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CONNECTIONS MARCH 2012 - Vol. 43, Issue 3

Women’s Networking Luncheon- Sara Rogers

IN THIS ISSUE...

Thursday, March 8th from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM @ Biaggi’s

Leadership

Join us at our Women’s Networking Luncheon this month as we will hear from Sara Rogers, your leading source for style and wardrobe information! Sara is the Trend Specialist for The Mall of America. Whether you need a little advice, a lot of hands-on help or something in-between, Sara has you covered (in the exact color and shape for your body type.) With over 20 years of prominent style and image consulting experience, she brings it all together one well-dressed client and wardrobe-friendly closet at a time.

P2- Article by Glenn Schwartz P2- Board Member: Allan Giese P3- Ambassador Updates P3- Ambassador of the Month

Public Policy P4- Article by Thomas Donohue P4- Golden Apple Award Info

Community Building P5- Article by Tim Schneider P5- Testimonial: Eric Nelson P5- Sponsorship Corner

This event will be held at Biaggi’s, 8251 Flying Cloud Drive, #3010, Eden Prairie. You can register now for this event by calling the Chamber office (952) 944-2830 or by registering on our website! We hope to see you there! We have 3 sponsorships still available for this luncheon, contact Sammi at communications@epchamber.org or at 952-944-2830 for more information.

Sponsored by:

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Bronze Sponsor Valley Staffing, Inc. Quality Placements, Excellent Service

General Sponsor

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Leadership The Chamber’s New Direction Internship Program By Glenn Schwartz, 2012 Chamber Board Chair Glenn J. Schwartz, Attorney at Law

a part of the Chamber’s mission to be a catalyst for the business community, the Chamber is developing an internship program for participants who are in the process of a mid life change of careers. The program is known as the Eden Prairie Chamber New Direction Internship Program.

the experience requirement and to give them the qualifications that employers are looking for. The benefit to employers who hire or sponsor an intern can be substantial. The employer receives the benefit of the exposure to outstanding and motivated talent and may even want to hire the intern as a result of the internship.

In today’s economy and work environment, the days of “one career for life” are largely gone. The current trend is that most working people will change professional careers numerous times during their lives. While this trend recently is related to the shifts in the economy, it also appears that it will be a trend that will persist, even in a more positive economic environment.

I believe in leading by example. This winter I hired an intern from the Rasmussen College paralegal program. My intern was competent, professional, self-motivated, talented and well trained. We both benefited from her work as my intern. I plan to use her services in the future and I will recommend her highly for a future professional position.

People in transition are able to obtain educations and, ultimately, degrees in new career fields through the outstanding educational institutions available locally, many of which are Chamber members. However, the successful student with training and even a degree in a new career field will have a difficult time obtaining experience in their chosen field. They are at a competitive disadvantage with applicants that have both the required education and experience.

This spring, the Chamber will develop its own internship program and information on the position will be forth coming. We are asking our member businesses who are willing to work with the Chamber on this program to contact the Chamber staff. If your company has had internship programs in place, the Chamber will help you promote the programs and fill the positions. If this seems like a great idea but your company would want help with the development of an internship program, the Chamber will help. Our goal is to promote your business and create a mission worthy program sponsored by your Chamber. All we need is you!

One of the main purposes of the internship program is to give qualified and trained individuals some real time, on the job experience with employers in their new chosen field to help satisfy

Meet one of our newest Board Members- Allan Giese! Allan Giese has been successful in sales from an early age. His first job in High School was selling shoes. Within a few months, Allan was the top salesperson and was promoted to a management position. The company asked Allan to open their newest store in another location. Allan’s next career was in the automobile sales business, where he again became the top salesperson after only six months. With nearly 17 years at the same dealership, he has built up a large repeat and referral business. In addition, Allan has been involved with developing and presenting sales training for a number of years. Allan’s current position is General Manager of Bedrock Motors in Blaine. Allan’s other passion is investing in real estate. Starting in 2003 with one rental property, Allan now owns 20 houses, duplexes, and condos. He works with other investors, teaching them how to build passive income from real estate. Allan enjoys spending as much time as possible with his family. He and his wife encourage their children to excel in athletics, school, & music, and empower them to pursue whatever they are passionate about. Allan is also an instrumented rated private pilot, and loves exploring the Midwest from the air.

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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 Ambassador Updates

The Eden Prairie Chamber Ambassadors serve as goodwill representatives in our business community. They learn about member businesses and encourage membership retention through mentorships, personal phone calls and much more. Below are some of the places that our very busy Ambassadors visited during January & February of 2012! Bouari Clinic Rebecca Joy Dirks 15762 Venture Lane Eden Prairie, MN 55344 855-748-4765 www.bcslim.com

Pro Action Realty Joe Nelson 7184 Murifield Lane Eden Prairie, MN 55346 952-237-8383 www.proactionrealty.com

Eric Nelson, CPA LLC Eric Nelson 6500 City West Parkway, Ste. 305 Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-405-9054 www.erncpa.com

REV Solutions Inc. Tim Decker 10400 Viking Drive, #500 Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-746-6005 www.revsolutionsinc.com

FamilyMeans- CCCS Suzy Wheeler 1875 Northwestern Ave. Stillwater, MN 55082 651-439-4840 www.familymeans.org

Sharper Management Joel Starks 10340 Viking Drive, #105 Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-698-2053 www.sharpermanagement.com

Life in Focus Bill Pomerenke 15842 Venture Lane Eden Prairie, MN 55344 612-940-7760

Tea Source Sarah Cedergren 561 Prairie Center Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 www.teasource.com

Bouari Clinic (January)

REV Solutions Inc. (Ja

nuary)

January’s Ambassador of the Month: Steve Bowman, Tiger Heating & Air Steve Bowman, with Tiger Plumbing, Heating & Air, has been in the heating and air conditioning industry for 25 years and with Tiger for 8 years now. He has seen the company grow from 3 employees working out of the owner’s garage to a company with 8 employees and 6 trucks on the road. Steve is the Comfort Consultant for Tiger. He is the first point of contact for customers interested in replacing their old and worn out heating and air conditioning equipment. He treats the customer’s home as if it was his own and wants to make sure they get the right system installed at the right price. Steve has only been an Ambassador for a couple of months and has embraced his duties whole heartedly. He is excited to continue his relationship with the Eden Prairie Chamber and having the opportunity to meet and network with other Chamber members. Steve has been married to Lisa for 27 years and has two sons, Grant and Nate that keep him very active at his “real” full time job of being a husband and father. Steve and his family enjoy taking the camper out during the summer as much as possible.

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 Rebuild Our Infrastructure to Jump-Start Our Economy By Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO U.S. Chamber of Commerce

This year we’ve got a fighting chance to get our economy moving, get Americans working, and tackle long-overdue projects to modernize crumbling infrastructure. Nearly everyone agrees that making fiscally responsible investments in our transportation and infrastructure is a legitimate function of government— and that it can pave the way for stronger economic growth and job creation. Congress must push through the gridlock that has contributed to our idling economy and move on core transportation bills—now. Though belated, we’re off to a good start. After more than four years of delays and 23 stopgap measures, Congress finally passed a long-term reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). At last, the FAA will have the resources to modernize our air traffic control system and repair America’s airports. This will ease delays, conserve fuel, improve the flow of commerce, create jobs, and save lives. Lawmakers must also pass legislation to maintain investment in our roads, bridges, and transit systems. SAFETEA-LU, the law that sets surface transportation policies and funding, expired more than two years ago. To bridge the gaps, Congress has passed eight short-term extensions, perpetuating a cycle of uncertainty that has been a major drag on our economy.

The federal government contributes 45% of highway and transportation investments around the country, and public and private funding at the local level makes up the balance. States and communities are justifiably hesitant to put up the cash for new projects without assurance that the federal government will kick in its share for more than 90 days. So projects have stopped. Workers have been laid off. Economic output has sputtered. All the while, our roads and bridges fall further into disrepair, and our transit fleets and systems continue to age. Congress can break that cycle by passing a multiyear reauthorization of SAFETEA-LU— and with the latest short-term extension set to run out at the end of March, lawmakers have got to move quickly. The bill should consolidate programs, eliminate mandates, and cut red tape and bureaucracy. It should maintain current funding levels, while prioritizing resources for critical projects and shrewdly leveraging public funds to attract private investment. By making smart infrastructure investments, we could achieve nearly $1 trillion in unrealized economic potential and create millions of jobs. As long-term transportation legislation is debated in the House and Senate, the U.S. Chamber urges lawmakers to set aside politics, resolve differences, pass legislation, and send it to the president for his signature—and fast. We’ve got an economy to jump-start.

Golden Apple Nomination Forms are Available ~ DUE: Friday, March 30th by 4:00 PM Outstanding Contributions by a Business to the Quality of Education: The Chamber wishes to recognize a member of the Chamber for its contributions to the enhancement of the quality of education and healthy youth development in Eden Prairie. Businesses who demonstrate their commitment of creative energy and time in support of youth will help ensure that young people grow up responsible, healthy and caring. Outstanding Project: A Golden Apple Award will be presented for an exemplary project that has benefited the students or has had a lasting impact on the students/school/district/community during the past school year. Individual Achievement/Service Award: A Golden Apple Award will be presented to an individual for an exemplary contribution to education. The individual may be recognized for his or her commitment to student development over the past year or through the long-term service to his/her educational institution.

Visit our website at http://epchamber.org/News.asp?DocID=264 and print your nomination forms today!

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

Community Building Now is the Time By Tim Schneider Landscape Designer/ Project Manager MNLA Certified Professional Bachman’s

March is the best month for pruning most trees and shrubs.

Pruning just ahead of the spring flush of growth works for many of the plants in our yards. We can shear evergreens like yews and arborvitae. We can prune many deciduous trees to improve structure and we can reduce the size of woody shrubs. Pruning lilacs and rhododendrons and other plants that carry flower buds through the winter is not recommended in March, but for plants like roses, spirea and weigela, March is an excellent time to prune. Pruning each year will give your landscape a long and beautiful life. Most of the landscaping we do will look overgrown by year 10 and be in need of replacing by year 15 if no pruning is done. Regular pruning can result in a 25 year old landscape that still looks great. We’ve developed a very straight-forward pruning guide to help you with these tasks. You will find it and other helpful information at www.bachmanslandscaping.com. Click on “Landscaping Care,” then “Bachman’s Pruning Guide.” Also consider having a landscape designer or garden coach come out to help create that outdoor space you have always dreamed about or teach you the techniques to help you succeed. To learn more about our custom design build landscaping and our other services, call 612-861-9205 or visit our website and click on “Services.”

Eric Nelson (center) @ his After Hours event

“I’ve been an Eden Prairie Chamber member since 2008 when I started my business. It was arguably the worst economic environment in the history of the country to have started a business and I needed to do the right things to survive. I also did every other type of networking group, multi-community Chambers, speaking engagements and advertising. The one thing I did that has consistently gotten me results is my participation in the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce. The Eden Prairie Chamber is a very active B-to-B community. I use several of the other Chamber members to help grow my business and receive a lot of referral business from members as well. I highly recommend getting involved with the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce.” -Eric R. Nelson, CPA MBT President, Eric R. Nelson, CPA LLC

BusinessConnection

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Connect anytime: www.mnbizconnect.com Call toll-free: 1-888-MINN-BIZ / 1-888-646-6249 Personal assistance is available 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. BusinessConnection is a service of Grow Minnesota! and sponsored by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, its local chamber partners and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

7922 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie 952-374-6464 www.goumbria.com

Connect online: www.mnbizconnect.com

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

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Networking Highlights from the Social Media Luncheon By Pat MulQueeny, IOM; President Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce

Many businesses are trying to determine where they need to be when it comes to social media – which ones they should be on and how they can use them to gain exposure to future customers. At the Chamber’s February luncheon, Ed Heil of StoryTeller Media & Communications highlighted numerous ways business should and shouldn’t use social media. Facebook: There are numerous ways businesses can capitalize on Facebook. With the business fan pages you can get likes to help promote your business. The other piece is to track what others are saying about you and look at how your customer service is for clients. If someone says something positive about your business, these comments can be viewed worldwide. However, if someone comments negatively, anyone can see these comments as well. The best way to handle these is in a professional manner. Don’t get into an argument online where the world can watch it unfold. Facebook also has an option where you can schedule your postings so if you want to post every day but don’t have the time to go on it everyday, you can schedule all the postings at one time. Twitter: The big thing with Twitter is to share content. Use it to share stories or other links that people will find interesting. Ed complimented Comcast for using Twitter for customer service. Twitter has become the top release for news media when they want to get stories released. LinkedIn: Perhaps one of the best business social media tools that people can use. You can gain insight into businesses and be introduced to people you want to meet. Additional opportunities are available with job postings, discussion groups and research can be gained on prospective clients or current customers. YouTube: Is the second largest search engine on the internet. Businesses with videos are 50% more likely to be found in searches on the internet. When using videos you don’t want to just post your companies commercials – this may turn off your visitors. Social media is marketing, advertising, public relations, customer service, focus groups and more. When you commit to having your business on social media you need to go all in! This means regular updates and contributions to your social media sites. You want to monitor the feedback you get. You will want to be interesting, helpful and the more you feed the content on your site the more the search engines will find you. Social media is a great way for prospects to get to know your business – 14% of customers pay attention to advertising and 78% count on word of mouth for purchasing decisions. Social media is an online word of mouth opportunity for your business.

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Next Steps: 1. Commit – decide that you are going to do this and be committed to consistency 2. Assign someone to lead this for your company 3. Get found – you need to get traffic to make it work 4. Be interesting – what you post needs to be of interest to attract people 5. Measure your return on engagement – what are the results 6. Measure return on investment – track sales and promotions 7. Convert website visits to customers Chamber Hosts Hotelier Meeting The Chamber recently held a roundtable discussion with Eden Prairie hoteliers and Rick Getschow, City Manager, and Dave Lindahl, Economic Development Manager for the City of Eden Prairie. Discussion focused on three main areas the first being Convention Visitor Bureaus (CVB). A CVB is set up through a city lodging tax (passed by a city council that can vary from 1-3%) with the money used to promote the city, attractions in the area and staying at the local hotels. Numerous cities in the metro area have CVB’s and charge this tax to people who stay at their hotels. The Chamber held similar discussions with our hoteliers about 8 years ago. Our discussions then where very similar to our discussions now – Eden Prairie can use the fact that we do not have a local lodging tax as an advantage – this keeps costs down for travelers. There is no current plan on moving forward with forming a CVB in Eden Prairie at this time. Light Rail Transit (LRT) – the Chamber continues to track and inform area businesses on the latest on the proposed Southwest LRT line. Our discussion with the hoteliers focused on where the line is proposed to go in Eden Prairie, the timeline, impacts locally and the opportunity it can offer hotels. One of the opportunities it does present is travelers who may be attending a sporting event, conference or other program in Minneapolis and want to save money on their hotel and stay in a very safe suburban community. Meeting space – Eden Prairie does not have a full service hotel currently and therefore does not benefit from having a major meeting space at a hotel that can bring in major conferences. However, our hotels all have smaller meeting spaces that can be utilized by businesses and they do get additional travelers that may attend major events at our local churches or other events in the Twin Cities. If you have not checked out the local hotels to see what they offer we recommend it. Many have been remodeled, have beautiful space, meeting rooms, workout facilities, indoor pools, restaurants and even happy hours! For a complete listing of all our member hotels, go to epchamber.org.

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

Networking New Members: Add Them to Your Directory! Brown Wealth Management, LLC Timothy Brown 12100 Singletree Lane, #175 Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-303-6715 www.BrownWealth.com

Nextera Communications Gina Hoveland 5909 Baker Road, Ste. 590 Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-564-6900 www.nextera.net

State Farm Insurance Brandi Warmbier 11800 Singletree Lane #130 Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-943-2200 www.brandiwarmbier.com

Effective Learning for Growth Steve Callender 5415 Countryside Road Edina, MN 55436 952-405-8843 www.effectivelearningforgrowth.com

Stanley Steemer Nick Dugan 15900 W. 79th Street Eden Prairie, MN 55344 800-783-3637 www.stanleysteemer.com

Trilogy Realty Allan Giese 9551 Marshall Road Eden Prairie, MN 55347 612-819-3086 www.mnapartmentpros.com

Karbon Group @ Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Brice Oldham 225 S. Sixth Street #5100 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612-340-6704 http://fa.morganstanleyindividual.com/ karbonkarbon/index.htm

10th Annual Home, Landscape & Garden

Everything Spring Expo

SATURDAY, MARCH 17th, 2012 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM • Grace Church, Eden Prairie

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Durst & Gans Building Corporation The Greenery Schack Landscaping The Home Depot The International School of MN J & W Asphalt Lawn Ranger Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build Plekkenpol Builders, Inc. Renewal by Anderson SCC Kitchen Bath & Home

Join us at the 10th Annual Eden Prairie “Everything Spring Expo!”

Free Seminars By:

FREE Parking! FREE Admission! FREE Seminars! 100+ Exhibitors! Door Prizes! Over 1,300 Attendees!

City of Eden Prairie Greenery Schack Landscaping Plekkenpol Builders Bachman’s HealthSource The Lawn Ranger Sandau Construction Otogawa-Anschel Design-Build The Mustard Seed Landscaping Edina Realty Boyer Building Gutter Topper

Bring the whole family! Activities for kids will be provided by: - Animal Display (Lowry Nature Centerfrom 9 AM - Noon) - Kids Seed Potting (The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center) - Crafts (KidCreate Studio) - Crafts (Eden Prairie Art Center)

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

11455 Viking Drive, Suite 270 Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Ph: 952.944.2830 Fax: 952.944.0229

www.epchamber.org

MARCH 2012 - EPC Calendar of Events Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday 1

Friday 2

7:30 AM- Business Development Committee Meeting

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

7:30 AM- Board Meeting

11:30 AM- Ambassador Committee Mtg. at EPC Office

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM- Women’s Networking Luncheon - Sara Rogers @ Biaggi’s 3:30 PM- Recognition Committee Meeting @EPC

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

Business Day at the Capitol

11:30 AM- 1:00 PM- General Membership Luncheon: Annual Meeting @ Chan. Dinner Theatre *Newsletter Ads due to Chamber

7:30 AM- Government Committee Meeting

7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ Breakfast at The Colony- Bring a Guest Day!

7:30 - 9:00 AM- Breakfast Networking @ Costco

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM- FusionSpeed Networking with Edina @ Hellmuth & Johnson

Saturday, March 17th HOME & GARDEN SHOW! Grace Church 9 AM - 3 PM

*Newsletter Inserts due to Chamber by 4 PM

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

30 7:45 - 9:00 AM- Legislative Update @ Biaggi’s

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM- Gala Committee Meeting at EPC 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM- Tuscany Trip Info Meeting @ STAR BANK

4:30 - 6:00 PM- After Hours Spring Expo @ Bent Creek

* Golden Apple Nominations Due by 4:00 PM

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