It's always fun to get packages and two large ones were delivered to the chamber office last Friday.  All the goodies for Small Business Saturday on November 26 were inside.  There are tote bags, stickers, crowns, pens, buttons, pennants , "save the date" postcards, tent cards, welcome mats and even pet bandanas for the store dogs in town!

These are free to any business or chamber who signs up at ShopSmall.com and funded by American Express. Businesses can also create customized social media and printable posters on their website.  FedEx ships the items free of charge.  The chamber is planning to celebrate November 26 with Santa, hot chocolate and horse drawn rides along with local shops creating their own sales and events.  Here's a list of reasons to participate in Small Business Saturday from USA Today.com:  

• 1. It's fun. My family used to shop on Black Friday. We'd get up early, head for sales, then meet for breakfast. No more. It's just too painful: no real bargains, crazy crowds, unpleasant employees. Now, we've made Small Business Saturday our tradition. We sleep in, meet for breakfast at a local, independent café and then go shopping in small stores. Nice!
  
• 2. You support schools, police and fire departments. When you shop small, the bulk of the money you spend and most of your taxes stay local — helping schools, paving streets, keeping you safe. According to the research firm Civic Economics, for every $100 you spend:
  
• • In a local small business, $68 stays in your community.
  
• • At a local branch of a chain store, $43 remains.
  
• • Online, virtually no money stays local.
  
• 3. You get money back. If you're an American Express cardholder, register your card in advance. Then shop in one of the many listed independent stores and restaurants on the American Express "Shop Small" map — and get up to three $10 statement credits. Register at www.ShopSmall.com.
  
• 4. You'll raise your property values. Lively, vibrant neighborhood shopping streets are considered an advantage when selling a home. They make your property more valuable.
  
• 5. You'll strengthen your community. Local businesses are owned by people who live in your town, go to your church, donate to local animal shelters, coach Little League teams. When you spend money in their stores and cafes, you support your neighbors.
  

  Every day should be Small Business Saturday.  Without local support, we won't have any shops or restaurants in Granite Falls.  During the holiday shopping season when most retail stores make the majority of their sales, shop local first! 

A very important meeting for all Granite Falls Chamber members is coming up on November 9th, 6 PM at the Chamber office, 807 Prentice St, Granite Falls.  The chamber board is looking for your input on a strategic plan for the next five years.  This is your chance to participate and submit your ideas for the Granite Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB.  Anyone who works for or owns a chamber business or is a member of the non-profit organization is welcome to attend. 

Since I've been the chamber director the past couple of years, I've been involved in area tourism organizations and promoted the city as a visitor destination through print and social media.  With the Fagen Fighter's WWII Museum , Yellow Medicine County Museum and the Andrew J. Volstead House, we've had an increase in visitors interested in history.  In addition to the museums,  the Roebling footbridge across the Minnesota River , our scenic downtown,  the Dakota homeland and nearby Prairie's Edge Casino all create an opportunity to market our town as a tourism destination.  Market trends show that visitors are looking for something unique and different.  One of my own goals in the strategic plan would be to develop our existing heritage tourism.  The Convention and Visitor's Bureau has already done some marketing and we've seen a large increase in visitors and tours to the Volstead House and the downtown  Prohibition Story walking tour. To create a successful heritage tourism destination, local businesses need to all agree and work toward that goal.  It also creates a magnet for recruitment in industry and other fields as well. When a town has a fun, creative reputation, people want to live here as well as visit.  Local arts, music, the proposed whitewater park would also create a great visitor experience.  Shops and restaurants need out of town customers as well as local residents to support them.

This is just one idea among many possibilities, join us and help plan the chamber's direction and focus!  If you can't make the meeting, stop into the chamber office or send an e-mail to gfchamber@mvtvwireless.com.
Mary Gillespie, Granite Falls Area Chamber Director

Granite Falls Riverfront Revitalization is a non-profit organization formed to promote our downtown and riverfront.  Our first project was the K.K. Berge Building which is now the chamber office and the home of the Granite Area Arts Council.  After this riverfront building was saved from demolition and the floor raised to required standards, we looked for another project.  A whitewater park was first presented in   a 2002 riverfront plan, our organization took another look at the idea and last year, presented preliminary architectural plans and ideas for a whitewater park on the Minnesota River.  These first plans involved a chute formed from part of the dam.  The Charles City, Iowa type of park is less complicated, cheaper and could be step one in a park would eventually include the dam.   On November 3 at 5:30 PM, GFRR will hold its annual meeting at Bootlegger's Supper Club.  The featured speaker will be Bob Kloberdanz who was chairman of the Parks and Recreation department in Charles City, Iowa during the time they developed community support and funding for their whitewater park.  Their whitewater park is now up and running with around 300 visitors every summer weekend.   The public is welcome to this event, appetizers will be served.  A whitewater park would be a great addition to our city and Memorial Park, please join us with your questions and ideas.