May 2011: What's New with the DBPA ...

Downtown Business & Professional Association (DBPA) is a group of business owners and professionals whose main goal is to ensure the success, growth, and prosperity of downtown Elizabeth City. Through marketing, advertising, and activities they promote the shopping, dining, bed & breakfasts , cultural, professional, and community experiences of our wonderful city. For more information, contact DBPA President Susan Hinkle at 252-619-4022 or Vice President Cindy Williams at 252-338-2328.

The group meets the first Thursday of each month at 8:00 am at the Elizabeth City Bed & Breakfast located at 108 East Fearing Street. Enter through the side courtyard, 1st door on your left. Join them at their next meeting on May 5th. You don't have to be a member to attend the meetings.

To Swipe or Not to Swipe -- If you are a business accepting credit cards (or are thinking about it), you should plan to attend this informative workshop on the ins and outs of credit card processing fees sponsored by DBPA on May 11th, 5:30 pm, at City Wine Sellar. Learn the important questions to ask when shopping for a merchant services company and how to accurately compare costs -- what's a discount fee, what types of cards do you as a business owner have to pay extra to accept, how hidden "cancellation fees" can keep you tied into a contract that is costing you money? FREE workshop. A minimum attendance is required, so please register right away by calling 252-619-4022.

Downtown Calendar of Events -- There's a brand new online, continually updated Downtown Calendar of Events that you can visit to find out the many happenings in downtown Elizabeth City. Visit www.downtownelizabethcity.blogspot.com.

Live Local, Shop Local is DBPAs monthly e-newsletter designed to inform subscribers of downtown events and provide info on special sales, promotions, and coupons from DBPA members. If you would like to subscribe to this e-newsletter, send your email address with "Shop Local" in the subject line to: malenfant@lycos.com or visit the DBPA blog site and click on the newsletter link.

Look for DBPA's ad in the May 24th issue of The Daily Advance newspaper.