Good morning Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!
Glick Fund Grant will Support Indy Chamber's Small Business Growth Push
The Indy Chamber's Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) has received a $114,250 grant from The Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, both organizations announced today. BOI and the Indy Chamber's Entrepreneur Services division offer an array of resources for the region's small and start-up enterprises, including microlending, technical assistance and educational programs, and free one-on-one coaching in English and Spanish for business owners.
The Glick Fund grant will help BOI implement a system for tracking the success of these services, measuring their economic impact in business survival and growth rates, job creation, new capital investment and more. Remaining funds will support coaching for small employers and entrepreneurs. BOI coaches have provided more than 4,000 hours of free expertise to local companies since 2013.
"The Glick Fund's continued commitment to our small business community has been truly transformative," said Carrie Henderson, president of BOI. "There's an old business adage that 'you can't manage what you can't measure' - this grant will help us measure our efforts and make a bigger difference for the homegrown companies that drive most local employment and investment."
The latest gift from the Glick Fund - a longtime supporter of BOI and the Indy Chamber - comes as their microloan program is expanding through a new partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As an official SBA microlending intermediary, BOI has access to as much as $5 million in federal funds to make modest loans - typically in the low-five figures - to support young companies that may not meet typical banking standards or have connections to other capital sources. This potentially triples its current lending pool. Read more: Indy Chamber
Chamber initiative: Innovate Springfield names Katie Davison executive director
A privately funded business-incubator program in Springfield should have its first tenants in the next few months, the newly named executive director said Tuesday.
Katie Davison is the first executive director for Innovate Springfield. The not-for-profit was formed last year to provide office, technology and mentoring support to entrepreneurs toward a goal of creating standalone businesses, not-for-profits and jobs.
Davison, a native of Springfield, begins work Feb. 15.
“What drew me to it was the innovative, creative approach,” Davison said. “It’s a great community for families. It’s a great community for smart, cool, young people. I love that’s what this organization is really trying to convey.”
Davison worked for more than 13 years with the Northern Illinois University-Center for Governmental Studies, including the last three based in Springfield. Prior to the NIU program, she was assistant to the marketing director for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Davison said Innovate Springfield will begin accepting and screening applications in the next few weeks through the website innovatespringfield.org. The program has set up in leased space in the McGladery & Pullen building on the southwest corner of Old Capitol Plaza.
Springfield was among the few cities downstate without a business-incubator program. Organizers say the average stay in the incubator will be about 18 months.
The goal is for start-ups or expansion of existing business to then stand on their own, said Davison. A range of fees will be charged based on the type of services sought.
The Community Foundation for Land of Lincoln, one of the region’s largest charitable and community development organizations, and The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce provided start-up funding for Innovate Springfield. Read more: State Journal Register
Across Virginia, Broad Community, Business Support For COPN Reforms That Preserve Vital Health Care Program
Chambers of Commerce, business leaders, health care advocates, and other stakeholders are joining together to urge the Virginia General Assembly to enhance and protect Virginia’s Certificate of Public Need program. The groundswell of voices continues to grow as the legislature considers proposals to alter the longstanding COPN process that protects health care access, controls costs, and offsets unfunded charity care mandates on hospitals. Local hospitals and health systems throughout the Commonwealth support appropriate reforms that enhance the program and establish guidelines for future refinement. There is widespread opposition to COPN repeal among Virginia’s local hospitals and health systems because of the serious threat that would pose to our health care system. Support for COPN exists among many business and community organizations including the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. The Virginia Rural Health Association and the Virginia Nurses Association also are supportive of reforms to enhance the existing COPN process.
The position taken by the chambers is in line with the recommendations of a state work group created last year at the direction of the General Assembly. After spending much of 2015 thoroughly studying how COPN works, the work group concluded that the program should be modernized but remain in place. The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association similarly supports reform of the COPN program.
Bi-partisan legislation sponsored by Delegate Chris Stolle (R-Virginia Beach) and Senator William Stanley Jr. (R-Franklin County) embodies the recommendations of the work group. Their proposals provide a mechanism for meaningful reforms to the COPN program now and in the future. Delegate Stolle’s HB 1083 has many co-patrons from both sides of the aisle and both chambers of the General Assembly, including roughly one-fourth of all House of Delegates’ members. Senator Stanley’s SB 641 likewise has gained bi-partisan support in the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate. Read more: Alexandria News
Mark Reuss Praises Lansing Assembly Plants For Outstanding Worksmanship at Lansing Regional Chamber event
General Motors senior vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, Mark Reuss, had some kind words at the Lansing Regional Chamber Economic Club luncheon this past Tuesday.
Reuss praised the Lansing area assembly plants, responsible for a number of hot-selling GM product like the Enclave, Traverse, Camaro and currently the Acadia, and stated the plants were laying the groundwork for GM’s future.
“GM and Lansing have a long history,” said Reuss. “Our relationship is strong and is getting even stronger.”
He went on to say profits from the vehicles built in Lansing will be put towards further investment in autonomous vehicle technology and other future engineering developments, according to The Lansing State Journal.
GM’s current foray into autonomous vehicle technology includes a fleet of Chevrolet Volts undergoing testing with driverless tech, and the automaker most recently invested $500 million into Lyft for a future, nation-wide fleet of autonomous vehicles. Read more: GM Authority
Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory is available at the Rapid City Chamber today! Thanks to Linda Rabe, Kristina Simmons and the chamber team for their work in putting this together!
Town SquarePublications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
Paducah Chamber honors community members at annual meeting
The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting and Business Celebration sponsored by Lourdes and CSI was held Friday at the Julian Carroll Convention Center, and the chamber honored several community members.
The award winners are:
Young Leader of Western Kentucky - Donald Shively. This award is selected by the Four Rivers Business Journal.
Leadership Paducah Alumnus of the Year - Ralph Mounts. This award is selected and presented by the Leadership Paducah Foundation.
Chamber Volunteer of the Year - Janice Cleary with Paducah Bank.
Summit Award - Michael and April Cochran with the Market House Theatre.
Entrepreneur of the Year - f.a.c.e. Makeup Artistry and owner Erin Hendley.
Small Business of the Year - Socially Present and President Jonas Neihoff.
Business of the Year - Beltline Electric and President Jason Siener.
Generations Award - Ray Black & Son.
At the event, outgoing board chair Bryan Carner with US Bank officially passed the gavel to Bruce Wilcox with Henry A. Petter Supply as the board chair for 2016.
The keynote speakers were generational experts Meagan Johnson and her father, Larry Johnson. They spoke about the multi-generational workforce and how to better connect with all five generations currently in the workforce. Read more: WPSDlocal6.com
Dickie Scruggs appeals to local chamber to help state’s dropouts
At the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting Thursday, former trial lawyer and convicted felon Dickie Scruggs made an appeal to help Mississippi’s dropout problem. Doing so isn’t just the right thing to do, he said, it’s also good business.
“Five-hundred thousand Mississippians do not have a high school diploma,” Scruggs said. “That’s bigger than the population of any town in the state. That means Mississippi has as many dropouts as it does students in school on any given day.”
Scruggs was arrested in 2007 on federal charges that he conspired to bribe a circuit judge. He found a heart for dropouts while tutoring inmates trying to earn their GED. In prison, he found out 1 out of 10 dropouts end up in prison. Scruggs said it’s no coincidence that Mississippi has the second-to-last labor force participation statistics in the country.
Monroe County seems to be a bright spot in the state. The Chamber of Commerce celebrated a year marked by a 3.2 percent decrease in unemployment and the creation of more than 300 new jobs. While these statistics will hopefully be enticing to potential businesses looking to expand into the area, more and more these businesses are considering the merits of an area’s labor force.
“Labor force participation offers a snapshot of a community’s labor pool and its potential,” said Brad Stevens, the Chamber of Commerce’s outgoing chairman. “It can be used as a barometer for a willing workforce.” Read more: Daily Journal
#BestChamber Practices (from Frank J. Kenny at Frank J Kenny): Chamber Social Media Tip...
Do you have a
college or university in your area?
Keep your eyes and ears open for good-news stories about graduates and students.
When you notice and share these good-news stories, you take a little ownership in them. It reflects well on the chamber. It shows what you value.
Here is an example from the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber. 46 likes and a whopping 32 shares for sharing this good-news story.
Keep your eyes and ears open for good-news stories about graduates and students.
When you notice and share these good-news stories, you take a little ownership in them. It reflects well on the chamber. It shows what you value.
Here is an example from the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber. 46 likes and a whopping 32 shares for sharing this good-news story.
Repeated exposure builds know, like, and trust!
Source: Email: Frank@FrankJKenny.com website: www.FrankJKenny.com
Bailey Harbor Community Association event: Pond hockey headlines Winter Carnival in Baileys Harbor
The Baileys Harbor Community Association holds its third annual Winter Carnival from Friday through Sunday, Feb. 5-7, in Baileys Harbor and on the ice of Kangaroo Lake.
Most of the fun will take place right on Kangaroo Lake on Saturday, with the spotlight throughout the day on the Door County Pond Hockey Tournament. It features 32 men's, women's and youth teams from across the state and Midwest playing 30-minute games with no goalies on 10 rinks from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The winning team gets the Stanley Thermos trophy, along with prizes and bragging rights. For more, go to doorcountypondhockey.com.
Other icy fun includes games like kickball and Hungry Hippos on the lake. The Logan Creek Sled Dog team will give rides on the ice from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. and be available to meet visitors between rides. Food and drink will be available throughout the day, and visitors can buy a s'mores kit from the Baileys Harbor Community Association's Snow Bar (which also will have beverages) and make their snacks over Papa Joe's Bonfire. Read more: Green Bay Press-Gazette
Chamber Chuckle - Wacky Wednesday Weirdest Chamber Requests
Where do I buy goldfish?
Town Square Chamber of Commerce Publications
Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee. More information: Town Square Publications
Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your publication proposal, Click here
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.