Start 3:15 PM
Attendance: Joe Aro, Ted Vegvari, Debbie Lang, Bruno Sartini, Irving Zalma, Susie Seamans, Marsha H. Ershaghi-McCormick, Bruce Wood
Discussion of Debbie’s assignment: each board member to call 10 local merchants to join AWMA.
Joe Aro: is AWMA incorporated, bylaws?
Invoices are now available, Gary Lofstrom has requested to be invoiced ($500)
Attendance list at 3-25-98 event.
Thank Joe Aro for helping us get involved in the RHE City top 50 Tax Producers event on 3-25-98.
Debbie: Send a thank you card from RHE AWMA to the city of RHE, and thank RHE merchants for participating in the award.
Joe Aro: Send letters of congratulations, a letter soliciting them with an invitation to attend next general meeting.
Increase membership, attend meetings at arenas more business – like. Maybe move meetings from Marie Callender’s, suggests library, setup w/ coffee.
Bruce: suggests a less expensive membership fee, charter member $100, make it $25 for a non-voting member, but still participate and voice concerns.
Ted: $10/month, sign up for one year.
Susie: de-valuing product
Joe: Definition of what we are, present a compelling reason to come.
Joe: bring a professional facilitator to take current membership through process to define goals & membership, structure committees work with what we have, put together series of workshops (marketing, financial, business expansion network) already available through small business center, setting a standard to members
Business plan: State purpose of what business is, where you are going and how you will get there.
What is a merchant? Therefore who can be a member of the organization (retail, or?)
Joe can provide a sketch of bylaws to work from, give members something to do (involve them)
Board can obtain input from involvement of other members.
Example: World of difference b/w: way signage & marketing signage.
What input are you going to give marketing committee as to what AWMA is and what we do?
Ted: open issues, get to point to obtain enough members to select a range of 10 stores to do video project to spotlight different business, grow membership get word out
Susie: suggests lead donor (2-person task force) identify who we have as members and where holes are, big name members, write a blurb on info sheet, recommend Eric Alan Malaga Bank, Kathy Alan & Joe Miller- Bay Cities Bank,
Joe: schedule a member breakfast (every current member brings 3 prospects) Agenda: have a scheduled speaker at general meetings (to draw members and provide a purpose)
Vision needs to be more tangible, not just increase business. People will deliver workshops, management workshops, rare that management persons have had any tutorial in management.
"bring them in for nothing, make them pay to get out"
Identify some topics and schedule a speaker, go with a money management.
Get Sue Hunter w/ Small Business Development Center in Torrance.
Ted: losing opportunities, a doctor who markets services through local advertising is just as much a merchant as anybody else.
Stress that there are no conflicts w/ Chamber of Commerce.
Joe: Chamber of Commerce has a broader reach, AWMA looks in the business district.
Bruce: the downtown merchants association, regardless of whether a doctor or dry cleaner.
Irving: suggests renaming AWMA to the Peninsula Business Network
Board members must chair committees, but volunteers (non-members) work in committees.
Intellectual investment.
Participating member & paid member.
Ted: a voting member is a paid member
Ted: a request to the City to sponsor a breakfast every now and then
Susie: City needs a request package, City will provide AWMA with seed money, what does AWMA need it for.
Signage, traffic flow are pressing issues.
Debbie: people want something tangible
Ted moves to cancel next meeting April 8th. Suggest a faxed update.
Joe: think of an annual merchants association event; plan the event in advance
Meaningful purpose to contact merchants on a monthly basis.
Ted: vote for the event
Motion: plan an annual event (Business Workshop) for 1998 for 435 attendees.
Debbie: firsts it, Bruno: seconds motion.
Bruce: motion to accept SBED (south bay economic development) partnership offer to provide a facilitator Marsha: seconds
Susie: offices but what are functions – committees: membership; bylaws; advertising; promotions (events attractive to membership and to people as a whole); newsletter (publications chair).
Ted: in invitation letter ask volunteers to chair prospective committees.
Susie: needs to have a structure.
Bruno will head promotions and newsletter responsibility.
Expand the board, people who can put hours in to grow projects.
Bruno moves to expand the board, Irving: seconds.
Bruno: in going around and talking to people, there is a lot of hostility aimed at the City, confront and overcome.
Meeting reschedule to May 13 speaker on money management.
Upcoming meetings dates:
"when you go into battle, plans are worthless but planning is essential" Joe Aro on Eisenhower
Draft agenda for April 2nd meeting.
Susie: Tax exempt status, call her husband. Bruce volunteered to call Mr. Richard Seamans.
(562) 797-5721 what type of tax exempt organization we should be, simple association and then in time incorporate. (mutual benefit incorporation) *pre-file tax, then get it back
Meeting adjourned : 5:15 PM