Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce played an important role in the community during 2013. Here is a list of projects where the chamber participated.

This list also includes plans for 2014 and discussion points for the future.

A brown bag roundtable discussion on "how can we improve Bluffton" will follow up on several of these points. The discussion is from noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5, in the third floor of the town hall. It is open to the public.

2013 chamber-supported projects (these will continue into 2014)
• Bluffton Public Library, $200 golf outing sponsor
• Shannon Cemetery Project, $500 sponsor
• Bluffton Pathway-Bicycle Project, $500 sponsor
• Advertising to promote Blaze of Lights, Arts and Crafts Show, Holiday Open House
     – approximately $3,000

• Payout to some out of town participants in Blaze Parade $1,200
     (Yes, it costs money to put on quality parade of 100 units)
• Coordinated $2,100 in group advertising for Allen County visitor’s guide
      (2011 and 2012, not 2013)
• Provide information for monthly “Explore Bluffton” full-page full-color ad in Lima News. Bluffton businesses pay for the page – the chamber provides the calendar information
• Miscellaneous gift certificates for prizes and retirement gifts
• Sponsor of one downtown flowerpot at $75; helped to coordinate business contributions to keep the flowerpot project ongoing

• Sponsored “Driving Miss Daisy” performance to raise funds for downtown banners
• Purchase items as gifts for out-of-town chamber breakfast speakers
• Expanded arts and crafts show allowing chamber members to have free booths, added a health fair, added a kid’s bike rodeo, and llama exhibit. Removed out-of-town food vendors to enable local food vendors and restaurants to benefit

• Provide $350 in gift certificate prize money for holiday residential lighting contest.
• Bluffton University business showcase; 25 businesses participate each September
• Added special interest “workshops” following chamber breakfasts. Topics have included: human resources, Social Security, health insurance, social media, issues facing one-owner businesses, intellectual property, changes in tax law

Projects planned and under consideration in 2014
• Working on a fireworks display in late June
• $2,100 in downtown banner fund – will continue to develop this
• Launch “cash mobs.” The first one is Jan. 29 at The Dough Hook. We hope to do this each month. This event enables all downtown businesses the opportunity to have special sales and benefit on the coattails of the cash mob host business.

• The new Explore Bluffton Visitors’ Guide will be available in February or March.
• Noon brown bag roundtable discussions on “how to improve Bluffton.” First one is Feb. 5. Depending upon its success, these may take place monthly.
• With intern assistance we will offer all chamber members a QR code to post of their business window and use in all marketing, plus continued social media one-on-ones.

• Chamber golf outing fundraiser
• Battle of the businesses – a fun, relationship building activity
• Chamber and Bluffton Center for Entrepreneurs becoming more closely affiliated. This could create a chamber with a different set of tools, goals and mission statement. Perhaps a three-pronged focus on: Entrepreneurial encouragement; Visitor promotion/event promotion; downtown business alliance

• Working more closely with Bluffton University Business Club. Perhaps develop a Young Professional organization under the chamber’s umbrella to encourage and promote university grads to stay in Bluffton. Develop a mentoring/internship program

Points for further discussion
• Signs indicating location of public parking for downtown
• A “You are here” sign on Main Street (similar to signs in malls)
• Main Street alley beautification (Think: Columbus Northside)

• More parking spaces on the west side of Main Street
• Creation of a continually operating “welcome wagon” for new residents
• Signage on or near Interstate 75 pointing to Bluffton and its features

• Enter the “Best small villages in Ohio” competition – Ohio Magazine
• Expand our presences as a community to visit at Christmas (with more lights downtown, on Presbyterian Church lawn, and continued addition to residential light contest prize money)
• Hanging flower pots on Main Street light poles – adding to the pots already on the sidewalk
• Seasonal banners on Main Street – can we switch some of the flags out of the light poles to replace them with banners – is it time for a new downtown look?

• Beatification of Interstate exists. (Think: Piqua); “Bluffton” wordage on overpass bridges (Think: Findlay and Easton); focus on I-75 Bluffton water tower (Think: Perrysburg)
• Summer outdoor band concerts with a Bluffton “First Friday” event in June-July-August.

The next step:
Brown-bag lunch roundtable Feb. 5
The chamber plans to continue its discussion of “How can we improve Bluffton? which was the focus of the Jan. 17 chamber breakfast. The discussion continues from noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5, in the third floor of the town hall. The discussion is open to any chamber member and any Bluffton resident. P.S: bring your own lunch.

A new chamber venture
Monthly “cash mob day” in Bluffton
Each month of 2014 the chamber will hold a “Cash Mob Day.” The first one is from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 29, with The Dough Hook, 117 N. Main St., as the host business. The downtown meat market and deli will extend its normal hours until 5:30 p.m. to allow additional shoppers to visit the business.

During the cash mob hours The Dough Hook will offer 10 percent off all cheese in the shop. In addition, the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce will invite all shoppers to enter to win a chamber-sponsored $25 shopping spree in The Dough Hook.

In addition to The Dough Hook offering special discounts and the shopping spree, several other Bluffton businesses will offer discounts during the 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. cash mob hours.

A list of all participating businesses will be available in a chamber of commerce display table in The Dough Hook.

What you need to do:
The cash mob will only work if everyone reading this does the following:

 Place the Bluffton cash mob notice on your facebook and Twitter accounts. Remind your “friends” that Bluffton has a special day and special hours from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 29.