Benefits of Membership
Join OTBA, and start receiving benefits today. OTBA offers many tangible benefits that you can put to work right now to help your business prosper. And our board of directors and staff are working to add more benefits during the coming year. Our current member benefits are listed below.
Join OTBA, and start making waves. By adding your voice with our other local businesses, you have direct input in shaping the changes taking place in our Town Center. OTBA committees are working now on parking, funding for facade improvement, practical can-do strategies for increasing Old Town's vitality, gateway signage, crime and safety issues, and the long-term impact of current development activities.
Plus, OTBA's Main Street Takoma initiative, a program sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, works specifically on economic revitalization for small downtown communities like ours. Through Main Street, OTBA has access to a wealth of research and experience from hundreds of other small commercial districts and businesses around the country that OTBA can draw on to revitalize our local downtown areas and capitalize on Old Takoma's unique character and strengths in order to benefit your business.
Join OTBA, and start being heard. Your OTBA membership not only gives you a direct say on these critical issues, but also ensures that your voice and business concerns are represented before all three of our local jurisdictions: Takoma Park, MD; Montgomery County, MD; and Takoma, DC.
Benefits
Advertising discounts
Two local newspapers, The Takoma/Silver Spring Voice and the Washington City Paper offer special prices to Old Takoma businesses, with even greater discounts for OTBA members. Prices and offers are subject to change, so contact the newspapers directly for the latest information:
Eric Bond of The Voice at eric@takoma.com or 301-891-6744;
Chris Coxen of the City Paper at ccoxen@WashingtonCityPaper.com or 202-332-2100 x269;
Educational workshops and Networking sessions
Throughout the year, OTBA holds workshops and seminars on issues that concern the business community. In Fall, 2006, we hosted local author, Michael Shuman, to discuss his new book: The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Business Can Beat Global Competition"; and a workshop on "The Buyology of Marketing: 5 Steps to Increase Your Sales" with Bobbi Kittner and Marti Campbell. Future seminars will cover advertising strategies, website development and e-commerce, safety and crime deterent, and technologies for small businesses. Check OTBA's event calendar for upcoming sessions.
OTBA hosts a networking session before our general meeting each month where you can meet Old Takoma business owners and snack on light refreshments. It's a great way to catch up with the latest news from your fellow local business colleagues.
OTBA Repeat Rewards program.
OTBA has developed a "frequent buyer" rewards program for OTBA businesses and their customers. OTBA members can join the repeat rewards program at a special group rate and offer their customers a rewards program at minimal cost...and maximum benefit for both businesses and patrons.
The rewards program encourages return business in two ways: 1) it lets customers easily keep track of their reward "points" at each OTBA business, and 2) it automatically builds a customer database for each participating business, which OTBA merchants can use to target their customers with advertising and marketing vehicles, such as e-mail announcements, postcards, and newsletters.
To take advantage of OTBA's repeat rewards program, contact Roz Grigsby at execdirector@TakomaOnline.com or 240-253-4229.
Web site links.
OTBA membership gives your business featured listings on both the www.takomaonline.com site and the www.MainStreetTakoma.org site. Your business listings link directly to your business website so that website visitors can easily see what you offer and where you're located. As OTBA develops more events and programs to increase visibility for Old Takoma businesses, your listing on OTBA's websites will become a valuable tool to bring in new customers.
Discounts for ads and booths at OTBA events.
OTBA hosts the annual Takoma Park Street Festival, on the first Sunday of October, a well-known festival that draws over 12,000 festival-goers to our Laurel/Carroll avenues corridor. OTBA membership gives you discounts on booth rentals and advertising in the event's program guide.
Because OTBA is committed to Old Takoma, several more events are being planned for OTBA sponsorship (we can't spill the beans just yet!), and members will receive discounts for those events when appropriate.
Eligibility for OTBA programs.
OTBA's committees are developing cost-effective ways to meet two goals: improve our Old Takoma community and improve the viability of our local businesses. Other initiatives, like OTBA's Adopt A Tree program, give businesses a low-cost way to promote good will in Old Takoma with a uniquely-Takoma cachet. It's a win-win-win program for our community, your business, and our trees!
More programs are in development to help your business. Join OTBA to keep up-to-date on them!
Help OTBA obtain matching funds.
Through a matching fund program, the City of Takoma Park has offered to help OTBA's efforts to revitalize Old Takoma and support our local businesses. For every dollar we raise (and that includes your membership dues), the City of Takoma Park has agreed to match it —up to $25,000 a year — for three years. OTBA is developing strategies and initiatives which will have a positive impact on revitalizing Old Takoma and improving your business, but we need your membership to ensure the funding of these programs.
Improve the community for business
OTBA and Main Street committees are working on issues that make the area more hospitable to local businesses. For example, in June, 2006, OTBA's Economic Restructuring Committee conducted a survey of the current parking situation from Takoma Junction in Takoma Park, MD, to the Takoma Theatre in Washington, DC. This survey provides essential data for the work OTBA is doing with the District of Columbia and the City of Takoma Park to develop alternate ways of meeting parking needs for new and existing businesses in both jurisdictions.
As an OTBA member, you can have input on these and other critical issues for your business. OTBA is working on other government-sponsored initiatives, including CD-TAP (DC); CDIC; and CSAFE (DC and MD).
OTBA: "Takoma Business" is our middle name!
Join us today! Membership Dues
$100 for Individuals and Non-Profit Organisations
$200 for Businesses [retail, service,
for profit organisations]
$300 for Commercial Property Owners
and Landlords
For information on How to Join..........
