The Bottom Line
Small business is important to Central Oregon, and to Mid Oregon. Find tips and resources for business, and information about Mid Oregon’s commercial services and business members.
Tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping
The holiday season is approaching and with that comes the biggest shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These high days for shoppers follow Thanksgiving each year. To make the most of these days, we offer you the following advice:
1. Make a budget and follow it. Know how much you can afford to spend and stick to that amount. Use cash to avoid overspending.
2. Just like Santa, you gotta have a list. Write down everything you plan to shop for and put them in order of importance. That way, as soon as you enter a store, you can focus on finding those items first.
3. Get out early. The earlier you get to the store, the better your chances of finding popular items in stock.
4. Shop with a friend. Not only is it fun, but you can work together and find your gifts faster. While you hunt for items in one section of the store, your friend can search for items in another section. A friend can also help you stick to your list- and budget.
5. Sign up to get alerts about various products. There are websites, like bestblackfriday.com, dealnews.com, and theblackfriday.com, that specifically leak Black Friday ads, giving you an early advantage.
6. Use online price comparison tools. Google shopping, PriceGrabber, and Shopzilla allow you to compare prices at various location without having to drive all over town.
7. Use loyalty programs. Many retailers have loyalty programs that offer sales and promotions to their members first and even earn rewards on their purchases.
8. Follow your favorite brands on Social Media. Many retailers will offer special deals on their social media platforms and reward customers who like or follow them with special alerts to discounts.
9. Check timing. Some Cyber Monday deals are for a certain window of time, offering the steepest discounts to early morning shoppers. Check deals before that Monday to know what time to shop for the best deals.
10. Look for deals at Brick-and-Mortar Stores on Cyber Monday. If a store’s Black Friday sales were lower than expected, many will offer deals to lure Cyber Monday shoppers.
After all that shopping, consider participating in Giving Tuesday, which is celebrated the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It’s an international movement that encourages everyone to donate their time, resources, talents, and money to helping others. You can get information and updates about the movement by going to https://www.givingtuesday.org/about or following it on social media sites.
Discounts for Military Personnel and Veterans
There is no greater sacrifice than putting one’s own life on the line for the sake of others. The men and women currently in the military or our veterans are honored each year on Veteran’s Day for their courage in times of war, their discipline, and their service to our Country. As a small gesture of appreciation, many businesses offer Military members special discounts and deals – and not just on Veterans day!
Here is a list of websites that offer deals and discounts specifically for active duty, reservists, retirees, veterans, and their families:
• The Military Wallet https://themilitarywallet.com/military-discounts/ Discounts on retail stores, airlines, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment.
• Military.com https://www.military.com/discounts Scroll to the bottom of the list to “Popular Categories” to find listings for discounts and freebies on specific types of products and services.
• Deal News https://www.dealnews.com/features/Oorah-Ka-Ching-Guide-to-Military-Discounts/1114657.html has a list of discounts and freebies offered specifically to active duty, reservists, veterans, and their family members.
• Military Benefits https://militarybenefits.info/military-discounts/ lists hundreds of discounts for various products and services which are available to veterans year-round.
• Veterans Advantage https://www.veteransadvantage.com/ To get special military deals, you must show your government-issued Military or veteran ID. Those cards contain sensitive information that could put you at risk of identity theft. One of the benefits on this site is to offer their free VetRewards Secure Military ID, which only shows your name, branch of service, and VetRewards Member ID. When doing business with their Benefit Partners, you only need to show this VetRewards card.
If you are currently on active duty or are a veteran, always ask if the retailer or service provider offers a military discount.
Members of Mid Oregon Credit Union, including our military members, are eligible for the Love My Credit Union Rewards program. Discounts for Mid Oregon members are available for Sprint, Intuit Turbotax, ADT and over 1.500 online retailers. To learn more, visit our Financial Partners Page or Love My Credit Union Rewards.
Broader and Deeper
Presidents Message: Growth & Success
We’ve continued to update you on our significant growth and success over the course of 2018—we’ve reported on new milestones, new capabilities, new team members. We’ve enhanced our digital and mobile offerings and convenience. You’ve been telling us that you need more yield on your savings, and we’ve responded by revamping our High-Yield and Premium Interest Checking Accounts and increasing our yields on Share Certificates.
We’ve also listened to the needs of local businesses, and made some big changes to our business checking accounts, including our Commercial Checking Account, which now offers Remote Deposit Capture capabilities. We also introduced our new Business Money Market Plus account with tiered dividends for better returns on your money.
Increased Commercial Services
A number of these efforts stem from the purchase of High Desert Bank in June, which provided us with new opportunities to grow and develop our role as the only financial institution headquartered here in Central Oregon. Sensible, sustainable growth in multiple areas allows us to strengthen our base, become more diversified, and find ways to deliver more services and value to the community that has contributed to the success of our organization over the last 60 years. It means growing deeper—not just broader.
By expanding our services to help our thriving business community in new ways, we provide important support to organizations that form the foundation of a healthy local economy. We play a part in strengthening job opportunities and increasing livability in Central Oregon. And it ensures that Mid Oregon will be more resilient, so we can be here for you during good times—and the not-so good times too.
We’re Not Done
We’ve accomplished a lot so far in 2018, but we’re not done yet. Mid Oregon is investing in enhanced technology, new services, and additional products for both our consumers and businesses that will make your life easier, keep your money safer, and help it grow faster. Stay tuned for more good news to come in 2019.