Ep 115, February 2022:

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Today on Wisconsin veterans forward. Hello, everybody out there in Wisconsin, veterans chamber of commerce land, man, I'm ready to talk about our member portal today. It's gonna be a quick one and it's gonna be a good one. We're going to be talking about do directly to our members, to our sponsors, to our partners, to our folks who have access to our member portal. I'm gonna tell you how to access it, how to get into it, how to establish yourself. So you have the right people getting the right information. So your business directory listing is update. So you can keep that updated yourself with any new websites, new information, new deals, whatever. And then some of the features that are going to be coming up in the future that you will, will be able to use as we continue to build this thing out.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

So this new member portal just, just dropped. So it is, it is, it is a specific for you, for our members item benefit, utility, whatever you want to call it is really cool. And we're really excited about it. So if you're watching this live, hi, if you're watching this not live still high, cause I don't know why I just said that. Hi to everybody. If you're listening to this via our podcast, I guess hi to you too. What's going, what's going on? We're gonna get into all of it. We're gonna do it right after this. You are listening to Wisconsin veterans forward. Wisconsin's premier audio resource for veterans, military families veteran-owned and veteran friendly businesses. Wisconsin veterans forward is brought to you by the Wisconsin veterans chamber of commerce at wiveteranschamber.org. All right. So, so first off, like why, why would you want to be a member of the chamber?

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Why would you want to? Well, obviously the member portal is one of them and we're gonna get into that. We can ask all the time, like, why would I wanna be a member? Why would I wanna be a sponsor? Why would I wanna be a nonprofit partner of the veteran's chamber to kind of put it in context? We are a 5 0 1 C six organization. We are not a C3. It's an important distinction. So a C3 would be traditional nonprofit a donor donates money. They get a letter that says they donated, they get to claim that in their taxes, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But as a C6, like any other chamber of commerce we get a, a huge chunk of our revenue, what, what we use to put on our programs and keep the lights on through membership revenue. And that membership revenue has to provide a benefit right to, it's not just, it's not a donation, we're not a charity.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

We are providing a service. We are a nonprofit organization, but we are providing a service in exchange for those membership dues. So, so that's a, a very important distinction between a 5 0 1 Cun and a C6. And there are all these different kind of different kinds of nonprofit organizations. There's, you know, VSOs have their own designation political political non-profits have their own designation. They all have their, their kind of different idio idiosyncrasies in different rules. But, but our rules are really important because we are required to provide a value. So what is that value? What, what, what do you get for a membership of the chamber? And I'm not a membership salesman guy here, so I'm not trying this. Isn't like one big, long pitch. All right. Some of view may be members and you may not know what some of your benefits are.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

You get a marketing benefit, you know, you, if you have a job listing and wanna put it in our newsletter, you let us know if you have a deal that you're running or you have a success of yours that you want people to know about, you let us know. And we leverage our very low, large, very targeted audience to get that information, to get that information out there. Also on the marketing end, you have you know, a, a veteran owner, a veteran friendly business badge that you get to put on all of your stuff. You get discounts, see discounts for nearly every single one of our live of events throughout the year. And you know, when you go to the big, the flagship events, veterans light up the arts or business conference, our workforce summit discounts are very, very real. And in many cases, if you're a small business or a nonprofit partner, membership really pays for itself at that point, cuz you save so much especially our nonprofits are, are the amount that we charge a nonprofit organiz to be a partner of ours, to have the same access that a small business or even a corporation like that, that the amount we charge 'em is ridiculously low and they get the same discount that, that the other members do.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

And it's just a small, you know, and obviously you can leverage, leverage us. You can become program partners. You can put on programs, you can be guests on our podcast. You can be, I mean, there's just all these ways for you to reach audiences, reach new audiences, reach existing audiences, celebrate what you have going on to gain valuable experience. We have, we have exclusive presentations and, and content and all this fun stuff for four members. The, the list is a mile long. So that's, that's why you would want to be a member or a sponsor. And, and at the top of that, of our list of things that we are developing out as a utility or a value add for our members is this member portal. And we're super excited about it. And all of you have access to it.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

If you're a member, then you have access to it. So if you have any questions as I'm going through this, and again, like I said, this is gonna be a pretty quick one. We're just gonna get, we're gonna get right to the point. If you have any comments, I got my comments box up there with you watching on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, doesn't matter. We're not doing TWI anymore. We're trying Twitter now. Twitter's back in Vogue. So we all, all of us that have ignored Twitter for the last 10 years are playing catch. So let me bring this in here. So if you go to w I veterans chamber.org, then you come to our beautiful, relatively new website, look at that Butte at all that. Mm mm.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Beautiful. I love it. And I would encourage all of you to sign up for our newsletter. Our newsletter is legit. So at the very top of this next to our social, you see right here member portal, and actually what I'm gonna do since I'm sharing this in a in a reduced screen, I'm going to zoom in a little bit, so you can see that better. So I've highlighted the member portal, right? So if you click on that, you're brought to this info hub. Now, when you sign up and become a member, you'll get an automated email that gives you this information that tells you here's how you, you register. If that doesn't happen, you can do the, create an account. Some of you will need to create an account if maybe you're a new person at a business that has been a member for a while, you may have to create an account.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

If you don't see an email from growth zone or from us that contains a username or a password or any login information, you can just use, create account and enter the information and, and, and it'll get you there. Right? But for me, I have an LLC and we signed me up here as a member of the, my, my brats enterprises, LLC signed me up as a member. So I could go through the portal from the users and, and, and, and walk through this here myself. So I put in my username and password. I'm assuming that you've already set up your account and we're just gonna sign it.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

It's thinking, all right. So this is, this is what we see when we go to our when we go to this info hub it's called or, or we're, and we're calling it a member portal, all right. Right in the middle, any important upcoming information like very, very important stuff. We'll put there, but for now we have a tour of the info hub. So in case you think that I'm boring or have not covered everything, and you would like to dive just a little bit deeper, the info hub is where to go. Also on the right hand, inside any upcoming events that are internal. And I'll get into those in a second, are gonna pop up there and then refer others. If you wanna refer people you can click the refer them today button to get them the information you can evangelize on behalf of the chamber and get some more people into our circle, the more the merrier.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Right. so if I go into the left hand side, I'm gonna start by clicking my info and you can see across this top bar, these are all the things that I can do to update my information and my professional bio. So that is, that is, that is me personally. Okay. Not, not my business, right. If I want to edit the information for my for my business, I'd go down to my directory listing. Okay. So I'll get there in a second. So my personal info let's say the rectory is super awesome business, LLC. You may have four employees that all have access to the info hub because they have access to the info hub to, to our member portal. And so they would each have their own, my info tab. And the thing that would be consistent between them would be the directory listing.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

So any of your employees, if you want your personal stuff updated, it's through the, my info tab that you would do that. And that's an important distinction. So, so you add your professional bio on there. It's, it's important as the info hub continues to get built out and continues to grow you'll use it as a way through these directories and, and business directories and individual directories, as a way to reach out to people, they're gonna be, be business to business opportunities. They're gonna be professional networking development opportunities. You may meet somebody at, at an event. And then afterwards be like, oh man, they worked for X company, but I can't remember their name. And, you know, you're a member. So you get to go into the directory and fake figure it out. You can also through your, my info, see the, the membership status of whatever company you are attached to.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

All right, you can take care of your billing. I'm just going across the thing. Notice I have my individual account up here. I have my, the business that I am attached to and the, you know, the, the invoice number you can manage in auto pay. So it auto renews, all of that fun stuff related businesses. So that would be any business that I am attached to. And for me, I am attached to bros enterprises, LLC, that's that contact information, which I will can get into when we get to the, my directory listing. And so on. And then just some other information that you can put in there related contacts. So this would be people who you are connected to through your through your, your employer or through your directory listing. And you can add people on here.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

So if I want to add three other employees for my business this is how I would do it. I'd click add contact and I'd put in their first and their last name and I'd put in their, their emails, their website, whatever. And what you can do is like, let's say I own super awesome business, LLC. And I hired three new employees. I'm a member of the chamber. Let's say I have three new employees, and I want to add them to make sure that they're on the distribution list to make sure that they have the ability to, to access our portal. Oh, cool. We got Peter wounded warrior canines is watching what's going on. Hey, Peter. Good to hear from you. Thank you so much, man. If, if you guys are not not members of the chamber, then you may wanna be, if you are, this is important information.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

That's really cool. I appreciate you joining us. And where are you located, Peter? I'm curious. Just shoot me a message back. So you, you can add the name of the, I have three new employees. I can add their name, their email, and then they're on the important they're on the distro lists. Okay. related branches, you can refer other people, blah, blah, blah goes on. So that's through the, my info tab. And again, the refer others, you can access at the, at the home as well. So let me go into my directory listing. So this is my business. Broz enterprises, LLC. It's real business. I can update my mailing address if your business moves. If you have a new email address, you guys are outta Marion, right on Peter, are you, and again, don't, don't be insulted by me asking that I I'm a communications guy and not a membership guy.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Our membership team would be like, oh yeah, they totally are. But, but yeah, I mean either way, I'd love to learn more about, about what you guys do. Yeah. Right on. So the directory listing, you get a new phone number, you get a new homepage, whatever. The, the really important information here is your business directory, additional info, and right here, your directory info. So I'm gonna click on that first click on the little pen to edit. I write a description of my business for searches, for keywords highlights anything that I put here for my bio. If you have an alternative display name, you'd put it here. Anything that you want people to be able to see in our business directory, this is where they would do it and anybody. So if I'm accessing our website here, anybody can look at our business directory and look up a business.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

So if they go to advertising in media, let's see, where am I? Am I in here? Let's see, I don't see me in advertising in media. Let's go back. Let's see if we can fi fix this. Maybe I'm under business and professional services. Hmm. There I am. Bros enterprises, LLC. So what if I'm, so I look at that. I have my contact information there. That's really cool, but Hmm. Unfortunately I really wanna be under media. Let's go back one. I wanna be under advertising and media, cuz I am just that influencer type person. So I'm gonna go back. Business category, let's see advertising and, and then consultants, business and professional services. So I'm under business and professional services. And I wanna be under advertising in media. So this is where I would change that. I don't know why clicking both of them. When we ask me in one, maybe you can only pick one.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Let me see if I get rid of consultants. Let's see what happens. See, we're learning this, we're learning this whole thing together. All right. So business category advertising in media. Let's see what happens if I go back to the business directory advertising in media. Am I there now? Huh? There I am. I guess we only get to pick one. So that's where I, that's where I would edit that. And again, the, the map is there all the contact information is there. So it's really important that we have that we have that up to date. And good to go. So I'm gonna go back to my directory listing if I want to add a logo. Let's see. I can drop an image. Let's see. Just for fun. I'm gonna put this here. Self drawn NFT of myself, cuz I'm super cool. Let's see. Upload it. Nope. Already. Got it. All right. Crop and save.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Look at that. That's amazing. All right. So let's see if does that actually pop up if I put it here? Oh no. It, it punished me by deleting. I think cuz I put the picture there. Deleted it. Oh, come on. Oh no, I'm right there. If I click on that now the picture doesn't come up. Okay, good. That would be, that would be way too goofy if that was, if that was the case, maybe I should remove that one. Let's see. Delete. Yeah. Delete the picture. Come on. I'm a professional organism. Okay. So my subscription. So let me explain this. We currently use MailChimp for our newsletter. Okay. Send me a link to this portal. Yeah. Peter. So if you go, let me just check out this comment. Peter's asking, send me a link to this portal. So if you go to I veterans chamber.org, the part of it that you'll be able to access as someone who's not currently a member upper right hand corner, I'll show you right here.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

If I can find my mouse cursor. So if I go to w I veterans chamber.org right here, business directory, and this is where our members are listed and our members would go to this poor old to update their information to be listed here. If that makes sense, let me know if you have any questions. Peter says we breed, raise and train fully funded and trained service and emotional sport animals. Doberman's German shepherds for wounded warriors, armed services and emergency services personnel. That's amazing. Good for you, Peter. Good stuff, man. How cool, how cool. Yeah, definitely would love to, to, to connect with you and we'd love to learn more about you. So in the, in the, my subscriptions tab, if you click on that we currently use MailChimp for our newsletters. All right. We're in the process of shifting that to having an entirely go through growth zone, which is what we do this info hub through what, what we do our website through all of that fun stuff.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

Our media goes through there in the process of moving fully to that. So at that point, and we'll let you know when that happens you will be able to subscribe unsubscribe to certain email lists, to include our events, digest our newsletter, our Monday edition, our Friday edition, our special editions, whatever. So that's where you do that. Now the events tab, if you have an event that you want us to know about, you click add new event and you put in all the information and that's gonna get submitted to us. Okay. You can also send me an email that works too, but here's why, here's why this is important because right now we use event bright for our events, but similar to our mailing list, we're in the process of transitioning, using event bright to doing our events through this. So you would see all of our internal and external events on this calendar and would be able to submit your own events to be on the calendar as well.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

And again, we'll send you an email to let you know when that's fully operational, but if you add an event on here, it gets submitted to us for approval and that puts us, it puts it completely on our radar. And I know I'm gonna promote that. And then down the road, when this calendar ends up being our complete and full event platform that'll be another way to list it. People will, will check out the community calendar to see what's going on. Business directory. That's your internal view that has little additional information on there for our members. For all of these folks, you can click on them, let's see beef jerky Allen. I like those guys. All right. See any information, any internal bio contact deals that they have member to member deals can go in here as well. That's where you'll find that resources tab is where you will find our supplier come contracting guide.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

That's in the process of being built. Our annual report is in the process of being built. That'll go in there, any internal coupons, information, PDF resources, any of those stuff is gonna be in the resources tab. All right. So that is what you can do now. And what's coming up for, for all of our members. It really a great tool. So I would say at a minimum, make sure that if you are a member that you log into this, you make sure that your info I'm clicking on my info on the left, that your info is accurate and up to date. And then you scroll down one and your directory listing for your business is accurate and up to date as well. And then we will continue to, to send out information as this thing gets built out and, and gets more, more more utility.

Adam Braatz - WVCC:

And we keep adding features to it. So there it is. I don't see any additional questions. We'll do another one of these down the road in a little bit to give you a little bit more information as these features are unlocked, which should be very soon, but that is your first step, how to get in how to update your information and your directory listing and then a preliminary kind view on how to submit events. So if you have any questions, follow up, visit us at wiveteranschamber.org and appreciate you. We see you next week. Thank you for listening to Wisconsin veterans forward brought to you by the Wisconsin veterans chamber of commerce. Please visit us at wiveteranschamber.org. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave a rating and review in whatever platform you're listening through.