>
Small businesses give a community its flavor and character. That is no more evident than in Savannah, Georgia.This past week I had the honor of delivering the keynote address at the Savannah Small Business Chamber 16th Annual Awards Banquet. The Savannah Small Business Chamber is a vibrant, active organization that allows local businesses to network and support each other. The banquet was Thursday evening, May 14th.
 |
| Me having some fun with Savannah Small Business Champion of the Year, Kathy Sliz during the “volunteer demonstration.” |
Outgoing chamber President Allen Edwards of HiQ Networking got things started with a little humor when he met me at the Savannah airport. We had traded emails with our physical descriptions so that we would recognize each other at the airport. I sent Allen this classic Bud Light TV spot, and Allen greeted me like this:
 |
| Driver, do you have any Bud Light in your vehicle? |
The banquet was capped off when Smart Feet of Savannah was named Small Business of the Year. Co-owner Carol Kirchner is a past president of the Chamber and the person responsible for booking me to Savannah. Smart Feet is a very cool little shoe store that saves lives two feet at a time with their special line of shoes and products. I took a tour of the store and bought a some orthotics to take some pressure off my aging knees.
 |
| Carol Romig and Carol Kirchner, co-owners of Smart Feet, Savannah’s Small Business of the Year. |
On Friday I teamed up with the Small Business Chamber to host a branding workshop. Several local businesses braved the thunderstorms, including social media specialist and blogger Chris Cree. Chris and his wife both run local businesses in Savannah. You can find Chris and his blog at SuccessCreeations.com. Prior to the event, I did a branding case study with Chrissy and Matt Kernodle of Jamestown Designer Kitchens. For details, check out the branding case study.
 |
| Chris Cree and Jay Ehret (that is not a cardboard cutout of me). |
I loved my short stay in Savannah. The city is rich with history and alive with entrepreneurs. Thanks to Allen Edwards, Carol Kirchner and the small business community of Savannah for the southern hospitality.
For updates on new articles: Receive The Marketing Spot by Email or 
Get The Marketing Spot in a blog reader