Friday, February 20, 2015

Comcast small business contest: Would $30,000 help take your business to the next level? Meridian Mississippi: Star of the Week: EMBDC chamber manager Meredith Rea; Bentonville/Bella Vista chamber dinner: Bacigalupi dotes on Northwest Arkansas' collaborative spirit; Christian County Chamber’s $300K campaign off to roaring start; Brighton Area Chamber Professional Women's Club: Event Helps Local Women Become Heart Healthy & Reduce Stress; Arc of Northern Virginia Hosting Networking Mixer Feb. 24; Chamber interest: Schaumburg Business Association: Manufacturer's Summit; Pulaski County (Virginia) chamber reps, county officials travel to Richmond during legislative session; Best Chamber practices: Fox Cities Chamber Tools: Training, Education and Advice; Early History of the Richmond Indiana Chamber of Commerce; Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey

Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!


Chamber interest: Comcast small business contest: Would $30,000 help take your business to the next level? 

Here's the contest info. At Comcast Business we believe that smart, strategic use of technology can catapult a business to an entirely new level. Connecting in innovative ways with customers…managing back office operations more efficiently…even creating a whole new line of business enabled by technology – we want to know what your business would do with a $30,000 investment in technology. Contest winners will get to take that money and implement their ideas. Innovation coming to life! Enter our Innovations 4 Entrepreneurs contest today. Our judges will select two winners in each of the 16 Comcast Business Regions: one Startup and one Entrepreneur. Each winner will be awarded $10,000 in cash to help their business get to the next level. From these 32 winners, six will be named as GRAND PRIZE Winners and will receive an additional $20,000 and a special trip to Comcast headquarters in Philadelphia – where they will meet with Business Innovation Experts to discuss how to put their technology plan into action! You’ll see the simple entry form on the homepage.


Meridian Mississippi: Star of the Week: EMBDC chamber manager Meredith Rea



Meredith Rea, who was recently promoted to the position of manager for the Chamber of Commerce at the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation, is a busy young lady.

    Rea is in charge of membership services for the EMBDC, runs various programs there and is on the small business committee. She also works closely with Casey Null-Holladay, who was recently hired to handle events for the EMBDC.     Before her promotion, Rea handled public relations and communications for the EMBDC.     "We changed up the roles a little bit to make things smoother," Rea said.     This year Rea finishes her fourth year with the U.S. Chamber program called Institute for Organization Management, from which she graduates this year.     "It's a great way to connect with other Chambers, so you aren't always reinventing the wheel, " Rea said of the program. Read more: Meridian Star


Bentonville/Bella Vista chamber dinner: Bacigalupi dotes on Northwest Arkansas' collaborative spirit


The possibilities for Northwest Arkansas are unlimited in the years ahead, Don Bacigalupi, former executive director and president of Crystal Bridges, said Thursday.
Sandy Edwards, deputy director of Crystal Bridges, had a conversation with Bacigalupi during the annual Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce dinner at the John Q. Hammons Center.
Edwards asked Bacigalupi to recall his thoughts when Crystal Bridges was announced, the skepticism it endured from the art world, what it has done for the area and how it bodes for the decade ahead.
"I think that the next 10 years are going to be extraordinary and, again, unlimited," Bacigalupi said.
Bacigalupi spoke about the community's collaborative effort to establish Crystal Bridges. The intensity of the collaborative spirit of this region is unique, he said.
"There was so much positivity that it was infectious," Bacigalupi said.
It's what continues to propel the museum's national recognition; and when people come to visit it, they get a taste of Northwest Arkansas, he said. Read more: Arkansas Online

Christian County Chamber’s $300K campaign off to roaring start



Fake pearls and plastic fedoras at the door, the flappers and gangsters who came decked out in 1920s attire didn’t need them Thursday for the kickoff of the Christian County Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever total resource campaign.
The campaign with the theme “Roaring to the Top” aims to produce a 1920s-like feel and, by all accounts, it’s off to a roaring start even though it’s only just begun. As campaign chairs Jerod Kaufman of Robinson Construction and Lori Harper of Rogers Group announced at Oakland Manor, they’re already secured over $110,000 — more than a third of their $300,000 campaign goal.
Kaufman and Harper make a good team, they said, with Kaufman playing the role of the fun-loving guy while Harper is all about business. Both have a wide net of contacts and the ability to see to it this campaign meets and, hopefully, exceeds its goal, said Marian Mason, president of the chamber.
“He’s the fun guy. I’m the business person,” Harper explained standing beside Kaufman, both in pinstripe suits. Kaufman also brought a toy Tommy gun and a couple of pairs of handcuffs for effect. Read more: Kentucky New Era

 

Brighton Area Chamber Professional Women's Club: Event Helps Local Women Become Heart Healthy & Reduce Stress


An educational event helped raise awareness about heart disease while inspiring local women to make changes in their lives, reduce stress and become heart healthy. The second annual Brighton Go Red for Women luncheon was held today, with many attendees wearing red to recognize February as Heart Month. The event was hosted by the Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce Professional Women’s Club of Michigan and Michigan Heart, a member of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System. Michigan Heart Cardiologist Mark Bernstein discussed the impact of stress on the heart and how to manage it in a healthy way. Bernstein tells WHMI coronary disease typically develops later in women than men and it’s important to know the warning signs and symptoms because they may not be the same for men and women. He says modifying behaviors helps lower the risk of developing coronary heart disease but acknowledged it's easier said than done. Read more: WHMI 95.5 FM

Arc of Northern Virginia Hosting Networking Mixer Feb. 24


The Arc of Northern Virginia is hosting a networking mixer for the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, February 24 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The Arc represents and serves more than 16,000 people with intellectual and development disabilities and their families providing vital programs, services, and advocacy. Members of the Chamber and friends of the business community are invited to enjoy refreshments and learn more about The Arc’s efforts to help people with disabilities live “A Life Like Yours.”
RSVPs are appreciated by emailing HStregack@thearcofnova.org or by calling 703-208-1119, ext. 102. Read more: Falls-Church News-Press


Chamber interest: Schaumburg Business Association: Manufacturer's Summit

Date: March 4, 2015
Time: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM CST
Registration: Register Now

In today's global marketplace manufacturing companies who attain a competitive advantage are nimble, responding quickly to an ever changing and challenging environment by leveraging resources. Join us as we bring together a panel of experts to provide an overview of the resources available to manufacturers at the local, state and federal levels.

Location: Harper College - Wojcik Conference Center
1200 W. Algonquin Road Palatine, IL 60067 - 3:30-5:30 PM

Topics include:
  • Addressing the Skills Gaps - The Harper College, Village of Schaumburg, and SBA Partnership
  • Workforce & Development Training

Pulaski County (Virginia) chamber reps, county officials travel to Richmond during legislative session




The Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, along with county officials, attended the Old Dominion Assembly in Richmond on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Del. Joseph Yost proposed a cigarette tax bill for Pulaski and Montgomery counties that would allow the counties to delegate cigarette taxes solely toward school renovations. Though the bill was tabled, Pulaski County had a strong representation at the subcommittee hearing.
Chamber staff, executive director Peggy White and communication director Christiana Marjakangas, along with county economic development director Michael Solomon, represented Pulaski County at the Virginia State Chamber Day, where, among others, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring spoke. Read more: Roanoke Times


Best Chamber practices: Fox Cities Chamber Tools: Training, Education and Advice
 
The Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) is an economic development corporation providing quality business education, technical assistance and access to capital for entrepreneurs. WWBIC consults, educates and mentors owners of small and micro businesses throughout Wisconsin, concentrating its efforts on women, minorities and those of lower incomes.
Fox Valley Technical College’s Venture Center is an integrated entrepreneurship center providing programming and services in three areas: entrepreneurial studies, business development and innovation.
The Venture Center provides education and training to provide the necessary legal, business, scientific, capital markets, regulatory and leadership skills needed to follow the path of idea to launching and operating a sustainable business. Call 920-735-2525 for more information.
Small Business Development Center-Oshkosh The SBDC provides low-cost workshops, seminars and free counseling to aid small businesses. The low-cost seminars are specifically designed for owners and managers of businesses and are taught by instructors who have experience and knowledge about the problems of owning and operating a business. Call 920-424-1453 or 800-232-8939 for more information.
SCORE The SCORE Association is a free business counseling service. A partner of the Small Business Administration, the Fox Cities SCORE Chapter is located at the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. To request a Fox Cities SCORE Counselor, contact 920-734-7101. Read more: Fox Cites Chamber Economic Development

Early History of the Richmond Indiana Chamber of Commerce

The idea of a Chamber of Commerce in Richmond developed slowly after World War II, even as many cities already had well-established Chambers and others were organizing new ones to take advantage of the widespread industrial expansion following the war.

According to thinking of the time, Richmond didn’t really need a Chamber, primarily because the “City Fathers” made the major economic decisions and we already enjoyed a formidable array of prosperous industries. These included the Dille-McGuire and Lontz lawnmower factories and later Motomower, a combination that often led to the contention that we were a leader in that sector in the nation. There were several busy casket manufacturers, plus the massive Crosley facility, later Avco, and the expanding Natco company. Even more notable for a national recognition were the Hill companies, which provided the basis for the claim that in Richmond there were more roses grown under glass than anywhere in the world, thus leading to the boast we proclaimed for many years that we were “The City of Roses”.

Yes, at that time Richmond had a strong and vibrant economic base with many good jobs. And yes, perhaps we were “fat and happy”. Then the world began to change.

The heavy-duty machinery manufacturer Bucyrus-Erie chose Richmond for a new facility (actually in Center Township) – to great acclaim – and, unfortunately, slowly sank into bankruptcy. Avco did o.k. for a while but eventually went out of business. Natco moved into the vacant Bucyrus-Erie plant and later sold out and the successor businesses eventually closed. The lawnmower companies disappeared. Even our star performer, Hill’s, ran into rough waters when South America showed it could grow roses much cheaper; we no longer were “The City of Roses”. Read more: Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce


Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey



RULE #56      If we don’t charge, say “it’s included in your membership”


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