This past Saturday, my family and I had the privilege of watching my younger sister, Addisen, receive her diploma from the University of Central Missouri (pictures here). Addi is just over four years younger than I am, and even though she’s now 23 years old, I still picture her as the elementary school version of herself in my mind (picture here). But, she’s growing up! This milestone being a big one. She and my two other sisters inherited all the artistic and creative talents among us siblings. I am confident that she will effectively utilize those skills as she enters life after school!
Powerful Insights Shared with SBDC
This Wednesday, we successfully hosted our second Small Business Seminar with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The quarter’s topic, 'Clicks & Community: E-Commerce Insights for Growth,' provided valuable insights on how to utilize online selling platforms to boost your business on the web. The seminar also introduced some of the powerful tools that the SBDC offers clients and how businesses can gain a competitive advantage in their industry. One of those tools is using ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) market data, a sophisticated software that offers individualized market data and consumer insights. This data combines demographics, consumer behavior, lifestyle characteristics, and geographic location to help you better understand your market. It reveals who lives in your area, what they’re likely to buy, how much they’re likely to spend, and where your ideal customers are located. This kind of data would cost any business thousands of dollars without partnering with the SBDC. Another reminder that businesses of any size and industry can sign up for free to receive confidential one-on-one advising from KU SBDC (contact info here). Their team will give personalized help towards your e-commerce goals or any aspect of running a business.
A Fun Night Downtown
Wednesday nights in downtown Ottawa now include fresh produce, baked goods, and garden variety from the Ottawa Kansas Farmers Market. On the third Thursday of each month, the Ottawa Main Street Association puts on its Third Thursday shopping event at the County Courthouse lawn. It was a beautiful night to walk downtown and look at vendors, especially when the common consumption area (CCA) is open (pictures of Makayla supporting our local brewery here). It was also the Ottawa Police Department's fundraiser for dog cop Yuri, one more reason to buy a local beer! The Ottawa Memorial Auditorium hopped in on the festivities and hosted its first of three music bingos in the basement of the auditorium. These upcoming busy summer months can get hectic, so go ahead and mark your calendars for June 19 and July 17 for more third Thursday fun.
Summer Concerts Return to Legacy Square
Since I’m already discussing downtown Ottawa activities, I would be remiss to not touch on one of the Chamber’s bigger fundraisers of the year, the 2025 Summer Concert Series (more info here). This is our fourth year of hosting multiple FREE summer concerts at Legacy Square. This program continues to grow in local and regional interest each year; we’re looking forward to two really fun evenings!
One thing I love about these concerts is the ability to bring in talent with local ties; this Summer is no different. For the first concert on June 20, we’ll have Garnett group, Trevor Holman and the Haymakers. This country/red dirt/classic rock group has been playing shows left and right south of Ottawa, and will be opening for this year’s Cornstalk this fall. We are excited to have them in Ottawa for this FREE community concert to kick off the Summer. Looking ahead to August 8, Ottawa native, Clevermax, is closing out the Summer with their iconic sound. Two great acts, food trucks, a beer garden, and free admission all come together for a fantastic evening of entertainment. We’re proud to have a great group of sponsors come together to make this series possible (concert sponsors here). All the proceeds of these sponsors, the beer garden, and the 50/50 raffle sales go to advancing the Chamber’s mission. We hope to see you there singing and dancing along!
Look Good, Feel Great—Exclusive Has You Covered
This morning’s Chamber Coffee was hosted by Exclusive Salon and Day Spa in downtown Ottawa (pictures here). Exclusive has three part-owners: Amy Richardson, Brooke Beets, and Kasie Luckert. All three, along with their staff, actively work with clients on an assortment of services, ranging from massages, facials, hair, tanning, and more. Their 119 S Main Street location is deceptive to those who window shop. From the outside, you can’t really tell how big their space is until you make your way down the hallway. Tanning beds left and right, infrared sauna, soundproof massage rooms, and the hair/nail salon in the back. Each room offers privacy and comfortability, regardless of which service you’re getting. If any of these services sound interesting, but you’ve never done them before, their staff will walk you through the process and help advise you on what options/levels/frequency of use are right for you. If you ARE familiar with these services, you’ll find an exceptionally clean and friendly facility using Exclusive. If you’re the kind of person who likes a good deal, stay up to date on their socials by liking their Facebook page, as they are posting new specials every month (May specials here).
One of the most recent additions to their list of services is their in-house infrared sauna. Unlike traditional saunas that warm the air to heat the body, infrared saunas use infrared light to heat the body directly―from the inside out. As a result, they typically operate at lower temperatures, making them more comfortable for longer sessions while still receiving health benefits. Many people use them for reasons like improved circulation, pain relief, stress reduction, better sleep, and skin health. Time spent inside allows the natural process of sweating to remove toxins that we encounter in what we eat, drink, and breathe. As a result, you’ll feel and look better, because you actually become healthier! It was shared that people who do not have these devices in their own community drive 30 minutes to an hour for these services without thinking twice. The fact that our community has one here in Ottawa is a massive benefit for those who take advantage. Since 2008, Exclusive Salon has supported their clients' health and appearance; we’re blessed to have them here in Ottawa!
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Tomorrow is a big day in town! Treasures in Ottawa is taking place at Legacy Square, hosting 70+ vendors throughout the park (more info here). Sherri and I have had to make slight adjustments this week to ensure everybody will fit… and it’s pretty close! If we continue to see growth like this next year, we will undoubtedly need to bleed into the streets to make sure everyone has a spot. Exciting challenges to have! Thanks to those who regularly park at Legacy Square on Saturdays for making sure they're not in that space come tomorrow. We'll need all the room we can get! If you’re looking for jewelry, art, leather goods, décor, knickknacks, custom-made items, a bite to eat, and more… downtown Ottawa is the place to be between 9am-3pm. See you soon,
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
