The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The new Chamber office is beginning to feel like home and everything is in its place. So now it's time for us to roll out the red carpet and give our members the grand tour. We will be hosting the next Business of the Month on January 25. This BaH's is called "A Taste of the Chamber" and we will be featuring food from our many Chamber members. While it's tempting to take advantage of a great deal, I encourage everyone to think twice when making your purchases of goods and services. I have spoken with many members, who are becoming frustrated with people that come in from out of town, set up a temporary business, and then as quickly as they arrived, are gone. Often they are leaving behind unhappy customers with substandard products or services and no recourse. It can't be said often enough ­ SHOP LOCAL! Local businesses are here year round. Dollars spent with Halton Hills owned and operated businesses stay in the local economy. These businesses support your children's sports teams; donate items to local school/church fundraisers and add to the quality of life you enjoy in Halton Hills. Local businesses employ your friends and neighbours. They pay local taxes to support the community. If you are a local business, please introduce yourself to the Chamber. We receive many inquiries from local residents looking for referrals. Often they have a specific business they are seeking information on. If we haven't heard about your business, they don't feel confident using your services. Know an exceptional business in town that deserves to be recognized? There is still time to send in your nominations for the 2005 Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Employee of the Year and Civic Pride Awards. Deadline for General Manager's Desk Sue Walker nominations is January 27. Please take a moment and let us know who you feels deserves this special recognition. Don't forget to take a copy of BusinessLink with you if you are heading south or to the slopes. We'd love to feature you on the cover of our April issue reading this newsletter on your holiday. Work has begun on the 2006 Chamber directory. Our phone book is delivered to all residents in Halton Hills through the Independent Free Press and is also available year round through the Chamber office. Only Chamber members are featured in the yellow pages. How good is our book? Call our office and we'll deliver 10 copies to you, for you to put on display and watch how fast they disappear! If your business accepts VISA, MasterCard or debit cards as payment, are you receiving the best possible rates from your bank for these transactions? Did you know that members of Halton Hills Chamber receive a preferred rate? For many of our members, that savings more than pays for their annual membership fee. If you require more details, please call Mary at our office.