MC Chamber - January 2020

CHAMBER newsletter January 2020

IS YOUR BUSINESS FIT FOR 2020?

DIRECTOR'S LETTER

WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS FITNESS GOALS FOR 2020?

Inside: Explore how the Chamber can advance your business in the New Year

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

PLATINUM MEMBERS

2020 Executive

2020 Board

Board of Directors

of Directors

Danette Doyle President The Pioneer Group

GOLD MEMBERS

Connie Koepke Mecosta County Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Randy Ostrander Past President Lake and Lodge Realty, LLC

SILVER MEMBERS

Josh Pyles Downtown Business Association

Mindy Taylor Treasurer Mecosta County Jeff Godfrey Secretary Spectrum Health

Michelle Rasmussen Ferris State University Jim Sandy

LEADING BUSINESSES, LEADING COMMUNITIES For information on becoming a member of the Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce, please contact us.

Mecosta County

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Development Corporation facebook.com/mcacc

twitter.com/mcacc2017

Heather Bowman Member At Large City of Big Rapids Kasey Pressley Member At Large Hampton Inn of Big Rapids

Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce 127 South State Street, Big Rapids Big Rapids, MI 49307 (231) 796-7649 • Fax: (231) 796-1625 mecostacounty.com

Stay connected by reading the Chamber’s blog! My Chamber Connect is updated frequently with helpful articles, information about the county, video tutorials and commentary!

instagram.com/mecostacountychamber

STAFF

Kim Schwamberger

Interested in Joining Us?

director@mecostacounty.com

Visit our website fro more information.

Executive Director

We are Hiring!

JANUARY 2020

Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

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A Message From Kim Schwamberger, Executive Director What are Your Business Fitness Goals for 2020?

Is your company “fit” for 2020? Are you experiencing any symptoms?

Do you have a healthy balance sheet, do you take the pulse of your customers and employees, and do you have a plan to keep your business in good shape?

buy from people, and it is about relationships and community. It may be easier to shop online, or faster to send an email, or important to stay connected to your social media platforms, but we need to stay focused on what keeps the blood flowing in our community We at the Chamber are asking and work together to be a healthy ourselves these very same community. questions. We are taking the pulse Shop local all year. We understand of the membership and working to this cannot be for everything, create and improve the resources but it can be for a lot of things. In needed for our community. addition to helping build the local The temperature of technology economy, there are also notable, is hot and affecting the way we intangible benefits that come from do business. More and more supporting businesses in your local businesses are not brick and community. For example, shopping mortar, work remotely, or on the local means you are buying from go. Back to business 101, people your neighbors, as many local

businesses are owned and operated by your neighbors. They care about you and are invested in the wellbeing of your community and its future. Local businesses support the youth sports teams and are more accountable to their local communities. And, they donate time and money to non-profits. We can also help support the charitable organizations in the community and help with the environment too, to keep our cities beautiful.

We look forward to working with you to assist in reaching your business goals for 2020. Please reach out and share with us what you want to see from your Chamber at info@mecostacounty.com, or stop in and say hi!

SAVE the DATE

Tuesday February 18, 2020 Calling all food/beverage businesses that want to showcase their skill and show what Mecosta and surrounding areas have to offer.

Register to events@mecostacounty.com subject Taste of Mecosta

Attend the next Business After Hours or Rise & Shine for a chance to enter in a drawing to have your business advertised here!

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

CHAMBER NEWS AND INFO Rise & Shine 2020 Schedule

Showcase your business!

Show the community what you do and host a Rise and Shine event at your location.

Rise & Shine Mecosta! Start your day with networking over morning refreshments. All Mecosta county area residents are welcome to attend this free networking event.

Are you interested in hosting a Rise & Shine? We still have dates available!

Give us a call at (231) 796-7649

Enjoy breakfast refreshments, provided by our host, to start your day off right. RNS events begin at 7:30 a.m. and wrap up by 8:30 a.m.

RSVP is appreciated. Call (231)796-7649 or email events@mecostacounty.com to RSVP. January 23, 2020 February 27, 2020 March 26, 2020 April 23, 2020 May 28, 2020

June 25, 2020 July 23, 2020 August 20, 2020 September 24, 2020 October 22, 2020

No Rise and Shine in November or December. See you at the Annual Meeting in 2021!

Business After Hours scheduled 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 16, 2020 hosted by Our Brothers Keeper

Ribbon Cutting

Our Brothers Keeper 405 S. 3rd Street, Big Rapids MI 49307 All chamber members, their employees, and the community are invited to attend our monthly Business After Hours event Januray 16, 2020.

From 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Light refreshments are provided by our hosts, and there is typically a door prize! So bring your business cards and take advantage of this great networking opportunity!

RSVP is appreciated. Call the chamber at (231) 796-7649 or email events@mecostacounty.com to RSVP.

Business After Hours 2020 Schedule January 16, 2020 Our Brothers Keeper February 20, 2020: Mecosta-Osceola Career Center March 19, 2020 Gilbert's Carpet Plus Color Tile April 16, 2020: The Brook of Big Rapids No Business After Hours in May

June 18, 2020: Available July 16, 2020: Available August 20, 2020: Available September 17, 2020: Available October 15, 2020: Available November 19, 2020: Available No Business After Hours in December

Special Thank You to all of our Ambassador Club Volunteers!

Congratulations to Lakeland Title of Mecosta County on their new location 7062 9 Mile Rd Mecosta

JANUARY 2020

Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

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NEW BUSINESS SET TO OPEN IN BIG RAPIDS

CHAMBER ANNUAL MEETING & AWARDS BREAKFAST Please join us for our Annual Meeting and Awards Breakfast!

The Chamber of Commerce welcomes Hungry Howie's to the area.

They are targeting to open in January. Located in Family Video, 103 S. State St., Big Rapids, the pizza establishment is sharing the Family Video building, providing customers with the opportunity to purchase pizza and a movie before heading home for the day.

Time: February 6, 2020 8:00 a.m. Location: Ferris State University The Board of Directors of the Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce cordially invite you to be our guest a the 2020 MCACC Annual Meeting, generously sponsored by Isabella Bank.

Every year, the Chamber hosts this event to highlight some of our achievements of the year and goals for the upcoming year. This event is also our opportunity to recognize a few of the outstanding achievements of our members. Join us to celebrate the Entrepreneur of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, and the Young Professional of the Year. · This year’s event will take place at Ferris State University · Breakfast will be provided · Tickets are $20.00 · RSVP is required, please email events@mecostacounty.com. Please register by January 31, 2020.

The Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce has an open position for an Event Coordinator/Administrative assistant. To apply visit www.indeed.com search Mecosta County and the job title.

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

6 STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU NEED TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS

SOME PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEY WERE BORN TO BUILD A BUSINESS ONLY FOCUS ON THE PRODUCT. HERE IS HOW TO ADD THE REQUIRED RELATIONSHIP TALENT. By: Martin Zwilling Unfortunately, people who are great at inventing things, and have high creativity, often don't have strong interpersonal skills or interests.

As a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, I see a high level of frustration from people in this category who have personally developed great solutions, but can't make them into a business. They don't realize that running a business requires relationships.

I strongly believe the talent to effectively build relationships can be learned, just like any other skill, even if you are an introvert like me. It does take effort and focus, just like learning other skills that you need to achieve objectives you have set.

In business, you need to build relationships with a wide range of people, including investors, peers, employees, and of course customers.

As part of my own efforts to maximize my relationship efforts, I found some concise businessoriented guidance in a new book, Born to Build, by Jim Clifton and Sangeeta Badal, Ph.D. These executives from Gallup bring together their best data from business professionals around the world, to offer the following strategies for stepping our relationship results up a notch:

people from unrelated organizations, such as media and government.

2. Give as much as you expect to get from every relationship.

Effective relationships in business require reciprocity - not a one-way half-hearted effort. Offer and deliver help, connect people with each other, or share industry or nonprofit-sector information.

Only then will you feel satisfaction and find others willing to respond when you need help.

3. Selectively spend quality time on key relationships.

Spend time with your most important customers, your most productive employees, and leaders who can make the most difference to your organization. These relationships will generate returns in the immediate future and in the long run. Avoid the trap of idle discussions and ego building.

4. Keep your focus on the local social and business landscape.

Pay attention to bonds, loyalties, and networks that characterize your community. Recognize the norms, values and preferences that shape the behavior of the people you need.

This will help you form a durable and effective network that you can maximize for your business interests.

1. Build new relationships by diversifying your networks.

5. Apply your time, brand, and resources to key social issues.

Force yourself to go beyond people in your immediate circle, and those you know well, to contact and nurture a real relationship with at least one supplier, a customer, and a competitor.

The next step is to seek out relevant

Build a constituency of relationships with people who have shared beliefs, interests, and ambitions. Collaborating with them on solving shared social problems will turn them into engaged advocates of your business and make

them your most powerful allies in building other relationships.

6. Prune, renew, and reshape your networks frequently.

Nurture people relationships critical to your organization carefully and often. Push contacts whose usefulness has diminished over time into your inactive network.

Regularly identify new relationships that are vital to the future of your business, and define strategies to build these connections.

I do offer some points of caution in all relationship building efforts: More relationships are not always better. Highly successful business leaders don't necessarily have larger networks. Be selective about the associations you form, listen carefully for situations where you can add value and derive value, and prune the rest.

Over-investment in relationships

can take precious time away from focusing on the technical elements of your business. Invest your time wisely in balancing the demands of market awareness, new technologies, and future organizational strategy.

Sometimes strong relationship networks can shut out new people and new thinking, insulating you from fresh input from the "outside."

Introducing new elements into your network will generate new perspectives, new experiences, and positive change.

Overall, the breadth and depth of your relationship networks is more critical to your business success than your ability to define and build the perfect solution.

These relationships empower you to confidently and aggressively take risks, continually innovate, and recover from losses and setbacks along the way. Your business is a community, not an island. You can't run it alone.

JANUARY 2020

Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

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Leadership Mecosta is a dynamic 9 month program for people who wish to connect with other leaders in the Mecosta County community. Members have the opportunity to learn leadership skills and principles, grow in serving the community, and lead into the future of Mecosta County. For more information on the 2020-2021 class, please visit www.leadershipmecosta.com

35TH MUSICIANS CHRISTMAS PARTY

Many fa la la’d… to raise money for Angels of Action.

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

Member Benefit Spotlight: Extended Business Resources

Chamber members are you utilizing the business resources available to you and your business? These organization our an extension of your membership and offer one on one mentoring, education, advocacy and more.

Small Business Administration Small Business Development Center S.C.O.R.E. Michigan Chamber of Commerce

JANUARY 2020

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

POLAR PLUNGE BIG RAPIDS Saturday, Feb. 29th 10:30 am Registration

12:30 pm Plunge City of Big Rapids and Elks Lodge 974 Register to Plunge for free! Fundraise to Plunge into a swimming pool outside the Elks Lodge. Plungers must raise a minimum of $75 to receive the 2020 Polar Plunge Event T-shirt. Individuals on a team need to average $75 per person to receive the T-shirt. Additional higher level Polar Plunge incentive items are available the more money you raise!

Online registration is available https://www.classy.org/event/big-rapids-polar-plunge Day-of registration takes place from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm. Parade of Plungers and Plunge will start at 12:30 and After Splash Bash will take place immediately following the last plunger.

JANUARY 2020

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

R V mecostacounty.com

How to join the Chamber All types of businesses are welcome to join the Chamber and anyone that feels they would benefit from additional marketing, networking and educational opportunities are encouraged to take advantage of all of the benefits that the Chamber has to offer!

Joining the Chamber is easy, all you have to do is fill out the application form and submit with your annual dues. Payment options are available. You can receive the application form by going to our website at www.mecostacounty.com, by stopping in our office at 127 South State Street, Big Rapids or by calling us at 231-796-7649 and requesting a packet be mailed to you. Your benefits start immediately once the application is received. It’s just that easy! Let us know if you have any questions and we look forward to serving you!

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Thank You Mecosta County For Voting Meijer Big Rapids People’s Choice for #1 Favorite Grocery Store, Pharmacy, Produce, Cashier and place to purchase meat!

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

GREAT NEWS! EMPLOYERS TO SEE UNEMPLOYMENT TAX BILLS DROP IN 2020 December 20, 2019 Michigan Chamber of Commerce The Michigan Chamber of Commerce applauds news coming out of the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) today that the Unemployment Insurance (UI) obligation assessment will be coming off employer’s unemployment insurance tax bills in early 2020.

“This is great news for employers and employees alike,” said Wendy Block, Vice President of Business Advocacy for the Michigan Chamber. “The UI Obligation Assessment has been on every employer’s UI tax bill since 2011 when the state bonded for over $3 billion in debt owed to the federal government for its 100-percent employer-financed UI system.”

“In

retiring

these

bonds,

employers will be relieved of the per-employee obligation assessment they have been paying since 2012,” added Block.

“Michigan took on these bonds as a result of the state’s record period of unemployment during Michigan’s Great Recession,” said Jim Holcomb, Executive Vice President for the Michigan Chamber. “The good news is that these bonds are being paid off early and employers will finally be relieved of these onerous assessments.”

“Freed of this tax obligation, employers will be able to reinvest their businesses and double down on activities such as training and retraining top talent,” concluded Block.

“Although the base obligation assessment rate is $65 per employee, some employers are paying as much as $217 per employee, so the savings could be significant.”

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JANUARY 2020

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5 WAYS TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Forbes.com When done authentically, participating in local networking can be an investment in the future success of a business. No matter the business — whether it is primarily B2B or B2C, has a highly visible storefront, or serves a niche industry — engaging in the community and maintaining an active and visible presence can be a fundamental part of its success.

Community is at the heart of your business. Playing a prominent role locally helps a business create a close network and make the connections it needs to thrive. The following are some simple ways a business can become a visible leader in its community.

Join the local chamber of commerce Businesses do better when they are supported by other businesses.

Through the resources, events and connections that a business makes as part of the chamber of commerce, it can partner with others to make the community stronger and better for businesses.

Organize volunteer days Create opportunities for employees to take a day to give back. Some ideas include working at a food shelter, cleaning up a local park or organizing an ongoing charitable endeavor. Invite members of the community to join your efforts, and make sure to share on social media! Bonus: Volunteer days can double as team-building opportunities.

Sponsor athletic events Consider sponsoring 5K runs or bike races, particularly those that support or raise money for important causes. Have a team of employees participate in the event while wearing custom jerseys featuring the business name or logo!

Participate in community events Seek out opportunities for public, in-person exposure at neighborhood block parties, fairs, parades or local events sponsored by the chamber of commerce. Set up a tent and be ready to introduce the business (and yourself!) and get to know those who live and work around you. Consider handing out small items to advertise the business and choose items that will benefit those attending the event –

think fans for hot summer events or hot cocoa in branded cups at cooler events. Not just stuff that will get thrown in a junk drawer.

Host events Even if the events don’t directly relate to a business, activities such as networking events, art showings or a monthly speaker series will interest some members of the community. They might just become future clients and vendors.

It's hard to find time to get away from the numbers, demands and details that go into daily business operations. But taking the time to position a company as a prominent member of the community is rewarding, conducive for networking and can be good for the bottom line.

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

21 EXPERT TIPS TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

By Gerri Detweiler, plus Contributors noted below It’s not unusual for business owners to feel stuck at times. Sales are leveling off, it's gotten hard to find employees to staff up, or you just feel like you're in a rut. When this happens, you may need a new set of eyes to help you find ways to re-energize and grow your business.

Your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a great place to turn, as it offers free consulting, along with training that is often free or low cost. SBDCs work with a variety of small business owners and will see opportunity where you see obstacles.

Here, 21 SBDC experts share strategies for any business looking to grow: 1. Reach customers in more ways than one If you are a retailer with no online presence, consider setting up a web store as another way to capture sales.

Once you have captured enough customer emails, consider an email campaign to keep your message in front of your customer base. And don’t forget about social media.

If you’re an online-only business, consider a direct mail campaign, including a catalog featuring your best sellers for prospecting to new potential buyers. After testing a multichannel approach, you will be able to determine how to best spend your marketing dollars based on which channels were most effective in reaching your sales goals.

George Fotis, Business Consultant, Michigan SBDC—West Michigan Region, Grand Valley State University 2. Find employees eager for a second chance Often, we hear that businesses want to go to the next level but can’t for lack of workforce. Explore opportunities such as “justice involved” individuals, who often have received some training and/or certification while they were incarcerated. They expect entry-level positions, are eager to work, and may

have extra motivation to “show up and deliver” due to reporting to probation/ parole officers. For businesses, there may be extra incentives for hiring these individuals, such as tax credits, and there are assistance programs to further develop these new workers.

—Kelly Asbury, Director, SFCC Small Business & Technology Development Center 3. Use a 60/20/20 approach to time management Instead of spending 100% of your time knocking out tasks via the “Whacka-Mole” method, I suggest a strategic approach to time management. First, use 60% of your time to proactively focus on tasks that truly add value to your business or cannot be done by others. The other 40% of your time should be divided into two categories: 20% on planning and 20% on strategizing. Planning is dedicating time to resources and schedules for the operation of the business; strategizing is time evaluating how you can improve your business performance, your customer experience, or your profit model.

—Shawn Lynam, Business Advisor, South San Diego SBDC 4. Dig deep into your numbers As an established business, you should be using accounting software.

Once you understand the basics, what else can you measure? Understand your inventory turns and dive into your cash flow. Now is the time to start to measure your business and use metrics to take your business to the next level.

—Kayla Rossiter, Business Development Specialist, South Central Minnesota SBDC 5. Build and leverage strong cybersecurity Businesses need to prepare and strengthen their cyber infrastructure, not simply to be ready for the next threat, but, more important, to position their companies to take advantage of the opportunities provided by a strong information security posture. The overwhelming cascade of messages communicated to small business

owners emphasizes the ongoing —Julio Estremera, Business threat that malicious software and Consultant, Florida SBDC at Florida Gulf cybercriminal elements pose to the Coast University security of their digital information.

8. Stop using social media the Businesses need to challenge wrong way themselves now to harden their Businesses need to stop the bad habit business’s information security of constantly selling on social media. infrastructure, positioning and Marketing and sales are two different strengthening their business to be things and a sales-only strategy on ready for the requirements expected social media might as well be a fail-only from larger corporate and government strategy. Create and document content entities. Consider information security that provides value to your audience not so much a protection against a and builds a relationship with them. threat, but as an investment to grow in This could be industry insights, tips and a digital economy. tricks, or even entertaining behind-the—Mark Lupo, Business Education/ scenes videos.

Resilience Specialist, University of Giving more than you take is the Georgia SBDC basis of all relationships. Give away 6. Make strategic acquisitions your knowledge, your industry trends, As a business, you grow by controlling your insights. That way when it comes cost and maximizing profits. As you time for a potential customer to make a acquire small businesses that are purchase, they can turn to a brand they ancillary services, you not only control both know and trust: YOU. the cost of your primary business, but —Wes Otto, Business Advisor, South you gain the clients and customers Central Minnesota SBDC/CEO & Coof those ancillary businesses—not to founder, Otto Media Group mention the introduction into new 9. Leverage Google areas of business or industries not Google My Business pages are an originally served by you, through a amazing and free tool for local small partner they already have grown to businesses. Claim your free Google My trust.

Business page, then: —Donald C. Robertson, Sr., PTAC Complete it (especially the business Counselor, Missouri Procurement description).

Technical Assistance Centers, St. Louis Master the dashboard.

County office Post regularly.

7. Create a business toolbox Respond to all reviews . . . especially Every company should have a the bad ones. business toolbox. Your business Keep the page current and up-totoolbox should include: date.

A business plan to keep you on track —Brian DuBoff, Center Director, on business progress to avoid setbacks Santa Fe SBDC A marketing plan that will give your 10. Attract the next generation of company a presence in the marketplace workers and build a loyal client base Many businesses are not adequately An employee manual to maintain an prepared for hiring today’s younger informed workforce, outlining rules and workforce.

You need to plan ahead and regulations and assuring your business learn about the potential strengths is in compliance with labor laws and weaknesses of the age group, Accounting software that can then rework your interview questions produce current financial reports at the to best highlight the talent you are touch of a button, to keep track of all looking to hire.

It is also important to business activity learn how to speak to workers in a way Computers, computers networks, Continued on page 15 and an IT infrastructure

JANUARY 2020

Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

Continued from page 14 they will understand the importance of their responsibilities, tasks, and place in your organization.

—Kim McLerran, Business Advisor, University of Houston Texas Gulf Coast SBDC Network 11. Build in downtime In farming, Mother Nature gives us some downtime; in other businesses, you need to create your own downtime. This is not vacation or “off” time. This is time away from working in the business to work on the business: to review data, streamline systems, plan for the next day, week, quarter, year—whatever timeline makes sense for your business. Carving out even an hour will allow you to strategically plan and have insight into small problems before they become major issues.

—Stepheni Norton, Food & Farm Small Business Advisor, South San Diego SBDC Know your numbers: your gross margin, net profit, credit scores, days cash on hand, etc., so you know where your business is financially at all times.

And know your customers: who they are, where they are, and what you need to do to attract and retain them.

—Ronda Hawkins, Business Consultant, Arkansas SBTDC at Arkansas Tech University 12. Be a know-it-all Know your numbers: your gross margin, net profit, credit scores, days cash on hand, etc., so you know where your business is financially at all times.

And know your customers: who they are, where they are, and what you need to do to attract and retain them.

—Ronda Hawkins, Business Consultant, Arkansas SBTDC at Arkansas Tech University 13. Form an advisory board Forming an advisory board can be one of the best moves you can make to boost your business performance.

An advisory board customized to the challenges and opportunities facing your company is a powerful management tool that can provide access to experts at low or no cost, offer fresh ideas, and help you run your business better. Hand pick a small team to meet with you quarterly to address

issues, formulate a strategic plan, and continually assess your progress.

Having an advisory board can increase the value of your business, accelerate growth, and provide mentors to keep you focused on achieving your goals.

—Jill Kaufman, Assistant Director, Florida SBDC at the University of Central Florida 14. Don’t fall into a common tax trap Don’t make important business decisions by trying to lower your taxable income. Your business purpose should not be to win a game against the government, but instead to make a profit.

—Bri Torborg, Business Consultant, Minnesota Central Region SBDC 15. Ask and share Never hesitate to ask questions from other business owners for fear of looking like you’re not the expert.

Truth is, you’re not the expert, you’re the entrepreneur! Be willing to share business knowledge. It’s in the exchange of information that others perceive your confidence in building a business and new partnerships are discovered.

—Merly Thomas, Director, Illinois SBDC at ICNC 16. Plan to sell your business There is no other next level for your business that is greater than succession planning. The silver tsunami of baby boomer business owners (with over 50% of small business assets) means that now, more than ever, and over the next decade, a conversion to employee ownership as an ESOP or worker cooperative should be considered.

Transitioning to employee ownership preserves your legacy by keeping your business operational and providing willing and able buyers who know your business the best. It also keeps your workers employed while providing them assets in ownership equity, and helps keep a community stable from a maintenance of jobs and taxes. Passage of the federal Main Street Employee Ownership Act in August 2018 provides for mandated outreach and technical assistance from SBDC staff to advise for employee-ownership transitions, and

for the SBA to expand loan access to employee-owned companies.

—Frank Cetera, Advanced Certified Business Advisor, Onondaga SBDC 17. Develop a strategic plan Develop short-term goals: quarterly, semi-annual, or annual, and create a plan that will help you reach those goals. Make sure your plan considers the resources you may need: cash, people, equipment, inventory, and additional operating costs, and make sure the end result will be a service or product that customers are looking for.

Set the metrics you will use to monitor your progress towards attaining that goal; adjust your plans as needed based on how close or far you are from your goal. If you aren't meeting your goal, determine why you are not meeting it: Is it lack of resources? Is marketing not working? Are you targeting the right customer segment?

—Terri Urbanek, Consultant & Business Outreach Specialist, Wisconsin SBDC at UW-La Crosse 18. Numbers don’t lie Creating sound systems and processes are essential in finding anomalies in costs and revenues to refine profitability. Point of sale systems; inventory management; and bookkeeping practices, processes, and procedures will help ensure you can find out what’s wrong faster. It’s often easy for business owners who have been in business for a while to rely on qualitative data and therefore neglect quantitative data that is easily found. For example, a retailer may think that a particular product is flying off the shelves, but after looking at the numbers, realize that's not the case.

—Joshua Billington, Senior Business Consultant, Michigan SBDCUpper Peninsula Region/Michigan Technological University 19. CFIMITYM The business world loves acronyms: ROI, URL, EIN, SMART, SWOT. But CFIMITYM is the most important one—it stands for “Cash Flow Is More Important Than Your Mother.” Lack of cash is one of the biggest reasons small businesses fail. Inadequate cash reserves (aka "running out of money")

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will shut you down faster than anything else. You can’t pay your bills. You can’t make payroll.

It's possible for your business to make a profit but have no cash. Profit is an accounting concept, while cash is the amount of money in the business checking account. You can have assets, like inventory or accounts receivables, but if you can't collect on what's owed, you won't have cash. And if you run out of cash, you’re out of business.

—Cliff Robbins, Senior Business Advisor, Massachusetts SBDC 20. Ignore this cost at your peril While it's not a line on the profit and loss statement, it is important for business owners to be intentional about identifying and quantifying opportunity cost in their business.

Opportunity cost shows up in number of ways. The most common example is a business owner who spends time on tasks or areas of the business that are not the best use of their time or talent.

While they may be saving on the cost of hiring for or outsourcing that work, they are actually costing themselves more by tying up their time, and often doing the job poorly. Another example is businesses that take on clients who aren't the best fit. This may cause reallocation of resources, which in turn slows growth or dilutes the company brand. Growth will happen faster when opportunity cost is addressed.

—Harriet Parker, Manager, Illinois SBDC at Waubonsee Community College 21. Don’t try to go it alone Owning your own business can create a lonely world: you make decisions on your own, you might find a few successes that no one else sees, and you worry all by yourself. Build your tribe of advisers, counselors, guides, and good friends who can offer input, join your celebrations, and help you find the light at the end of the long, dark tunnels.

—Kevin Lust, Director, Illinois SBDC at Lincoln Land Community College This article was originally published on AllBusiness.com. Read all of Gerri Detweiler’s articles

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

ut It! o b A l l A d a Re ber r fellow Cham

h you Share it wit to us as Got news? y sending it b y it n u m m uld d your co photos sho & s members an le ic rt A of each attachment. n the 10th an MS Word a th r te la d no month’s be submitte luded in the following e inc s to: info@ month to b es and photo cl ti ar d n se e 96-7649. issue. Pleas m or give us a call (231) 7 icles ty.co straints, art n mecostacoun co e m ti due to ion.

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Members Bulletin Board

This section is dedicated to Chamber members who are utilizing their marketing opportunities as one of the many values of belonging to the Chamber:

Artworks.

Big Rapids Community Library bigrapids.lib.mi.us

Library Closed: January 1st & 20th Breast Feeding Support Group

Jan 3, 11:30 am

Friends of the Library Book Sale

Jan 4, 9:30-Noon

Census Job Recruiter

Jan 7, 1:30-4:30 pm Jan 23, 1-4 pm

Library Board Meeting

Jan 9, 5:30 pm Playgroup

Jan 9 & 23, 10 am-12 pm Mary’s Book Club

Jan 17, 12 pm

Family Movie Night

Community Playgroup

Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 am Chess Club

Thursdays 5:00 pm (No Chess Club on 12.26.19)

Knit Night

1st & 3rd Thursday 6:30-8:30 pm (1/02 & 1/16) Tiny Tots Tinker Lab

Fridays 10:30-11:30 am (1/10, 1/17, 1/24 & 1/31)

Jan 17, 6-9 pm

Overeaters Anonymous

Story Time

Saturdays 9:30-10:30 am

Mondays & Wednesdays 10:30-11:30 am (No story time on 1/20))

JANUARY 2020

Multicultural Children's Book Day

#READYOURWORLD

Youth Dance Choreography Mondays, Jan 6 - Feb 24 5-6 pm Beginning Wheel Pottery Tuesdays, Jan 14 - Feb 25, 6-8 pm Youth Dance Technique Tuesdays, Jan 7 - Feb 25 6-7 pm Open Pottery Studio Wednesdays starting Jan 8, 11 am - 2 pm & 5-8 pm (See website for details) Hand Pottery Mondays, Jan 13 - Feb 24, 6-8pm

Fundamentals of Photography Tuesdays, Jan 14 - Feb 18 5:30-7:30 pm Guided Sketchbook Wednesdays, Jan 15 - Feb 19 1-2:30pm Tea Cup Glazing & Tasting Jan 19, 12-2 pm Creative Night Out: Wine & Canvas Jan 23, 6-8:30 pm Mosaic Jan 25, 10 am - 1 pm For class descriptions, fees, and registration, visit artworksinbigrapids.org/classes or scan QR code

Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

FSU Fine Arts Gallery Chorbah - Chadash Jan 13th - Feb 15th Reception & Artist Talk with Emily Mayo January 16th, 5-6:30PM

RECYCLE! Of Mecosta County MONDAY 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

424 N. 4th Street Big Rapids, MI 49307 (231) 796-9872

Card Wildlife Education Center Website: www.ferris.edu/card

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Big Rapids Department of Parks & Recreation Programs To register for programs please contact City Hall Recreation Department 226 N. Michigan Avenue, Big Rapids, MI 49307 (231)592-4038

PICKLEBALL

SENIOR FIT TIME

COST: $5 per participant TIMES: Mondays & Wednesdays 5-7 pm, Fridays 8-10am DATES: September 30th- May 1st LOCATION: Ferris Racquet and Fitness Center No need to have a paddle, all new players are welcome! All money goes to help pay for court rental, tape, balls and other supplies.

Tennis shoes are required for on court play.

All players must wear tennis shoes in the facility.

January 7th - April 30th Tuesday: 4:00 pm—5:00 pm Thursday: 3:00 pm—4:00 pm Cost: $2 per participant Style Station (1619 Catherine Street) (No class February 24th - March 4th) Instructor: DeMar Hatchew, Certified in Senior Fitness A senior fitness class geared to get those in need of a low impact routine emphasizing cardio, balance and muscle stretching. The class will get you feeling energized and active! Bring a mat, water bottle and personal weights.

CO-ED VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE Sundays Scrimmage: January 12th League Games Begin: January 19th Cost: $300 per team Location: Big Rapids Middle School Gym Games are played on Sundays starting at 1:00pm and ending as late as 9:00pm. 10week season. Ages 18 and older. Registrations due by January 3rd

TAI CHI January 6th - May 6th Mondays & Wednesdays 12:00 pm—1:00 pm Cost: $2 per participant Instructor: Mary Loesch, Certified International Instructor An ancient form of exercise originally developed in China as a martial art. This exercise has benefits to allow participants to improve muscle tone, flexibility, balance and coordination. New comers are always welcome!!

LINE DANCE CLASSES January 7th - April 30th Cost: $2 per participant Instructor: Diane Jones Come join choreographed line dancing while increasing your heart rate for a great cardio workout! You can select the class that best fits your needs.

MORNING LINE DANCE Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:00 am - 9:00 am (Step Instruction and Easy Beginner Dances) 9:00 am—10:00 am (Intermediate) Learn coordinated steps to a variety of music.

A social and aerobic activity. Bring a Friend.

Artworks, Dance Studio

WATER AEROBICS January 13th - May 8th Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM Cost is $4per class or $40 for a punch card good for 12 classes Ferris State Recreation Center Pool (No class March 9th - 13th and April 10th) Instructor: Sherry Williams Low impact exercise offered for adults.

Beginning in the shallow area and progressing to the deep water to allow for a full body workout.

DELAY THE DISEASE FITNESS FOR PARKINSON'S COST: $2 per participant.

LOCATION: Style Station (1619 Catherine Street) DATES: January 7th - April 30th TIME: Thursdays - 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm (No Class February 24th - March 4th) INSTRUCTOR: DeMar Hatchew, Continuing Education in Parkinson's Disease Training Methods A fitness class designed to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. No matter what stage of the disease you are battling— it’s never too late to start exercising! The class will incorporate a variety of chair exercises, stretching, balance work, strength training, and vocal and facial exercises. Caregivers are welcome to join participants.

GROOVE January 6th - May 18th Mondays 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm COST - $2 per participant

Big Rapids Middle School Cafeteria Instructor: Janitza Sawyer No dance experience required or fancy choreography to memorize! Do the simple steps your way, at the intensity of your choice, and add your own style! Have fun moving and groovin' to ALL genres of music. GROOVE is a great opportunity to cultivate your innate creativity and self-confidence. Wear comfy clothes to move in & comfy shoes (or go barefoot). Be sure to bring along a water bottle and a towel (or yoga mat) for light stretching at the end. Come for the fun and stress relief! Take a sneak peek of the class at bodygroove.com.

ZUMBA GOLD COST: $2 per participant LOCATION: Big Rapids Middle School Cafeteria DATES: Thursdays - January 9th - May 21st (No Class March 19th or March 26th) TIMES: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Zumba Gold is perfect for active older adults, as well as those just starting their journey to a fit and healthy lifestyle, who are looking for a modified Zumba class that recreates the original moves you love at a lower intensity.

The design of the class introduces easy-tofollow Zumba choreography that focuses on balance, range of motion and coordination.

WALKING PROGRAM COST: FREE DATES: November 1st - April 24th Monday - Thursday TIME: 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm LOCATION: Big Rapids Middle School Hallways (No walking January 22nd, February 17th and March 23rd - March 26th) To register, please call or stop into City Hall.

A map of the facility with distance is available.

DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE COST: $7 per person pre-registered or $10 per person at the door DATES: Friday, February 14th - 7-9 pm LOCATION: Big Rapids Middle School Attention all dads, grandpas and uncles! This is the event you’ve all been waiting for! Grab your favorite little lady and get ready for a night you’ll both remember forever. Enjoy a night of dancing, refreshments, photos, and crafts! Create memories that will last a lifetime for you and the most important girl in your life! All ages welcome.

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

LUNCH & LEARNS FOR 2020 OPPORTUNITY TO SCHEDULE February 12, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

March 11, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

April 8, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

May 13, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

June 10, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

July 8, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

August 12, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

September 9, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

October 14, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

November 11, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

December 9, 2020: TBD, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Call the chamber at (231) 796-7649 or email events@mecostacounty.com to RSVP.

JANUARY 2020

Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

JANUARY 2020

34 Annual Holiday Gala th

Thank you to everyone for your support of the Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce. Together we help raise funds that we can invest in our community and businesses. The evenings entertainment was a Masquerade Murder Mystery, some of the guests played a role in the story and others had to work to find clues to help solve the murder. Many of the guests did dress the part and all looked amazing. Thank you again to our Title sponsors City of Big Rapids, and Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital.

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Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce News • Visit us at mecostacounty.com

MECOSTA COUNTY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY 2020

Jan. 5

AMVETS Auxiliary Monthly Breakfast 9-11:30AM

Jan. 8

Lunch & Learn, 11:30AM-1PM

Jan. 11

Jamboree At The Cabin 2-5PM @ Wheatland Music Organization

Jan. 12

Mecosta VFW Pancake Breakfast @ 8-11:30AM

Jan. 16

Chorbah - Chadash Reception & Artist Talk @ FSU Fine Art Gallery, 5-6:30PM

Jan. 16 Jan. 17

Business After Hours, 5-6:30PM Mary's Book Club - Noon @ BR Community Library

Jan. 17

Family Movie Night - 6-9PM @ BR Community Library

Jan. 28

Sportsman's Dinner 5-8PM @ Big Rapids Eagles

Jan. 31

Multicultural Children's Book Day @ BR Community Library

JANUARY 2020

SPECIAL DAYS

GFWC MONTHLY MEETINGS

2ND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, SEPTEMBER THROUGH MAY AT THE BIG RAPIDS PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT. CALL 231-349-7743 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

BIG RAPIDS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS

PICKLEBALL - MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 5-7PM TAI CHI- MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 12-1PM LINE DANCE - JAN 7-APRIL 30 MORNING LINE DANCE - TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS: 8-9AM (EASY), 9-10AM (INTERMEDIATE) SENIOR FIT TIME - TUESDAYS 4-5PM, THURSDAYS 3-4PM WATER AEROBICS - MON, WED, & FRI 8:30-9:30AM DELAY THE DISEASE FITNESS FOR PARKINSON’S -THURSDAYS 1-2PM GROOVE - MONDAYS 5:30-6:30P

ARTWORKS YOUTH DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY: MONDAYS JAN 6–FEB 24, 5-6PM BEGINNING WHEEL POTTERY: TUESDAYS JAN 14-FEB 25, 6-8PM YOUTH DANCE TECHNIQUE: TUESDAYS JAN 7- FEB 25, 6-7PM OPEN POTTER STUDIO: WEDNESDAYS, 11AM-2PM & 5-8PM HAND POTTERY: MONDAYS JAN 13-FEB 24, 6-8PM FUNDAMENTALS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: TUESDAYS JAN 14-FEB 18, 5:30-7:30PM GUIDED SKETCHBOOK: WEDNESDAYS JAN 15-FEB 19, 1-2:30PM TEA CUP GLAZING & TASTING: JAN 19, 12-2PM CREATIVE NIGHT OUT - WINE & CANVAS: JAN 23, 6-8:30PM MOSAIC: JAN 25, 10AM-1PM

BIG RAPIDS COMMUNITY LIBRARY STORY TIME - MONS & WEDS 10:30-11:30A (NO STORY TIME ON 1.20.2020) COMMUNITY PLAYGROUP - TUES 9:30-11:30A KNIT NIGHT - 1ST & 3RD THURS 6:30-8:30P (1.2.20 & 1.16.20 ) PLAYGROUP - JAN 9 & 23, 10A-12P TINY TOTS TINKER LAB - FRIDAYS 10:30-11:30A (1.10.20, 1.17.2020, 1.24.20 & 1.31.20) OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS - SATURDAYS 9:30-10:30A FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT - JAN 17, 6-9P

FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY FINE ART GALLERY CHORBAH - CHADASH MFA GRADUATE COMPETITION - EMILY MAYO JANUARY 13TH-FEBRUARY 15TH RECEPTION & ARTIST TALK JANUARY 16TH 5-6:30PM

BIG RAPIDS ROTARY CLUB MEETS EVERY TUESDAY AT NOON AT FALCON HEAD

BIG RAPIDS LIONS CLUB MEETS EVERY SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAYS OF THE MONTH, 6:30 P.M. AT #52 SPORTS BAR AND KITCHEN.

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS, CHAPTER 18 A SERVICE OFFICER IS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST VETERANS IN RECEIVING BENEFITS. THURSDAYS 10 A.M. TO 2 P.M. AT THE DAV IN BIG RAPIDS. ALL VETERANS WELCOME