Smashburger, a nationally acclaimed industry-leading “better burger” restaurant, joined the Dallas Regional Chamber as a top investor member in early 2011.  To highlight Smashburger after its first full year of active membership, our chamber wanted to get to know local Smashburger franchise owner, Tye Williams, a little bit better.

My favorite part of Dallas is… the Meyerson Symphony Center.  My wife and I truly enjoy the many performances of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the special entertainers that perform throughout the year. 

Smashburger is leading the “better burger segment” which means… that our restaurants are known for serving burgers that are fresh, made with 100% Certified Angus Beef, and are smashed and seasoned to juicy perfection on the grill.  Smashburger has developed a following of “Smashfans” that are loyal customers who appreciate the consistency, flavor and all around deliciousness of our meals. 

The most surprising thing about opening a being a franchise owner in the Uptown area has been…the diversity of patrons in Uptown Dallas.  The Uptown location serves so many different groups like business lunch guests, weekend visitors and residents of the local community. We are also able to provide jobs to some very loyal employees, many who travel a great distance for the opportunity to work in our Uptown location.  We are delighted to have been able to open Smashburger in Uptown.

As a business owner with a personal interest in being a good corporate citizen, you find it important to give back to your community because… In business there are two types of businesses, extractors and investors. Extractors see a location with huge potential and attempt to maximize their profits at the customer’s expense. Investors see a location and know they will benefit from the demographics of the surrounding area, so as they grow with the community, they have the opportunity to give back or invest in it. Giving is a governing principle of our company. We like to partner with groups and members in the communities we serve burgers to so that our success can be reinvested into the lives of the citizens that live or work around a particular location.

Your most notable experience as a top investor member of the Dallas Regional Chamber thus far has been… given that the first year of opening an establishment in a new area is one focused on the needs of the establishment and the surrounding customer base, I have been encouraged by the desire of the members to support each other through continued education, networking and joined community service. As a Certified Financial Planner, I understand the value of a team of advisors and it is nice to have the Chamber involved as a team member in our Uptown Smashburger location. Dallas is a vibrant city with potential to lead the country in fresh economic ideas and expanded growth. I am glad we have a chance to play a small part in this process. 

Tye Williams’ activation of Smashburger’s membership is a classic example of how members can utilize their membership effectively to gain the most value possible.  Tye serves as the Designee for Smashburger on our Board of Advisors program, will participate in our Top Investor Steward Program, and attends our events regularly.

Congratulations to Smashburger and Tye Williams on a wildly successful first year of membership.  For more information about Smashburger or a location near you, visit www.smashburger.com.

• An overview of the DRC’s priorities and objectives for 2012
• Listings of the Board of Directors and staff members
• Member benefits
• DFW Details – statistics about the region
• Alphabetical and categorical listings of DRC members

This directory is free to members and available to non-members for $54.13.  You can order online by clicking here.  Be sure to also check out the online directory for the most up-to-date listing of members, as this list is updated daily.

If you have questions about your listing, please contact Yolonda Henderson, Manager of Member Services at (214) 746-6613 or yhenderson@dallaschamber.org.

I would like to introduce you to Emma, our new email-marketing partner. Starting February 1, we are launching a new email-marketing plan. Our goal is to send you messages in which you are interested. In order to do that we need YOUR help! Click here to update your profile and select the types of messages you would like to receive from us.

Here are some of the things you will get from us:

• Chamber Report – bi-weekly all chamber newsletter
• Events Email – bi-weekly calendar of upcoming chamber events
• Small Business Initiatives  – resources and events for the small business community
• Life Science Connection – a quarter update of the life science community
• Public Policy Pulse – bi-weekly public policy update from around the state (coming in mid-2012)
• Economic Development Updates – news of companies relocating and expanding to DFW (coming in mid-2012)
• Young Professional Updates – stay up-to-date on events and news from YP

Email marketing is a crucial communications channel in business today and Emma understands how important it is to you and your company. We have partnered with Emma to offer a 20% discount on all its services to our members. If you would like to take advantage of this offer contact our Emma Business Specialist, Jonathan Gesinger at 800.595.4401 x195.

I want to hear from you. Do you have suggestions on how we can improve our email marketing efforts? What has worked for you? What types of things would you like to see from us? Leave your comments below.

David Cush, President & CEO of Virgin America, will headline the DRC’s Small Business Speaker Series next week in Dallas. Cush will discuss his success with the company over the past four years, including record-setting growth and their many major industry best-in-class awards.

Virgin America began service with Dallas between San Francisco and Los Angeles just over one year ago. An SMU graduate, Cush is coming back to the Metroplex to celebrate this partnership and give attendees a glimpse at what’s next for the growing airline.

We sat down with Mr. Cush and asked him a few questions in preparation for his visit.

What is one tool you couldn’t do your job without? E-mail.

My favorite thing about the Metroplex is… Tex-Mex… hands down.

What is one interesting fact about you or the company the public probably doesn’t know? One thing most people don’t know is 20 years ago, the founding CEO, Fred Reid, and I worked side by side for two years in London with American Airlines.

What was your first job and what was the best lesson you took from that position? Another thing a lot of people do not know— my first job when was when I was a teenager. I unloaded trucks with 50-lb bags of chemical soil additive. The lesson learned— (and quickly I might add)— get an education.

Twitter or Facebook? Neither.

For more information on the January 17 Small Business Speaker Series event, Click here.

The Dallas Regional Chamber is dedicated to providing value to its members while continuously working to ensure members receive an excellent, high-quality experience. It’s important for members, like you, to fully understand the menu of benefits available. Through a series of articles, we will feature an in-depth look at how every member can utilize member benefits and make the most of membership with the DRC.

Increased visibility is important to any company, especially online. The online landscape is one of the most important places you can deliver your message, and it has become one of the most populated in a short amount of time. Companies from across the globe compete daily online the same way you compete physically in your targeted demographic. The Chamber can provide an excellent source of increased online visibility through membership.

The online membership directory is available through the DRC website, attracting thousands of visitors each day. Searchable by both company name and type, a member’s online listing includes:

• company name
• category
• address
• phone number
• website

In addition, each listing has a clickable link to the company’s web site, a link to a map with the business location, a 25-word description about your company and three key words to boost your company’s search presence within the Chamber’s member listing.

At any given time, the Chamber can tell you how many individual users have viewed your online directory listing, giving you instant feedback and reporting for your investment.

If you have questions about how to maximize your online presence with the DRC, please contact Yolonda Henderson, manager, Member Services at (214) 746-6613 or yhenderson@dallaschamber.org.

During a recent survey, we asked members to let us know how familiar they are with benefits offered through DRC membership.  We discovered that while most members are familiar with the offerings, we have an opportunity to share more information about resources offered.

Membership in the DRC gives you access to information.  Real-time data, real-fast is key to the decision making process of company executives.  The DRC maintains a full statistical profile of the DFW region as well as information about individual counties and cities.  Site-specific data, including aerial photography, detailed demographics, traffic patterns and development activities are also available.

Our Business Information and Research team can provide fact sheets and on-call staff assistance for research needs.  Our team can offer a wide-range of resources, including industry publications and data, web-based tools and custom research.

Whether we are sharing information about initiatives, programs and events, or allowing members an opportunity to gain information to help grow their business, there are various ways you, as a member, can feel informed and engaged in the conversation.

Access to information through the DRC comes in various forms.  Our survey respondents say they are familiar with the following:

90% are familiar with their subscription to our Chamber Report e-newsletter

• Emailed twice a month on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday
• Quick read of the activity of the DRC at-large and its members

86% are familiar with their subscription to our DRC Events e-calendar

• Emailed every Monday
• Overview of the upcoming DRC events

56% are familiar with the Members Only Portal at www.dallaschamber.org

• Accessible by all employees listed as a representative of a member company
• Username and password is needed (can request through the website)
• Available only through this portal:  photo images of the region for your use; opportunity to update your profile; member-to-member discount coupons; access to the DRC cyber logo which can be downloaded on your website; and member announcements (post your accolades, upcoming events, and anything you want other members to know)

36% are familiar with BusinessLISTS with ReferenceUSA

• Ability to perform free searches and access discounted business listings from ReferenceUSA

15% are familiar with DFW JobsGateway (link to your job openings to DRC website)

• Ability to link your HR page to the DRC’s website (benefit available at the Lead level of membership and above. 

47% are familiar with 12@12 with Chamber President & CEO

• Program developed for the CEO, owner, or top executive of our member firms

This is a quick listing of the opportunities our members have to access information through the DRC.  We know each member has different needs and we are available to discuss these needs and work with you.

If you have any questions about benefits offered through membership, please contact Jennifer Schmiel, vice president, member services at jschmiel@dallaschamber.org or (214) 746-6729.

Applications are now being accepted for the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Ambassadors Committee. DRC Ambassadors promote the DRC and assist in the retention of members through contacts with members to promote benefit awareness and involvement in DRC programs. Members of the committee enjoy several benefits through their service as an Ambassador.

Stephanie Hilburn, President of DMG Construction and Chair of the Ambassador committee values the opportunity to build relationships with members that have led to potential business opportunities for her company.

Dan Hatton of tw telecom enjoys meeting key contacts with member companies. “The Ambassadors committee is a great way to network with companies and have a direct link to contacts that may have taken years to connect with otherwise.”

Other benefits include name recognition, networking, increased visibility in the business community, exclusive event participation and increased business opportunities. To be a part of this select group of volunteers, please contact Yolonda Henderson at (214) 746-6613 or yhenderson@dallaschamber.org.  Building connections and gaining exposure for your business is truly an experience you do not want to miss.  Submit your application today!

“Download the Application Here: 2012 Ambassador Committee Application

Carosella Corporate Solutions
Joe Chow for U.S. Congress
Clear Choice – Dallas
CNET Global Solutions, Inc.
Collin County Regional Airport/MADC
Dallas Petal Pusher
Del Frisco’s Grille
Echols Business Services
Fit180
LED Source
Little Elm Economic Development Corporation
McKinney Avenue Tavern
NTX Events Center
One Cloud Networks
Pie Five Pizza Co.
Princeton Information
Process & Strategy Solutions, PLLC
Sona MedSpa of Dallas Northpark
SpeedZone
Spink USA, Inc.

You can view more information about these companies and all of our members by visiting the online Membership Directory at www.dallaschamber.org.