From the Greater Elkhart Chamber: Never too early to gain business confidence; Virginia Peninsula Chamber Event: Warner, still a business guy, deep down; A Report Card: How is the Trump Administration Affecting Business in Our Region; Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory; Detroit Regional Chamber and Grand Rapids Area Chamber: Discover Detroit's Difference; Paducah Area Chamber: May Power in Partnership to Feature Small Businesses and Entrepeneurs; EMBDC Home and garden show connects community, services; WMC presents: Wisconsin Business Voice; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!

From the Greater Elkhart Chamber: Never too early to gain business confidence

By Kyle Hannon: 

Imagine being a high school student, standing in front of a group of strange adults, getting ready to ask for money. We’re not talking about selling band candy, or peelers, or the usual school fundraisers. We’re talking about asking investors to give you money to launch a new business.

In this region, community leaders have been recruiting young people to experience the joys and anxieties of business ownership. We believe it’s not enough to worry about asking a date to the prom, or a tough algebra test, or a regional band contest, or a tough football game. We believe high school students, and sometime middle school students, should experience the stress of becoming actual entrepreneurs.

What happens is that students who go through our programs shrug off the anxiety and quickly learn the rewards of business ownership. They dream of a business and learn how to create that business. By the end of the year, they have created an actual, official new business in our community.

In Elkhart, our Chamber is finishing our sixth year of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA). Kathy Cardwell from our staff has done a masterful job of recruiting students and mentors for this program. Over the past six years, students from Elkhart Central, Elkhart Memorial, Concord, Jimtown, Fairfield and Edwardsburg high schools, as well as a few home-school and middle school students, have participated. They have met with local business owners and mentors to discuss business issues and learn how to create a working business. They start with a dream, then a business plan and then learn how to make it work.

The highlight of the program is the investor panel night. This is when the students present their business plans to a team of investors. They ask for the money they need to make their business go. The investors ask questions. When all the presentations are done, the investors slip into a side room to discuss how much, if any, money they should invest.

When the investors came back, we announced which businesses will be getting money. All the businesses received some investment this year. The winner was Sam Anderson, the CEO of UASky, a drone video company. He was selected to represent our Young Entrepreneurs Academy program in the national YEA competition. Read more: South Bend Tribune

Virginia Peninsula Chamber Event: Warner, still a business guy, deep down

Deep down, Sen. Mark Warner says, he still feels a lot like a businessman — and that was a side of himself he showed to about 200 College of William and Mary students on a two-day swing through the Peninsula this week.

Telling them he wanted to talk about Russia and about the state of American capitalism, the former cell phone executive turned governor and then Senator, trotted out a line familiar to his staff: "I've been a businessman longer than than I've been a politician."

And that's given him a perspective that he's not sure enough of the nation's leaders are thinking about.

"Something has happened to capitalism, everything has accelerated so fast," he told the students at a Monday afternoon session. "We ought to have a capital market that wants to get long-term value."

And, he added, the nation needs to do some hard thinking about the nearly one-third of Americans who aren't working at permanent full time jobs, but who — probably like many of the students — would be working in the gig economy, or as contractors or consultants or piecing together part-time jobs to make a living.

Things his dad counted on, during a roughly four decade career with one company — a retirement plan, disability benefits, unemployment insurance, health coverage — are harder to get without that old-fashioned style of work.

That's why he outlined, both for the students and a meeting of the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, his hopes for some pilot programs he's argued for on Capitol Hill, to see if there's a way to create benefits that travel with a person from job to job.

"I know I'm getting a little wonky," he told the chamber gathering in the midst of a long discourse on how interstate competition, insurance pools and a more modest set of benefits targeted for young people could improve Obamacare. Read more: Virginia Gazette

A Report Card: How is the Trump Administration Affecting Business in Our Region
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch
Location: Belle Salle Banquets, 920 E New York St, Aurora

Detail: Join The Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce for A Report Card: The First 100 Days of Trump Administration Lunch. Ben Taylor, Executive Director, Great Lakes Regional Office U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will be our featured speaker. Ben will share what he has learned and observed and what this means to employers and business in our region.

In partnership with our sponsors and other local area Chambers of Commerce, this program will take a look at the transition and inauguration, through the confirmation process, and on to various Executive Actions and proposed legislation in the 115th Congress, we will seek to answer the following: "Where have we been? Where are we now? Where are we headed? Likely topics of discussion including healthcare, tax and regulatory reform, as well as infrastructure. Thanks to our sponsor for this event — Earth Movers Credit Union. $35 General Admission - Register at http://tinyurl.com/a-report-card CONTACT: Maureen Gasek, Director of Events & Marketing, (630) 256-3182

Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory  

The Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Business Directory   is available at the Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Krisann Durnford and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! 

Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory

Town Square Publications  (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.

Detroit Regional Chamber and Grand Rapids Area Chamber: Discover Detroit's Difference.

As Michigan continues an economic comeback, greater collaboration between its two largest cities, Detroit and Grand Rapids, is crucial. As Leadership Detroit continues this dialogue across the State, we welcome Leadership Grand Rapids for a three-day East Meets West session in Detroit on June 21 to 23.

Join us to explore and break down the opportunities and obstacles facing the Detroit region, and to discuss how these realities play out differently in east and west Michigan.

Session topic include conversations around: efforts to expand affordable housing, reform efforts targeted at improving outcome in K-12 public education and innovative strategies that promote and sustain economic growth that is equitable and inclusive.

The program is specially designed to offer participants insight into:

• Regional Alignment: How business, civic and philanthropic organizations work together across political and other boundaries to achieve greater levels of impact.

• Business Government Partnerships: How the differing structures of government impact risk taking, decision-making and collaboration with business and community partners.

For more information and to view the agenda please visit www.detroitchamber.com/ld/east-meets-west/. To register, please contact Marianne Alabastro at malabast@detroitchamber.com or 313.596.0479.

Paducah Area Chamber: May Power in Partnership to Feature Small Businesses and Entrepeneurs

The May Paducah Chamber Power in Partnership Breakfast will feature a “Spotlight on Small Businesses” and will be held on May 11. The program will feature a panel of local small business owners discussing the challenges and rewards of owning a small business. WPSD Local 6 news anchor Todd Faulkner will serve as the moderator. Additionally the names of three local businesses will be drawn from those submitting their summaries during a segment to feature the businesses and their products and services. The May breakfast is one week later than usual on Thursday, May 11 at the Julian Carroll Convention Center beginning at 7:30 a.m. Swift & Staley is the sponsor. 

All Chamber members with 15 or less employees are asked to participate in the special recognition at the breakfast. Businesses are asked to submit a 75 word summary about their business. The submitted summaries will be compiled into a document for distribution to attendees at the breakfast and posted on the Chamber’s website and Facebook. To be included, the business must be a for-profit business with 15 or less employees.

Three small businesses will receive spotlight recognition at the breakfast. Three names will be drawn from the businesses who have submitted information. The featured businesses will have their Owner/CEO/or designee introduced at the podium and their summary will be read to the attendees. A representative of the business must be present for the spotlight recognition. The “grand prize” winner from the drawing will receive the use of a digital billboard for a month this summer sponsored by Hibbs Insurance. A submission form is available at paducahchamber.org. Deadline for submission of the business summary is Friday, May 5. 

The panel of speakers include:  Tammy Zimmerman, Owner/CEO of Payment Plus and current Chair of the Paducah Chamber Board; Chad Beyer, owner of i5 design; Andy Carloss, owner of Midtown Market; and Rocia Keeling, owner of Rocia’s Exquisite Design. 

Below are the details of the breakfast:

When: Thursday, May 11, 7:30 a.m. (one week later in May)

Where: Julian M. Carroll Convention Center, Ohio Room

Speakers: Panel on Small Business

Special Focus: Three Small Businesses with names to be drawn at the breakfast

Sponsor:  Swift & Staley

Cost: $15 members, $25 non-members

If you are not a Power Card holder, please make your reservations by Tuesday, May 9, by 5 p.m. to the Chamber at 443-1746 or info@paducahchamber.org.

EMBDC Home and garden show connects community, services

A constant flow of home and garden enthusiasts filled Tommy Dulaney Building Thursday for the premiere EMBDC Home & Garden Show.

“We are very pleased with the turnout, which we estimate to be about 1,500 attendees,” said Debbie Delshad, membership director of the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation.

The event provided a showcase of what’s available locally to help residents with their home improvement projects, as well as opportunities for them to purchase products to complete them.

Representatives of several local businesses were on hand at booths set up throughout the building to share information about their services, as well as provide sample items.

“The vendors really went all out in decorating their booths, which really showed their enthusiasm for this event,” Delshad said.

And while the home and garden show was to benefit attendees, vendors also were rewarded from the day’s activities.

“Our store was closed for five years before we reopened a year ago, so this was the perfect way to let the community know we’re back in business,” said B.J. Hatten, a sales representative for The Hutlett in downtown Meridian. “This is also an opportunity to show our support for the community through our participation in this event.”

Anna Grace Tanner, communications manager for Mitchell Companies, said the Home & Garden Show was not only an opportunity to meet the public, but also to provide them another perspective of their company. Besides being a beverage distributor, it also provides several other services. Read more: Meridian Star

WMC presents: Wisconsin Business Voice

Wisconsin Business Voice is Wisconsin’s only statewide business-focused publication. Designed to help you do business better, this quarterly magazine now reaches more than 18,000 business leaders and chambers of commerce across the Badger State.

In this edition:

• Main Street, Wisconsin
  From Shrinking Populations to Internet Dead-Zones, What’s Next for Rural Wisconsin?
• Wisconsin Should Target Illinois Workers
• Metallic Mining Jobs Dead on Arrival
• Fab Labs are Changing the Face of Education
  An Answer to the Workforce Shortage?
• U.S. Political Revolution Started in Wisconsin
• Business Day in Madison
  LIVE from Business Day, CNBC Highlights Manufacturing

More Information: WMC

Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.

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 chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal