Does your HOA newsletter promote resident services? (Raleigh: salon, insurance)

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

I know many neighborhoods here in the Triangle have an HOA and some of these HOAs send out newsletters to residents with neighborhood announcement and information. My HOA is thinking of starting a quarterly newsletter. We are a small neighborhood (only 65) homes so we don't have a whole lot going on. So in addition to announcements, we are thinking about asking residents if they would like to advertise their business in the newsletter (for free). This might be a great way for people to learn of different services other residents offer whether it be stuff like pet sitting, tax preparation ect...

Does you neighborhood do something like this? How is it presented in the newsletter? If anyone can direct me to online HOA newsletters I could check out for examples of format I would really appreciate it!

Thanks!

[wheelsup]

No and I wouldn't support them doing it at all.

[senalj]

Do you mean services they provide outside of the community? For instance, if I were a hairdresser, I could advertise my salon (which is not in my home) in my community newsletter? I think that's a good idea.

[Babytarheelz]

My HOA doesn't do anything. It's a joke. I've suggested a newsletter a million times, even offered to write it for free.

I think it's a good idea, especially the ads. If we support our neighbor's businesses, it helps them make money, which helps them keep up their homes, pay their mortgage and dues, etc. I see it as a win win for everyone.

[daveraleigh]

Save the money and the trees by creating your own neighborhood site.
Ning.com offers free sites and pretty easy to set up and use.

[durhammom]

Hi!

My neighborhood did that this spring. The listing was done in classified format (regular sized font though) so that the listing didn't run for pages and there weren't layout problems with graphics and different sized ads.

Any resident of the neighborhood was allowed to advertise. Teens put in listings for babysitting, pet sitting, lawn work, etc. Adults advertised their services or businesses -- tutoring, PC consulting, insurance, etc. Listings were restricted to residents only -- not friends, co-workers, etc.

I'm not sure how successful it was although I recently ran into a neighbor who commented that she had seen my son's listing, hadn't realized he babysat and would definitely keep him in mind.

Unfortunately our newsletter is locked behind a password protected website so I can't send you a link.

[J_Lurk]

We don't do it regularly, but I wish we did.

My sister's neighborhood actually offered resident listings like that in the resident directory. I think that may have been a more practical way to do it, as you will have printing costs associated with the list and don't want to do it over and over if it is not changing often.

[beckycat]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

I know many neighborhoods here in the Triangle have an HOA and some of these HOAs send out newsletters to residents with neighborhood announcement and information. My HOA is thinking of starting a quarterly newsletter. We are a small neighborhood (only 65) homes so we don't have a whole lot going on. So in addition to announcements, we are thinking about asking residents if they would like to advertise their business in the newsletter (for free). This might be a great way for people to learn of different services other residents offer whether it be stuff like pet sitting, tax preparation ect...

Does you neighborhood do something like this? How is it presented in the newsletter? If anyone can direct me to online HOA newsletters I could check out for examples of format I would really appreciate it!

Thanks!

I think it's a great idea! We'd definately have our landscaping business in there. Good luck in doing it.

[fester600]

Hey NRG,

Our community (Fairfield) just added this to our community newsletter. Please who live in the community and wanted to promote their small business or kids in the neighborhood who wanted to promote services like baby sitting, yard work or pet sitting, were allowed to put in an add.

I think it is a great way to promote within your community. I do not think there was any change for this at all.

I will look tonight for more information.

Matt

[brooke11112]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

I know many neighborhoods here in the Triangle have an HOA and some of these HOAs send out newsletters to residents with neighborhood announcement and information. My HOA is thinking of starting a quarterly newsletter. We are a small neighborhood (only 65) homes so we don't have a whole lot going on. So in addition to announcements, we are thinking about asking residents if they would like to advertise their business in the newsletter (for free). This might be a great way for people to learn of different services other residents offer whether it be stuff like pet sitting, tax preparation ect...

Does you neighborhood do something like this? How is it presented in the newsletter? If anyone can direct me to online HOA newsletters I could check out for examples of format I would really appreciate it!

Thanks!

We get a monthly newsletter for our HOA done for free. The lady sells the ads for multiple HOA, and then does HOA specific newsletters for each community. You tell her what you want in it, and she does the formatting and pays all supplies. She makes the money from the ads that she sells, so it does not cost us a thing.

Here is an example of one she has done with her contact into. It's really a win win situation for our HOA

http://www.garnerchamber.com/files/558_08%20GV%20Hamp%20Ridg%20Jun%20July.pdf (broken link)