Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!
Small Business Administration: What
Entrepreneurs Need to Know TODAY
SBA Presents Free Webinar Series to Help Small Businesses Navigate the HUBZone Program
The SBA will present a six-part, free webinar series to help small
businesses navigate its Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Zone Program
that will run from February to mid-March.
The hour-long webinars will cover the following topics:
Feb. 7: HUBZone Contracting: Make the Federal
Government Your Customer
2-3p.m. EST
Small businesses will learn about HUBZone contracting vehicles and
regulations.
Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 7 webinar begins:
Feb. 14: HUBZone Joint Ventures: How to Partner with Other
Companies for HUBZone Contracts
2-3p.m. EST
Small businesses will learn how to enter into a HUBZone joint
venture and the importance of having a well-defined joint venture agreement
whether or not the agreement falls under the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program.
Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 14 webinar
begins: http://ems7.intellor.com/login/714968
Feb. 21: Continued HUBZone Compliance: How to Maintain
Your HUBZone Certification
2-3p.m. EST
Small businesses will learn how to remain compliant to reap the
benefits of their investment.
Click on the link 10 minutes before the Feb. 21 webinar begins: http://ems7.intellor.com/login/715049
Feb. 28: How Does HUBZone Consider Employees and
Affiliation?
2-3p.m. EST
Small businesses will learn who to count as an employee for the
purpose of the HUBZone Program. The webinar will also help small business
owners understand when to combine the employees from their other businesses to
evaluate the principal and employee residency compliance of the HUBZone
firm.
Click on this link 10 minutes before the Feb. 28 webinar begins: http://ems7.intellor.com/login/714967
March 7: Understanding How HUBZones are Designated
2-3p.m. EST
Small businesses will learn how areas become designated as
HUBZones.
Link to the webinar will be announced by mid-February.
March 14: HUBZone Protests and Appeals
2-3p.m. EST
Small businesses will learn the process for filing HUBZone
protests and appeals; and for responding to protest notices.
Link to the webinar will be announced by mid-February.
All of the webinars will be archived on SBA’s YouTube page.
For more details about the HUBZone program, please visit www.sba.gov/hubzone.
The Harry Potter Festival USA is set to be held in Jefferson for at least the next five years.
On Tuesday, the Jefferson Common Council unanimously authorized an agreement between the City of Jefferson and HP Fans Inc. to be the host city for the Harry Potter Festival USA through 2022. Alderperson-at-Large Peg Beyer was absent from the meeting.
The 2017 Harry Potter Festival USA took place Oct. 20-22, 2017, and drew an estimated 50,000 attendees. It was the third year of the event, which previously was held in Edgerton.
The festival founder/organizers are brothers Scott and Rob Cramer.
“We know that 2017 exceeded our estimates in terms of the number of people that attended the festival,” City Administrator Tim Freitag said. “The economic development, I think, exceeded expectations, as well. That’s the easiest impact to feel and to touch.
“We also know what didn’t work so well and we would expect those issues to be corrected in 2018 and years beyond,” he continued. “Things like slow transportation, moving people from facility to facility, as well as the lack of security at some venues.”
The 2018 Harry Potter Festival is scheduled to take place Friday to Sunday, Oct. 19-21. It is anticipated that subsequent festivals will take place on approximately the same dates.
The festival is meant to be a citywide event with venues in multiple areas, such as Rotary and Tensfeldt parks, the VFW Recreation Center and city hall. Certain venues would require a wristband for entry, while other businesses would remain open to the general public.
“It’s hard to put this together because planning for the 2018 festival really hasn’t occurred with any substance in terms of what facilities are going to be used,” Freitag said during the Jefferson Common Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting prior to the regular council session. “We know those are going to change from the facilities that were used in 2017.”
According to the agreement, HP Fans Inc. — which is in existence solely to hold the Harry Potter Festival, promote local economic development and to fund local nonprofit organizations — is “requesting cooperation from the City of Jefferson, businesses and its citizens to embrace the annual event with the goal of bettering the lives of others and having fun.”
It continues: “The event is intended to promote the unique attributes of the City of Jefferson and bring extra revenue to its businesses and the surrounding area.”
As with the 2017 festival, the city will reimburse HP Fans Inc. up to $25,000 for marketing the event.
“Those funds are to be repaid back to the city,” Freitag noted. “In (the agreement), that talks about 50 percent of the total marketing budget. The total marketing budget probably is more like $100,000, given what was spent (in 2017).
“(In 2017), we reimbursed (the Cramers) $10,000 of their marketing budget, which they paid back,” he continued. “So they would be required to repay those funds and, I think, our goal is just to perpetuate that, take those funds and set them aside to be able to promote next year’s festival going forward in the future.” Read more: Daily Jefferson County Union
La Porte Chamber Annual Meeting, featuring Lieutenant Governor Crouch
The event will feature a speech by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch. The cost is $33.00 for Chamber members and $38.00 for general admission. Sponsorship opportunities are also available which are listed on the side of the Chamber's event page.
Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Business Directory is available at the Lake Zurich Area Chamber today! Thanks to Dale Perrin and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!
Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide and Business Directory
Town SquarePublications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
Frankfort Chamber partnership: Informational meeting scheduled Thursday for ‘On the Table’ event
Computer User Heaven: 8 Exercises That Spell Relief
Arlington Chamber Celebrates 94th Annual Arlington Business Gala
Sold-out event raises revenue to support Chamber's work to empower Arlington's business community
Five-year Harry Potter Fest pact OK’d
The Harry Potter Festival USA is set to be held in Jefferson for at least the next five years.
On Tuesday, the Jefferson Common Council unanimously authorized an agreement between the City of Jefferson and HP Fans Inc. to be the host city for the Harry Potter Festival USA through 2022. Alderperson-at-Large Peg Beyer was absent from the meeting.
The 2017 Harry Potter Festival USA took place Oct. 20-22, 2017, and drew an estimated 50,000 attendees. It was the third year of the event, which previously was held in Edgerton.
The festival founder/organizers are brothers Scott and Rob Cramer.
“We know that 2017 exceeded our estimates in terms of the number of people that attended the festival,” City Administrator Tim Freitag said. “The economic development, I think, exceeded expectations, as well. That’s the easiest impact to feel and to touch.
“We also know what didn’t work so well and we would expect those issues to be corrected in 2018 and years beyond,” he continued. “Things like slow transportation, moving people from facility to facility, as well as the lack of security at some venues.”
The 2018 Harry Potter Festival is scheduled to take place Friday to Sunday, Oct. 19-21. It is anticipated that subsequent festivals will take place on approximately the same dates.
The festival is meant to be a citywide event with venues in multiple areas, such as Rotary and Tensfeldt parks, the VFW Recreation Center and city hall. Certain venues would require a wristband for entry, while other businesses would remain open to the general public.
“It’s hard to put this together because planning for the 2018 festival really hasn’t occurred with any substance in terms of what facilities are going to be used,” Freitag said during the Jefferson Common Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting prior to the regular council session. “We know those are going to change from the facilities that were used in 2017.”
According to the agreement, HP Fans Inc. — which is in existence solely to hold the Harry Potter Festival, promote local economic development and to fund local nonprofit organizations — is “requesting cooperation from the City of Jefferson, businesses and its citizens to embrace the annual event with the goal of bettering the lives of others and having fun.”
It continues: “The event is intended to promote the unique attributes of the City of Jefferson and bring extra revenue to its businesses and the surrounding area.”
As with the 2017 festival, the city will reimburse HP Fans Inc. up to $25,000 for marketing the event.
“Those funds are to be repaid back to the city,” Freitag noted. “In (the agreement), that talks about 50 percent of the total marketing budget. The total marketing budget probably is more like $100,000, given what was spent (in 2017).
“(In 2017), we reimbursed (the Cramers) $10,000 of their marketing budget, which they paid back,” he continued. “So they would be required to repay those funds and, I think, our goal is just to perpetuate that, take those funds and set them aside to be able to promote next year’s festival going forward in the future.” Read more: Daily Jefferson County Union
La Porte Chamber Annual Meeting, featuring Lieutenant Governor Crouch
February 2, 11:00 a.m. Registration, 11:30 a.m. Program & Lunch
Best Western Plus, 444 Pine Lake Avenue, La Porte
The Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce will host its Annual Meeting at the Best Western Plus, located at 444 Pine Lake Avenue in La Porte, on February 2.
Registration will begin at 11:00 a.m. with lunch starting at 11:30 a.m. This year's event will take a look at the year of 2017 for the Chamber and its significant events and accomplishments. There will also be awards given to the Chamber's Ambassador of the Year, Board Member of the Year, and Business Person of the Year..
Registration will begin at 11:00 a.m. with lunch starting at 11:30 a.m. This year's event will take a look at the year of 2017 for the Chamber and its significant events and accomplishments. There will also be awards given to the Chamber's Ambassador of the Year, Board Member of the Year, and Business Person of the Year..
The event will feature a speech by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch. The cost is $33.00 for Chamber members and $38.00 for general admission. Sponsorship opportunities are also available which are listed on the side of the Chamber's event page.
Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Business Directory is available at the Lake Zurich Area Chamber today! Thanks to Dale Perrin and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!
Town SquarePublications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
Frankfort Chamber partnership: Informational meeting scheduled Thursday for ‘On the Table’ event
Harbor Springs chamber sets goals for 2018
The Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce is looking to the future, as member businesses and board members met on Thursday to discuss the chamber’s goals for 2018.
The chamber is coming off of a year of transition, with a switch in presidents halfway through the year and new staff members joining the organization.
“On the staff, we added Michael Helwig, who is now the communications, marketing and events manager,” said Georgia Abbott, executive director of the chamber.
Abbott said the chamber’s social media presence and online communication has greatly improved in the last year.
“That is something that I think members really want and need, and so we really needed someone who could manhandle that and really work with that,” she said. “We’re excited.”
The staff also added Kim Grant as a consultant who subcontracts with the chamber for work in bookkeeping and accounting.
Through that work, Abbot said the chamber is focusing more on metrics and data that help them determine areas for improvement by analyzing historical data.
“The only way to grow and continuously improve is to really watch those metrics,” she said. “It had been something that was really missing, this ability to look historically at our data, our numbers, our budget and really be able to concentrate and focus on areas of improvement.”
For example, Abbott presented event performance and highlights from 2017. The Taste of Harbor Springs had the highest number of entries or registrants at 680. Following close behind was Red, White and Brew with 665. Following that was Harbor Stars, 186, the Fourth of July parade, 35, Ladies’ Night Out, 30 and the Gallery Walk, 11.
“I think we still have a great breadth of offerings and I think we have great member value,” Abbott said. “I would say our member value, for the educational tracks and the cross-marketing that we provide and that connectivity of members to one another, has increased greatly over the last year. We’re really hoping that people will feel that vibrancy and decide ‘I want to be a member of that chamber.’” Read more: Petoskey News
Computer User Heaven: 8 Exercises That Spell Relief
The following exercises will help you relieve "VDT" stress and strain. Give one or all of them a try if you find your mind or body fatiguing.
- Deep Breathing - Breathe in slowly through your nose. Hold for 2 seconds, then exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times.
- Head & Neck Relief - Turn your head slowly from one side to the other, and look over each shoulder. Hold each turn for the count of three. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Shoulder Roll - Roll your shoulders forward 5 times using a wide circular motion. Then roll your shoulders backward. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Upper Back Stretch - Fold arms in front of you. Raise to shoulder height, then push your elbows straight back. Hold a few seconds. You should feel a nice stretch in your shoulder blades. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
- Lower Back Heaven - While sitting, slowly bend your upper body between your knees. Hold for a few seconds, then sit up and relax.
- Wrist Relief - Hold your arms straight out in front of your body. Raise and lower your hands- bending at the wrist, to stretch the muscles in your forearm. Repeat several times.
- Hand and Finger Help - Make a tight fist with your hands. Hold for a second. Then spread your fingers as far apart as you can. Hold for five seconds. Repeat.
- Leg Lifts - While sitting in a chair, grasp the shin of one leg and pull slowly toward your chest. Hold for five seconds. Then do the other leg. Repeat several times.
Arlington Chamber Celebrates 94th Annual Arlington Business Gala
Sold-out event raises revenue to support Chamber's work to empower Arlington's business community
The Arlington Chamber of Commerce hosted its 94th Annual Arlington Business Gala on Saturday, January 27 at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City. The sold-out gala, hosted by 2018 Chamber Chair Lindsey Rheaume of EagleBank, was the Chamber's first major event of 2018 and entertained 350 guests, including members of the Virginia General Assembly, all five members of the Arlington County Board, and business leaders from across the area.
"This year's Arlington Business Gala was an outstanding success," said Chamber President & CEO Kate Bates. "A fun-filled evening was had by all who attended, and the revenue earned through this event will help our Chamber continue our important work to empower Arlington's business community. We appreciate all who helped make this event possible, and we look forward to continuing this energy through the rest of 2018."
Attendees enjoyed a three-course dinner, mingling with fellow Arlington business leaders, dancing to music by the Bachelor Boys Band, and participating in the silent and live auctions. The silent auction featured items varying from all-inclusive tropical vacations and autographed sports memorabilia to fine wines, tickets to experiences around town, and more. During the live auction, attendees bid on high-demand items like an autographed Washington Capitals jersey and tickets, an oil painting by award-winning artist William Woodward, a catered dinner for 50 guests, and a round of golf at the Army Navy Country Club. Guests also had the opportunity to win four hours of limousine service and enter a raffle drawing to win accommodations for two people at the St. James Club Morgan Bay in Saint Lucia.
VIPs in attendance included Senator Delegate Barbara Favola (D-Arlington); Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47); Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol, Vice-Chair Christian Dorsey, and members Libby Garvey, Erik Gutshall, and John Vihstadt; Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson; Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy; and Sheriff Beth Arthur.
For access to this release and other statements by the Chamber, click here.
To stay up-to-date on the Chamber's latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
"This year's Arlington Business Gala was an outstanding success," said Chamber President & CEO Kate Bates. "A fun-filled evening was had by all who attended, and the revenue earned through this event will help our Chamber continue our important work to empower Arlington's business community. We appreciate all who helped make this event possible, and we look forward to continuing this energy through the rest of 2018."
Attendees enjoyed a three-course dinner, mingling with fellow Arlington business leaders, dancing to music by the Bachelor Boys Band, and participating in the silent and live auctions. The silent auction featured items varying from all-inclusive tropical vacations and autographed sports memorabilia to fine wines, tickets to experiences around town, and more. During the live auction, attendees bid on high-demand items like an autographed Washington Capitals jersey and tickets, an oil painting by award-winning artist William Woodward, a catered dinner for 50 guests, and a round of golf at the Army Navy Country Club. Guests also had the opportunity to win four hours of limousine service and enter a raffle drawing to win accommodations for two people at the St. James Club Morgan Bay in Saint Lucia.
VIPs in attendance included Senator Delegate Barbara Favola (D-Arlington); Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47); Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol, Vice-Chair Christian Dorsey, and members Libby Garvey, Erik Gutshall, and John Vihstadt; Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson; Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy; and Sheriff Beth Arthur.
For access to this release and other statements by the Chamber, click here.
To stay up-to-date on the Chamber's latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Biloxi Bay Chamber: Krewe of Barkloxi
Does your pup love to pawty?
You can get your pooch into the Carnival spirit in the Krewe of Barkloxi’s Bow Wow Paw-rade at noon Feb. 4 at the Biloxi Town Green. The parade, in its second year, is presented by the Biloxi Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Biloxi Main Street, the Humane Society of South Mississippi and The Dawg House.
Parade registration and check-in will begin at noon, and the parade will follow. The parade will take place downtown Biloxi and will be led by the 2018 Krewe of Barkloxi King and Queen. Dogs dressed for Mardi Gras success will be judged in categories of most creative costume, cuteness, happiest dog and who wears it best. Pet parents are encouraged to dress in costumes similar to those their fur babies are sporting. Read more: Sun Herald
Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!
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
