Jeff Peyton
Today, The Northeast Georgian sales team is scrambling to close out our annual effort to produce Habersham County’s incredible hometown magazine, Hello Habersham. And when I say “scrambling,” believe me – that is the understatement of this new year. The Northeast Georgian has produced Habersham County’s premier guidebook for more than 25 years. And for the past 12 years, we’ve partnered with the Habersham Chamber of Commerce to make the magazine even more relevant to area businesses AND provide a vitally important revenue stream to help fund Chamber activities. (A portion of every ad sold in Hello Habersham goes to fund the local Chamber.)
While I am grateful to report that the worst of the pandemic seems to be in our rear-view, I have to temper that sentiment with the fact that COVID is still a part of our world. And, truth be told, COVID has wreaked havoc on the Hello Habersham production process.Several days ago, Chamber President Mary Beth Horton promised her membership that sales representatives from The Northeast Georgian would be in touch. I hate to say it, but for some of you, that simply hasn’t happened yet.
No excuses! I promise you, we are coming! The very last thing I ever want to do is produce a county magazine without you. Yvonne and Lisa – with support from Mary Beth at the Chamber – are doing everything they can to make sure you get that call.Habersham County is an incredible place, and I am blessed to call it my home. Sure, it took Elaina and me a little while to find it – but here we are! When I sat down with the team to start planning this edition of Hello Habersham, I was first surprised - then flat-out amazed – all the things I DIDN’T know about my new hometown. I’ll be honest with you, that planning meeting took almost twice as long as it should have taken – I was just so full of questions.
On April 1, I am excited to say that I will have the answers. So will you - along with everyone else in Habersham County. That’s when this year’s edition of Hello Habersham lands – first inside that edition of The Northeast Georgian, and then on the front counters of businesses all across the county. (Of course, the Chamber of Commerce will have copies, too.)
From there, copies of Hello Habersham will be distributed across the region and, in some cases, around the world! One of the magazine’s primary purposes is to provide the Chamber of Commerce with a marketing tool – a showcase of all that Habersham County has to offer. So when the Chamber sends out its welcome packs and interest letters to businesses inquiring about relocating here, copies of Hello Habersham are a key ingredient. This magazine is hands-down the county’s best and most widely available showcase.
I didn’t intend to turn my column into a sales gimmick. It’s just really hard to NOT get excited about Hello Habersham.
I know we’re facing a hard deadline here. Please accept my apologies if pandemic-related delays have kept our sales team from helping you be part of this showcase. And please know that you can still be a part of it.
You don’t have to wait for someone to call you. It is OK if you want to reach out first. You can email Lisa at sales1@thenortheastgeorgian.com, or Yvonne at ymarinelli@thenortheastgeorgian.com. If you’re not sure who your sales rep is, feel free to email me at jpeyton@thenortheastgeorgian.com, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.
For immediate help, just call The Northeast Georgian at (706) 778-4215.