Candidates for the Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Elections

Dear Residents,

as announced in our last blog post about the upcoming elections for the chairperson for the Lionheart Chamber of Commerce, we will publish today the notecards we’ve received from the candidates till the deadline yesterday.

We’ve received two notecards, and will publish them below in the order we’ve received them. We hope the information provided will help you to choose a candidate for the upcoming election weekend (Friday 27th 2.00pm SLT – Sunday 29th 8.00pm SLT).

On Friday, 1.00pm SLT we’ll have an electoral meeting before the official election weekend begins, to give you an opportunity to meet the candidates and ask them questions if you have some. Please watch out for updates on this blog or follow our Twitter feed.

Sookie Slafford

My name is Sookie Slafford and I have been a commercial resident of Lionheart Estate since early March 2010. I’ve been committed to Lionheart since the day I found the website. Lionheart Estate was in my business plan several months before I bought my very first parcel at Lionheart Scar. Since that fateful day, my business Jolly Farm Bunnies & Stuff has grown significantly now spanning 6 parcels and more than 8,000 sqm.

I’ve emplored tactics learned from being a Pro Content Creator on IMVU for the last 4 years but I’ve still had to learn a lot along the way with my now almost 6 month old Second Life business. Using the most common forms of marketing and some less conventional forms of advertising, I’ve made my business not only sustainable – but profitable as well. Being a part of the Lionheart Community has been beneficial to my business and I know along with hard work and persistence, my participation in the community has had a great hand in my success.

An important part of my participation in the community has been my involvement in the Lionheart Mentoring Program and being head of a group of residents who volunteer their time to mentor new Second Life residents at the “Newbie Center” as well as being an example for Lionheart residents. But, more important to me has been my overall community involvement – including my introducing the concept of our “Howdy Neighbor Day”.

My Plans for the CoC:

For a lot of residents, having just a basic understanding of the tools available to them as a business owner is extremely key. You’d be surprised at just how many people know nothing about the importance of naming their land and writing an appropriate description. Simple information like this can make all of the difference. That is why I believe in addition to regular meetings, the CoC should offer basic merchant courses that touch on specific business oriented subjects including but not limited to: Understanding Land Options & Tools, Basic Marketing, Classifieds, Social Media Marketing (Twitter/Facebook/etc), Affiliate Vendors and Satellite locations.

The real key to the success of Chamber of Commerce for me is teamwork. From being a member of the CoC, you should come away with a great understanding of how Second Life business works and more importantly – where your business fits within the grid. You should be free to share your experiences, failures and triumphs with your fellow CoC members and come to feel that you are apart of a team. I’d very much like to see all members participating and working together as a whole – using concepts like Estate wide “hunts” and other valuable, group marketed promotions to increase exposure and traffic.

My plan is to give you the opportunity to get the necessary tools and knowledge, and offer you the opportunity to share these with others in the group so that you can make the most out of your business and experience with being a merchant at Lionheart Estate.

Clover Windlow

Greetings, neighbors!  My name is Clover Windlow and I am running for Chairperson of the Lionheart Chamber of Commerce.

I’ve been in business in Second Life since June of 2008, when (as my alt, Mistletoe Ethaniel), I opened a small shop selling medieval clothes.  A few months later I, Clover, came about, and began making food and drink items just for fun.  That hobby grew into Clover’s Kitchen, which first opened in Lionheart Mohatu on St. Patrick’s Day of this year.  I currently run three businesses based here in Lionheart: Clover’s Kitchen, the Wee Little Irish Pub, and Manic Elf Media.  I’ve taught myself a lot in the time I’ve been in business; and as a result what I’ve learned, I have not purchased a single linden out of pocket since February of 2009.

One of the best things about business in Second Life is that startup costs are so low compared to RL, that anyone can start a business.  And because shops don’t need to hire employees or restock their inventory, one can afford to learn from mistakes without having to close down right away.  I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t, and I’m always learning more as I go.  As Chamber of Commerce Chair, I would make it a priority to share what I’ve experienced, to answer questions and help solve problems, and to encourage fellow Lionheart businesses to learn from one another’s experience.  Many of us are content creators or entertainers first, and business people second; so I would have ongoing workshops on sales, marketing, and promotion, along with regular Chamber meetings and occasional city-wide promotions.

Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”  I believe, in these rough economic times, that we need to look out for each other more than ever before: to bring in new customers, to share our knowledge, to promote by way of good old-fashioned word of mouth and networking with our neighbors.

I look forward to the chance to bring my experience and leadership to the table, and hope I can count on your vote in the upcoming election.  Thank you!