What a storm last Saturday.  In a matter of a few hours the temperature dropped from about 10-15 degrees (Celcius).  We had to change venues for our 15 year Celebration of the Elora Fergus Unitarian Church as the Victoria Park Seniors Centre was without power.The Fergus Elora News Express reports damages from Pilkington Township to Belwood Lake. I have only heard of material damage, and nothing as catastrophic as the 2005 tornado that swept through Centre Wellington.

Here are a few pictures that I took of the damage:

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Whether your car needs mufflers, brakes, a general repair or maintenance, True Centre can help you out. Ron Brouwer, proprietor of True-Centre Muffler & Brakes in Fergus for already 2.5 years, is quick to point out that his company is more than just mufflers and brakes, and that they offer complete car care.

A lot has happened since he took ownership of the company previously owned by Gerry VanGrootheest. Business has been good, and he is thankful for the great deal of word-of-mouth advertising he is getting from satisfied customers. Ron and his team of skilled, trained technicians work hard in order to help the public with their automotive needs and making the customer happy. This means keeping an eye on many aspects of the customer’s experience, including clean waiting rooms and washrooms – making sure that the shop is inviting to men and women alike. …click here to read more

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Even if you have never been to the races, you can get an idea what it is like by looking at this YouTube movie. The wonderful world of the Internet, and all the sharing features of it, make it so easy to peak over the fence and see whether it is something for you. The Raceway also has slot machines and a fine restaurant.

Planning a trip to Elora and surrounding area is not complete without spending some time downtown, of course, with its wide variety of artisan shops and fine restaurants and coffee shops.

And tell them we sent you! :o)

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Just like last year, at the beginning of the fergus175 celebratory year, we will have another First Night celebration downtown Fergus this year.

Some of the activities downtown Fergus on December 31st, 2008:

• Live music by One Minute, The Unbreakable Clocks, Sebastian Ennis and The Mod Wolves, Backroads (8:30), Moonshine (11:15)
• Countdown and Fireworks at 9:00 and 12:00
• Storybook character Geronimo Stilton will be at Roxanne’s Reflections Book and Card Shop from 7 to 9 p.m.
• Storytelling in the children’s area of the Fergus Library
• Screenings of Cogeco’s production of “Fergus Then and Now” will run at the Grand Theatre at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
• Horse-drawn trolley rides around the downtown area, running from 7 to 10 p.m.
• Hot chocolate everywhere! (at least at Melville’s Church, Thompson Funeral Home, Fergus Library
• An alcohol-free and admission-free event for the whole family!

Check out last year’s post with some YouTube videos of last year’s First Night celebrations.

For more information, look for one of the distinctive posters around Fergus, call 519-843-5140 or go to www.fergus175.ca.

Information taken from the Fergus Elora News Express.

Merry Christmas From Us!

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October is Small Business Month. Small Business is usually defined as a company with a small number of employees, but that does not mean that its impact or income has to be small. And websites can help a lot to make a real splash.

Websites allow small businesses to play with the big guys. As a sole proprietor you can start your own webshop, and you do not have to worry about renting a store or hiring staff. You can get people to your online store by making sure it is easy to find in the search engines, and you can add many other online and offline promotion activities to the mix. You can grow your small website into a big website without having to add much to your expenses. Small Business – Big Website.

You can also have a small website with a Big Impact. A website allows you to effectively market your invention or niche product in a niche market, making you an expert or “guru” in your field. Again, if your website is easy to find and also easy to use, targeted visitors will find your website and your site will convert many of these browsers into customers. If your website is perceived as being trustworthy, and obvious and effortless in its navigation, you can beat larger corporations!

Being a small business also allows you to be more to the point and personable, for instance by adding a blog to your website. I usually is also a good strategy to add testimonials, case studies, white papers or articles written by you, the expert. These samples of your products and services, or your customer service, will evoke a lot of trust and give a visitor insight into what they can expect from you as a service or product provider. Being honest and true will resonate with your website’s visitors, which can be a great start for building customer loyalty. Small Business – Big Impact.

Using the powers of the Internet you can turn being a “Small Business” into your advantage. So join me in celebrating all our (future) Big-Impact Small Businesses this month!

For more information: contact your webmaster, or email Nardo Kuitert at nardo@u-cwebs.com.

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Nardo Kuitert is an Internet Consultant with Fergus Website Development and Optimization firm U-C WEBS (www.u-cwebs.com). U-C WEBS also offers Internet advertising opportunities on www.ferguspages.com.

Published in Minding Our Business, October 2008 - Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce

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