June2013 by Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral

Trends Chamber

The Official Publication of The Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral

Business After Hours, June 20th at at Porto Belloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at Burnt Store Marina 5:30 p.m.

June 2013

Join Us For The General Membership Lunch, June 12th at Rumrunners. Sponsored by Centurylink, LCEC and The News-Press

Surfside Sunset Market at the Shops at Surfside, every Tuesday, 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.

July 4th, 4:00 pm at the foot of the Cape Coral Bridge

To Promote and Serve Business and Community

Get In & Get Busy in the Chamber Trends Magazine More than 11,000 monthly subscribers Basic Advertising Prices Full Page $337.00 1/2 Page $227.00 1/4 Page $147.00 Business Card $117.00 (All ads can be linked to your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website or a 30-second commercial promoting your business. Non-profit organizations receive 2 free 1/2 page ads per year upon request with their membership.) Prime Advertising Pricing Full Page $387.00 (includes banner ad on chamber website only 4 available per issue, full page only) 1/2 Page $287.00 1/4 Page $207.00 Business Card $167.00 (All ads can be linked to your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website or a 30-second commercial promoting your business and a banner ad in the Chamber Trends Weekly E-Newsletter) Specials Spotlight On Business Article - One per issue $347.00 Includes a hyperlink to your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website or a 30-second commercial promoting your business, a banner ad on the Chamber website and a banner ad in the Chamber Trends Weekly E-Newsletter. Please call Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 for more information. donna@capecoralchamber.com

June 2013 June 4th

Publisher & Editor Donna Schuman-Germain Communications Director donna@capecoralchamber.com Contributing Editors Mike Quaintance Chamber President q2u2@capecoralchamber.com Stephanie Roberson Technology Director stephanie@capecoralchamber.com Claudia St. Onge Business Manager cso@capecoralchamber.com Bill Johnson, Jr. Membership Sales Director bill@capecoralchamber.com Melanie Lempke Administrative Generalist melanie@capecoralchamber.com Bob Knickman Special Events Director bob@capecoralchamber.com Amanda Brunson Special Events Coordinator amanda@capecoralchamber.com Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral P.O. Box 100747, Cape Coral, FL 33910 2051 Cape Coral Parkway Cape Coral, FL 33904 Phone (239) 549-6900 Fax (239) 549-9609

Business Card Exchange Miz Catherineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s - A Dessert Cafeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 3032 Santa Barbara Blvd., Unit 201 Cape Coral, FL 33914 7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

June 8th

Leadership Cape Coral Alumni Mixer Aubuchon Homes Mandolin Model 1811 Cape Coral Parkway East Cape Coral, FL 33904 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

June 12th

General Membership Meeting Rumrunners 5848 Cape Harbour Drive Cape Coral, FL 33914 $20.00 For Members w/reservations Call 549-6900 ext 300 to RSVP 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

June 20th

Business After Hours Porto Bello at The Burnt Store Marina 3200 Matecumbe Key Road Punta Gorda , FL 33955 A delicious dinner of Pasta, Pizza and Salad will be provided. Please join us! 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Every Tuesday

Surfside Sunset Market The market will be moving inside for the summer months. Look for us in Unit D101 at The Shops at Surfside 3:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. To register for any of the above events online, or for more up-todate information, please visit www.capecoralchamber.com

Q’s World

2013 Board of Directors

Chamber How To Videos For Members

e have some great new tools to assist you in making the most of your Chamber membership. We recently added some informational videos to the Chamber website, www. capecoralchamber,com. The topics we started with are the “First Hour Free Program,” “How to Register for an Event,” accessing the “Members Only Section,” and “Paying a Bill Online.”

Are You Ready?

Mike “Q” Quaintance, President

fter 16 years of being the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, the June newsletter article has become routine. It is about disaster planning. While we still talk about disaster preparedness and the upcoming hurricane season, it has been relatively quiet since Charley - not that I want to anger the Hurricane Gods. So, since Fire Chief Van Helden has retired, someone else has to keep it top of mind for our business community. There is so much more to preparing your business for a disaster than just getting supplies. It is about inspecting your building structure and the making necessary repairs, training your employees about their activities and importance, knowing what you do after you survive the storm and about updating or creating a disaster plan. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has a pretty cool online program called the Business Continuity Planning Suite. The Suite is designed to be user friendly and scalable for optimal organizational use. It consists of three main components which include: Business Continuity Planning training, an automated Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Plan generator and a selfdirected exercise for testing an implemented Business Continuity Plan. http://www.ready.gov/business-continuityplanning-suite We learned from Charley that were really good at preparing. However, we could use some improvement on how we perform after the storm. Roughly 80 percent of the businesses that suffered damage in Hurricane Andrew never opened again. Be prepared; do not let a Hurricane or other disaster, natural or manmade to put you out of business.

• The “First Hour Free Program” was created to provide business counseling on several topics for our members. By going to this section of the Chamber website you can see who is participating and what service they can help you with. • “How to Register for an Event” shows viewers how to access the “Members Only” section of the Chamber website and make reservations for events like seminars, or chamber events. • The “Members Only Section” shows you how to access and update your business information, submit coupons, makes reservations, and get your personalized referral report. • “Paying a Bill Online” shows members how to access the “Members Only Section” and to pay bills online with credit cards. These topics were chosen based on the needs our members expressed to staff. We hope you find these tools helpful and ask that you provide other suggestions to help improve your experience at the Chamber. If you discover other areas where we can provide assistance, we are just a phone call, 549-6900 ext. 106, or e-mail away Q2U2@ CapeCoralChamber.com. Thank you for your investment in the Chamber!

...

with a purpose.

Joe Mazurkiewicz, Chairman - BJM Consulting, Inc Annette Carrasquillo, Chair-Elect - LAI Design Associates, LLC Ed Ramos, Treasurer - Ramos Builders, Inc Donna Meola, Past-Chair - Achieva Credit Union Tony Constantino, Financial Advisor - Kevin M Burns & Assoc, CPA Barb Adams - Individual Member Brett Bisbe - B2 Solutions, Inc Beverly Black - Black Business Solutions Ed Bolter - Lamar Advertising Dana Brunett - City of Cape Coral Joe Francioni - Castle Harbour Homes Cindy Gallagher - The News-Press Tom Giles - Avalon Engineering Tom Hansen - Boat House of Cape Coral Tim Hauck - Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services Colleen Humphries - LCEC Wayne Kirkwood - Kirkwood Electric Cheryl Komnick - Caloosa Tent & Rental Michelle Lewis - B2 Solutions, Inc Thomas Shipp - Tom Shipp at the Martin Law Firm Stan Spicer - Platinum Service A/C Chris Spiro - Spiro & Associates Elmer Tabor - Wonderland Realty

2013 Trustees

Sandra Aguilar - Individual Rhonda Chapman - First Citizens Bank Matt Connar - Boost Creative Diane Everhart - Northwestern Mutual Financial Sandra Greiner, SunSplash Family Waterpark Toni Rae Hurley - IBERIABANK Trish Lassiter - Lee County Electric Coop Eric Malasky - Paradise Deli & Market David Owen - BB&T-Oswald, Trippe & Co Katharin Owen, Warchol, Merchant & Rollings Wendy Piascik - Lee Memorial Health System Zachary Zeis - Elysium Homes

Chamber Staff

Mike Quaintance, President Donna Schuman-Germain, Communications Director Bob Knickman, Special Events Director Bill Johnson, Jr., Membership Sales Director Claudia St. Onge, Business Manager Stephanie Roberson, Technology Director Melanie Lempke, Administrative Generalist Amanda Brunson, Special Events Coordinator Linda Kirby, Membership Sales

April New Members & Renewals New Members AMskincare skin spa Angelia Miller

Bert’s Bar & Grille

Olin Hill & Assoc.

Best Pets

Papa Joe’s Italian Restaurant PartyLite - Candle Ladies Renee’ & Rhonda

Blind Gallery BottomLine Solutions, LLC

Animal ER of Southwest Florida Daria Mistos

Cape Coral Community Foundation

Keller Pools, Inc Dominique Santangelo

Cape Smoke Shop

LeeSar Myra Stewart

Cape Coral Irish American Club, Inc Captain Steamer Carpet Cleaner Chicago Pizza Coastal Elements, Inc. Designers Showcase

Menchies Patricia Suarez

Elysium Construction Inc

Paradise Tropical Wines Eric Malasky

Floridian Insurance Agency

Power Purchasing, Inc. Donna Marks

Fishermen’s Village Frantz EyeCare - Jonathan M. Frantz, MD, FACS High Fidelity Studios Home and Away LLC

Robert Garcia Jewelry Robert Garcia

Home Services By Rafael

Renewals

Kevin M. Burns & Assoc. P.A.

Adams Homes of N.W. Florida

Kinetic Thoughts LLC

All Dryer Vent Service by Lint Man

Larue Pest Management,Inc.

Arthur Printing

Men’s Rights Law Firm

Associates In General & Vascular

Midwest Plumbing Contractor’s, LLC

Surgery Vein and Laser Center

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home &

BB & T - Oswald, Trippe & Co.

Cremation Service, LLC

IBERIABANK Kindness Animal Hospital

Paychex Premier Designs Jewelry, Jim & Linda Kirby, Independent Distributors Raso Realty, Inc. Real Estate Showcase Red Salon & Spa Rib City Rumrunners Run Agrounds Sea Breeze International Management Corp Secure Shredding, Inc Simonson & Sons, Inc. Sprint by Coastal Communications Sunset Home Health Services, Inc. The Breeze Newspapers The Letter Box The Joint Tim Collier-State Farm West Coast Collision

Schedule Your Ribbon Cutting Today! Contact Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 or donna@capecoralchamber.com

Chamber Trends Our Role As Mentors Joe Mazurkiewicz, BJM Consulting 2013 Chamber Chairman

ne of the greatest joys of my life has been the privilege of mentoring another person and assisting them in becoming more successful in their chosen field. Whether my role was that of coach, professor, consultant, or peer; there is no greater purpose than helping another human being expand their reach and accomplish something of importance to them. The dictionary defines mentor as “somebody, usually older and more experienced, who advises and guides a younger, less experienced person.” The age thing is pretty much irrelevant as I have been mentored by younger people many times in my life, but the “more experienced” thing is the key. We all have experiences we can share with others. They do not have to be successful experiences as we tend to learn more from our mistakes than successes. In our role as Chamber Members there are many opportunities to mentor others. Each one of us has had Chamber experiences we can share with fellow members and non-members as well.

Sharing our Chamber stories with other businesses is one way for us to grow our membership. I would hope that each one of us takes the time to share our success stories with other business people to assist in growing our Chamber. As active Chamber leaders working on committees, projects and special events, we need to seek out individuals who show an interest in what we are trying to accomplish and mentor them to become future leaders in those efforts. It is the duty of every Chamber Committee Chair to seek out someone to replace them in the upcoming years. It is a very important job that we sometime forget as we work together to accomplish the goals of the present term. It is very unusual for leadership to grow by accident or happenstance. It usually grows best when it is planned and people are identified early and mentored to fill the very important role of leadership in the future. It is my hope that none of our members feel their efforts or interest in a Chamber leadership position went unnoticed, or that they were unable to connect with a mentor that would lead them in the right direction. There are many ways for each of you to assist our Chamber in this area: join a committee, serve as a volunteer on a special event or contact your Chamber Staff and Board Members. Don’t be afraid to ask for another member to be your Mentor. It is a great honor and one that is very seldom refused. We are all here to serve you and make your dream of leadership a reality. Remember all you need to do is “Get In and Get Busy with a Purpose” and don’t be surprised when someone approaches you to help guide you in your efforts.

Personal and Business

Solutions

to meet your banking needs. We make banking easy and convenient for your business and personal banking needs, so that you have more time for the things in life that matter most.

Call or visit one of our Cape Coral branches today!

www.iberiabank.com |

1715 Cape Coral Parkway West | (239) 541-5200 812 Del Prado Boulevard South | (239) 985-8120 2546 Heydon Lane | (239) 433-6000

General Membership Lunch

Top Left: Guest Speaker Mei-Mei Chan, Publisher of The News-Press. Mid Left: Tracy VanLandschoot, Cape Coral Caring Center, reminds the group about the Feed The Cape Summer Food Drive. The Chamber has partnered with The News-Press, CCCIA, Spiro & Associates, the City of Cape Coral and FOX 4 on this community project. For More Information Click Here! Bottom Left: Leadership Alumni Matt Connar - Boost Creative, speaks to the group about the benefits of the Leadership Cape Coral program. Top Right: The Cape Chorale serenaded the members at the Mat lunch. Mid Right: Lunch Sponsor Brian Hamman - Centurylink speaks about their services to the membership. Thank you to all of our annual lunch sponsors LCEC, The News-Press and CenturyLink for their support.

Diamond Member Chamber of Commerce ofSystem Cape Coral Lee Memorial Health P.O. Box 2218 Fort Myers, FL 33902

CenturyLink Store 2710 Del Prado Blvd. South Cape Coral, FL 33904 RE/MAX Realty Team 2326 Del Prado Blvd Cape Coral, FL 33990 LCEC 4980 Bayline Dr North Fort Myers, FL 33917

Executive Member Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral BJ’s Wholesale 1929 Pine Island Rd N.E., Cape Coral Gulf Coast Village Retirement Community 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. Cape Coral Lee County Electric Cooperative - LCEC 4980 Bayline Dr, North Fort Myers Premier Oncology Radiation Specialists In Urology 24 Del Prado Blvd N, Cape Coral The News-Press - Fort Myers Office 2442 Dr. MLK Blvd. Ft. Myers 413 NE Van Loon Lane, Cape Coral

People you can trust. Power you can rely on. Possibilities that are endless! That’s the benefit of being a cooperative member! www.lcec.net

Ribbon Cuttings

Gulf Coast Humane Society 2010 Arcadia St Fort Myers, FL 33916 (239) 332-0364 www.gulfcoasthumanesociety.org

BackStreets Sports Bar 915 SE 47th Terrace Cape Coral, FL 33904 (239) 945-7555 www.backstreetssportsbar.com

All Star Tech Support 1639 Cape Coral Parkway E. Suite 106 Cape Coral, FL 33904 (239) 541-9800 www.allstartechsupport.com

RaceTrac 314 Del Prado Blvd N, Cape Coral, FL 33909 (239) 242-0818 www.racetrac.com

Schedule Your Ribbon Cutting Today! Contact Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107 or donna@capecoralchamber.com

Leadership 2013

Celebrating Leadership Excellence

1993-2013

LEADERSHIP CAPE CORAL DEFINED.

TESTIMONIALS

Leadership Cape Coral is a thirteen week program for an adult that educates the participants about the components that make up Cape Coral. The various program days include team building, public safety, education, government, cultural opportunities, infrastructure, corrections, public services, and parks and recreation. These program days are organized and chaired by recent past graduates of the program so that they can share their knowledge concerning the various days.

Leadership Cape Coral isn’t for those that are content with things the way they are. If you or the owner of your business is ready to elevate your performance within the largest city in SW Florida then please sign up for Leadership Cape Coral, it will help you reach that next level. You WON’T be disappointed!

There have been more than 400 graduates of the program since the charter year in 1993. Many of these graduates become a part of Cape Coral Leadership Alumni and often go on to the Advanced Leadership Cape Coral program with a focus on developing and enhancing management and leadership skills. The final tier of leadership education is Cape Coral Community Trustee program, which is by invitation and helps participants discover areas where they can assume community leadership roles. Today, our leadership graduates are contributing to vital areas of the community such as; leadership roles in government from the City Council to the State of Florida, community organizations like American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, and Junior Achievement, and leadership with our largest employers. It is not uncommon for our leadership graduates to see the value and feel the need to pass along the gift of leadership by participating in our Cape Coral Jr. Leadership program. Without a doubt the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral has one of the most comprehensive leadership programs in Florida.

ARE YOU INTERESTED? It is simple to participate, just fill out the registration form below and fax, or mail it to the Chamber. We will send you an application. Be sure to fill out and submit your application before July 26, 2013.

LYNNIE GUZMAN l News-Press l 2011 Leadership Cape Coral opens doors and open your eyes to the community around you. It lays out the assets and the opportunities for you in a way no other investment of time and money could do. I have seen it change the lives of many people and I know it has changed my life forever and that is why I am still involved in Leadership Cape Coral today. The program continues to pay benefits to me, my family, my business and my community. JOE MAZURKIEWICZ l BJM Consulting l 1993 Leadership Cape Coral helped save my life! During health day, a physician was telling us that heart attacks don’t always happen in the most common perceived way–chest pain and numbness in the left arm. I remembered that comment when the following week I had a heart attack (throbbing in both arms just below my elbows and no chest pain). I was rushed to the hospital. B. PAT O’ROURKE l Lee County EDC l 2007

FULL NAME BUSINESS NAME

ADULT LEADERSHIP 2013 FULL ADDRESS PHONE

Are you a Chamber Member? o Yes o No Is a business sponsoring you? o Yes o No

Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral 2051 Cape Coral Parkway E Cape Coral, Florida 33904 (239) 549-6900 phone (239) 549-9609 fax www.CapeCoralChamber.com

Marketing Trends My Life Is A Seinfeld Episode

Christopher T. Spiro CEO, Spiro & Associates Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations

very Memorial Day weekend the Spiro Clan and extended family make a pilgrimage to The Resort at Longboat Key to get together to remember and memorialize our family members who have gone before us. My sister-in-law started the tradition after she lost her grandparents in a horrific car accident. It is an emotional weekend, but also filled with fun and frivolity...and maybe even a little brown liquor and a cigar or two. I made my reservations for this year on Memorial Day of last year — 349 days ago. That’s 51.5 weeks in advance for those keeping score. I requested a particular building that my family congregates in. The previous four years, the property had failed to get our reservation correct and we ended up on the other side of the property. Some of you know my brothers and may deem this appropriate. This year, I called a week in advance to confirm the email confirmation of my room. I asked for early check-in and was granted this privilege...on the phone. We made the journey north on Friday arriving in Longboat Key at approximately 1 p.m. Upon entering the lobby, I witnessed a family unhappy with its room situation discussing things with management. Management’s excuse was, and I quote, “We have oversold the property for this weekend and there is nothing I can do.” As I approached the desk to be helped by Ms. Jung, I handed her my American Express card and said “reservation for Spiro.” She asked which Spiro and I identified myself as to which Spiro I was... my bad! Prior to addressing me, she called over a desk manager and proceeded to whisper back and forth with her referencing the computer screen and me. At this point the manager informs me that even though I made a reservation for Building One nearly a year ago that they would be unable to accommodate my family the way I had reserved. The first night I was to stay in Building Three, and the remainder of my stay I was to be in Building Five. I looked at the manager and expressed my dissatisfaction, in a very stern and teeth-clenched manner. She used the weekend’s go-to line about being over sold and told me there was nothing she could do. I explained my history with this property, why we were there and reminded her of how far out in advance we made the reservation and my call to confirm. At this point I simply looked at her and stated very loudly for all in the lobby to hear, “This is like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry explained to the rental car agent that you can take the reservations, but you can’t hold the reservations. And after all, isn’t that the most important part of the reservation?” Needless to say, I was promised a room in Building One as soon as they were done being cleaned. I thanked them and had my family change into their swimsuits in the lobby restroom – obviously not

the best way to start to a vacation. This Seinfeldesque scenario also ended up happening to one of my brothers and his brother-in-law. Of course the room was not ready as they had outlined, but eventually, I did get a room in Building One. Over the course of the weekend, every ice machine on the property went out with the exception of one. The property ran out of beach towels on Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day. We were unable to acquire a washcloth after Friday and ended up using a hand towel as a washcloth for the balance of the weekend. Upon checkout I discovered $300 in dinner charges charged to my room, and we didn’t eat at the property all weekend (we went to St. Armand’s Circle). The disputed charges still stand as the resort computer system was acting up upon check out. Now, the sun was great the beer was cold, the cigars were amazing and most of all the company and family time was exceptional. I have my first good burn of the summer and enjoyed doing nothing but visiting. We would hit the beach by 8 a.m. and not leave until sunset. I watched my nieces and nephews a year older with their girlfriends and boyfriends in tow. It was glorious. So Spiro, get to the damn point...the point is these people failed to be ready for the game. They failed to recognize a repeat customer, and they failed to employ the least bit of customer service when things went wrong. They failed to ensure that the full team took the field and the equipment was ready. Regardless of whatever type of business you are in, you need to be prepared for game day. You need to ensure that the equipment manager has checked all the equipment and most importantly make sure you go with your firststring lineup when it counts. It costs 10 times less to sell a customer/client who has had a good experience versus trying to recruit a new client. Our attendance at this family gathering has in years past been as many as 10 rooms — 10 rooms of people who spent time talking about moving down the beach! Since we as a family have an emotional tie to this destination we overlook a lot. But as I was leaving, I made my reservation for Building One for the 2014 Memorial Day weekend. As I was reviewing my email confirmation they indeed booked my reservation for Memorial Day 2013 and the day after. After an hour on the phone to get this fixed all I could think was...Newman!!! This time around I hope they can actually hold the reservation as well. Christopher “The BrandMan” Spiro can be found online at Facebook. com/christopher.spiro and Twitter @chrisspiro. Or hit him up at cspiro@ spiroandassociates.com and (239) 481-5511, extension 234.

We deliver Cape Coral news 24/7

The News-Press Media Group connects Cape Coral residents and visitors with news and information in Cape Life every Thursday, and in the Cape section on Sunday. Get the latest updates online and on your mobile device at news-press.com

Subscribe:1.800.468.0233 Cape Coral Editor: Casey Logan | clogan@news-press.com | 344.4721 Advertise: Lynnie Guzman | lguzman@news-press.com | 910.4575

NetworkAdministration Administration Network Maintenance Agreements Agreements Maintenance Off-siteData Data Storage Storage Off-site Dell,Acer, Acer, Apple Apple Dell, (239)573-1000 573-1000 (239) www.entechcomputers.com www.entechcomputers.com

Get In Touch with Get In Residents, & Get Busy New Advertiseand In Prospects The Chamber Visitors with our Trends Magazine Relocation Leads Program! Contact Donna Germain at

549-6900 ext 107 or Contact Donna Germain at donna@capecoralchamber.com 549-6900 ext 107 or donna@capecoralchamber.com

Leaders Needed

he time is approaching for the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral Board of Directors to re-populate itself as both Directors and Trustee seats come to term. We are now soliciting applications from members in good standing to populate those seats. The commitments to serve on the Board of Directors include serving on at least one chamber committee or special events task force, attendance at business after hours and general membership meetings and attendance at monthly board meetings. For most members of the Board of Directors, the minimum investment of time is approximately five hours per month. Approximately 85 percent of our sitting board and trustee members are graduates of Leadership Cape Coral. While it is not a prerequisite, it does improve the chances.

Criteria that is considered in the decision making process is your business category, completion of the Leadership Cape Coral program, committee involvement, special events involvement and program sponsorship. The next leadership class starts in August of 2013. Please contact Donna Germain for details (239) 549-6900 ext. 107 or donna@capecoralchamber.com The balloted elections for both Board and Trustee seats will be completed by October, 2013 for the following fiscal year. If you have any questions, please contact Mike Quaintance, President at 549-6900 ext 106 or q2u2@capecoralchamber.com. Deadline for application submission is 7/1/2013.

Board Application for Board Member and Trustee Name: ___________________________________ Business Name: _________________________________ Title: ___________________________________ Business Address: ________________________________ City: _______________________ Zip: _________ Phone: ____________________ Fax: ________________ Email Address: ___________________________________________________________________________ Why are you requesting a Board or Trustee seat? ________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Do you understand the requirements of the Board?

Yes

Please, describe your business or occupation. __________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Please list your history of community involvement. ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ How do you plan to contribute to the Chamber? ________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ____________________________________________

Date: ___________________

Please return to Mike Quaintance Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, P.O. Box 100747, Cape Coral, Fl. 33910 Phone: (239) 549-6900 Fax: (239) 549-9609 e-mail to: Q2U2@capecoralchamber.com Deadline 5/15/2013

As the summer months are upon us it becomes harder and harder for families and individuals to find sources for food. School programs slow down for the younger generation and in many cases our food pantries see critical lows in inventory. Please help us Feed The Cape and Save Our Summer. Stop by any of these Cape Coral business locations to drop off your canned goods, non-perishable food items or cash donation: Cape Coral Caring Center - 4645 SE 15th Ave. Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral - 2051 Cape Coral Pkwy E. Community Bank of Cape Coral - 61 Hancock Bridge Pkwy. Community Bank of Cape Coral - 1645 SE 47th Terrace Sweetbay - 1016 Cape Coral Pkwy E. Suite 100 SunSplash - 400 Santa Barbara Blvd. City of Cape Coral City Hall - 1015 Cultural Park Blvd. FOS Furniture - 111 N. Del Prado Blvd. Century 21 Sunbelt - 725 Cape Coral Parkway W. Achieva Credit Union - 1631 Del Prado Blvd. S. Achieva Credit Union - 1616 Cape Coral Parkway W.

SPONSORED IN PART BY:

City Government

For More Info: 239.549.6900 | www.capecoralchamber.com City Government 2051 Cape Coral

Parkway E. | Cape Coral, Florida 33904

Get In & Get Busy Advertise In The Chamber Trends Magazine Contact Donna Germain at 549-6900 ext 107

Healthy Trends From Our Chairman Life Is Like A Curve Ball

Salvatore Lacagnina, D.O. 2012 Vice President of Health & Donna Meola, KirkwoodHealth Electric Wellness, Lee Memorial 2012 Chamber Chairman System

can’t believe its December Life, more often than we like, and I am writing my last throws us curve balls and we article as Chairman of the have to deal with them one way Board. 2012 has just flown by or another. How we handle these and there have been so many unexpected challenges reveals a accomplishments I would like to lot about our personality but also share. (Please forgive me if I have about our physical forgotten any!!) abilities. We allfortunate know that life to often How we are live challenges us both in Paradise! Ourphysically economyandis mentally, inthe order to deal growingso and outlook formore 2013 effectively with these challenges, is for continued growth. we2012 needwas to remain bothwas in body and mind.for you, including a greathealthy year!! Much accomplished My recent relatesplace to airline My flight making Capechallenge Coral a better to dotravel. business. Herewas are delayed a few of resulting in almost missing my connecting flight. Upon the first plane the highlights: landing, I hadCoral to run to the next plane for what felt delivered like almoston a mile The Cape Economic Development Office their while wheeling a piece of luggage and carrying another. Hadin I not promise to increase business, investment and employment the been good health I most woulddevelopment have missed the connecting area. in The team closed 137likely economic projects, which represents 85 new businesses in the Cape and 52 expansions. flight. The EDO created public/private withof Lamar In relation to this,a as easy as it is strategic to miss apartnership flight because the Advertising and HDPR Group and a new marketing campaign that inability to run to the next gate, when we are not in good health saysmiss “Cape Coral is Open forin Business. ” folks with health problems we many other things life. Many Cape Coral welcomed the opening of 1,156 businesses in 2012 such as heart disease, joint problems, weight issues, depression, for including 301 place based businesses, 809 home-based businesses example, not only suffer with these illnesses but also suffer because and 46 unspecified businesses. shorter distances they cannot participate in many Commerce things in lifemeans that they enjoy. toMy travel for your goods and services. Commerce also meanstoa destination on this trip was to an area that had many sights diversified tax base and jobs! see but required a lot of walking and stair climbing. I was amazed to Chamber of Commerce Cape Coral grow of as seeThe how many young folks wereofstruggling to continues climb a fewtoflights well; in December 2011 our membership was at an all time low of stairs in order to see the sights. As I looked around, I was again struck 583 members, today we stand at 744. This resulted in a 78 percent by the number of unhealthy young and older folks. As a society, we membership growth with a retention rate of 81 percent. This could have forgotten the importance of seeing good health as a priority. not have been accomplished without the referrals from our members, We exercise only when it is convenient; and we eat healthy only a dynamic sales team and an awesome membership development occasionally. We use many excuses for not leading a healthy life. committee. When we get sick, we look for a cure and are willing to pay because Chamber Leadership programs continue to develop community we have to in order to get well. Sometimes thereafter we are willing leaders. In November, 20 men and women graduated Leadership to change a healthier lifestyle. Cape Coral.toTwenty-four members of the 2012 Chamber board have During this trip also able to participate a cooking class graduated from theI was Leadership Program includinginthe Chairman and where I learned how to cook several foods “from scratch” as they

say including pasta, fresh peppers and an apple tart with the apples coming from the chef’s own apple trees and peppers from the Chair-Elect. havethe 27class highhow school in our Junior garden. ChefWe Ritacurrently also showed she juniors takes herbs that she Leadership Program. grows in her garden to make wonderful spices for the foods we were The Chamber successfully presented (2) Disney Institute programs cooking and enjoying. in 2012. The Chamber Special Events team (yes, I say teams because As a group we were reminded also of the importance of sitting it takes a village!!) brought an astounding 250,000+ citizens and down at a table to enjoy the foods we made while having pleasant members together for Red White and Boom , Golf Tournament, conversation and allowing our senses to enjoy the sights, tastes Farmers Market, Business Expo , Family Bowling Day, a Casino Trip and aromas of these delectable dishes. It dawned on me that, as a to The Price is Right, as well as our Holiday Festival of Lights on culture, we have often changed mealtimes into a race of sorts. We December 1st. throw processed into resulted the microwave oven, web set itreferrals on the Our some on-line business foods directory in 1,300,829 table and gobble it down so fast that we do not even taste it. Then in 2012 that equates to 3,544 on average over the year per member!! we quickly get up from the table and run off to do something else. (Who says membership doesn’t pay?) WeAforget to enjoy the food and even more importantly the people new Chamber mobile app was introduced in 2012. weItare eating who are theelection people we livefor with andPublic love. Affairs was alsowith a very busy year our During the last week I was privileged to visit several Committee! This is a group of passionate people who makebeautiful sure that churches this also isreminded meonly of the necessity of spiritual the “voice”and of business heard, not at the local level but also health. As federal. I travelled between a fewforums of these churches, I encountered state and The candidates’ were very well attended by several unfortunate individuals who obviously were in members and citizenshomeless of Cape Coral. need food, water and otherhosted essentials. of usindid stop to Ourofeducation committee the Several Excellence Education help andinoffer items that$4,500 wouldinatscholarships least temporarily make Awards Aprilsome and awarded to deserving the of these people a little better. I did pray for them and for highlives school seniors! humanity to become moreofhumane. I reminded myselfthat of my It was also the first year our “rotating” luncheons are good being very welland received our membership. fortune how by I should help those less fortunate as often as ServingInasprevious your Chairman thetoBoard anofexcellent possible. articles Iof refer this ashas thebeen power “giving experience and I itfeel blessed for having thereasons opportunity of back” and “paying forward”. When we thinkhad of the why we meeting so this many of you meetings and is events. are here on earth, myatpersonal belief that we are here to help Thank youothers for honoring me with your in trust andshape commitment! and to serve and to leave this earth better than whenIt hasarrived. been my to work mythis. fellow directors and amazing we Weprivilege all benefit whenwith we do staff welldoaswe thebetter membership. So as how deal with the curve balls that life throws I look forward to all aoflifestyle you at future events and you your way? First we seeing maintain that increases ourI wish chances good health and prosperity! of staying strong both physically and mentally. We eat nutritious, natural foods with every meal and we avoid as much as possible the processed foods and fast foods that are so filled with chemicals, fats and calories. We find every reason to stay active. We add exercise into our schedules and write it on our calendars. We use the stairs and get up and get moving as many times during the day as we can. We then celebrate our good health as we hit that curve ball out of the park and enjoy ever moment of life that we are blessed with. When we do not take good health for granted and instead see it as a priority, we enjoy so many more aspects of life. Stay healthy my friends and as always please send your comments and questions to Dr.Sal@leememorial.org

We deliver, every day. Call Lynnie to advertise

910.4575

Special Events Red, White and Boom Bob Knickman Special Events Director

e are one month away from The City of Cape Coral RE/ MAX Realty Team’s Red White & Boom. This past week, the volume of calls and e-mails about Boom has exploded (pardon, the pun). SPONSORS, VENDORS and VOLUNTEERS are contacting us about being involved. This will be the LAST CALL for Boom SPONSORS. The sponsorship packages come in all sizes that include marketing, banner placement, event tent or space, VIP tickets ($100 each value) and more. If you are reading this Friday, Saturday or Sunday, contact me on MONDAY and let’s get you on board. CLICK HERE FOR SPONSOR PACKAGES. VENDORS: There are two types TENT & SPACE. $499 Tent Vendor, we supply the tent, tables, chairs, lights & electric. $299 Space Vendor, we supply a table, chairs and electric and you supply everything else (you can bring your own tent). CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP AS A VENDOR. VOLUNTEERS: We have the easiest way ever to sign up through “Volunteer Spot” you will be able to pick and choose when, where

and what type of work you want to do. You can see who you will be working with, along with any special details about the work. Plus, it will send you automatic reminders. WE NEED VOLUNTEERS please CLICK HERE TO VOLUNTEER. Remember, if you have any questions you can e-mail me at bob@ capecoralchamber.com or call at 549-6900 x109, thank you and see you at the BOOM. Thanks to all our sponsors: RE/MAX Realty Team, City of Cape Coral, Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral, FOS Furniture, Entech Computer Services, Suncoast Beverage, WINK TV, Caloosa Tent & Rental, The News Press, Cat Country, Capecoral. com, The Breeze Newspapers, Lamar Advertising. Vapin’ in the Cape, Community Redevelopment Agency, Century Link Prism TV, Palm RV & Marine, Realty Title Solutions. Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, PA, Dixie Road House, The Smart Companies, StoutenCramer, SeaTow, Brent’s Music, Dorado’s Dockside Restaurant, The Crazy Olive, Key West Express, Paradise Deli & Market, Dempsey’s Diner, On Track Doors, Walgreens, Smargasy Inc, Zoomers Amusements, Animal ER of Southwest Florida.

Chamber Golf Tournament

LOGO ON: Event Website Weekly E-trends Monthly Trends Lunch Slide Apps & Forms Event Poster Event T-Shirts NAME IN TEXT ON News-Press Ad The Breeze Ad Event Emails

SPARKLE

PATRIOT

$ $ 2 1 5 Thursday, July 4th, 0 0 0 2013 0 0 ADDED VALUE: 6 VIP Tickets 4 Parking Passes 6 Event T-Shirts Banner placement 1 10X10 Tent 2 Skirted Tables 4 Chairs Lights & Electric

NAME IN TEXT ON: The Breeze Event Website Weekly E-trends Monthly Trends Event Poster Event T-Shirts Event Emails

ADDED VALUE: 4 VIP Tickets 3 Parking Passes 4 Event T-Shirts Banner placement 1 10X10 Tent 2 Skirted Tables 4 Chairs Lights & Electric

Thursday, July 4th, LIBERTY 2013 NAME IN TEXT ON: Event Website Weekly E-trends Monthly Trends Event Emails

$ 5 0 0

ADDED VALUE: 2 VIP Tickets 1 Parking Passes 2 Event T-Shirts Banner placement 1 10X10 Space Electric

BANNER $99

1 Company Banner Hung Within The Event.

Name: ___________________________________________ Company: _________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ City: ________________________________ ZIP: _________ Phone: ________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________ Signature: ________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________ Credit Card #: _________________________________________ Exp Date: _______________ 3 Digit Code: ___________ NO BLINKING OR FLASHING ITEMS ALLOWED

EZ On-Line Sign up & Pay: www.capecoralchamber.com - Fax 239-549-9609 - Email: specialevents@capecoralchamber.com

Vapin’ in the Cape, Community Redevelopment Agency, Century Link Prism TV, Palm RV & Marine, Realty Title Solutions. Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, PA, Dixie Road House, The Smart Companies, Highway Technologies - SeaTow - Suncoast PortableStoutenCramer, SanitationSeaTow, Brent’s Music, Dorado’s Dockside Restaurant, Crazy West Express, Paradise Deli & Market, Dempsey’s Highway -The SeaTow - Key Suncoast Portable Sanitation DixieTechnologies Roadhouse home ofOlive, the Official Boom Pre-Party Diner, On Track Doors, Walgreens, Smargasy Inc, Zoomers Amusements, Animal ER of Southwest Dixie Roadhouse home of the Official Boom Pre-Party Florida

Thank You for a Great Golf Tournament!!!!!

Presented Byâ&#x20AC;Ś

Thank You to our Hole Sponsors!!!! B2 Solutions, Inc, Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, LLC, All Power Electric, LLC, Corona Property Holdings, LLC, Backstreets Sports Bar, Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services, Tim Collier-State Farm, The Boat House of Cape Coral, Kirkwood Electric, Inc., Wonderland Realty/Cape Coral Town Center, For The Kids Foundation Inc, Gator Dredging, Barton Insurance Agency/Nationwide, Waste Pro, Best Pets Dog Boarding and Daycare, Entech, ServiceMaster Restorations, BEST Title Solutions, Inc., Black Solutions & Rumrunners Thank you to our Players!!!! Corona Property Holdings, LLC, Fuller Metz Cremation and Funeral Services, Tim Collier-State Farm, The Boat House of Cape Coral, Tundra Homes, BB & T - Oswald, Trippe & Co. B2 Solutions, Inc, Wonderland Realty/Cape Coral Town Center, Avalon Engineering, WJ Bachman Mechanical Sheetmetal Co. of Florida Inc., All Power Electric, LLC, Rumrunners, Gator Dredging, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network , ReMax Realty, Barton Insurance Agency/Nationwide, Miloff Aubuchon Realty Group, Inc., DJC Insurance & Financial Services & New York Life Ins. Co., Entech, Castle Harbour Homes , Koboyashi Dojo, BEST Title Solutions, Inc., Cape Coral Housing Development Corp., Achieva Credit Union, Wink News & Lee Memorial Health System

THANK YOU SPONSORS

2013 BOOM SPONSORSHIPS Thursday, July 4th, 2013 4:00pm - 10:00pm Cape Coral Parkway Foot of the Cape Coral Bridge to Del Prado Blvd.

LOGO ON: Event Website Weekly E-trends Monthly Trends Lunch Slide Apps & Forms Event Poster Event T-Shirts NAME IN TEXT ON News-Press Ad The Breeze Ad Event Emails

SPARKLE

$ 2 5 0 0

ADDED VALUE: 6 VIP Tickets 4 Parking Passes 6 Event T-Shirts Banner placement 1 10X10 Tent 2 Skirted Tables 4 Chairs Lights & Electric

LIBERTY NAME IN TEXT ON: Event Website Weekly E-trends Monthly Trends Event Emails

$ 5 0 0

ADDED VALUE: 2 VIP Tickets 1 Parking Passes 2 Event T-Shirts Banner placement 1 10X10 Space Electric

PATRIOT

$ 1 0 0 0

NAME IN TEXT ON: The Breeze Event Website Weekly E-trends Monthly Trends Event Poster Event T-Shirts Event Emails

ADDED VALUE: 4 VIP Tickets 3 Parking Passes 4 Event T-Shirts Banner placement 1 10X10 Tent 2 Skirted Tables 4 Chairs Lights & Electric

BANNER $99

1 Company Banner Hung Within The Event.

EZ On-Line Sign up & Pay: www.capecoralchamber.com - Fax 239-549-9609 - Email: specialevents@capecoralchamber.com

Chamber Networking

Top Left: Thank you to Radiology Regional who hosted a great Business After Hours on May 16th. Mid Left: Kim Geiger - Community Bank of Cape Coral, Steve Geiger and Kevin Mikolashek - BB&T. Bottom Left: Patrick Quinlan and Matt Lamb - Miloff Aubuchon Realty and Reggie Germain - High Fidelity Studios. Top Right: MIchelle lewis - B2 Solutions, Linda Kolber - Associates In General & Vascular Surgery Vein and Laser Center, Jennifer Llanos - Costco and Beverly Black - Black Business Solutions. Mid Right: A big thank you goes out to Fletcherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grille for hosting our Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Power Networking event in May. We had a fantastic turn out and the attendees made some great business connections.

Real Estate Trends Same Questions, Maybe Different Answers Berge Aslanian (CDPE) Realtor, RE/MAX Island Harbor www.RECapeCoral.com

ell our season has ended but we are still attending to the transactions inspired by the 5-28-13 continued enthusiasm of visiting Real Estate Trends That seems to have kept buyers. Same Questions, Maybe Different Answers investors energized too. But the Well our season has ended but we are still attending to the transactions same questions keepinspired getting by the continued enthusiasm of visiting buyers. That seems to have kept asked, “Are prices going to go investors energized too. But the same questions keep getting asked, “Are prices going to go down? Should I wait for them to go down because these for prices are to down? Should I wait them high?” Really? gotoodown because these prices are too high?” Really? Thenumbers numbers forpast themonth past ought month ought to give some those clues to The for the to give us some clues us to answer questions. The questions. numbers for the month ending 5/28: answer those The numbers for the month ending 5/28: For Sale Sold

March ’13 Homes Median $ 1501 $239,750 311 $155,000

April ’13 May ‘13 Median $ Homes Median $ Homes 1347 $254,500 1197 $260,000 358 $165,000 373 $158,750

For Sale Sold

March ’13 Condos Median $ 307 $135,000 47 $106,000

April ’13 May ‘13 Median $ Condos Median $ Condos 293 $138,000 283 $138,000 61 $119,750 60 $105,000

On single family homes, listings of homes for sale are dropping On single family homes, listings of homes for sale are dropping while sales have while salesincreased. have noticeably That for means noticeably That meansincreased. inventory of homes sale isinventory not being of replenished as fast homes are being sold. The as result is prices are only down homes for sale isasnot being replenished fast as homes are being slightly. sold. The result is prices are only down slightly. Condos show the same units for sale decreasing and are Condos show the trend. same Numbers trend. ofNumbers ofare units for sale numbers of units sold are steady. Once again, prices are down slightly. decreasing and numbers of units sold are steady. Once again, prices are down slightly. With numbers of properties sold firm and steady in both categories and prices showing a slight decline an easy conclusion can and be made. Buyers are buying the With numbers of properties sold firm steady in both categories lowest priced properties while they still can. These are the ones that will show and showing aincrease slightasdecline an easy conclusion can be made. the prices highest percentage prices continue to rise. Buyers are buying the lowest priced properties while they still can. Smart buyers realize that these prices are still low in comparison to replacement These areinthe ones will show the increase cost and relation to that national averages. So, highest those folkspercentage who are waiting to see as if prices will go down prices continue to because rise. they got spoiled with our extremely low, distressed prices a year or two ago will be standing on the dock in despair as the ship sails without them on board.

As a highlight to what we are experiencing, most recently a couple from New York were visiting with the intention of buying near their retired father/father-inlaw here in Cape Coral. After looking at houses on the internet and then driving by several homes in their price range, they decided on one that met their criteria because they thought it was a steal compared to what they live in up north. And

Smart buyers realize that these prices are still low in comparison to replacement cost and in relation to national averages. So, those folks who are waiting to see if prices will go down because they got spoiled with our extremely low, distressed prices a year or two ago will be standing on the dock in despair as the ship sails without them on board. As a highlight to what we are experiencing, most recently a couple from New York were visiting with the intention of buying near their retired father/father-in-law here in Cape Coral. After looking at houses on the internet and then driving by several homes in their price range, they decided on one that met their criteria because they thought it was a steal compared to what they live in up north. And you know what? It is a steal compared to what they have up there. A nice four bedroom home with vaulted ceilings and a fenced yard for slightly over $100,000. Wow! They really don’t have to do anything to it other than move in. This astute couple recognized the value and an offer has been submitted. The sellers priced the property fairly and the buyers are happy with the price. We’ve all heard the saying, “If you snooze, you lose.” Well, that saying fits this market perfectly. For those that have to sell, pricing your property fairly will accomplish your mission because there is demand for reasonably priced properties. For those who are in the market to buy, there will not be a better time than now because prices are not going down in the foreseeable future. In fact, there are a number of buyers from 1-3 years ago reaping sweet returns on homes they are now selling. We’ve been seeing 10-35% profit and more depending on the property and when it was bought. All the signs are there. This market has continued to trend upward steadily. Those of us in the trenches see it every day. The numbers support that upward trend. So, when we get asked those questions about prices going down the answer is very simple to say but difficult for some people to understand, “No, prices are not going down”. And, “No, prices are not too high; they’re still well below the cost to build and still well below those national averages that drive our economy.” Maybe not what some want to hear but it is the simple truth. As mentioned here so many times before, please don’t miss out on these opportunities. They are here now. We probably won’t see these low prices ever again. Do your homework, work with a realtor and accomplish your goal!

FIRST HOUR FREE

BUSINESS MENTORS

Here To Help! The First Hour Free Program is designed to provide Chamber Members with professional business resources to help them start or grow a business, and the First Hour Is Free!!! Need Professional Business Advice? Need to Explore the Merits of a Business Idea? Need to Identify New Opportunities? Looking to Trial a New Business Relationship? GET YOUR INFORMATION HERE! RESOURCES INCLUDE;

HUMAN RESOURCES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT INSURANCE GRAPHIC DESIGN ENGINEERING BUSINESS COACHINGATTORNEY FINANCE ADVERTISING PRINTING ACCOUNTING GOVERNMENT CONSULTANT FIND these professionals by going to www.capecoralchamber.com under “Membership” then Programs.

(239) 549-6900

...

with a purpose. 2051 Cape Coral Parkway E Cape Coral, FL 33904 (239) 549-6900 (800) 226-9609 www.capecoralchamber.com