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How to Embrace More Than Just Christmas During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and increased consumer spending.  For small businesses, this time offers a tremendous opportunity to maximize sales and connect with customers on a deeper level. But if you think of the holiday season as just Thanksgiving and Christmas, you could be missing out. Experts estimate that most small retail…

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Member Spotlight: BAE Boats

BAE BOATS was created out of a love for travel and adventure. Like many families during the pandemic the owners, Robyn and Logan, were looking for creative ways to seek adventure with their three children. After months of exploring Bay Area hiking and biking trails, they discovered electric boats. They were instantly hooked and wanted…

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9 Success Strategies for Young Businesses

starting a business

Launching a business is a thrilling journey filled with possibilities and challenges. While no year is without challenges, the first few are particularly so for most businesses. Many naive owners think that if they can make it through the first year, their success is guaranteed. Sadly, that isn’t the case. The first year actually has…

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How to Craft Irresistible Offers for Your Biggest Holiday Sales Yet

Small businesses everywhere are enjoying the trend of shopping local. Many organizations, including the Chamber, understand the importance of helping the community realize the value of small businesses. Even with this help, your local business still has two major challenges—marketing (making sure people think about you when they’re ready to buy) and convincing them that…

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Meeting Customer Needs: Inexpensive Sensory-Friendly Ideas for the Holiday Season

The holiday season can be overwhelming with the twinkling lights, music, and crowds under the best of circumstances. For about 16.5% of the US population, overstimulation can be torturous. Over the last decade, sensory-sensitivity condition diagnoses, such as autism, have increased. Inclusion is now a mainstream topic that is generationally important to all. Taking this…

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16 Questions to Use to Prepare for Small Business Season Success

Do you find yourself wondering how you’re going to compete with larger, national stores with big marketing budgets and attractive loss leaders that bring in a crowd? How will you capture the attention of local shoppers, dinner, or service users and prepare for the holidays? Well, we’re here to equip you with a set of…

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Uniting Against Hate: Building a Stronger Alameda Together

In Alameda, we believe in the power of unity, diversity, and standing up against hate. It’s why we proudly support and celebrate “United We Stand Against Hate” week (November 12-18, 2023), an initiative that encourages us all to be a force for positive change in our community. As the Alameda Chamber & Economic Alliance, we…

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9 Tips for Creating an Instagrammable Small Business Season

The holiday season (and Small Business Season!) is upon us! It’s the perfect time to capitalize on the festive spirit to attract customers and boost sales. As a small business you also want to invite people to linger, especially if you’re in retail. According to the Wall Street Journal, sales could increase as much as 40%…

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10 Ways Nonprofits Can Work with Us to Finish the Year Strong

December is a critical time for nonprofits, as it marks the final stretch of the year to achieve fundraising and community impact goals. But what you might not realize is how the Alameda Chamber & Economic Alliance can help your holiday giving campaigns. The chamber can be a valuable resource to support your mission going…

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Announcing the Official Kickoff of the 2023 Small Business Season 

Everything you need to know about the merriest time of year! We are delighted to announce the official kickoff of Small Business Season 2023. This year our campaign to support our neighborhood small businesses will be even bigger than before! It hasn’t been an easy year for many of our businesses. With rising costs, fears…

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