Chamber Times February 2014 September 2014
Upcoming Chamber Events Chamber Networking Breakfast Thursday, September 11th 8 am - 9 am @ Courtyard by Marriott 2905 NE 9th St. Homestead FL 33033
www.chamberinaction.com
Volume 25 Issue 9
New City Hall Groundbreaking Business owners, residents and community leaders gathered Thursday, August 21 to witness the City of Homestead Mayor and Council officially break ground on Homestead’s new City Hall. Over a hundred were in attendance to celebrate the first of many sweeping changes that will revitalize the downtown historic district for future generations. continued on page ( 2 )
Board of Directors Installation Dinner Friday, September 26th 6pm - 9pm @ Banyan Tree Country Club
Save the Date ! MAC Golf Tournament October 10, 2014 @ Redland Golf & Country Club
Business Excellence Awards Luncheon Thursday, October 23rd 11:30 am to 1pm @ Banyan Tree at Keys Gate Golf
Speed Fest 2014 Burger Brawl on Krome Saturday, November 15, 2014 Time: 6-10 pm @ Losner Park Downtown Krome
With several exciting, new projects slated to begin this year, Homestead is looking headlong into the future. If you are a business owner or are thinking of expanding or relocating, click here http:// www.cityofhomestead.com/ DocumentCenter/View/395 to see why Homestead is open for business! Downtown Homestead has changed a lot since then and will continue to change with exciting projects on the horizon!
New City Hall Groundbreaking August 21, 2014 Continued from page (1) “Today is about taking that first, giant step towards building something that not only stands the test of time but that best represents the people in this community,” said Mayor Jeff Porter as he spoke before the crowd. “I am excited at the prospect of what is in store for this city and the construction of the new City Hall is the foundation for it all.” This groundbreaking is a significant step toward the City’s commitment to revitalize the Downtown Homestead area. The plans for the contemporary City Hall on Washington Avenue ensures the new home for City business will be a community centerpiece. With Homestead’s growing population, the new 83,841 square-foot facility will house a 225-seat council chamber to better accommodate residents during public meetings. The structure features office space for City departments, a better operational flow in support of “open government,” and is designed to function as an emergency operations center. The project is furnishing local employment opportunities with a number of local subcontractors procured for the construction that are providing over 80 jobs to Homestead residents. New employment and contractual opportunities are anticipated with each stage of construction. As part of the local employment outreach, a City of Homestead Construction Projects Job Fair was also held on Saturday, August 23rd at the Community Redevelopment Agency, 212 NW 1st Avenue, where local companies and individuals interested in daily construction labor opportunities met contractors and learned about their employment needs. Groundbreaking participants included Homestead Mayor Jeff Porter, Vice-Mayor Stephen R. Shelley, Councilman Jon Burgess, Councilwoman Patricia Fairclough, Councilman Elvis R. Maldonado, Councilwoman Judy Waldman, Councilman Jimmie L. Williams, III, project architects Rodriguez and Quiroga Architects Chartered, and general contractor Munilla Construction Management (MCM), LLC also were present. Also in attendance were Congressman Joe Garcia, State Representative Kionne McGhee, District 9 School Board Vice-Chair Dr. Lawrence Feldman, Col. Elwin A. Rozyskie-482nd Support Mission Group Commander, Major David Cortez-482nd Security Forces Operations Officer, Major Brooke Cortez-Chief of 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs, Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace, Florida City Vice-Mayor R.S. Shiver, Biscayne National Park Superintendent Brian Carlstrom, Everglades National Park Public Affairs Specialist Mary Plumb, Chris Himmel-Aide for State Representative Holly Raschein, Teresa Olczyk-MDC Extension and Staff, Maria Garza-Mexican-American Council, Kristina Ducanes-Pineapple Ladies of Homestead Hospital Foundation, Dr. Flora Van Orden-Coalition of Florida Farmworker Organizations, Charles LaPradd (DP&Z) - Miami-Dade County Agricultural Manager, Frank Balzebre - Mayor's Aide to Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Paul Chance, Public Involvement Officer of Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization. Former Homestead Mayor and councilmembers people on hand which included former mayors Nicholas Sincore, Roscoe Warren, Steve Shiver and Fred Rhodes and former council people Steven D. Losner, Ruth Campbell and Ron Dorris. During construction, City Hall will continue to operate from its temporary location at Portofino Plaza and Council meetings will continue to be held at the William F. “Bill” Dickinson Community Center. http://www.cityofhomestead.com/
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Welcome New Members in the Month of August 2014 ! D.A. Telcom, Inc.
Orient Flight School
Steve Seigel
Yogini Modi
27506 S.W. 167 Court
28790 SW 217th Avenue
Homestead, FL 33031
Homestead, FL 33030
305-245-7001
786-925-5043
www.datelcominc.com
www.orientflightschool.net
Homestead Concrete & Drainage, Inc.
The Big Cheese of Homestead
Alfredo Cordero
Patrick Lingle
221 SW 4th Avenue
350 N Homestead Blvd
Homestead, FL 33030
Homestead, FL 33030
305-248-9649
305-247-0657
www.homesteadconcrete.com
www.bigcheesehomestead.com
Thank you for renewing in the Month of August 2014 ! Allstate Insurance Co. - Scott Gorham American Business Women's Assoc. American Dental Center Batteries ''R'' US CO. Berger's Property Maintenance Co., Inc. Branam Funeral Home Broadway Street Deli Corp. Burger King Chapman Partnership Coral Reef Senior High Mega Magnet Corey Gold Cruising Unlimited - Intelmar USA Inc. Cuttin Loose Hair Design D. R. Horton Everglades Community Association, Inc. First United Methodist Christian School Gateway Title & Closing Co. LLC Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Burea Homestead Community Concerts John G. Salley Post 43 of the American Legion Keyes Company Realtors- Lesli Burkhead
Mainstreet Orthodontics (Towncare Dental) National Parks Conservation Association Peterson Design Studio Portofino Coal Fired Pizza Redland Grocery Site Maintenance South Dade Auto Tag Agency Speedway Community Church Stokes McMillan AntĂşnez P.A. Sunny Hills ALF of Homestead Sunrise Community, Inc.
Support your chamber members! Buy local, stop in and say hello. Pick up something that brings a smile. Your purchases are what keeps those business around!
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Download 2015 YEA! Student Application Now. http://www.chamberinaction.com/files/932.pdf Now accepting applications for the YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ACADEMY (YEA!) 2014-2015 program year. YEA! is looking for students, entering grades 6-12, who have what it takes to start their own small business, from the ground up, with instruction and inspiration from local leaders. Students must be creative, energetic, motivated, and interested in entrepreneurship. YEA! is a cutting-edge program that takes students between the ages of 11 and 18 through the process of starting and launching a real business or social movement over the course of an academic year . By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which may be carried on after their graduation from the program. YEA! aims to teach students at an early age how to make a job, not just take a job. It is the ONLY pre-college program developed by an entrepreneur, at a university, with support from a major entrepreneurial foundation, the Kauffman Foundation and the United States Chamber of Commerce. Both program and scholarship applications must submitted by September 15th, 2014. The selection process is competitive and applicants are urged to apply early. Both scholarship and program applications are available to download at www.Chamberinaction.com or can be requested by contacting Rosa Brito at 305-247-2332 or email rbrito@chamberinaction.com Supporting Young, Local Entrepreneurs & Leaders Your generous support will directly transform local students into real business owners and real entrepreneurial success stories, strengthen our business and educational communities, and secure the next generation of leaders in our region. For additional information on the Young Entrepreneurs Program, please visit us on line at http://www.chamberinaction.com/pages/YoungEntrepreneursAcademy/ or contact Rosa Brito at 305-247-2332 or email rbrito@chamberinaction.com.
Office Depot Chamber Program FREE exclusively for all members!
Take advantage of significant savings of up to 60% off a list of 195 most commonly purchased items. Most other items are discounted at least 5% over everyday low web price. Free next business day delivery on qualifying orders of $50 or more. Sign up today to start saving. Call the chamber at 305-247-2332 or email wbrown@chamberinaction.com
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Click here to download Student Application form
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2014-2015 BUSINESS DIRECTORY & COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE
RESERVE YOUR AD SPACE CALL THE CHAMBER AT 305-247-2332
This full-color, glossy magazine, features EXPERIENCE SOUTH DADE, dining, entertainment, calendar of events, local attractions and the diverse community we have to offer. Additionally the directory will focus on exploring the myriad of things for both locals and tourist to do and see. Take advantage of this special resource guide. This is a great opportunity to get your name in front of thousands of residents, visitors and businesses alike! 5,000 copies will be available at the chamber, Hotels, City Hall, local businesses and other key locations. Internet Exposure: The entire publication will be downloadable from the Chamber website at http://chamberinaction.com/pages/ CommunityResourceGuide/ throughout the year.
New member benefit Save Local Now ! The Greater Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to introduce Save Local Now, our newest chamber benefit! Save Local Now is a one-stop digital marketing platform with 9 insanely easy-to-use products to help you connect with your customers. The platform includes Deal and Event publishing, Email Marketing, iPhone and Android apps, SEO and tons more. Even better, Save Local Now is FREE with your Chamber membership! I encourage each of you to take advantage of $LN’s FREE 1-on-1 sessions with its digital marketing experts! The personalized webinars will focus on your business needs and will help you with everything from image suggestions to ideas for creative campaigns. And yes it’s all FREE!
Check our $LN chamber portal Click here http://homesteadfl.savelocalnow.com/ Schedule a 1-on-1 session today at http:// blog.savelocalnow.com/training/ 6
A Taste of Honey: Women Entrepreneurs Succeed Differently Than Men, Especially When It Comes to Scaling Their Businesses Up Posted on August 27, 2014 by growfl
According to "The 2013 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report" commissioned by American Express, womenowned businesses represent almost 50% of privately held companies in the U.S. And according to the Ernst Young "Scaling Up" report, few reach the million-dollar mark; experts report that about 75% of these businesses never pass $50,000 in annual gross revenue. Why? Maybe women are using the wrong archetype in their entrepreneurial journey. Popular television shows like "Shark Tank" (and its British predecessor, "Dragon's Den") tend to depict entrepreneurs as lone predators. This may work for men. But women are tribal creatures, more like a buzzing colony of bees than solitary hunters. We excel in a different way: by web weaving, communicating, collaborating face-to-face. The linear, vertical model for success found in many companies is strikingly masculine. But the path for women to that million-dollar mark and beyond may include far more curves, literally and figuratively, and a lot more conversation. I believe, having spent my entire career in an industry where 98% of the business are owned by women, we process our information through discussion, and reach decisions through collaborative input. THE ART OF DELEGATION Women typically fall into the role of manic multi-tasking, especially when caring for household and family. At least, that seems to be my MO. In this way, few women think of themselves as CEOs--as Queen Bees. Instead, we think of ourselves as worker-bees who need to do it all ourselves. Delegation is key for entrepreneurs because it allows them to spot the right opportunities and areas of growth. My advice in this area is simple: take on the projects only you can manage and own, and delegate the rest. That doesn't mean keep all the things that you are good at, or that you like doing - it means keep ONLY that which ONLY you can do. To put it simply: hire the best team to drive growth. I love a good game of chess. And in chess, all of the players are essential. It's not about having the best individuals, but rather the best team. After all, with the right moves, you can win a game of chess with just a pawn. It's all about having the right pieces in the correct spot on the board at the right time. Check mate. ASK FOR DIRECTIONS There is great strength and power in asking questions and building a network of qualified peers, mentors and role models. These inspirational guides will often surface in the course of doing business in a collaborative way. How to make your growing business worth the while of a mentor? Develop specific objectives and a professional work plan. Just vowing to "dream big!" is not enough. Define goals with laser-like clarity, and detect your needs and shortcomings early on. When seeking and engaging a mentor, have very clear, concrete questions which you can articulate easily. Perhaps the most critical key is in the area of raising investor capital and financing for expansion. Studies show that women are less likely than men to use outside financing, instead relying upon their own cash reserves. This is severely limiting, and is an elementary cause for the failure of any business to scale up. Seek a mentor with access to, and knowledge of, financing sources, and how to approach, pitch and present your situation to potential investors. PAY IT FORWARD As your business grows, pass on your experience and entrepreneurial advice to the next generation of women entrepreneurs. If we want to see more women's businesses scaling up, supporting other women and their entrepreneurial dreams is a great place to start. It's about a beehive and a colony, not a single, solitary drone.
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As Florida continues to experience increased visitation year over year, HJCC Celebrates Job Corps' 50th “VIP Triple Play Tour” Guests of Honor VISIT FLORIDA recognizes the importance of exceptional guest Anniversary service and ensuring visitors have a memorable and enjoyable vacation in our state. This year, VISIT FLORIDA is beginning some initiatives to provide the industry with hospitality training resources--one being a series of monthly guest service tips to empower your frontline staff. The August Guest Service Tip of the Month is...Know Your Product. Dealing with an incompetent/unknowledgeable service representative gives guests an unfavorable impression of your business. This can be even worse when it happens over the phone. Nothing turns guests off more quickly than being transferred all over a company and/or not getting an answer in a friendly and timely manner. Knowing about all the aspects of the company can mean the difference between being able to provide the stellar service your guests deserve, and losing your guests’ business. Preventing this scenario is easy. Consider an onboarding process that introduces new guest service representatives to each department. Taking the time to ensure all guest service representatives are familiar with your product is a worthy investment and will pay you back in guest satisfaction and loyalty.
Did You Know: Florida Welcomed 50 Million+ Visitors in First 6 Months of 2014? Did You Know: After four consecutive years of record-breaking tourism numbers, including two back-to-back record quarters of visitors, Florida welcomed more than 50 million visitors in the first six months of 2014? This recent success translates to one visitor every three seconds. Consider the following:
More people visited Florida last year than live in 34 U.S. states combined, Florida has seen an increase of more than 40,000 tourism-related jobs in the last quarter alone, We now hold a record number of more than 1 million Floridians working in the tourism industry, and Last year’s economic footprint for tourism was more than $76 billion. “Florida has a lot going for it, but in order to compete in what will continue to evolve as a global tourist economy, we will need to continue seeking ways to attract more visitors and broaden our base,” said Tony Davis, Vice President of The Hertz Corporation. “While domestic travel will continue to be the foundation of our tourism industry, international business offers greater year-over-year growth in both the near- and long-term. This will mean catering to new and emerging segments of travel and making travel to our state easier. As Florida grows, infrastructure improvement will be critical.” So Where do Florida’s Visitors Come From? You’ve probably seen license plates from states like Georgia, New York, Texas, Alabama and Illinois- states where Florida gets its most visitors. While more than 77 million of Florida’s guests visited from the domestic U.S. last year, the fastest growing groups of visitors aren’t our American neighbors. In fact, more and more visitors are coming from Canada and overseas to vacation in the Sunshine State. Consider that when visitation from U.S. states only increased by 1.5 percent, overseas visitation increased 7.9 percent and Canadian visitation increased 4.1 percent. International visitors are flocking to Florida from Canada, Brazil, the U.K., Argentina and Venezuela—creating thousands of jobs and putting billions into Florida’s economy.
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Click here to download Registration & Sponsorship form
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Click here to download Restaurant and Vendor Forms
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HJCC Celebrates Job Corps' 50th Small Business Index Q4 2014
“VIP Triple Play Tour” Guests of Honor
Anniversary
Small Business Council's Quarterly Small Business Index Survey The State of Florida is experiencing a significant economic transition and many in the small business community continue to experience challenging obstacles and tough issues. As we work to secure Florida's future, it is critical that we know what issues are most important to you, and which obstacles present the toughest challenges to your business. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions below to give us your opinion in our Small Business Index Survey. The survey will end on September 12, 2014. Please click here to take the survey. http://www.chamberviews.com/surveyQuestion.asp?SurveyID=14603967
2013-2014 Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Executive Board:
Chairman’s Appointees Term Expires 2014
Chairman: Bill Duquette, Homestead Hospital
Brad Bettelli, TD Bank Kametra Driver, WeCare of South Dade, Inc.
Chair Elect: Renee Reichling, Community Bank President: Rosa I Brito Treasurer: James Pierce, Pierce & Bowen CPA’s
Members by Virtue of Office
Operations: Corey Gold, Homestead Hospital
Dade County Farm Bureau
Past Chair: Elizabeth Moscynski, Keys Gate Communications
City of Florida City Mayor or Designee
Chair Government Affairs: Tony Garcia, The Keyes Company
City of Homestead Mayor or Designee
Chair Economic Development: Michael Kiley, FPL/Turkey Point
Homestead Air Reserve Base Commander Miami Dade County Public Schools Local Region
Directors
Special Operations Command South Commander
Dale Machesic , South Dade News Leader
Tropical Everglades Visitors Association
Dr. Jeanne Jacobs, PhD, Miami Dade College, Homestead Campus
Homestead Main Street
Felecia Vescera, Florida City Centre George Mirabal , Heartland Payment Systems
Active Past Chairs
Larry Roth, The Keyes Company Roxanne Jeghers, Royal Palm Real Estate Services
David Peyton, 1st National Bank of South Florida
Sharon P Haxton, Chapman Partnership
Robert Jensen, 1st National Bank of South Florida
Sharon Wilson, Community Bank of Florida
Susan E. Newman, The Keyes Company
Tony Fiore, Cruises Unlimited - Intelmar USA Inc.
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Making the Chamber of Commerce Work For You
On-Line Business Directory Members can log into their on-line listing and edit/update their information, add employees or representatives. Choose what information you would like to display, Add a 200 character description, hours of operation, driving direction, keywords for better search placement. Add Hot Deals, list Job Postings and much more. See who's taken advantage of the Hot Deals Page on our website: http://business.chamberinaction.com/hotdeals Contact the chamber office for login information 305-247-2332 or email info@chamberinaction.com Enhanced Directory Listing: Members can upgrade their on-line listing. DIRECTORY LOGO: Your logo next to your listing in the Business Directory or any search result. WEBSITE LINK: Your Website Link next to your listing in the Business Directory or any search result. ENHANCED LISTING & PRIORITY PLACEMENT: Priority Placement *Enhance your Information Page: - 1600 character description - eight photos - five bullet points - logo - map link - 20 keywords. For more information about this and other marketing packages available call the chamber at 305-247-2332 or email info@chamberinaction.com Visitor Information Center - Business Information: Come by the Chamber office and drop off information about your business, brochures and business cards or coupons if you have them. Every month, tourists as well as locals visit the Chamber it's a great way to gain exposure for your business. (Brochures should be rack card type or Trifold). Coupon Packs: The Chamber Visitor Center is distributing coupons to area visitors and new residents. A GREAT way to reach tourists and locals that come thru our office and get them into your business... Bring us your coupons! Value or Discount Coupons should be no larger than 4x9 and supply us with at least 50. Coupons can be for discounted items or buy one get one type deals. Questions call Wanda Brown at 305-247-2332 12
Saving Money on the Things Your Business Needs To enhance our ability to serve our members with increased benefits we are one of many local chambers throughout Florida who have partnered with the Florida Chamber. As a member of a participating Chamber of Commerce, you have the power of more than 137,000 members and 3 million employees working together. Using the influence of the entire business community, we get you and your business savings and discounts on services that matter to you. We invite you to review our benefits and then do what thousands of other growing businesses have done – take advantage of the time and money you will save by using Chamber endorsed services. As you’ll soon discover, we’re much more than Florida’s best business advocate – helping you and your bottom line is what we do best. To sign up for chamber perks follow the link: http://www.chamberinaction.com/pages/ MemberBenefits4/
The Homestead Florida City Chamber Health Savings Card This card includes programs that offer discounts on prescriptions, vision, hearing, diabetic supplies, and much more.
Trustees of the Chamber The Chamber Trustees are leaders in our community who recognize that their business success and failure is tied to the area around them. In taking a leadership position, the Trustees are insuring their future success by reinvesting in the local business community through the Greater Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber Trustees voluntarily contribute more than required because they believe in the important programs of the Greater Homestead/Florida City Chamber of Commerce. They understand that the prominence of their organization makes it appropriate for them to assume the role of a substantial participant and contributor to the Chamber’s operation. Members like this refuse to let the burden of improving the business climate and our local quality of life fall on others. Trustee contributions make it possible to maintain the Chamber’s day to day operations with an efficient and professional staff who, in turn, bring more and better programs to the business community.
Plan your month ahead! The Chamber’s monthly calendar is on our website. As a member, you can promote your own events! go to... WWW.CHAMBERINACTION.COM—Member Center
Click on Calendar of Events You can post job openings and Hot Deals, too! 13
Advertise with Your Chamber Times! Your Chamber Times e-newsletter advertising rates are nearly half the price of printed newsletter advertising. The Chamber Times is a monthly e-publication that features Chamber events, economic development issues and community activities. It is emailed as a link to over 500 businesses, individuals, and public officials and appears on the Chamber’s website, www.chamberinaction.com. The site averages 117,000 hits per month.
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Some Helpful Websites Homestead/Florida City Chamber Small Business Administration City of Homestead City of Florida City Miami Dade County Public Schools Small Business Development Center Miami-Dade County Non-Partisan Elections Site SCORE Counselors to Small Business State of Florida Information Tropical Everglades Visitors Center
455 N. Flagler Avenue Homestead T. 305-247-2332 F. 305-224-9101 Toll Free 888-352-4891 Mail to: P.O. Box 901544 Homestead, FL 33090
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www.chamberinaction.com www.business.gov www.cityofhomestead.com www.floridacityfl.us www.dadeschools.net www.floridasbdc.org www.miamidade.gov www.voteforflorida.org www.score.org www.myflorida.com www.tropicaleverglades.com