April 2013 Newsletter

CONNECTIONS APRIL 2013 - Vol. 44, Issue 4

General Membership Luncheon

IN THIS ISSUE...

Leadership

Please join us at the next General Membership Luncheon where we will hear from Tom Whaley, Executive Vice President of Saint Paul Saints Baseball.

P2 - Article by Cathy Haukedahl P3 - Congressman Paulsen Update P4 - Article by Pat MulQueeny P4- A Recent Grow MN! Visit P4- Business Conference

Whaley will be speaking about “20 years of fun” including fun stories, Saints Baseball history, marketing ventures,how he has successfully used business marketing and finally, why they do what they do! There will be an opportunity for questions after his presentation.

LOCATION: Radisson Blu, Mall of America TIME: 11:30AM- 1:00PM PRICE: Member-$25 & Non-Member-$40 REGISTER: epchamber.org or call (952) 944-2830

Community Building

P5 - Eden Prairie School District P5- Ambassador Site Visits

Tom Whaley

Public Policy

Sponsored By:

P6- Article by Tom Donohue

Women’s Networking Luncheon

Networking

Join us this month for our Women’s Networking Luncheon where we will be speaking about “What you need to know before starting a business.”

P7- Smartphone Shopping?

P7- Taste

Ann Sangpan from Check Engine Express will be our speaker. She will tell you everything you need to know before starting a business, while also telling you how to maintain that business.

epchamber2 Follow us on Twitter!

She will give you the opportunity to ask all the questions you have on business planning! Don’t miss it! Please come prepared with some questions for Ann!

Look for us on Facebook “Eden Prairie Chamber”

LOCATION: Hilton Garden Inn

Look for us on LinkedIn “Eden Prairie Chamber”

TIME: 11:30AM- 1:00PM Price: Member-$25 & Non-Member-$40 REGISTER: epchamber.org or call (952) 944-2830

Visit our YouTube Channel “EPChamber2” Join the Discussion! epchamber2.blogspot.com

Ann Sangpan

NEWSLETTER PREFERENCE- ELECTRONIC or PRINT If you want to only receive an electronic version of the newsletter, please send an e-mail to communications@epchamber.org and in the subject line, put “Electronic Newsletter Only.”

THANK YOU to our 2013 Annual Sponsors!

Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsor General Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Silver Sponsor General Sponsor

YOUR CONNECTION TO BUSINESS & COMMUNITY SINCE 1969

Leadership April – Renew and Release

By Cathy Haukedahl, 2013 Chamber Board Chair Flagship Bank Can you feel the energy of new business this year? How did your first quarter go? What would you do differently? I love April. April brings thoughts of spring cleaning, refreshment and new beginnings.

If you ask seasoned businessmen and women, most people will agree the last 5 business years have been rough. We made tough decisions, realigned our staff, critically analyzed our business plan and embraced social media. We tried new sales techniques and we quickly realized the value of a referral and the value of our loyal business relationships. These years have been challenging, but filled with opportunity for renewal and change. Do you have work related projects still hanging over your head? Perhaps now is the time to “think outside the box”, find a new way to complete it or let it go.

Looking for unique, fun & creative ideas to promote your business? Please join fellow Eden Prairie Chamber members at the next General Membership Luncheon where we will hear from Tom Whaley, Executive Vice President of Saint Paul Saints Baseball. Whaley is a recovering attorney whose baseball career began accidentally in 1992 when he sold an outfield wall billboard, program ad and four season tickets to the general manager of a moving company as they stood on the courthouse steps following a hearing. He has been working with the Saints since 1993 in various positions. Come hear from Tom Whaley at our General Membership Luncheon on April 18th at the Radisson Blu at 11:30AM. Also, please plan to attend Taste of the Chamber Luncheon Thursday, April 25th 11:30AM-1PM at Bucca. The event is FREE for guests and current Eden Prairie Chamber Members provided they bring a prospective Chamber Member. The event sells out quickly, so please confirm your attendance to Amy.

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“Connections” (USPS 729770) is published 12 times per calendar year by the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Periodicals postage paid at Hopkins, MN - POSTMASTER: Send address changes to “Connections,” 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Leadership Congressman Paulsen To Give Update We are very excited to announce that US Congressman Erik Paulsen will be speaking at our special Friday, April 5th breakfast! Join us and hear the latest federal updates. This is going to be a great event, so please get your RSVP in today before it is too late! You can RSVP at epchamber.org or by contacting our office at 952-944-2830. Limited Space Available!

DATE/TIME: Friday, April 5th from 7:30- 9:00 AM (Registration will begin at 7:30 AM) LOCATION: C. H. Robinson, 14701 Charlson Road in Eden Prairie COST: $20 for Chamber members and $35 for non-members Sponsored by: More information about Congressman Erik Paulsen: In January 2013, Congressman Erik Paulsen was sworn in to serve his third term representing Minnesota’s Third Congressional District.

Paulsen's legislative agenda parallels the initiatives that make Minnesota a great place to live, work and raise a family: a strong economic climate for job growth, a fairly-funded and accountable education system, a well-preserved environment, safe communities, and tax reform for taxpayers and businesses. Paulsen is a member of the Ways & Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care, economic and trade policy and is the chief tax writing committee in the House of Representatives. He supports pro-growth initiatives and believes that open markets are the key to a strong economy.

For information on all Chamber events please call (952) 944-2830 or go to our website to register at epchamber.org

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

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Leadership Programs and Partnerships

By Pat MulQueeny, IOM, President Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce

Each year the Chamber puts on over 125 events and programs that provide opportunities for our members to potentially meet new clients, new vendors, gain business insight through information provided by the presenter and give access to decision makers like our elected officials. In just the past few weeks we have hosted a very informative luncheon on the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) where Terry Moore from Hellmuth & Johnson went through numerous issues for businesses to consider, areas that businesses may see benefits from the law and other areas they will probably see costs.

At the beginning of March, we hosted one of our Public Policy breakfasts where State Representative Loon and Senator Hann highlighted the issues that were and continue to be discussed at the Capitol – healthcare exchange, state budget, taxes on businesses as well as sales tax changes and more. Additionally, we hosted numerous programs from our more formalized networking program Business@Breakfast (B@B) to our After Hours events, Business Expo and our Home, Landscape and Garden Expo.

Testimonial Tuesdays – The Chamber started a new and fun way to share members using other members services and products called Testimonial Tuesday. It is simple to participate in it – if you haven’t liked our Facebook page - please do so. Then, on Tuesday’s we will ask for members to post their testimonials of which businesses they used and share their great experiences. Check it out if you haven’t!

Partnerships- We have partnered with the Bloomington, Edina and Richfield Chambers to host quarterly BEER programs with the first one hosted in March and subsequent programs in May, August and tentatively for November. These programs will offer great speakers and larger networking opportunities amongst the four chambers. Thank you’s to Comcast Business Class and Promotion Select for sponsoring these.

Taste the Chamber – Our next Taste the Chamber luncheon program is Thursday, April 25th at Buca from 11:30AM– 1:00PM. The purpose of this program is to help businesses who are not Chamber members understand what the Chamber offers and have them join.

This increases the opportunities for current members to gain new clients, and utilize the products and services of these businesses. All members are encouraged to bring a prospective member (or two or three etc.) to this event. Members who have a prospect join and that prospect states they were referred by that member - they will receive $100 cash for each and every one!! For more information, please contact Amy at 952-944-2830 or e-mail her at amy.sinclair@epchamber.org.

We hope to see you at one of the many programs coming up. Please remember – the Eden Prairie Chamber is the go to Chamber to support and grow your business!

Business Conference June 19th!

A Recent Grow MN! Visit With IHOP

Sponsor and Speak – Chamber members only – for $50 you get the opportunity to present on one of the topics, a display table at the After Hours event, attend 2 seminars and your organization will be listed as a sponsor! Spots are limited so reserve yours today!

Topics include:

Sales in Today’s Economy Marketing your Business Business Law Business Tax changes Social Media Technology and your Business Financing your Business and Growth – working with your banker Health and Wellness Leadership Development The Chamber reserves the right to set topics up for panels with up to 3 speakers. To reserve your spot, please e-mail: pat.mulqueeny@epchamber.org with your topic and a brief description of your presentation.

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Recent Grow MN! visit. IHOP is the place for delicious food, great service and a friendly atmosphere.

Grow MN – the Eden Prairie Chamber is a partner in the state wide economic development initiative Grow MN. Our Business Development Committee is actively engaged in meeting area businesses and working to help them with any issues they may have. To have them schedule an appointment with your business, please e-mail us at pat.mulqueeny@epchamber.org.”

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

Community Building Update from the Eden Prairie School District

By Eden Prairie Schools

As the piles of snow begin to melt and our wishes from warmer weather become closer to reality, work in the Eden Prairie Schools is in high gear. We are full speed ahead in the current school year and are already moving forward on planning for the 2013-2014 school year. Here are a few of the highlights happening in Eden Prairie Schools:

coach and coach of the U.S. Olympics “miracle on ice” team. Last year McKenzie received the Robert Moran Award, which is presented by EPHS to a junior that best exemplifies athletic ability, sportsmanship, leadership and clean living. In addition to hockey, McKenzie is a talented lacrosse player, and has been named Academic All-American and All-American Honorable Mention.

• The school board recently approved the calendar for the 2013-2014 school year. The calendar includes a few tweaks to the days-off schedule to help the school year run smoothly for families and staff. Most noticeable is that days off for elementary and secondary students have been aligned. This means there will no longer be days when some grade levels are in school, while others are off. Parents will also appreciate that conference days have been staggered. Conferences for different grade levels no longer over-lap, which should make it easier for parents of students in multiple buildings to participate. This year, the Thanksgiving break for all students will be two days, however the winter break will be two full weeks. The new calendar also incorporates one additional student day during the course of the year. In addition to the calendar for the next school year, the board released a tentative draft of the 2014-15 calendar. This is a working draft, showing preliminary plans for the first and last days of the school year, winter break, and spring break. Other days off for holidays and conferences are yet to be determined. Both calendars are posted on the district’s website at www.edenpr.org.

• EP Varsity Alpine skiers Kelly Cullen, freshman, and Nik Zeller, eighth grade, competed last week at the USSA Regional Championships held in Marquette, Michigan. Both qualified to represent the Central Region Team in their respective age classes. Kelly will compete at the U16 National Championships to be held in Beaver Creek, Colorado, March 3-9. Nik will compete at the U14 National Championships in Winter Park, Colorado, March 11-16.

• EPHS senior McKenzie Johnson was named the 2013 Herb Brooks Award recipient at the conclusion of the girls’ Class AA hockey tournament on February 23. The award is given each year to a player in each class, in both boys and girls hockey, who best represents the values, commitment and love of the game, in commemoration of the state’s beloved hockey coach. Players are nominated by their head coach, who complete a checklist of qualities associated with Herb Brooks, who was a long time Gopher hockey

• Within days of the iPad roll-out at Central Middle School, students and teachers were taking full advantage of the digital doors that have opened. Some of the examples of student use include:  Science students were using an astronomy app that shows constellations and identifies the stars in any region of the sky  Students in Chinese class were using an app to help them learn and write Chinese characters  Students in another science classroom were using their iPads to take pictures of mold growth that they will use to augment their lab reports  In art class, students used an app called Procreate to plan and practice their compositions before painting them;  Band students downloaded sheet music into their device, and then added pictures and notations to remind them how to play certain sections All of the nearly 1,400 seventh and eighth graders at CMS had an iPad assigned to them on January 29. They not only use them to learn, create and share during the school day, but they also take them home and are able to continue their learning there.

Ambassador Site Visits from March 2013!

Prodality Parag Shah 612-208-7724 parag.shah@prodality.com

Silver Communications Henry Gallagher 612-567-9595 hgallagher@silvercommunications.net

Milios Sandwiches Lesley Fahey 952-918-1600 epmilios@milios.com

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

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Public Policy Washington Needs a Reality Check By: Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Washington could use a strong dose of reality right now. To solve our problems and seize opportunities, we must face up to some basic facts and fundamental realities.

The first reality is that we can’t do much of anything without economic growth, and you can’t create growth and jobs without the private sector. The debates are often centered around revenue and spending—who’s paying up and who’s getting what. But economic growth is the real force behind opportunity, security, and prosperity.

We could return the economy to full employment through growth alone, with no rise in government spending. With stronger growth, the government would collect more revenue and help drive down the debt and deficits. Exports would boom, household income would increase, and millions would rise out of poverty.

Another reality that’s often overlooked is that demography is destiny. Due to our aging society and increased life expectancy, the entitlement programs designed for an earlier era are unsustainable. They must be revised to meet today’s obligations and to keep tomorrow’s promises. We also face a shortage of native-born Americans to run our economy. We need an open and welcoming immigration policy that allows the world’s best talent and hardest workers to contribute to our economy and help keep it robust and competitive.

Our policies must reflect the reality that we are part of a competitive global economy. We can’t afford to think only in domestic terms.

We need a bold trade agenda that ensures American exports are reaching world markets and that global trade and investment are welcome on our shores. Our tax code must not place U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage in the world. We need a regulatory system that fosters innovation and keeps the United States an attractive place to do business.

Finally, any rational analysis of the facts and our history show that our nation’s prosperity has been—and must always be—borne out of economic freedom. Our citizens and businesses have the right to take risks and be rewarded. They can go as far as their dreams, talent, and hard work will take them. Why would we ever want to move—by design or accident—to a system where we turn over more of our freedom and responsibility to the government?

The tough choices we face about our future demand a clear-eyed approach. Our economic and fiscal challenges require a public debate that’s based on reality and characterized by truth telling. Washington isn’t exactly known for being forthcoming—but expect to hear it straight from business.

March 2013

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Public Policy Brea kfast with Chambe r President Pat Mul Queeny, State Rep. Je ni fer Loon and Senator David Hann

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

Networking Smartphone and Wireless Plan shopping?

By: Patrick Lumby Verizon Wireless

There have been a lot of changes in the cell phone market since I started in 1999. New phone models and calling plans continue to come out and are always changing. This is why I do my best with making sure my customers get a phone and services that they are going to be happy with for 2 plus years. The following article is to equip you with what I believe is needed before purchasing any new wireless phone and or service.

Basic phones have not changed much; in fact the selection seems to get smaller and smaller every year. Smartphone options, however, continue to grow and can often seem overwhelming. Smartphones are cell phones with an operating system, similar to a PC. These all give you the ability to use email on the go, view and edit attachments, surf the web and most popular lately, download and use various applications (Apps). The four, current smartphone categories are: Blackberry, Windows, Android and Apple iOS. A common question I ask my customers is, “what do you use at home for computers and tablets?” If a customer uses Macs or ipads, I usually recommend the Apple iPhone. These provide a very consistent user experience and can really minimize the learning curve, especially if this is their first smartphone. Androids provide more variety since they are made by several, different manufactures such as Motorola, Samsung, LG and HTC. Android or “Droids” as they are sometimes called also offer the user different phone and screen sizes as well as a little more user customization, compared to the iphone. Blackberry and Windows phones also work well but have been extremely less popular compared to the Android and Apple smartphones lately.

For good advice on phone models and carriers, I always recommend asking friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers what they use and why. This is where you will most often get honest, first-hand feedback. Doing some research and reading user reviews online can sometimes be helpful, but not always. If researching online, I advise to not only do this on the phone carrier’s site. Check out other sites like www.phonescoop.com or www.cnet.com to just name a few.

The latest trend with calling plans is to give customers unlimited minutes and texting, while providing tiered data plans (Verizon and AT&T). The average smartphone user uses less than 2MB of data per month and with the increasing availability of WiFi, most users can rely less on their cell phone provider for their data needs. Data is used anytime the phone is sending or receiving information, outside of calling or texting. It is always a good idea to figure out your average of all 3 categories: minutes, texting and data, before coming into a cell phone store. With this info, we can recommend the plan that is most cost effective for your needs. There also might be plans that the carrier does not advertise, so make sure to ask about these too.

The other items that are good to have before phone or plan shopping, especially if you are thinking about changing carriers are: 1) Current carrier account number, 2) Acct password or PIN and 3) Email address and password. This makes the process much easier and we can usually have your new phone up and running with your existing cell phone number and email in a few minutes rather than days. If you want work email on your new smartphone, it’s always good to ask your IT dept: 1) Which smartphones will and will not work on our account? 2) Will you provide the information needed to set up my email while I’m at the store? The info for work email settings is usually: incoming and outgoing server info, port #s and password. Most businesses will now provide their employees with instructions, to help with email set up, while others require their own IT team to set up email for their employees.

I also strongly recommend finding out what the return policies are for the store you are working with. I provide my customers a one-time exchange within 14 days. That way, if my customer tries a new smartphone out and they come to find they really would prefer something else, there is no additional cost to them. Other stores might have a re-stocking fee which can persuade the customer to keep something they might not be happy with using long term.

In conclusion, smartphones can be a very powerful tool in keeping productive inside and outside the office. They also offer endless entertainment relief and can provide a much more pleasurable experience, compared to basic cell phones. The information above is what I feel are the basic requirements when shopping for a new wireless phone or service.

For more information on Smartphones and wireless plans, call Pat Lumby at (952) 224-9287.

Are you an emerging leader?

Are you looking for a great opportunity to network with other young professionals in your community? Join Fusion, the Eden Prairie Chambers Emerging Leaders Group!

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

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This is a publication of: Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce

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7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ Breakfast at The Colony

7:30AM- Business Development Meeting 11:30AM-1:00PM- Noontime Networking @ Healthy Training

7:30AM- Erik Paulsen Congressional Breakfast @ C.H. Robinson

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7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ Breakfast at The Colony

7:30AM- Board Meeting @ Chamber

11:30AM- 1:00PM- Joint Government Committee Meeting with Edina

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Ph: 952.944.2830 Fax: 952.944.0229

APRIL 2013 - EPC Calendar of Events

Monday 1

11455 Viking Drive, Suite 270 Eden Prairie, MN 55344

11:30AM-1:00PM Women’s Networking Luncheon @ Hilton Garden Inn Newsletter Ads Due

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7:30AM- Government Committee 7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ meeting @ Chamber Breakfast at The Colony 11:30AM- Golf Committee @ Chamber

11:30AM-1:00PM General Membership Luncheon @ Radisson Blu, Mall of America 4:30-6:00PM- Fusion Meeting @ AirMaxx Trampoline

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Newsletter Inserts Due

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7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ Breakfast at The Colony 11:30 AM-1:00PM-Taste @ Buca Di Beppo 4:30 - 6:00PM- After Hours @ Umbria

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PLEASE RSVP FOR ALL EVENTS BY 12 PM THE DAY PRIOR! Visit epchamber.org to view details, pricing or to RSVP today!