Business Toolkit
6. Launch
It's an exciting time and still so much to do. Have you joined the Osceola Chamber yet? Click here to Join.
We offer a complimentary Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to help you launch your business. Click Here for more info. Marketing Your Business: Click Here for more info about affordable advertising with the Chamber: While traditional advertising methods can be costly and hard to measure, small businesses have never had greater access to cost-effective, trackable marketing tools. But with so many digital tools available, how do you know where to start? Email and social media marketing are just the start. Here are ten marketing strategies that can help you market your small business on a shoestring budget. 1. Craft an elevator pitchYou should be marketing all the time — wherever you are. Therefore, you need a compelling elevator pitch. Research shows the average attention span of an adult is about six to eight seconds. That’s all the time you have to grab someone’s attention. If you successfully engage them, then you only have a little over a minute to really sell them on your product or service. Invest the time to craft a killer elevator pitch. The return on your investment will pay huge dividends in terms of creating business opportunities. 2. Leverage your community. You don’t have to think big when it comes to your marketing efforts. Think locally. What’s going on in your community? If you haven't joined your chamber, now is a great time. Join Now Sponsor a Little League team or a community event . Get to know your ideal customer and think about how and where they spend their time. Then search for opportunities to get in front of your customer with your marketing message. 4. Network! There is no etter way to build a business than to get out there, shake some hands, and get to know people. Networking requires a time commitment and it doesn’t provide instant gratification, but a strong network is one of the greatest assets any business person can have. 5. Give a speech. A lot of people hate public speaking. However, there are many organizations looking for qualified, subject-matter experts who can present to their groups. Take a deep breath and volunteer. You don’t have to be a pro as long as the information you share is helpful to the audience. And the upside — the more you do it the easier it gets. Plus, it positions you as a credible authority in your field. 6. Create buzz. Today, a small business owner can accomplish a lot without hiring a professional firm. Subscribe to Help a Reporter Out. You can respond to reporters’ queries that are looking for story ideas and resources. Some are small media opportunities, but others are major media outlets that use this service too. 7. Ask for referrals Don’t be shy about asking for customer referrals. The majority of people say they are willing to provide a referral if asked, but very few take the initiative to do it on their own. Referrals make it easier to get in the door with new customers. If you aren’t asking for them, you are missing opportunities. 8. Build relationships It is a lot less expensive to keep a customer than it is to get a new one. That’s why establishing strong relationships with your customer base is crucial. One of the ways you can do that is by keeping in touch with people through email marketing. Ask customers for their email address when they visit your store or website. Then, make your communications informative, helpful and professional — something your customers will look forward to receiving. 9. Offer coupons Coupons are a good way for many businesses to attract new customers. Research shows that people will go out of their way to use a coupon, proving that this method is successful in expanding your customer base.Coupons can also generate return visits. For example, if you give a customer a coupon for a discount to use on future business, there’s a high probability they’ll be back. 10. Give it aways someone has the opportunity to experience your product or service, chances are they will want to purchase more. Don’t be afraid to give someone a free trial or a sample. In today’s economy, people are more comfortable purchasing something they have been able to experience first. These ten, inexpensive marketing strategies will help you engage customers, build relationships, and ultimately keep your brand top-of-mind. It’s not always about the money you have to spend on marketing, it’s about the time and effort you put into it and above all, the relevance it has for your customers. Osceola’s Larger Events Wheels and Wings - The weekend after Labor Day hosts Wheels and Wings that will draw crowds of regional visitors to fill the town and the airport for a full day of fun- at the airport see an airshow, car & motorcycle show .750 custom classic cars from every era, motorcycles, hot rods, vintage planes, and other incredible pieces of aviation, mechanical art and history. Osceola Community Fair Osceola Community Bazaar Light Up Osceola Valley Brew Fest Rhubarb Days |
| ||
Signage in the Village of Osceola
The pertinent requirements for signage in the B-1 District are listed below. A sign permit form needs to be submitted for building permit approval and when the building is located in the Historic District the HPC Certificate of Appropriateness will need to be completed. Both forms are available from the Osceola Village Hall.
1. Signs within the B-1 District shall not exceed the height of the building on which the sign is located or which the sign directs attention to.
2. Signs may be permitted within the setback area with approval of the Building Inspector if:
3. Wall signs. No wall sign shall extend beyond the building more than 18 inches. No wall sign shall extend above the second-story window sill or extend above the roofline, whichever is lower.
4. Mansard roof signs. Mansard roof signs are permitted, provided that no wall sign is located on the facade. No mansard roof sign shall extend above the highest point of the roof.
5. Canopies and awnings. No canopy or awning shall extend more than 60 inches from the face of the building or closer to the curb than 24 inches. No canopy or awning shall be less than eight feet or an average of 10 feet in height from the sidewalk. No sign shall be installed above or below the canopy. Any lettering or other signage placed on the face of an awning or canopy shall be counted against the maximum signage area for the parcel on which it is located.
6. Column-mounted and multiple-column-mounted signs.
7. Number. One column-mounted or one multiple-column-mounted sign shall be allowed for each parcel of frontage, provided that no projecting sign or ground-mounted sign is on the parcel frontage.
8. Clearance from ground. There shall be a clear, open area of 10 feet from the ground to the bottommost part of the sign.
9. Projecting signs.
a. Number. One projecting sign may be permitted for each parcel, provided that no ground sign is located on the property.
b. Projection from face of building. No part of any projecting sign shall extend further than 60 inches from the face of the building or closer to the curb than 24 inches.
c. Maximum signage area. No projecting sign shall exceed nine square feet in area.
d. Illumination. Projecting signs shall not be directly illuminated.
e. Minimum clearance. No part of any projecting sign shall be less than 10 feet from the grade underneath.
f. Extension. No projecting sign shall extend above the second-story window sill or extend above the roofline, whichever is lower.
10. Application of maximum signage area. The display surface area of any permitted sign shall be counted against the maximum signage area for the parcel on which it is located.
11. Total signage area. The total signage area for a parcel in the B-1 District shall not exceed in area, in square feet, three times the linear front footage of the building the sign is attached to or directs attention to.
12. Corner lots. Corner establishments are permitted an additional 25% of signage area, provided that this additional 25% of signage area is not to be located on the front facade of the building.
13. Internally lit signs are not permitted in the B-1 District
The pertinent requirements for signage in the B-1 District are listed below. A sign permit form needs to be submitted for building permit approval and when the building is located in the Historic District the HPC Certificate of Appropriateness will need to be completed. Both forms are available from the Osceola Village Hall.
1. Signs within the B-1 District shall not exceed the height of the building on which the sign is located or which the sign directs attention to.
2. Signs may be permitted within the setback area with approval of the Building Inspector if:
- The sign is less than three feet in height; or
- The sign is pole-mounted and is placed at a height greater than 10 feet and the pole diameter is less than or equal to 12 inches and neither the pole nor the sign interferes with reasonable vision clearance.
3. Wall signs. No wall sign shall extend beyond the building more than 18 inches. No wall sign shall extend above the second-story window sill or extend above the roofline, whichever is lower.
4. Mansard roof signs. Mansard roof signs are permitted, provided that no wall sign is located on the facade. No mansard roof sign shall extend above the highest point of the roof.
5. Canopies and awnings. No canopy or awning shall extend more than 60 inches from the face of the building or closer to the curb than 24 inches. No canopy or awning shall be less than eight feet or an average of 10 feet in height from the sidewalk. No sign shall be installed above or below the canopy. Any lettering or other signage placed on the face of an awning or canopy shall be counted against the maximum signage area for the parcel on which it is located.
6. Column-mounted and multiple-column-mounted signs.
7. Number. One column-mounted or one multiple-column-mounted sign shall be allowed for each parcel of frontage, provided that no projecting sign or ground-mounted sign is on the parcel frontage.
8. Clearance from ground. There shall be a clear, open area of 10 feet from the ground to the bottommost part of the sign.
9. Projecting signs.
a. Number. One projecting sign may be permitted for each parcel, provided that no ground sign is located on the property.
b. Projection from face of building. No part of any projecting sign shall extend further than 60 inches from the face of the building or closer to the curb than 24 inches.
c. Maximum signage area. No projecting sign shall exceed nine square feet in area.
d. Illumination. Projecting signs shall not be directly illuminated.
e. Minimum clearance. No part of any projecting sign shall be less than 10 feet from the grade underneath.
f. Extension. No projecting sign shall extend above the second-story window sill or extend above the roofline, whichever is lower.
10. Application of maximum signage area. The display surface area of any permitted sign shall be counted against the maximum signage area for the parcel on which it is located.
11. Total signage area. The total signage area for a parcel in the B-1 District shall not exceed in area, in square feet, three times the linear front footage of the building the sign is attached to or directs attention to.
12. Corner lots. Corner establishments are permitted an additional 25% of signage area, provided that this additional 25% of signage area is not to be located on the front facade of the building.
13. Internally lit signs are not permitted in the B-1 District