Flint & Genesee Chamber: A Lending Resource for Budding Entrepreneurs; Geneva chamber of Commerce: Geneva Christmas House Tour; Oxford Night of Genius event open to all entrepreneurs; Brent Cooper looks at future challenges as a he takes over as head of NKY Chamber; Town Square Publications: Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber map: Promises Made, Promises kept!; #BestChamber newsletter: Fulton County Chamber Minute: Write from the Heart; SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Businesses and Residents of Wisconsin Affected by Heavy Rains and Flash Flooding; Kernersville Chamber of Commerce 2017-2018 Community Guide; Northern Virginia Chamber to Host Annual State of Healthcare in the Commonwealth; 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!


Flint & Genesee Chamber: A Lending Resource for Budding Entrepreneurs

Finding capital to start or feed a growing business is a longstanding challenge for entrepreneurs. However, fledgling businesses may look to crowdfunding a source of financing and one option is Kiva.
Kiva is for any entrepreneur who can use a zero-percent interest loan to help take his or her business to the next level. Whether the entrepreneur is still in the idea phase, start-up mode or an established business, it could be the right move.
The Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce is a Kiva trustee, which is an individual and organization that publicly vouches for small-business owners to borrow money on the Kiva website.
The Chamber is currently endorsing A.B.P.B LLC, a gardening and landscaping business, that’s trying to raise $10,000 to purchase a commercial zero-turn riding lawnmower. Owner Leon El-Alamin would use the reminder of loan – about $3,000 – to cover marketing and advertising costs for growing business, which has three employees.
“This will allow me to be able to handle more business opportunities and be in a position to be able to complete jobs more quicker and more efficiently,” said El-Alamin.
“We are endorsing Leon and his business, A.B.P.B LLC, because of his constant contribution to the community,” said Tracy Joseph, Business Financing Manager for the Flint & Genesee Chamber. “Leon is always working hard and in creative ways to make his business a success.
“He is a member of several committees and boards and believes in the north end of Flint. The new equipment that he will be able to purchase will help put more residents to work and help him market his services.”
To learn more about A.B.P.B LLC or to contribute the loan fund, please CLICK HERE.
Also, read about Citizens Statewide Security, Inc.’s successful crowdfunding campaign on Kiva: Crowdfunding Helps Local Security Company Expand
For more information or questions about Kiva, contact Tracy Joseph at tjoseph@flintandgenesee.org.



Geneva Chamber of Commerce: Geneva Christmas House Tour

Enjoy five lovely, exquisite Geneva homes decorated in holiday splendor by local decorators.  These homes will open to visitors for self-guided tours from 11 a.m. to
8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2. 

Tickets include a traditional holiday tea and a booklet with delightful Christmas decorating and entertaining ideas for every corner of the house.  Tickets are $35 per person.  Proceeds are used to decorate Geneva for the holiday season. 

Tickets are available for pre-order by calling 630-232-6060 or online at genevachamber.com.

For complete information, visit genevachamber.com after mid-October. Contact: Laura Rush, Communications Coordinator, 630-232-6060, lrush@genevachamber.com  

www.genevachamber.com

Oxford Night of Genius event open to all entrepreneurs

The Big Bad Business Series, presented in partnership with the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, is wrapping up its nine-month-long program that offered several programs to help entrepreneurs get their business off the ground and help understand the often daunting process of starting a business.

The program concludes at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Powerhouse during the inaugural Oxford Night of Genius event.

Since January, Big Bad Business workshops have been helping tackle these complex topics and breaking them down into manageable challenges.

“The Big Bad Business Series assist entrepreneurs at any stage of the business life cycle learn a new skill or make a new connection. By joining this central hub of interconnected entrepreneurs, participants can access the business development resources they need to grow their ventures,” said Allen Kurr, Vice President of the Economic Development Foundation.

Without previous experience in small business, developing that network of small business experts, mentors and cheerleaders can sometimes seem like trying to crack open a secret society. You don’t have to know a secret handshake to attend the Oxford Night of Genius.

“All are welcome to attend Night of Genius,” said Meghan Gallagher, one of the organizers. “It’s a free community event.”

Night of Genius is a new way for entrepreneurs to receive constructive feedback on a business idea from a panel of small business experts. Unlike a formal business pitch, the presentation includes the “Who? What? Why? When? Where? And How?” formula so the experts can help a participant take their business idea to active businesses.

There will five presenters at the event who attended a workshop Monday with JoAnn Edwards of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute to help hone their presentations.

Participants, however, won’t receive relics for the most promising business ideas. The chamber and YAC have teamed up with community partners to develop business service packages that help them go from idea to action. Office space at the Edison co-working space, chamber membership and attorney fees for filing incorporation papers are just some of the assistance one can receive.

Gallagher said some of the highlights of the last year included a community-supported artist program and exhibited in July featured working artists developing small business revenue; a seminar by Julia Winston of Brave Communications who talked about knowing your customer and honing the experience to serve them and in August, participants took part in a round-robin event featuring eight experts who gave one-on-one, half-hour consultations with entrepreneurs. Read more: Oxford Eagle

Brent Cooper looks at future challenges as a he takes over as head of NKY Chamber

Brent Cooper previously served twice as interim president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, but last month, Cooper was named the sixth president and CEO of the chamber.

Cooper, 47, who founded Covington-based C-Forward Information Technologies 18 years ago and turned it into one of the leading IT companies in the region, is looking forward to leading the regions business community. Cooper says he first consulted with a number of business associates about taking the job because he was running his own small business.

“I honestly didn’t know if I could do it,” Cooper said. “I made a lot of calls, I called Dave Adkisson at the state Chamber, I talked to Jill Meyer at the Cincinnati Chamber, and they have provided me with a lot of advice and counsel. Everybody felt like it was a good idea.”

Even though Cooper is very familiar with the northern Kentucky business community, he’s taking to time to really get to know the business climate.

“I’m taking advantage of this new period to do a listening tour and kind of relearn the region, I think it’s kind of a healthy thing to reevaluate where we are and have those conversations about what we can do better,” Cooper said. “We’ve got some big ideas on the horizon and people are throwing those big ideas at us. I’m very excited for the future.”

Despite successes in northern Kentucky, Cooper acknowledges that the business community faces numerous challenges that the Chamber wants to address.

“We have to address congestion issues on I-75, we have to take on pensions, we applaud the governor and our legislators for not kicking the can down the road, that is going to take consensus building though,” Cooper said. Read more: Spectrum News

Town Square Publications: Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber map: Promises Made, Promises kept!

The Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce recently worked with Town Square Publications on the production of a map. Town Square Publications provided all the map design and cartography for the product and sold the sponsorships, so there was no cost to the chamber. The chamber provided local content and photos that showed our organization’s focus on promoting our communities and helping our businesses to thrive. Town Square Publications provided the chamber a proof before going to print. The result was a top quality map. We were especially pleased with the quality of the printing and the paper.

The chamber works hard to identify programs that will be of benefit to our chamber members, such as the 28th Street Metro Cruise program that draws over 200,000 to our area and the annual Santa Parade. The Wyoming-Kentwood chamber map is another great example, and the chamber received the additional benefit of non-dues revenue.

Your company delivered on your promises. We appreciate our partnership with Town Square Publications and will call on them again for the next project.

Bob O’Callaghan

President

Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber



#BestChamber newsletter: Fulton County Chamber Minute: Write from the Heart

Dear Chamber Members and Friends,
The countdown to Chili Cook-Off is here! When Chili Cook -Off is here we know that the year is winding up and we love going out with a such a historically fun event. That said, all other work doesn’t stop just to prepare for our BIG day.
So, what are we working on despite Chili Cook-Off?

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First, hopefully you have saved the date for the next and final Business After Hours for 2017. Caston School System will be hosting a Business After Hours on Thursday, October 26th from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. They will be showing off their new kitchen and cafeteria area plus sharing how they are providing more resources for their students. Check out the flyer in this ‘Business Minute’ for full details. That said, if you are interested in hosting a Business After Hours for 2018 please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to let us know you are interested. We only have a few slots open so get your request in asap!
Second, we will be meeting soon to share our board nominations, officers, and present our first run at the 2018 Budget. These are all the “small” tasks that make a BIG impact on the future of our Chamber and what our footprint will look like. We are pleased to have a great slate of nominees, some new projects for 2018 that will increase efficiency in the office and the experience of our members and community, and are looking forward to another solid year thanks to the hard work of our great team!
Next, keep your eyes peeled for the next YouTube video. It is all about Chamber Dollars. We are attempting to help make your 2017 Chamber Dollar experience a great one. We have noticed that we still have some confusion from when the Chamber Dollars switched from “Merchant Certificates” to actual legal checks so we are going to have as our special guest Katrinna Pontius of Beacon Credit Union to walk us through the process. We hope she can bring clarity and help make this season the most efficient and enjoyable yet.
Lastly, come join us this Saturday for the BIG event. Start the day at one of our downtown Rochester restaurants for breakfast and then head over to 7th and Madison for the United Way 5K Fun Run starting at 8:30 am. Then spend the day with us in downtown Rochester because we have more chili teams, more things to do including the Ribbon Cutting of our new Centennial Park at 1 pm, and a whole list of new restaurants in Fulton County that you can enjoy dinner at. We look forward to celebrating with you this weekend!

Blessed to be in Fulton County,
Amy A. Roe


SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Businesses and Residents of Wisconsin Affected by Heavy Rains and Flash Flooding

WASHINGTON – Wisconsin businesses and residents affected by the heavy rains and flash flooding on July 19-23, 2017, can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA Administrator Linda McMahon announced today.

Administrator McMahon made the loans available in response to a letter from Gov. Scott Walker on Sept. 13, 2017, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA.  The declaration covers La Crosse and Trempealeau counties, and the adjacent counties of Buffalo, Eau Claire, Jackson, Monroe and Vernon in Wisconsin; Houston and Winona in Minnesota.

“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of Wisconsin with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist businesses of all sizes, homeowners and renters with federal disaster loans,” said Administrator McMahon. “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

Contact: 

Michael Lampton/404-331-0333/michael.lampton@sba.gov

Internet Address: Disaster News

Kernersville Chamber of Commerce 2017-2018 Community Guide 

The Kernersville Chamber of Commerce Community Guide is available at the Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Chris Comer and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! 

2017-2018 Kernersville Chamber of Commerce Community Guide

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.

Northern Virginia Chamber to Host Annual State of Healthcare in the Commonwealth


Tysons, Va. – The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Annual State of Healthcare in the Commonwealth will be held on Thursday, October 19, from 7:30 – 9:30 PM at the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce in Tysons, Virginia, featuring Virginia Secretary of Health & Human Resources, Dr. William A. Hazel, Jr.

Secretary Hazel will provide an overview of the healthcare industry in the Commonwealth and discuss the changes and opportunities facing Virginia's business community. Dr. Hazel’s presentation will be followed by a panel on the future of the healthcare workforce and the implication for Virginia businesses.

The Chamber’s Annual State of Healthcare in the Commonwealth will host the company of elected officials, government representatives, and members of the Washington, DC region business community.

Moderated by Jennifer Siciliano, VP of Government Relations, Inova Health System

Panelists include:
Ashley Thompson, Senior Vice President, American Hospital Association
Pete Jobse, Managing Director, Inova Strategic Investments
Kinte Ibbott, Vice President, Maximus

Members of the media who plan to cover the event, should contact Northern Virginia Chamber Director, Communications and Marketing, Alex Thompson, athompson@novachamber.org to register.

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