Meaningful Ways to Stay Connected with Your Customers

December 8, 2025

We made it through Small Business Saturday, and we hope it was a great one for you. But guess what? The holiday season shifts into high gear from now on. Foot traffic gets wild, inboxes overflow, and your customers are juggling a million decisions at once. They’re feeling the pinch of not having enough time.


In the middle of all that zaniness, your biggest advantage as a small business is the experience you create and the connection you keep. People want to support local. They just need reminders that you’re here, you’re human, and you’re worth choosing.


Here are simple, sustainable ways to stay engaged all month long without adding stress to your plate.


Show the “Real Life” Moments Behind the Scenes


People love feeling like they’re part of the process. A quick photo of your team wrapping orders, prepping inventory, or laughing their way through a busy day makes your business feel warm and relatable. No polish required. A little authenticity builds a lot of loyalty.


Use Countdowns That Build Excitement


You don’t have to be a big-box brand to create anticipation. Try a countdown to shipping deadlines, holiday bundles, in-store specials, or even a “12 days of local shopping” series. It keeps you top-of-mind and gives your audience a reason to come back tomorrow.


Spotlight the Customers Who Keep You Going


Feature a shopper of the week, share a heartwarming review, or highlight a longtime supporter. Even better, ask customers to tag you so you can repost. These little spotlights do two things: they show gratitude and they hint to others that they could be featured next. You don’t have to be in retail to participate in this for the holidays. One veterinarian decided to post a picture of the “Pet of the Month” in the lobby and now all their clients want to know how they can get their pet featured.


Say a Genuine Thank You—And Say it Often


In the holiday rush, people crave sincerity. A quick post thanking your community for shopping local makes a bigger impact than you think.


Gratitude reminds people they’re participating in something meaningful, not just making a purchase. When people buy from you, don’t just thank them. Go a step further and tell them why it means so much to you. A couple of extra words can make them feel like hometown heroes.


Additionally, if you had someone who just bought a lot from you (or someone who buys on a regular basis), send a handwritten card offering a discount. It doesn’t even have to be large (or it could be based on another purchase, like a “buy one, get X% off the second one”). It’s much easier to get a past customer to buy again than a new customer.


Repurpose Your Content Across Platforms


You don’t have to reinvent anything. A behind-the-scenes video becomes a Reel, which becomes three photos for Facebook and a carousel post, which becomes a still image for your Google Business profile. A customer spotlight or Google review can double as a testimonial on your website.


Make your content work harder for you.


Share Small, Helpful Reminders


Post your hours, gift ideas, top sellers, or last-minute stocking stuffers. Highlight easy wins like “order online, pick up in store,” or “gift cards available.” These practical posts reduce friction and help customers make quick decisions.


Ever wonder why candy is right next to every cash register? It’s an easy impulse buy. When you make suggestions or bundle products for ease and value, it helps your customers take quick action. After all, as much as we all love the holidays, they’re a lot of work and any help we can get from others to lessen decision fatigue makes our lives easier.


Lean into Community Connection


When you’re local, you have something bigger than any national chain: roots. Celebrate other small businesses, share local events, or partner with a neighbor for a cross-promo. Customers love seeing small businesses support one another.


Spur on Impulse Buys


There are some things people always need more of during the holidays. If you operate that sort of business, consider a “secret” bonus offer that is revealed at the register and they have only minutes to decide. This worked well at a winery. When customers purchased one or more bottles, they had the opportunity to buy additional bottles in that transaction for 20% off. It was a great way to incentivize people to make a quick decision on something they knew they would use (or could give as gifts or hostess presents).

 

Close With Consistency, Not Perfection


You don’t need a massive campaign to stay connected this month. You just need regular touchpoints that feel personal and true to who you are. Show up consistently, give people something to smile about, and remind your audience why shopping small matters—not just on Small Business Saturday, but every day this season and beyond.


If you keep customers feeling included, appreciated, and excited, you won’t just ride out the holiday craziness. You’ll turn this month into momentum for the new year.

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How to Verify the Accuracy of an Applicant's Resume

January 13, 2026
75% of hiring managers have encountered lies on resumes, posing a challenge to the trustworthiness of applicant qualifications. Pruning outdated or irrelevant job experiences from resumes can help applicants highlight their most recent and pertinent skills. Checking for employment gaps can uncover important character traits or red flags, such as incarceration, which can be further explored through background checks. Up to 85% of job seekers admit to lying on resumes about aspects like job duties and skills, making independent verification crucial. Handling discovered resume discrepancies with professionalism and aligning hiring decisions with organizational values are key. Investing in thorough verification processes, despite initial costs, is essential for reducing long-term expenses related to unproductive wages, training, and turnover. 554 words ~ 2.5 min. read In today's job market, it's quite common for applicants to exaggerate on their resumes. A surprising find by CareerBuilder shows that 75% of hiring managers have spotted lies on resumes. This highlights a big problem in hiring - how can employers trust what's on a resume? With the honesty of candidate qualifications on the line, it's important for hiring managers to find reliable ways to check the accuracy of resumes to make good hiring decisions. Read on to discover three strategies to help you fast-track the fact-checking process. Prune Old Jobs Pruning old jobs simply means removing any outdated or irrelevant information. For example, if an applicant lists a job that they held 10 years ago and haven't worked in that field since, there's a good chance their skills are no longer up-to-date. The hiring platform Indeed reminds job hopefuls to prioritize their most recent and relevant experience , so including historical work experience may also signal a lack of confidence in applying for an intended position. Check for Gaps Another way to verify the accuracy of an applicant's resume is to check for gaps. This means looking for any periods of time where there is no employment listed. These gaps could be due to a variety of reasons, such as taking time off to raise a family or going back to school. However, they could also be due to something less savory, such as incarceration. Including a background check will reveal gaps due to jail time but also other important things you may want to know like criminal arrest records or driving history. Resume gaps aren’t always a bad thing, of course. They may reveal an applicant’s character or important values, with gaps devoted to honing their leadership skills through volunteering for schools or charitable organizations. What you do with your understanding of these blank spaces is what’s important — use them to weed out applicants or to ascertain if a candidate is a value match during the interview process. Fact-Check Claims According to Good Hire up to 85% of job seekers have admitted to lying on their resume. What are they lying about? Most often, dishonest claims relate to job duties, work experience, and job skills. While it may be easy to verify if an applicant has indeed graduated from Harvard or won Teacher of the Year, it can take much more time and resources to fact check work history and job duties. For that reason, many employers rely on independent recruiters and agencies to verify resume details. What should you do if you discover something that doesn’t check out? When hiring managers spot a lie on a resume, it's important to handle it with care and professionalism. First, double-check the facts to avoid any misunderstandings. If the lie is real, talk to the applicant about it and listen to their side of the story. Then, based on how serious the lie is, decide if you still want to consider the candidate. In the end, your decision should align with your organization’s values. If you do hire someone and later discover the lie, experts recommend confronting the employee to learn more. If you want to terminate the employee, get legal counsel first. Takeaway Devoting time and resources to outside services will increase your hiring costs upfront. However, when you factor in the price tag for unproductive wages, in addition to training, firing, and rehiring costs, investing in a thorough verification process becomes a vital hiring and retention strategy. Read More: 10 Ways to Get the Most from your Chamber Membership Hiring in a Tight Market: Your Local Playbook for Finding and Keeping Great People The New Employee Benefit Everyone is Talking About The Power of 'Entry Interviews' and 'Stay Interviews' Strategies for Improving Employee Retention in Small Businesses --- The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.

Think Twice Before Hiring or Promoting "Brilliant Jerks"

January 13, 2026
Think Twice Before Hiring or Promoting "Brilliant Jerks" Arianna Huffington criticizes valuing employees solely on brilliance, coining the term "brilliant jerks" for talented yet toxic workers "Brilliant jerks" can hide their toxic behaviors behind exceptional performance, complicating their identification and the management of their negative impact. Their presence can damage team unity, foster a toxic work environment, decrease morale and productivity, and lead to significant financial losses. Tolerating or rewarding such behavior normalizes toxicity and can drive away talented individuals, damaging the company's reputation and its ability to attract and retain top talent. Leaders often struggle to address these individuals due to their perceived value, despite the negative consequences on the team and overall work environment. Identifying toxic traits early, emphasizing emotional intelligence, and fostering teamwork in hiring and promotion processes can help create a healthier, more productive work environment. 547 words ~ 2.5 min read Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of The Huffington Post, famously criticized the practice of valuing employees solely based on their brilliance. She coined the term "brilliant jerks" for those who excel in their job but have a negative impact on the workplace. While it can be tempting to ignore interpersonal flaws for talent's sake, promoting or hiring such individuals often leads to long-term harm. Here, we delve into why this approach is problematic and highlight warning signs of toxic traits. Identifying "brilliant jerks" at work can be tricky. Their exceptional performance and creativity may hide toxic behaviors, making it hard for supervisors and colleagues to address their negative impact. Sometimes, these individuals are socially adept, which complicates recognizing their harmful traits. This dual nature causes confusion, as their value as high performers clashes with their negative influence. Their behavior might be situationally toxic, especially under stress, making it challenging to address effectively. The problem is "brilliant jerks" can significantly impede team unity. Their arrogance or aggression can foster a toxic environment, resulting in reduced morale and productivity among team members. When collaboration and mutual respect are undermined, innovation and efficiency are inevitably impacted. Studies indicate that toxic work environments lead to nearly $50 billion in annual losses for U.S. businesses , with a toxic culture being the leading cause of employee turnover in the initial six months of the Great Resignation. Unfortunately, tolerating or rewarding such behavior promotes disrespect, egoism, and a lack of empathy. This can normalize toxicity, driving away talented individuals who seek a positive work environment. In the long run, it undermines trust and collaboration, crucial for innovation and support. This damages the company's reputation and makes it hard to attract and keep top talent who value a healthy workplace. Dealing with these individuals can be tough due to their perceived value, even if their behavior is harmful. Leaders may fear losing their skills or impacting key projects, leading to tolerance of their actions. The misconception that high performers can behave differently can cloud decision-making, sending the wrong message to the team. It can be difficult to spot 'brilliant jerks' in the hiring process, but these red flags can help draw attention to traits that may overshadow stellar performance. If you do hire someone with these qualities by mistake, Huffington advises business leaders to act quickly: “Don't go there. And if you go there by mistake, fire them as fast as possible.” Red Flags of Toxic Traits: Empathy Deficit: Failing to grasp or appreciate others' feelings and viewpoints. Excessive Arrogance: Constantly asserting superiority over colleagues and disregarding their ideas outright. Resistance to Feedback: Being defensive towards criticism, viewing it as a personal attack rather than a chance for improvement. Manipulative Tactics: Using deceit or coercion to further personal objectives at the expense of others. "Brilliant jerks" love sharing private information in the form of 'secrets.' Social Withdrawal: Drifting apart from team activities and discussions, either by choice or due to others' reactions. Recognizing these red flags is crucial for fostering a healthy work environment. By placing a strong emphasis on emotional intelligence and teamwork during the hiring and promotion processes, organizations can cultivate a culture characterized by mutual respect and seamless collaboration. This, in turn, paves the way for achieving long-term success and sustainable growth. Read More: From Conflict to Collaboration: Turning Workplace Disputes into Growth Opportunities Hiring in a Tight Market: Your Local Playbook for Finding and Keeping Great People Rock Stars Vs. Superstars: Who's Fueling Your Team's Future?  --- The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.