McHenry Market Pulse: GET READY SET…..SHOP LOCAL!!! HOLIDAY SEASON 2016 IS IN FULL SWING!!!!

MCHENRY DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION CELEBRATION NOVEMBER 19 AND 20, 2016!!!

On Saturday November 19 the McHenry Downtown Businesses will be holding their Annual Christmas Walk. A trolley will be running between 12:30-4:30 p.m. The flyer below depicts sponsoring and participating businesses, a map of the area and associated festivities. This is an excellent opportunity to support local businesses, enjoy time with family and friends, inviting family and friends who may live outside of the City to come and kick-off the holiday season and support local businesses in the process.

The Saturday festivities culminate with Mayor Low, along with families and children assisting in flipping the switch illuminating trees throughout Veterans Memorial Park at 5:30 p.m. To learn more please visit http://mchenrydowntown.biz/.

TENTH ANNUAL SHOP WITH A COP FUNDRAISING EVENT!!!

After you’ve enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Walk and Tree Lighting Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park head over to the McHenry VFW for the Annual Shop with a Cop Fundraiser. MC3 Marketing Connection, in conjunction with the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce, is hosting their annual Shop with a Cop Fundraiser which supports McHenry County Police Charities to assist in making the Holiday Season better for those in need.

The fundraiser will be held on SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19 at the McHenry VFW, 3002 W Elm (Route 120), from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. For more information please visit: http://business.mchenrychamber.com/events/details/mc-3-shop-with-a-cop-fundraiser-10661.

NOVEMBER 20, 2016 TOYS FOR TOTS PARADE!!!

The festivities continue on Sunday November 20 with the Annual Toys for Tots Parade. If you have not had an opportunity to participate in this annual community event you don’t want to miss it. A parade, which begins on Main Street at 1:00 p.m. and travels through downtown McHenry, north on Green Street, past Veterans Memorial Park, north on Riverside Drive and west back to Veterans Memorial Park features floats constructed by numerous community businesses and organizations.

Toys for Tots is a program which new unwrapped toys are collected and distributed annually as Christmas gifts to children in the area where the toys are collected. It began in 1947 by a Marine Corps Reservist and has continued since that time.

Additionally the parade features a large contingent of individuals riding motorcycles which provides a unique element to this downtown extravaganza. In the past the number of motorcycles in the parade has exceeded 1,000!

A truck staffed by the United States Marine Corps Reserve will be parked at Veterans Memorial Park collecting toys for children in our area who otherwise may not receive any during the Holiday Season.

NOVEMBER 26, 2016 IS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY!!!

Over the next several weeks, many will be out enjoying family and friends as the Holiday Season commences. Further, a lot of shopping will occur over the next several weeks, and this is a time as a community we can really support local businesses. NOVEMBER 26, 2016 IS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY. Small Business Saturday is between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It was first promoted nationally in 2010 and is a trademark of American Express.

You can visit the following site to learn more about the evolution of Small Business Saturday and how communities have embraced this as an opportunity to promote their local businesses: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/. Although Small Business Saturday is marketed as a retail opportunity it’s important to remember retail is but one component of a vibrant and diverse economy.

Small businesses represent the backbone of our local, regional and national economies and the term small business is also somewhat misleading. A small business can include up to 500 employees, nonetheless, as consumers we need to ensure we support these “brick and mortar” companies and we can do this in numerous ways.

Shopping and buying local is a great opportunity to support local businesses but don’t forget small businesses which provide services or manufacturers which employ people within the community.

By utilizing these products and services we are supporting not only the business but the people who work there (many of which live in our community) and contributing to our local economy, which has a domino effect on the regional and national economies.

Cyber Monday is another day which has evolved in our 24/7/365 economy and “showrooming” refers to people visiting brick and mortar stores to research an item they are seeking to purchase and then going on-line to find the best price for the product they want and purchasing it. On-line shopping certainly has a place in our economy however it does impact small businesses, with brick and mortar locations, as items purchased on-line does not always equate into sales tax received by the local community and currently it is increasingly more difficult for businesses with physical locations to compete.

Here’s a suggestion I want to offer. If you do want to “showroom” do so in this manner: go on-line to research a product and compare pricing and when you determine which product you want to purchase visit a brick and mortar store in the City of McHenry and purchase the item.

Alternatively, order the item on-line and have it shipped to a store in the City of McHenry. Either way, your tax dollars will stay in the City and you are supporting local businesses and the people who work there.

SAVE THE DATES:

MCHENRY COUNTY COLLEGE ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE: NOVEMBER 16, 2016: 5:30 PM TO 7:30 PM: http://mchenry.edu/mccnight/

MCHENRY DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION: DOWNTOWN CHRISTMAS WALK AND TREE LIGHTING NOVEMBER 19, 2016: 12:30 PM TO 4:30 PM: http://www.mchenrydowntown.biz/events (TREE LIGHTING VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK AT 5:30 PM)

THORNTON FAMILY BENEFIT: NOVEMBER 19, 2016: 3:00 PM TO 2:00 AM: AT OFFSIDES SPORTS BAR, 680 S EASTWOOD DRIVE IN WOODSTOCK https://www.facebook.com/events/637750239731683

MC3 MARKETING CONNECTION GROUP AND MCHENRY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 10^TH ANNUAL SHOP WITH A COP NOTWORKING FUNDRAISER: NOVEMBER 19, 2016: 6:00 PM TO 12:00 AM AT MCHENRY VFW TO BENEFIT MCHENRY COUNTY POLICE CHARITIES

MCHENRY DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION: DOWNTOWN CHRISTMAS WALK AND PARADE: 1:00 PM: NOVEMBER 20, 2016: http://www.mchenrydowntown.biz/events

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2016: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small/

THANK YOU TO ALL BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS WHICH HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT TO GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY, SUPPORT/VOLUNTEER AT A LOCAL EVENT, AND/OR LOCATE THEIR BUSINESS AND/OR EXPAND IN THE CITY OF MCHENRY…EVERY ONE CONTRIBUTES!!!!!

PLEASE HELP US KEEP OUR COMMUNITY VIBRANT AND STRONG TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PRACTICAL FOR BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE! THE CITY COUNCIL IS CONTINUALLY EVALUATING WAYS TO ASSIST IN PROMOTING BUSINESS, TOURISM, COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SERVICE! ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS AN ONGOING EFFORT THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO AND IS A COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORT. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE WHO IS A PART OF IT BENEFITS!