Welcome to The Valley Exchange! 👋
Hi everyone!
We built The Valley Exchange because we know that the most powerful thing in our community isn't just our magazine—it's the businesses at the heart of the Valley!
This is your space to connect, trade advice, and help us decide which stories we should be highlighting in our newsletter.
Think of this as the "digital town square" for our local business owners.
How to get started:
Introduce yourself: Reply below with your business name and one "win" you’ve had this month (#ValleyWins).
Speak up: What’s one challenge you’re currently facing? Use #AskTheValley and let’s see if anyone else here has already solved it.
Contribute: Have a "Valley Hack" or a local tip we should feature in next week's email? Use #NewsletterIdeas and let us know!
Group Hashtags (to get you started):
#ValleyWins: For sharing recent successes or growth.
#AskTheValley: For questions you need the group's help with.
#TalkShopValley: For operational/business-specific discussions.
#ValleyBrainstorm: For creative collaborative ideas and partnerships.
#ValleyWisdom: For sharing lessons learned or advice.
#ValleyHomeGrown: For our home-based vendors and "kitchen table" startups.
#NewsletterIdeas: A direct line to suggest features for the weekly email.
#MemberDeals: A space to trade services or offer B2B discounts.
We’re so glad you’re part of the family. Let's make the Valley great together.
— The Made In The Valley Team
🤝 The Valley Exchange: House Rules
To keep our Exchange a helpful, safe, and productive space for everyone, we ask that you follow these simple community standards:
1. Valley-First Focus This is a space for local businesses in our Valley. Keep posts relevant to our local market, our community, or the challenges of operating a business right here at home.
2. Promote with Purpose We love seeing what you’re building! Please don't drop random links to your business in unrelated threads. Use the #MemberDeals tag if you are offering a discount or B2B deal, and use #ValleyHomeGrown to highlight your shop. Keep your promotion "value-first"—explain why it helps the community.
3. Respect the "Table" We are all neighbors. If you disagree with another business owner, keep the conversation constructive. We have a zero-tolerance policy for public "bashing" or disparaging other local businesses. If you have an issue, handle it privately, or come to us for mediation.
4. Help More Than You Ask The "Exchange" only works if we all contribute. Before you post a question for the community, take a second to see if you can answer someone else’s question in the feed first. Reciprocity is what makes this community thrive.
5. What’s Said Here, Stays Here This is a private space. If a fellow member shares an internal struggle, a financial tip, or a vulnerable business moment, please respect their privacy and don't screenshot or share it outside this group.
6. Use the Hashtags! Help us keep the library organized. If you’re asking for advice, use #AskTheValley. If you’re sharing a win, use #ValleyWins. If you’re sharing a hack, use #ValleyWisdom. It keeps the feed clean for everyone.