As you regular readers know, 2014 has been an amazing year for us. In addition to being named the “Small Business of the Year” for 2014 by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC), the Neighborhood News also was a finalist for the BrightHouse Regional Business Awards “Small Business of the Year.” Just before we went to press with this issue, we found out that, unfortunately, we did not make the final three in our category, which would have meant that we would win a cash prize, but GM Nikki Bennett and I do plan to attend the awards ceremony in February, just to see the three businesses that finished “in the money” this time around so we can try again next year.
But, despite not winning a cash prize, 2014 has been the single best year we have had in terms of total ad revenues and total number of pages, beating out our previous record year — 2013 — by about 15 percent, despite the fact (we hear) the economy still isn’t up to snuff and despite the seemingly-ever-growing number of “competing” publications all trying to sell ads to the same businesses we do.
Somehow, thankfully, many of the record number of businesses who decided to advertise with us this year recognized the difference between us and everyone else — that it’s not just about the look of the publication, it’s about the quality of the coverage we provide vs. any other print or online news source.
The year that is quickly drawing to a close also saw us move into our much nicer new office here on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, expand our online news reporting (assistant editor Matt Wiley provides a variety of outstanding daily news updates, so if you’re not visiting WCNeighborhoodNews.com or Facebook.com/NeighborhoodNews every day, you’re just not keeping up with the latest and the greatest) and even the first-ever “tweets” by yours truly.
During 2014, we also provided more updates about and photos of more Wesley Chapel Rotary Club and WCCC events than ever before. We also were a major sponsor of the first-ever Wesley Chapel Jazz Festival and created as much goodwill throughout the communities of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel than we ever have before.
And, we plan to do even more in 2015. As announced last issue, we will roll out a new dining product to help Tampa Bay-area restaurants and also plan to launch an online New Tampa & Wesley Chapel “webcast” on our website before the end of 2015. We’re even working with our graphic art team on some minor design improvements for both of our all-glossy, all-direct-mail publications.
WC Chamber To Host First New Tampa Planning Meeting?
During my recent visit to drop off some of Miss Pat’s Cookies at the WCCC office in The Grove shopping plaza (see page 54), Chamber executive director Hope Allen told me that the Chamber leadership would be meeting later this month to discuss the possibility of hosting its first “New Tampa Planning Meeting.” The Chamber also is planning to call together a number of New Tampa-area business leaders (including yours truly) to try to determine how to do more for businesses not located in Wesley Chapel.
Of course, as reported in these pages several months ago, the WCCC “absorbed” the now-defunct New Tampa Chamber of Commerce — which did not host a Taste of New Tampa in 2014 for the first time since the late 1990s, when the event (scheduled that year in the West Meadows community) was cancelled due to monsoon-like rains — with the intention of bringing even more New Tampa-area businesses into its fold and to revive the Taste of New Tampa.
So yes, I’m excited about the possibilities because the WCCC has done such a great job of being inclusive to businesses in and near Wesley Chapel the last 15+ years and because the Chamber is making a commitment to the New Tampa area to do even more for the businesses located just south of the Pasco County line.
For more info, visit WesleyChapelChamber.com, call 994-8534 or see page 54 for all of our Chamber updates.
RIP, Dick Eber
I was truly saddened to learn, just before we went to press, that Richard Steven “Dick” Eber had passed away at the too-young age of 61. Dick and his wife Kathy were the founders of the old Northeast Little League, which became the New Tampa Little League (and now, the North Tampa Athletic Assn.) when the program moved from Mort Park on E. Bearss Ave. to the New Tampa Little League park on Kinnan St. in Cross Creek. That park was renamed “Eber Baseball Park” in Dick & Kathy’s honor in February 2014.
RIP, Dick. You’re sorely missed.
No comment yet, add your voice below!