Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: It's Your Business: 183 Essential Tips that Will Transform Your Small Business by JJ Ramberg; Heber Springs Arkansas chamber hires new executive director; Green Bay Area Chamber seeking input on Legislative Agenda; Tulsa chosen for Topeka Chamber intercity visit; Chamber news: Michigan Challenge Balloonfest Takes Flight in Howell; Native American Affairs Presents 8(a) Business Development Training; Kentucky Chamber Joint Venture: New BEAM initiative: Kentucky Manufacturing Innovation Conference set for October; Crossroads Chamber Welcomes New Teachers!; Discover Global Markets: Leveraging Free Trade Agreements: Detroit, Michigan; Lead Area South Dakota Chamber news: Ground breaks on $5M Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations (Attitude)

Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: "It's Your Business: 183 Essential Tips that Will Transform Your Small Business" --- by JJ Ramberg

IT'S YOUR BUSINESS was an immediate Wall Street Journal bestseller and garnered tremendous media attention from entrepreneurs and small business owners.

With advice from Ramberg and such notable entrepreneurs as Blake Mycoskie and Guy Kawasaki, this right-to-the-point book covers topics from human resources to finance, public relations to sales, and much, much more -- all geared towards the small business owner.

Knowing that entrepreneurs have no time to waste, Ramberg presents simple and effective guidance that can be put to use right away. This book will be indispensable for every small business owner, from a family-owned store to a venture capitalist-backed start up.Read more: Barnes & Noble 

Heber Springs Arkansas chamber hires new executive director

Julie Murray, the new executive director of the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, said two things struck her when she moved to the community 15 months ago: how beautiful it is and how vibrant it is. Murray, a native of Van Buren, said she had never been to Heber Springs before she and her husband, Doug, moved there.
The first thing she noticed about Heber Springs is “that it was stunningly beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful,” she said. Read more: Arkansas Online

Green Bay Area Chamber seeking input on Legislative Agenda

The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is currently working on its 2015-2016 Legislative Agenda, and we’re seeking input from members.
The agenda will outline the Chamber’s legislative priorities for the next legislative session, which begins in January 2015. Creating an agenda allows us to present a comprehensive overview of Chamber members’ legislative priorities. The information and proposals for legislative changes in the agenda is ultimately shared with members and elected officials, and it’s intended to be the collective voice of our membership with fellow members, elected officials and others.
Creating a legislative agenda is something we’ve made a priority to establish annually for at least a decade. Read more: Green Bay Press Gazette

Tulsa chosen for Topeka Chamber intercity visit

Topeka civic and business leaders will travel to Tulsa, Okla., for this year’s intercity visit. An email from Heartland Visioning said the visit is scheduled for Sept. 24 and 25. A group from the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce made a trip to Oklahoma in June before choosing this year’s exchange city.
“We anticipate taking a look at their brand new River Walk project, their arts district and entrepreneurship programs, as well as their young professional programs,” Brent Boles, who chairs the chamber’s intercity visit committee, said in a news release. “They have an interesting ‘boomerang’ program to attract and retain young professionals, and their downtown is experiencing significant construction and revitalization.” Read more: Topeka Capital Journal

Chamber news: Michigan Challenge Balloonfest Takes Flight in Howell

The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest is celebrating 30 years this weekend in Howell, with pilots from both near and far flying and competing for the title of Michigan Challenge Champion. This popular outdoor festival is hosted by the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce at the Howell High School complex. It attracts thousands and is centered on hot air balloons that decorate the sky but it’s more than that and is actually the state championship of hot air ballooning. Read more: WHMI.com 

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs Presents 8(a) Business Development Training for Tribally and Native Owned Corporations and Organizations  

The purpose of this workshop is to provide operational and leadership strategies to build capacity, foster growth and expansion, and ensure sustainability of tribally-owned businesses. Through this workshop, you will gain a better understanding of the special rules and considerations for Native American companies in the 8(a) program. 

Topics  to be covered:
·       Understanding the SBA’s 8(a) application process and eligibility requirements,  
        specific to tribal or native-owned firms
·       Requirements for success
·       Operational and leadership strategies
·       Understanding the 8(a) program rules
·       Understanding of contracting vehicles
·       Ensuring that 8(a) firms employ the proper financial management tools
·       Enhancing revenue-generating/job-creation capabilities
·       Increasing the use of teaming strategies

WHEN:        Tuesday, July 22, 2014
                     8:30 a.m - 4:00 p.m.
WHERE:      Washburn University Small Business Development Center
                    120 SE 6th Ave., Suite 100
                    Topeka, KS
To obtain seminar details and to register for this FREE event, please visit:  http://native8atraining.com/Pages/registration.aspx  Advanced registration is required.  Seating is limited. For more information regarding this event, please contact Marcia Watson, Program Manager, Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions at (410) 350-4903 or marcia.watson@cn-bus.com.

Kentucky Chamber Joint Venture: New BEAM initiative: Kentucky Manufacturing Innovation Conference set for October

At the kickoff of the Global Cities Initiative event in Louisville, Mayor Greg Fischer and Mayor Jim Gray today announced the launch of another BEAM initiative: the first Kentucky Manufacturing Innovation Conference, to be held in October in Lexington.
The event is a joint venture of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and is designed to strengthen and grow the productivity of Kentucky manufacturers. Read more: The Lane Report

Crossroads Chamber Welcomes New Teachers!

On August 11th, the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce Education Committee will be hosting the Annual New Teacher Luncheon at Lighthouse Restaurant to welcome new teachers.

This luncheon gives members of the Chamber an opportunity to network with and to show their appreciation for these educators.

To learn how you can get involved please click here.

Discover Global Markets: Leveraging Free Trade Agreements:  Detroit, Michigan

The US Department of Commerce is organizing a major international conference in Detroit, titled DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS Leveraging Free Trade Agreements: Opportunities and Challenges, September 9-10, 2014, at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit.  The conference will highlight opportunities to expand export sales and business activities in countries where the United States has signed Free Trade Agreements.

This two-day program is expected to attract approximately 300 people and will include participation from 18 of our Commercial Diplomats stationed at US Embassies and Consulates around the globe.

Compete. Win. Grow. Private Consultations will be available with US Commercial Diplomats from U.S. Embassies and Consulates:

Australia - Canada - Chile - Colombia - Costa Rica - Dominican Republic - El Salvador - Guatemala
Honduras - Israel - Jordan - Mexico - Morocco - Nicaragua -Panama - Peru -Singapore -South Korea 

              

Sessions to Include:

Industry panels featuring companies and individuals sharing their experiences in the 18 markets listed above
Market entry and risk mitigation strategies
Basic and advanced sessions on qualifying for FTAs and creating an FTA compliance program
High-profile keynote speaker(s)

Event Dates: September 9-10, 2014
Location: Westin Book Cadillac Detroit

To Register click here!

For More Information:  Richard Corson, (248) 975.9604, Richard.Corson@trade.gov   Jennifer Moll, (313) 212-8693, Jennifer.Moll@trade.gov   

Lead Area South Dakota Chamber news: Ground breaks on $5M Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center

A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on the $5 million, 8,000 square foot Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center, designed to compliment and bring components of underground science above ground for area residents and visitors to view, was held Monday at the Homestake Visitor Center in Lead, the site of the new facility.
Mike Headley, executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, said that construction is slated to start July 7 and the project is expected to be completed within one year. Read more: Black Hills Pioneer

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations (Attitude)

“The venerable teachers, philosophers & spiritual practitioners throughout history have concluded that the greatest happiness we can experience comes from the development of an open, loving heart.”
― Allan Lokos, Pocket Peace: Effective Practices for Enlightened Living

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