Fulshear-Katy Community Guide & Directory 2022-23

by Mara Soloway in the Fulshear-Katy Area Busin ss

Starting a

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our area, the best way to start getting connected to the community is by joining the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce,” McCoy says. The Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce offers its members the value of the Three Cs: Connectors of Influencers and Leaders, Catalyst to Help You Grow and Champions of the Community. “Through our monthly meetings and extensive partnerships, our members connect with fellow business owners and local leaders who might turn out to be good clients and help create buzz for their business. As connectors of influencers and leaders, the Chamber has the relationships with local, state and federal leaders to help our members when necessary,” McCoy says. “We advocate on behalf of you.” As a catalyst to help a business grow, the Chamber has tools to help generate traffic to your website and front door. Instead of ribbon cuttings for new businesses, it provides rope cuttings as a way to honor the community’s western heritage. McCoy and his team will introduce new members around and use their toolkit that includes coupons, fliers online, a marketing landing page and placement in the business directory. The Chamber is vested in having its members be champions of the community. “When a new business sponsors events like the Fourth of July celebration or is a high school band booster, it helps your customers become endeared to you because they see your business is vested in community. At the events, chamber members have the opportunity to showcase their products and services,” McCoy says. “I love to make businesses famous. I never mind taking the time to sit with a new business owner to brainstorm how they can think outside the box . If your business is successful, the Chamber is also going to be successful, and that helps the whole community,” he adds. McCoy credits Jack Warkenthien, founder of NextStep Solutions, with saying, “Membership in our Chamber is about ROR – a return on relationships.” Studies on chamber of commerce effectiveness show that a consumer is 80 percent more likely to patronize a business if it is a chamber member, and its reputation increases by 68 percent. Maximize the growth potential of your business by visiting fulshearkaty.com or calling 832-600-3221 to learn more about the Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce and its member services, online classes and other tools.

As we’ve noted throughout this Community Guide, the Fulshear-Katy area is a prime spot for economic growth and development. To join the growing ranks of business owners here, entrepreneurs need to take several mandated steps. The State of Texas offers resources at gov.texas.gov/business. The site gives information on relevant topics such as financing, registering a business, tax responsibilities, and licenses and permits. It mentions that one can benefit from getting professional guidance to verify that all legal requirements are met before opening up a new business. Information on obtaining a Federal EIN (FEIN) Number can be found at irs-taxid number.com. Both the cities of Fulshear and Katy have economic development departments that will guide potential business owners through the often daunting requirements of opening a brick-and-mortar, home based or service-area business. Contact the economic development staff here to get started locating or expanding your business: FULSHEAR RESOURCES: fulsheartexas.gov/businesses 281-346-8874 ecodev@fulsheartexas.gov KATY RESOURCES: katyedc.org 281-391-4800 planning@cityofkaty.com The Fulshear-Katy Area Chamber of Commerce is excellent resource for business owners. It offers opportunities for business growth through member resources, benefits, partnerships and wide-ranging marketing efforts. The Chamber works closely with Fulshear, Katy, Brookshire, Pattison and Simonton, and it serves north Fort Bend, south Waller and western Harris counties. It has more than 600 members and growing and 16,000-plus social media followers. Its executive team consists of President and CEO Don McCoy, VP of Membership Rachel Durham and VP of Operations Amy Norvell. McCoy’s background includes 45 years of media advertising, marketing and business consulting experience. He advises that a prospective business owner needs to begin promoting their business long before they have an online or a brick-and-mortar presence. He likes to say that, “We like to say we’re big enough to serve you but small enough to know you.” “Once a person decides what kind of business they want to have, they should start promoting it a good six months before they open. With the growth in

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FULSHEAR-KATY COMMUNITY GUIDE & DIRECTORY 2022-23 ISSUE 33