We Don’t Compete. We Collaborate.
South Bay LeTip, CA, is celebrating our 30th year anniversary. Our members believe we are a family of businesspeople who come together to be each other’s sales force and most ardent supporters business-wise and personally.
2020 Challenges
2020 was a year that tested the mettle of our chapter. First, our restaurant meeting place suddenly raised our meal/venue costs by 40% overnight. Next, the restaurant closed without notice. Then, COVID-19 hit. COVID-19 challenged us to convince our independent business owners and especially non-technical members to use Zoom, help struggling businesses to survive, and support our members who got COVID-19 or had to care for family members and parents who were having a difficult time.
How did our chapter work through COVID-19?
We almost immediately switched to Zoom meetings, which enabled our chapter to retain most of our members and grow our membership to nearly 50. Felix Green and Santoie Croxford, our Past Presidents, and our Board:
· Resumed meetings on Zoom.
· Eliminated 2020Q2 dues then reduced quarterly dues to help our members survive.
· Increased communications with members to stay in touch and keep members informed on how to deal with COVID-19 and financial relief opportunities.
· Trained members on Zoom so they could be more engaged in LeTip and other Zoom meetings and better use Zoom for their businesses.
· Decided to enhance our online presence by redesigning our website.
How did we build morale this past year?
· We quickly connected our members using Zoom; increased communications about things that mattered: COVID-19 regulations, PPP, getting loans, refinancing, vaccination availability and process; and provided moral support for members who contracted COVID-19.
· Our Sergeant-at-Arms Troy Broyles added his personal touch during tipping.
· We had a Lunch Bunch during the summer and celebrated a December Holiday Social on Zoom, including contests for best decorated cookie while online and more.
· Our members showed their philanthropic side when we decided to make an online donation to a local nonprofit (City of Hope) from the chapter.
· We also gave our members an end-of-year Christmas holiday gift by eliminating 1st quarter 2021 dues.
How did we motivate our members?
· We increased training on doing better online presentations. Examples include virtual business tours, before & after presentations, patient testimonial videos, and more.
· Our mentor Kelly Lynch shared ideas about reinventing, changing, connecting, accessing resources in our chapter, and more.
· We reinstituted Tips-Attendance-Guests (TAG) drawings to reward all members with the opportunity to win monthly cash if they “do the right things” – Tips, perfect Attendance, and inviting Guests.
· We continue to share info and provide training on using more online tools such as LeTip Wired.
Unique Qualities of South Bay LeTip
· Our members make our guests feel welcome. Every qualified guest who attends our meetings wants to know more about why they should join.
· We provide our members with potential access to the extended networks of 40+ members and access to three Chambers in the Greater South Bay area, an added value for expanding their networking opportunities 4X when joining our chapter.
· Every month, every member can win cash in a TAG drawing by doing the right things – tipping, perfect attendance, and inviting qualified guests.
· We invest in our members by educating them on new tools and keeping them up to date on the most current business and industry information and trends.
· We are building succession planning into each year’s Board and Committee Chair positions by identifying backups for most positions.
· One person said: “I can’t imagine having to leave a chapter like yours.”
2021-2022 Goals
1. Build a strong, diverse team for chapter leadership with a sustainable succession plan.
2. Develop members through ART (Attract new members, retain good members, train new and current members) to be better leaders, presenters, tippers, business owners, and have a more global view of our chapter and benefits of LeTip Wired and B.A.N.K.
3. Create a stronger online presence by leveraging the talents of our members to build content, design, and promote a new website.
4. Increase tipping levels to pre-pandemic levels and membership to a sustainable 50 members who want to be active members both in-person and online.
Closing Words
During this past year, South Bay LeTip members not only learned how to Zoom but, more importantly, we learned that our members want to be together and will be there for each other in-person AND online. One of our member’s home is affectionately known as “The House That LeTip Built.” It was designed by our architect and built by the trades people in our chapter. “We don’t compete. We collaborate.” That’s South Bay LeTip.
CHAPTER SUCCESS STORIES
1. FROM STARTUP TO GOOGLE: A tip that started out with MTV evolved through a series of connections into Google as a major client. You never know where a tip will lead.
2. “HYBRID MAN”: Our first new member after COVID struck had attended our last in-person meeting and was impressed how well we had transitioned to online that he wanted to join our group and build relationships while online so that he would be ready for business when the business climate opens.
3. A PARKING LOT DISCUSSION: While trying to figure out whether joining LeTip made sense for him, a parking lot conversation after a meeting led to his joining because South Bay LeTip could provide him access to 3 Chambers in the South Bay.
4. MORE THAN JUST TIPS: Several members have found that, when times have been tough, our members rally to support each other in good and bad times, with their caring, time, expertise, and resources.
5. MEMBER DEVELOPMENT: From being quiet at meetings and uncomfortable with public speaking, these members have become comfortable speaking to groups and have even become Board members.
6. GRATEFUL CUSTOMER: After getting COVID, besides his wife’s care, one member’s customer sent him an oxygen tank, which saved his life. His customer valued his integrity and friendship.
7. FINANCIAL SUCCESS: Members found that the big banks did not have all the solutions to their business needs. They learned that their personal relationships with our banker, mortgage broker, and financial planner saved some of their businesses.
8. PRESENTATION EMINENCE: From having technical difficulties to flawless presentation including screenshots, video testimonials, and presentation.
9. SOCIAL MEDIA: By using social media to promote his business, he has been named as the best in the South Bay for 11 years in a row.
10. GROWING OUR CHAPTER – Three of our members had babies born during this pandemic. There’s more than one way to grow a chapter.
(In our most recent Communicare we mistakenly wrote South Bay was celebrating their 20th anniversary, when they are actually celebrating their 30th anniversary – we apologize for this mistake)
