"As a new business to the area, we worried about how best to market our services so that we could reach people in several different counties. Thanks to our listing on the Highland County Chamber of Commerce website, we have added many new customers." Malinda Meck, owner, The Outhouse, LLC

The Internet is a powerful marketing tool for small, rural communities such as ours. It crosses county, regional and state lines. It serves as a "yellow pages" unencumbered by the size and shape of local geography. A listing on the internet can benefit small businesses with all the advantages of an unlimited number of classified advertisements. A listing on frequently visited websites-such as that of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce at www.highlandcounty.org-opens up marketing opportunities that few of us can imagine and even less can afford.

Quite honestly, when the Chamber of Commerce committed to maintaining a Business Directory on its website in 2001, there were no resources to accurately gauge the potential increase to our customer base. The Chamber website enjoys hundreds of visitors each day, with well over a million "hits" per year. We can — and do — track the number of visitors to every webpage and every listing. We invite you to take advantage of something we think we do rather well — the marketing of Highland County, its neighbors and the many small businesses that make up the backbone of our local economies.

The Chamber of Commerce also sponsors the Highland Maple Festival, the Hands and Harvest Fall Festival, Wintertide Weekend, and the Highland Hills 5K Run, and co-sponsors the Highland County Fair and McDowell Heritage Days. These events bring tourist dollars into our region. Help us to better support you and your business. Join the Highland County Chamber of Commerce today!

Yours sincerely,

Carolyn H. Pohowsky, Executive Director