As the Director of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, I had the incredible honor of participating in the collaboration of the 4th Annual Southwest Indiana Regional Women’s Conference held on October 25th. Hosted in Knox County and brought together by eight chambers from across the region—including Gibson, Pike, Knox, Perry, Spencer, Jasper, Warrick, and Linton/Stockton counties.  This year’s conference brought together women from all walks of life to learn, grow, and connect. 

Attendees were invited to rethink their relationship with stress through an information session on Kelly McGonigal’s TED Talk, “How to Make Stress Your Friend.” This session offered practical insights on managing stress in ways that empower rather than overwhelm.

Keynote speaker, the former Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman, shared insights from her remarkable career. Skillman’s story of resilience navigating her experiences as a trailblazer in politics. Her candid reflections on the challenges and rewards of being one of the first women to hold high office in Indiana were inspiring.

Afternoon speaker Angie Lewis, Divisional Technical Director at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane. Angie’s experience in a highly specialized technical field and her dedication to breaking boundaries inspired attendees to push beyond perceived limitations in their careers and personal lives.

A highlight of the conference was the panel discussion, “Women in a Man’s World,” featuring Knox County Commissioner and Davies County EMS Director Kellie Streeter, CEO of Greene County General Hospital Brenda Retz, and our own Pike County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director, Ashley Willis. These women shared their unique stories and challenges as females in their respective roles, shedding light on the evolving landscape of leadership in our region. Ashley, in particular, noted that when she began her work in the economic development field within a ten-county region, she was the only female leader. Today, that gender disparity is narrowing, with four of the counties now represented by female leaders. This shift is not only encouraging but a testament to the progress being made toward greater gender balance and inclusion.

Of course, no conference is complete without good food and laughter, and our attendees enjoyed a taco bar for lunch. And what better way to add a little  laughter with a little dancing to the beat of “YMCA”.

We are grateful to everyone who attended and to the eight chambers whose teamwork made this event possible. At the Pike County Chamber, we look forward to seeing more women step into leadership roles and continue reshaping what it means to lead in our communities. If you missed this year’s conference, make a note for next year.  We are looking forward to next year’s conference that will be in Spencer County and to seeing even more women join us on this incredible journey! 

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As the Director of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, I am thrilled to introduce a local entrepreneur who has transformed her passion for numbers into a business—Stephanie Helmerich, owner of Stephanie's Bookkeeping LLC. Stephanie's journey began right here in Pike County, where she honed her skills managing the books for her family’s farm. What started as a practical necessity quickly grew into a passion for helping businesses with their bookkeeping needs. Today, after completing multiple bookkeeping and QuickBooks courses and certifications, Stephanie provides her expertise to local businesses.
Services That Make a Difference
Stephanie’s Bookkeeping LLC offers a range of services tailored to meet the specific needs of each client. Whether you are a new business owner or an established entrepreneur, Stephanie provides the following:

• Free Discovery Call: An opportunity to discuss your bookkeeping needs and explore how her services can benefit your business. She will then provide a tailored proposal.
• Diagnostic Review: An evaluation of your QuickBooks Online records to identify any issues that need attention.
• Bookkeeping Clean-Up: Cleaning up any disorganized or incomplete records to give you a fresh start.
• Bookkeeping Catch-Up: Helping businesses get back on track when they have fallen behind on their bookkeeping.
• Monthly Bookkeeping: Ongoing services to maintain accurate records and  provide financial reports.
• Additional Services: Stephanie is also open to discussing additional ways to effiecntly help your  business.

Why Hire Stephanie’s Bookkeeping?
As a small business owner, your time is one of your most valuable assets. Partnering with Stephanie can give you peace of mind knowing your finances are in good hands. Here are a few key reasons why hiring Stephanie’s Bookkeeping LLC is a smart move for your business:

• Great Customer Service: Stephanie takes pride in building strong relationships with her clients. She is dedicated to understanding your business and providing personalized solutions that meet your needs.
• Confidentiality: Stephanie understands the importance of discretion when handling financial information. She ensures your sensitive data is kept secure and private.
• Financial Reports: With accurate, easy-to-understand financial reports, you can make better decisions for your business and stay informed about your company’s financial health.
• More Time to Focus on Your Business: Letting Stephanie handle your bookkeeping frees up your time, allowing you to focus on growing your business and serving your customers.
• Peace of Mind: No more worrying about whether your financials are in order or scrambling to catch up before tax season. Stephanie keeps everything organized, so you can relax.
• Fixed Fees: With her transparent pricing model, you’ll know exactly what to expect, without any surprise charges.

Supporting Local Businesses
We are proud to spotlight entrepreneurs like Stephanie who are making a difference in our community
If your business could benefit from professional bookkeeping services, reach out to Stephanie’s Bookkeeping LLC today for a free discovery call. Learn how she can help you manage your finances so you can focus on what you do best—running your business.
For more information, contact Stephanie at 812-902-2280 or stephaniesboolleepingLLC.com
Let’s celebrate local entrepreneurship and continue to build a thriving business community in Pike County!

Social media is becoming more and more frustrating, right? If you have used it to connect with your audience for ten years or so, you undoubtedly have seen crazy changes in your reach. If you’re new to social media for business scene, reaching 2% of your audience probably feels pretty normal.
 But if you’re not reaching your audience, how are they going to know who you are and all the wonderful things your business can bring them?
When it comes to building a loyal following, there are several things you can do. Ultimately, reach is still dependent on the platform’s algorithm, but every social media channel claims to respond to value. To reach more people, you need them to see you as providing valuable content they want to interact with. Here’s how you can start doing that.  
 Get Your Business in Good Social Media ShapeBefore we get into strategy and posting ideas, it’s important to get your social media accounts in good shape. Make sure your profile is complete, up to date, and visually appealing. Use a high-quality profile picture and cover image. If you have a profile you are no longer using, don’t just leave it languishing. Add a few posts to it about where you are posting now. An image post or funny video can help people who find you on one platform, locate you on another.
Use analytics tools to understand where you are now. Identify what types of content resonate most with your audience. Check when they are most active. Use that to influence your posting content and scheduling. As you change your posting, track your progress to see what’s working.
Finally, keep up with the latest social media best practices and algorithm changes. They are always evolving changing.
Now, let’s talk about content.

Start with a Strong Content StrategyWe all know stories about how a video went viral, but for business you need to develop a strong and consistent strategy that revolves around dependable and valuable content. If something goes viral, awesome. But don’t count on it as part of your content strategy any more than you would see buying a lottery ticket every week as a way to fund retirement.
When creating a social media content strategy for business, you want:

• High-Quality Content. The foundation of your social media presence is compelling and valuable content. Post images, videos (this is a must), and text that resonate with your target audience.
• Consistency: Develop a content calendar to help plan and schedule your posts. Post regularly to stay top-of-mind with your audience. Consistency is key to becoming top of mind. Sometimes consistency can even trump value in the short term. For instance, there was an author on TikTok who created some of the most boring videos I have ever seen—speaking in a monotone about the details of everything she did every morning. She posted with the regularity that some people reach for their morning coffee. Darn if she didn’t grow a massive following on consistency alone. Every morning, there she was. And in the same way you might find yourself staring out the window in a daze while you make coffee, I watched her videos.
• Variety: Mix up your content formats to keep things interesting. Try using images, videos, carousels, live streams, stories, and polls. But…keep to your branding so that people will know it’s you immediately.
• Value: Offer educational, entertaining, or inspirational content that provides value to your followers.

EngageThe algorithms base their determination of valuable content on what people are interacting with. That means you must motivate them to go from a passive state of watching (or reading) to an active pursuit of commenting. That’s not always easy, but here are some best practices you can implement:

• Respond to Comments and Messages as soon as possible. Show you value your commenter’s interaction. When appropriate, ask them questions in the comments. This will help continue the conversation. Speaking of…
• Ask Questions and Run Polls: Encourage conversations and participation by asking questions and conducting polls. Stickers are an engaging way to do this on Stories.
• Use Interactive Features: Utilize features like live streams, Stories, and Q&As to connect with your followers in real-time. Facebook, for one, notifies your followers when you go live.
• Community Building: Foster a sense of community by sharing user-generated content. If someone posts a picture of your products or a review, share it and thank them.

Get More Views​Again, the algorithm has a lot to do with how many people see your content. Just because you post does not mean it will be seen. Recently, Instagram seems to be showing more content to non-followers than followers. Here are ways you can build on that:

• Cross-Promotion. Promote your social media accounts on your website, email signature, newsletter, and other marketing materials. Make sure everyone who does business with you (or is researching your business) knows where to find you on social media.
• Hashtags. Use relevant hashtags to help people discover your content. Research popular and trending hashtags in your industry and community. Speaking of trending, it’s okay to try a little…
• Bandwagoning. Jumping on the bandwagon (or posting about something that’s trending or using trending music) is a good way to get new eyes on your content. It may feel a little insincere at first and out of line with your business, but if you do it in a fun way, it can show a lighter side of your personality and help people feel more connected to you.
• Collaborations. Partner with influencers or other businesses in your niche or town to reach a wider audience. Do interviews, videos, social media posting battles, and other collaborations to get attention. Talk to your chamber. They may be able to help introduce you to the perfect business partner. Check out this “sign war,” which made it out of the social media trenches and onto a local TV station.

Building a loyal following takes time and effort. Be patient, consistent, and focused on providing value to your audience, and you'll see your interactions grow over time.