   
• Make sure that your marketing message is consistent. Take a good look at your promotional materials including your website – you do have a website, don’t you? Do they reflect and support your goals for your business? If not, now is a very good time to invest in your company!
  
  and finally
   
• Keep your spirits up! It’s not the lack of money, but the lack of heart that closes businesses.

3Planets creates, publishes, manages and hosts web sites for small- to medium-sized business and organizations. Our services include web design, Information Architecture, PHP web development, Search Engine Promotion, e-commerce and hosting. We are honored to be the webmaster for the Mont Clare – Elmwood Park Chamber of Commerce. Visit us at www.3planets.com or call me, Alex Jacobs at 708-383-6930.

3Planets.com - Internet Solutions, 801 South Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302
Tel: 708-383-6930 Fax: 708-810-4872 Email: info@3Planets.com

Chamber members interested in having their business or organization featured as a Featured Member, contact Barbara Melnyk, Executive Director.

Our members include:

Accountants, Adult Day Services, Animal Hospitals, Appliance Repair & Installation, Attorneys & Law Firms, Auto Repair & Body Work, Auto Rental, Automobile Repairs, Band Gear Rental, Bar & Tavern, Bakeries, Bakery, Restaurant & Caterer, Banquets, Barber Shops, Beauty Salons, Calligraphy, Car Washes, In-House Caregivers, Cell Phones & Accessories, Child Care Centers, Child Development Centers, Children's Hospitals, Children's Museums, Lutheran Churches, Non-denominational Churches, Protestant Churches, Cigarettes/Cigars/Lottery Stores, Residential & Office Cleaning Services, Co-ed Catholic High Schools, Coffee Shops, Computer Services, Condominium Associations, Electrical Contractors, Fencing Contractors, General Contractors, Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors ,Kitchen & Bath Contractors, Roofing Contractors, Dairy Products, Dance & Theatre Schools, Dentists, Disposal Services, Donuts & Ice Cream, Elementary Schools, Entertainment Producers, Financial Institutions, Financial Planners, Stocks & Investment Brokers, Fitness & Nutrition Centers, Flood Control / Drain Tile Specialists, Florists & Flower Shops, Funeral Directors & Undertakers, Gifts & Catering, Gourmet Foods, Graphic Design, Handyman Services, Home Inspection Services, Horse Racing, Hospitals, Income Tax Services ,Insurance Agents, Insurance Agencies ,Internet Design, Web Sites & Consulting, Jewelry, Kitchen Dealers, Landscaping, Elmwood Park Library, Lighting Suppliers, Magazines, Mailbox Rentals, Marketing Consultants & Services, Confectionery Product Manufacturing, Media, Medical & Respiratory Equipment, Medical Testing Centers, Men's Clothing Stores, Messenger & Courier Services, Municipal Governments, Music Instruction / Dealers, Nursing Homes, Office Supplies, Ophthalmologists, Optical / Optometrists / Eyeglasses, Organizations, Paint Supplies, Pest Control, Photography Studios, Physicians, Chiropractors, Orthodontist’ Podiatrists’ Pizzerias’ Plumbers, Pool & Spa Supplies, Printers, Real Estate Agencies & Agents, Residential Cleaning Services, Residents, Restaurants, Schools, Dance Schools, Private Schools, Senior Living Community, Shoe Repairs, Signs, State of Illinois Government, Coin Stores, Discount Stores , Furniture Stores , Gift Stores, Grocery Stores, Jewelry Stores , Liquor Stores, Marine Supplies Stores, Pharmacy & Drugs Stores, Plumbing Supply Stores, Variety Stores, Surgical Centers / Health Care Providers, Taxi Cabs, Telecommunications, Tool Production, Travel Agencies, Trophies & Awards, Veterinarians, Video, Waste Disposal Services, Weight Loss & Exercise, Wholesale/Retail Grocer &amp Catering and Window Treatment Decorating Services.

If you're looking for it in the Mont Clare / Elmwood Park neighborhoods, and don't see it here, call the chamber office at (708) 456-8000 or contact us.