Chamber Blog

Chamber Web site now includes new blog

"Blogging is obviously huge across the country for all sorts of reasons and all sorts of organizations," she said. "It's really quite simple to do, so how could I not do it?".
Barksdale came up with the idea after reading an article in a Chamber of Commerce magazine about the pros and cons of starting a blog.

"The article I read gave a website to go to and start a free blog, so I did, and the business beat is the result of that," Barksdale said. "The blog gives the commerce members the opportunity to have constant input and feedback for the organization."

"This blog gives members access to the Chamber 24/7," she said. "This blog will also let the public, who are not members of the commerce, know what is happening in the Wilton business community."

Currently the blog page includes a "Friday Feedback" question, which changes weekly, and occasional thoughts and questions the public may have, she said.

Read full story [wilton villager]

Chamber of Commerce Businesses' investments in the community benefit all

What have you invested in lately? Though I'm more and more like an investor when I fill the fuel tank on my car, Merriam-Webster's definition of an investment is not the expenditure of a significant amount of money but rather “the outlay of money usually for income or profit; a capital outlay, or the sum invested or the property purchased.”

Investments are made with the intention of protecting, enhancing and growing the initial amount, but they also involve risk. You could lose all or part of your investment when the market goes down (or up if you buy short). So what are the factors that influence an investment decision for a corporation, an organization, or an individual?

Many Chamber of Commerce members are making significant contributions to the economic growth and well-being of our community through their thoughtful investments.

BorgWarner Morse TEC is investing more than $40 million in equipment and capital improvements as it brings a new product line to its Ithaca facility on Warren Road and creates 174 new jobs for our community.

Read full story [The Ithaca Journal]

Chamber owns park, judge says

A Superior Court judge has ruled that the Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce owns a small park in downtown Crawford, not the city's government.

But the ruling last week in Oglethorpe County Superior Court may not end the bitter legal battle over the ownership of the park, which contains the city's old train depot. The depot, built more than 160 years ago, serves as the chamber's headquarters.

Efforts to contact Crawford Mayor James Coile were unsuccessful Tuesday, but Crawford officials earlier this year had promised to fight the chamber's claim as far as they could, indicating a likely appeal of last week's ruling by Senior Judge T. Penn McWhorter.

Legal bills for the lawsuit over the park's ownership, filed by the chamber about two years ago, total about $20,000 to $30,000 for both sides together, estimated Gary Gerrard, attorney for the Chamber of Commerce.

McWhorter's ruling last week granted the chamber's motion for summary judgment. The judge said the evidence shows there is no real issue about who owns the small park.

The chamber argued in court that it owned the park because it paid $6,000 in 1988 to the park's former owner, CSX Transportation.

Crawford officials said the park property had been listed as city-owned on county tax rolls for decades before the chamber paid the money to the railroad.

If Crawford does appeal McWhorter's decision, Gerrard said he will ask McWhorter to order Crawford to post a bond for $275,000 - the amount of a state grant to renovate the depot, install a bandstand in the park and make other improvements.

The chamber could lose the grant if the case is not resolved by June 1, Gerrard said.

The ownership controversy simmered for years before it came to a head in November 2005, when Crawford city officials refused to grant the chamber a building permit for the construction of a bandstand in the park.

Music played on the bandstand could disturb services at neighboring churches, city officials said.

Athens Banner-Herald

Grow Minnesota! excels at keeping, growing jobs, says new Chamber report

companies have an ally in growing jobs through the statewide network of Grow Minnesota!, the distinctive private-sector program that focuses on job retention and growth.

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, in concert with 40-plus local chamber partners, completed nearly 800 visits this past year with owners and/or managers of Minnesota businesses.

Nearly 3,000 of these conversations have been conducted since Grow Minnesota! was launched in 2004. The Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce is a new partner this year.

Most importantly, in its four years, the program has resolved more than 400 separate issues for individual companies, helping to preserve and grow Minnesota jobs.

“As far as we know, our private-sector business retention program is unmatched by any other state in the nation. There’s no other state with 43 local chambers making regular business retention visits. Working together with the state chamber, we are breaking new ground in business retention,” said Bill Blazar, senior vice president of public affairs and business development at the Minnesota Chamber.

This year’s report, released at the program’s annual meeting December 5, focuses on the individual success stories of business assistance.

Read full story [Alexandria Echo Press]

Russian-German chamber of commerce opens in Moscow

MOSCOW, December 14 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian-German Chamber of Commerce, which aims to establish direct contacts between Russian and German businesses, opened in Moscow on Friday.

At the opening ceremony, a Russian Deputy Economic Minister Anna Popova, cited Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying: "Russia and Germany successfully cooperating in political, economic and humanitarian areas, demonstrating examples of effective strategic partnership in the interests of people."

Germany is Russia's largest European trading partner. Russian-German trade in the last six years has increased three-fold, reaching a total of $50 billion in 2007.

In the first eight months of the year German exports to Russia grew 33.5%, year on year, German Economics Minister Michael Glos told reporters, adding that bilateral trade and economic cooperation "have not yet been exhausted."

New chamber chief eyes growth

The new president of Lake County's largest chamber of commerce wants to see its membership double in 2008.

For Mark Foley, who has been on the job two weeks, it is no idle talk.
Who do you know?
Mark Foley said his goal in his new job is to broaden the base of the Green Oaks, Libertyville, Mundelein and Vernon Hills Chamber of Commerce with a membership drive and to expand and enrich chamber-sponsored events and activities.

His pool of possibilities includes as many as 20,000 businesses, most of them small, among the four communities served by the chamber. The membership represents those towns and 62 communities from all over the Chicago area.

Many of the current members are from out of town who joined because of the benefits the chamber provides, particularly in networking.

"An insurance man told me he gets 80 percent of his business from networking," Foley said. "But, of course, it's what you put in before you can take out."
"I've been meeting business people in the communities, shaking their hands and talking to them," said Foley, president and chief executive officer of the Green Oaks, Libertyville, Mundelein and Vernon Hills Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber already boasts 750 members.

In a nutshell, Foley and attorney Kenneth Suskin, board chairman, are asking each member to bring in a new member and each of the 17 board directors to shepherd in three to five new ones.

"More members means more power, and it makes us more credible when we voice our opinions on issues affecting our communities at the Legislature in Springfield," said Foley, who came to the chamber from Condell Medical Center, where he was director of development and auxiliary services for 10 years.

He succeeds the popular and well-liked Dwight Houchins, who left after nine years on the job. Foley was selected from among 20 applicants.

Read full story [newssunonline.com]

Bright future for US firms in China

COMPANIES from the United States have seen their businesses grow more robust in the Chinese mainland this year, and the growth will continue with many planning to expand investment, said a report by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai yesterday.

Despite the positive outlook, rising competition and costs are increasingly squeezing margins for US companies, said the 2007 China Business Report, which contains an online survey result drawn from the 270 AmCham Shanghai corporate members.

"China continues to be a strong investment destination for the US. Despite increasing cost pressures, the results of the survey show that it was a good year for American business in China," said Eric Fiedler, chairman of AmCham Shanghai.

"US companies feel the investment climate in China has improved overall during the past few years and they are looking at new opportunities to expand into second- and third-tier cities."

According to the survey, 88 percent of respondents reported slightly or substantially increased revenue from their China operations in 2007 compared to last year. Also, 92 percent felt the business climate for US companies in China had improved over the past three years.

For their five-year China outlook, 86 percent of the respondents were optimistic or slightly optimistic and 90 percent predicted their revenues in 2008 will rise over this year.

However, 76 percent agreed that China is losing its competitive advantages due to rising costs. The factors with the biggest financial impact on respondents were price pressure from competition and from major customers, salaries and wages, changes in commodity and raw material prices, distribution costs, tax expenses and surging real estate costs.

The major challenges facing US businesses in China include human resources constraints, unclear regulations, inconsistent regulatory interpretation, lack of transparency and bureaucracy, visa difficulties and intellectual property rights.

Read full story [Shanghai Daily]

Arizona squeeze on immigration angers business

PHOENIX - Arizona businesses are firing Hispanic immigrants, moving operations to Mexico and freezing expansion plans ahead of a new law that cracks down on employers who hire undocumented workers.

The law, set to take effect on Jan. 1, thrusts Arizona into the heart of the national debate on illegal immigration, which has become a hot topic on the presidential campaign trail. Republican candidates, in particular, have been battling to show how tough they are on the issue.

Arizona's law, believed to be the strictest in the nation, is shaping up as a test of how employers will react when faced with real sanctions for hiring undocumented labor. It is being closely watched by businesses across the country. While proponents say the crackdown will save the state money on services for illegal immigrants, some businesspeople fear Arizona's economic growth may be at risk. advertisement 

Under the law, people will be encouraged to contact a county sheriff's or county attorney's office to report businesses they suspect of employing an illegal immigrant. After the sheriff investigates, the county attorney can then seek to suspend and ultimately revoke the business license of an employer who knowingly hires an illegal immigrant. The measure would also require all Arizona businesses to use E-Verify, a federal online database, to confirm that new hires have valid Social Security numbers and are eligible for employment.

The law still faces a court challenge from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and other business groups. Thursday, a federal judge set a hearing for next Tuesday on a temporary restraining order that would freeze the law's implementation. Earlier, the judge tossed out a separate lawsuit challenging the law, saying the plaintiffs had sued the wrong parties.

With Congress deadlocked over an immigration overhaul, many states and cities are taking matters into their own hands. Some local efforts are meant to make it hard for illegal immigrants to get housing and jobs, but recent court rulings have suggested these measures may face constitutional hurdles. Meanwhile, measures that accommodate the presence of undocumented immigrants - such as New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's failed attempt to extend drivers' licenses to them - have been met with a harsh public response.

The issue has echoed in the presidential campaign, as voters passionate about illegal immigration have impelled candidates to take stronger stands. One of the few candidates to buck the trend has been Arizona's senior senator, Republican John McCain. His poll ratings took a beating after he supported a Senate bill that would have given legal status to millions of people here illegally.

Read full story [The Wall Street Journal]

Chamber of Commerce OKs revised due structure

Different people want different things, so, sometimes, it behooves an organization to dismiss the axiom “one size fits all.”

The Craig Chamber of Commerce board did that at Thursday’s meeting when it approved its member due structure for 2008.

The new structure is a departure from how the Chamber handled dues in the past.

Current dues are tier-based on industry, and range from $50 for nonprofits to $1,000 for energy companies, Executive Director Christina Currie said.

The new program is menu-based, which means members can select a package with the benefits and amenities they desire.

“Some business crave something from the Chamber,” said Gene Bilodeau, Chamber board president. “Other people don’t want all the bells and whistles. They just want to be Chamber members. We’re trying to satisfy as many appetites as we can with this.”

Currie agreed.

“This really is a great program for members,” she said. “It lets them take advantage of the Chamber as much as they want or as little as they want.”

Packages in the new structure range from a standard membership for $250 a year to a prestige package for $3,000 a year. Higher packages include better presence on the Chamber Web site and sponsorships and promotion tables at Chamber events.

Nonprofits and associations get a 50 percent discount on memberships.

All memberships include networking, training, promotion, business advocacy and other administrative services.

Members will be asked to sign up under the new due structure whenever they renew their memberships.

This structure also allows Chamber members to see exactly what the Chamber provides, which members are sometimes unaware of, Currie said.

“I know this structure does a much better job of communicating what the benefits are and helps members keep track of what benefits they’re getting,” Currie said.

And it allows the Chamber to provide better customer service, she added.

Read full story [Craig Daily Press]

Does joining local Chamber of Commerce make sense?

Dear Professor Bruce:

I own a small local bakery. Friends have told me it's a good idea to join a chamber of commerce. What are the benefits? What are the costs?

Answer:

Many small and mid-size business owners, as well as corporations, understand the value of joining a local or state Chamber of Commerce.

Membership brings a sense of unity to the business community. Typically, the mission of a local Chamber of Commerce is to promote in-town and area business through effective advertising, planned events, community service, networking and education, as well as to cultivate a favorable environment in which business, government, education and the community at-large can interact.

A local Chamber is governed by an elected Board of Directors, which establishes goals, sets policy and promotes programs and projects that will benefit members.

According to Karol McNulty, Executive Director of the Millburn-Short Hills Chamber of Commerce in Millburn, New Jersey, "While benefits may vary from locality to locality, there are some common denominators with respect to the benefits that most chambers provide." They include:

- Providing members with valuable associations with other businesses and professionals.

- Serving as a resource and reference center by providing demographic information to new and prospective businesses and residents.

- Working to promote and maintain responsible economic development.

- Offering numerous "value-added" marketing and networking opportunities to promote products and services, including:

1. Listing businesses on highly-visited web sites and in business directories, community resource guides or Chamber-sponsored magazines or newsletters

2. Offering "piggyback" mailing services that help members reduce costs

More - Read full story [ScrippsNews]