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

5 Business Links, Tuesday, January 12, 2010 he Chamber's position statement is "Connecting Business and Community" and a shining example of that phrase in action is the recent Olympic Torch Relay that traveled through Halton Hills on December 19th. The Chamber was invited to participate by the Town, along with the BIA's, Georgetown Marketplace and RBC, one of the Torch Relay's sponsors. While the Chamber's role was small, many of our members were quick to show their support when we started spreading the news... whether it was buying one of the banners that lined the torch route or supplying muffins and hot coffee on that chilly morning. I hope you were able to catch a glimpse of the torch as it went through town. It was a memorable moment and a great example of what can happen when the business and community comes together. If you missed seeing the torch, Google "Torch" and "Georgetown" or "Acton" to view dozens of videos. Things are back in full swing after the holidays, as most members are aware. We are sending information out almost daily. This is a great time of year to make the most of your Chamber membership with the many events planned. Visit our website for details. As well, work has begun on the 2010 Chamber directory. Our phone book is delivered to all General Manager's Report General T Manager's Desk Sue Walker 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. Contact Donna Becksted to discuss placing an ad for even great exposure. There is still time to send in your nominations for the 2009 Business of the Year Awards. Deadline for nominations is January 29th. This is a great opportunity to recognise some of Halton Hills many outstanding businesses. The Chamber is proud to promote our local businesses and to highlight the best of the best. 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. CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS - MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS Corporate / Personal Tax Returns Financial Statements Bookkeeping / Payroll Services Audits / Reviews Tax Planning Profit Coaching Now Accepting New Clients 49 Commerce Cres., Acton, Ontario L7J 2X2 905-873-8837 416-360-OTAX www.btpc.ca 202 Mountainview Georgetown, L7G 4B5 4K1 348- 16 Guelph St., Unit Rd., #4,S., Georgetown L7G 519-853-3540 visit our website: www.galvcast.net A Wealth of Investment Expertise in Halton Hills. ·Retirement Planning, RRSPs, RRIFs ·Mutual Funds, Stocks, Segregated Funds ·GICs, Bonds ·Fee-based Managed Accounts R. Scott Becksted, BES Wealth Advisor 11597 TRAFALGAR ROAD GEORGETOWN, ONTARIO L7G 4S4 PHONE (905) 877-1420 FAX (905) 873-0919 (905) 873-6640 or (905) 796-5024 Toll Free: 1-800-263-2454 Fax: (905) 450-6343 scott_becksted@scotiamcleod.com www.advisors.scotiamcleod.com/sbecksted www.leferink.com BERT LEFERINK President ScotiaMcLeod is a division of Scotia Capital Inc., a member of the Scotiabank Group. Use Twitter to promote your business. Is Twitter a waste of time, or should I be doing it? Written By: Darren Williams, Sales Representative - Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty JOHN A. GIBSON Chartered Accountant S ocial Media has become the forefront of communication in today's business world and many large companies such as: The Toronto Sun, Sick Kids Hospital, West Jet, Dell computers and your local Chamber of Commerce, to name a few. They have all begun to embrace Social Media by listening to their consumers and making changes based on feedback through social media sites. One of the sites these companies have begun to engage is twitter.com. The media has been heavily talking about it, promoting it on websites, and more and more consumers and companies are joining the movement. It is estimated there are over 18 million twitter users, with a forecast exceeding 26 million users by the end of 2010. So what is twitter? Twitter is a FREE marketing tool that helps you build your brand, interact with your community and be a resource of your product or service, one tweet at a time. A tweet is a message of what you are doing in 140 characters or less. It is important to tweet informative messages by giving useful links to your followers, such as; Local Sports Store: Offering $12.99 tennis rackets to the first 10 customers to walk in the store between 1-2pm. Local Bakery: Hot Chocolate muffins fresh out the oven, come by and enjoy a coffee and enjoy one for free. This will create a sense of value within your community and help promote your business while proving you are a source to go to when it comes to that particular product or service. When people are searching the internet, if you've provided an informative and valuable tweet, those people will begin following you on twitter and will seek more information through your blog and/or website. Providing value will grab their attention thus making them more inclined to purchase your particular product or service. Who would have thought FREE marketing would land a sale?! You can start to see how twitter is being used in our backyard by visiting www. BreakingHaltonHillsNews.com. You can download the free e-book on the site entitled: "The Local Business Owner's guide to Twitter". This FREE e-book will show you step-by-step how to use twitter with a breaking news network and build your business. Financial Statement Preparation Small Business Accounting Personal Tax Returns 905-873-0996 10 MOUNTAINVIEW RD. S., SUITE 203 (MOUNTAINVIEW & GUELPH) At Yorkshire Enterprises: Pick-Up & Delivery Available. Call to arrange a meeting. Your return is completed by tax professionals with more than 40 years of combined experience. You get our assurance of accuracy and maximum tax savings. Your return will be done while you wait. EFILE services are available. Graeme Goebelle, FCA (retired) A. Brian MacAdam, CA, CFP David Alexander, CA Melanie McCracken, CA Ron Starret, CA Anne Starret, CA Darren Turcotte, CA, CPA Tracey Bastedo, CA James Raptopulos, CA 37 Main Street South, Suite 201 Tel: (905) 877-5155 Georgetown, Ontario Fax: (905) 877-5905 L7G 3G2 Toll Free: (866) 554-2030 www.gmallp.com Sarah, Marion, Joanne, Christine & Liz Yorkshire Enterprises Inc. Located at: Knolcrest Centre 360 Guelph St., Unit 47 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B5 Call: 905-873-2697 Email: info@yorkshirent.com www.yorkshirent.com