• Attract new and more customers to existing Wilton Manors area shopping.
• Attract new types of business to existing storefronts.
• Promote inter-commerce trade between Wilton Manors businesses.
• Encourage interaction between city officials and business leaders.
• Help promote the small town image with advantages of big city
  surroundings.

Let me begin with a special thanks to all of the WMBA members who attended the February meeting at The Manor.

If you haven’t already done so please renew your annual WMBA membership as soon as possible to ensure you’ll be included in the “At Your Service” Directory. These directories are placed around town at member businesses and distributed to everyone who lives in Wilton Manors in the Town Crier delivery.

I hope to see you all at the next meeting on March 8 at BankUnited!

Wade Shrack On Behalf of the Board

What Does April 1 Mean To You?

Yes, it's April Fools Day -- but more importantly, it's the Census Day!

And it is very important that you, your employees, your family and people who may be visiting you be counted! There are many important decisions based on the Census count, including amounts of money Wilton Manors receives from many sources.

Census forms will be mailed out in March. Even part time or seasonal residents who consider Wilton Manors their "usual" address should be counted here. People without a "usual" address will be counted at the place they are staying on Census Day. Students can be counted at their parents' home if that is where they are living. Even foreign citizens can be counted at a local address if they are part of a household or established a household locally. Also, children in joint custody should be counted either where they live most of the time, or if equally divided, where they are located on Census Day.

The Broward League of Cities has worked with every city to establish a Complete Count Committee. If you live or otherwise count Wilton Manors as your usual address, it is vitally important that you fill out the Census Form to continue the City's services and programs. If you did not receive a form, you can request it at www.census.gov.

If you have any questions about this or any city issue, please feel to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 954-390-2123.

Respectfully yours,
Mayor Gary Resnick

The article below is excerpted from Inc. Magazine by Editor-at-Large Leigh Buchanan and includes helpful tips for Home Based businesses.

1. Language is important. Tell people you “work out of my home office” or that you “work from home.” Never say, “I work at home.” That suggests you create window treatments freelance in your spare time. “Home office” sounds more professional when you’re giving someone your phone number for work.
2. Some people like to dress for work, even though they never set foot outside their houses. Others like to lounge around in sweats or pajamas. It’s a matter of personal choice. But if you prefer the latter, change clothes at least once at night and once in the morning. Casual is fine. Crusty isn’t.
3. Talk to someone at least once a day. Stay connected with clients and fellow business owners to avoid “work from home” fever.
4. Gossiping, Web surfing, popping out to do a little shopping at lunch—those are healthy ways to decompress when you’ve spent an hour com-muting and another three hours sitting in an uncomfortable chair. At home, where all is relative peace and luxury, such activities seem decadent. Still no one can work eight hours without pause. So establish some useful, non-fun things to do during work breaks that don’t induce guilt.
5. If you have children, explain that when your door is closed they should not disturb you. If they fail to comply, explain that if they continue to interrupt then you will miss your deadlines and lose your job, which will force the family to live on the streets and sell all their toys for food.
6. Larks will love working from 4 AM to 1 PM; owls from 3 PM to mid-night. But remember some commitments (interviews, teleconferences etc.) will likely fall outside your preferred work hours. So while it’s tempting to create a routine customized for how you like to work, instead schedule yourself fresh every day based on how the world requires you to work.
7. At our house we have three phone numbers: one for the family, one for the kids, and one for my work calls. When someone calls the family number the phone rings once. When someone calls one of the kids it rings twice in quick succession. When someone calls for me at Inc., it rings three times in quick succession. That way no one else ever accidentally picks up my work calls
8. Stay caffeinated. The Saeco Incanto Sirius is a totally awesome es-presso maker, even if it does sound like something out of Harry Potter.