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4 Chamber Headquarters 5000 Brooktree Road, Suite 100 Wexford, PA Cranberry Twp. Office 2525 Rochester Road Cranberry Township, PA P: 724.934.9700 F: 724.934.9710
Jim Boltz President JBoltz@PghNorthChamber.com For more information on the Chamber’s program of work, please contact: Patty Bittle Marketing and Events Director PBittle@PghNorthChamber.com Al Davidson Membership Account Executive ADavidson@PghNorthChamber.com Kristina Hall Program Director KHall@PghNorthChamber.com Heather Schwartzbauer Membership Coordinator HSchwartzbauer@PghNorthChamber.com Amy VanAtta Executive Assistant AVanAtta@PghNorthChamber.com
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From the With every New Year comes self-evaluation, resolutions and the hope for change. As it is true for individuals, it is also true for organizations. Here at the Chamber, we are no different. We accomplished a number of milestones in 2016 that make us proud. Our Taste of Cranberry event had the highest attendance ever. The Food and Wine event continued to be a very popular community happening. We added a new event, the Social Media Conference, which was very well received. We plan for it to grow in its popularity and be bigger and better.
We received numerous complimentary comments from both attendees and employers at our Career Fair. We feel it will be better served, though, to be moved from October to April to align it with school graduations. Since we are moving that, we need to also move the Business Expo from April to October. Stay tuned for details for a new Quarterly Economic Development Series that we will be putting on in partnership with St. Barnabas called “Innovation Pittsburgh.� Jim Roddey will be the host to a panel of industry experts to discuss regional economic development and critical issues that affect businesses today. In 2016, we also developed an Educational Stakeholder Program. This program partners colleges and universities with the Chamber in order to increase opportunities for their students in the business world. Soon, you will see web pages on our website that will help students and businesses connect regarding internship and job shadowing availabilities. Students at the participating schools can also become student members. This will give them the opportunity to attend Chamber events, make and build connections and get exposure to the business world. Currently, LaRoche College, Chatham University, California University of PA and Beaver County Community College are in the program and we talking to several more. For 2017, we have added a new position to the Chamber staff. Kristina Hall is our new Program Director and will be responsible for the Educational Stakeholder Program along with the numerous other Chamber programs like Affinity Partnerships, Education and Community Outreach. Last year was good, but our plans for this year are even better. Happy New Year
Thank you to our Valued Corporate Sponsors and Chamber Partners
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B USINESS A FTER H OURS January 19 Ember & Vine 901 Sheraton Drive Mars, Pa
February 2 Juniper Grill 2030 MacKenzie Way Cranberry, Twp, PA
Business After Hours are from 5-7pm
E VENTS
2016 B OARD OF D IRECTORS E XECUTIVE C OMMITTEE John Tubridy – Board Chair Franchise Network of Pittsburgh Ann Gatty, Ph.D.– Chair-Elect Strategic People Solutions Philip J. Scolieri, J.D.– Vice-Chair Scolieri law Group, P.C.
Thursday, February 9th The Washington Place St. Barnabas Health System 5847 Meridan Road Gibsonia, PA 15044 Friday, March 24 6pm-10pm Adams Ridge Clubhouse
M ARKETPLACE L UNCH M EETING January 4: Bravo! Cranberry, 11:30am - 1:00pm 20001 Route 19, Cranberry Twp January 11: Monte Cellos at The Hampton Shoppes 11:30am1:00pm 4655 William Flynn Highway - Route 8 , Allison Park January 18: Cranberry Sports Grill, 11:30am - 1:00pm 1294 Freedom Road, Cranberry Twp. January 25: Rum Runners, 11:30am - 1:00pm 3385 Babcock Blvd, Pittsburgh
CONNECTIONS Daily networking events for business leaders throughout our Pittsburgh North region Wexford: Tuesdays, 7:30 a.m. Chamber Headquarters, 5000 Brooktree Rd., Suite 100 Warrendale: Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, 910 Slade Lane Cranberry Twp.: Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. Council Chambers, 2525 Rochester Road Ross Twp.: Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. Treasure House Fashions, 7607 McKnight Road Gibsonia: Fridays, 7:30 a.m. Sports Medic 2 The Rescue, LLC , 5895 Heckert Road
Lisa Hunt - Past Chair USX Federal Credit Union
Gary Basilone – Foundation Chair Basilone Executive Search Kent Clifton - Treasurer AXA Advisors, LLC Gregg Hill – Secretary Dollar Bank Jim Boltz - President Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber
B OARD
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D IRECTORS
Tracy Armstrong, North Pittsburgh Greeting Company Judith Bernhard, Advance Sourcing Concepts, LLC Ryan Breen J.D., Breen Law Firm, LLC Steve Carpenter, Northwood Realty Andrew Chiapusio, Mars National Bank Steven W. Diffenderfer, NexTier Bank Todd Harris, Liberty Insurance Agency John Laslavic, ThistleSea Business Development, LLC Al Marschke, ACN Business Essentials Amanda McCollough, Dittman EyeCare, Inc. Robert O’Friel, Luttner Financial Group Dan Penberthy, NexTier Bank Jan Stevens, Coldwell Banker Kim Yerace, Petroleum Technical Services, LLC
Coffee and bagels provided at Connections by: page 4
Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber
PNRC Member Dr. Ann Gatty "Dr. Ann's contributions to the Chamber are numerous. In the past year, she has sat on the Board of Directors, served on the Executive Committee, chaired the Strategic Planning Committee, brought in several new members and connected numerous others with her referrals. This award is only a small token of our appreciation," said Jim Boltz, President "Ann has been a very active member of the Chamber and the Chamber Executive Board. She has been a breath of fresh air and brings great humor and insight to every event that she, husband Gene and their faithful companion Beretta, attend. Ann tries to connect different clients to chamber members where it is beneficial to both parties. She has been very successful in recruiting new chamber members as well. She has tirelessly worked on revising the chamber bylaws almost single-handedly. Ann's talents have proven very helpful to the strategic direction of the Chamber and the educational initiatives of which she has been a key member. She always tries to accommodate those connected to the chamber, " said John Tubridy, Board Chair
Member Testimonials "After being in the insurance industry for 12 years, I joined the chamber in 2008. Prior to joining the chamber I was fortunate to work with a fantastic referral source who kept me busy for about 10 years. When his carrier path changed, I had to find another way to fill my pipeline and generate new business. When I first became a chamber member, I belonged to both the Cranberry and North Allegheny Chambers, whose organizations would later merge to become the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber. As you know, belonging to something goes beyond just the membership to develop relationships to grow your business. I first joined a committee so I would get to know the new members and fellow committee members. It was through this commitment, that I made many new friends and met fellow business owners. After a few years, I was asked to run for the Board of Directors and was later elected. I am now serving my second term as a board member. Being an active member of the Chamber has opened the doors to individuals and business that I would have had to Cold Call. Through the various Chambers networking events, I've been able to develop face-to-face relationships with the individuals and businesses that I would like to do business with. The reasons I continue to invest my time and resources in the my chamber membership are simple: 1. I am very impressed with the direction the chamber is going and with the leadership team that is in place. 2. I've developed and continue to develop new business relationships that I may have never had if I hadn't become involved in the chamber. 3. Between 40% - 70% of my business income has been generated as a result of being active and involved with the chamber. 4. A great person use to tell me "Show me who you walk with and I'll show you where you are going." My walk with the chamber has lead me in a direction that I would have never go down if I didn't get involved .
Todd Harris, Senior Insurance Advisor Liberty Insurance Member testimonials are the Chamber’s best and most effective way to promote the benefits and services that a Chamber membership provides. Share your success with the Chamber and your story may be featured in an upcoming edition of Corridors. Email all testimonials to Patty Bittle
PghNorthChamber.com
January 2017
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10 Ways to Transform Your Business in 2017 December 13, 2016 By: Rieva Lesonsky Do you want 2017 to be a more exciting, inspiring and profitable year for your business than 2016? If you want different results, you need to do things differently. Here are 10 ways to transform your life and your business for the coming year. 1. Update your technology. There are great deals to be had on tech tools this time of year; why not take advantage of them for your business? Assess what technology would help you do business more effectively in the coming year, whether that’s tablet computers or a software upgrade. 2. Get organized. Start 2017 off fresh by cleaning out your office. Purging piles and files of paper will make you feel lighter and more focused. Try scanning and saving important documents in the cloud instead. In addition to saving space, cloud storage makes it be easy to access and share what you need. 3. Take a lesson. Learn something completely new, like how to use Instagram for marketing your business, or delve deeper into a subject you already know something about so you can become a real expert. There are dozens of ways to educate yourself these days, from online tutorials and courses to inperson workshops and conferences. (SCORE offers plenty of each.) 4. Get outside your comfort zone. Try something that truly challenges you, whether that’s public speaking or skydiving. Yes, skydiving—stretching yourself in your personal life will translate to increased confidence in your business, too. 5. Broaden your connections. Reach out to someone you admire and invite them to coffee to pick their brain. Reach out to someone you want to do business with to share ideas about how you could work together. Create an advisory circle of other businesspeople and professionals and meet once a month to get advice and inspiration. 6. Create a BHAG (big, hairy audacious goal). This year, don’t settle for just getting by — dream big. What’s your wildest dream for your business? Write it down; then plan out how you could really achieve it. Even the biggest dreams can become reality when you break them down into small, manageable steps. 7. Raise your profile. As a small business owner, you are your own best marketing tool. Whether you’re a B2B entrepreneur whose “community” consists of a particular industry, or a B2C entrepreneur whose community consists of your town, get out there and make a name for yourself. A B2B entrepreneur can contribute to the community by speaking or chairing panels at conferences or contributing to others’ blogs. A B2C entrepreneur can contribute by sponsoring local events or getting involved in local charities. 8. Share the burden. Small business owners have a tendency to take everything on themselves. But no one can “do it all” without burning out in the end. Think about what you can delegate, whether to employees or independent contractors, and do it. Let go of the small stuff so you can focus on what you enjoy doing and excel at. 9. Take care of yourself. If you’re not healthy, your business will suffer. As a busy entrepreneur, taking care of yourself is easier said than done, but you can do it by making small changes. Get a little bit more sleep, eat a little bit healthier, and move your body a little bit every day. 10. Get a grip on your finances. Create sales and financial projections for the coming year, and use them to assess whether you might need business financing. If you think you might, start investigating your options now. Check your business’s credit rating and take steps to improve it if necessary. Talk to your bank about what type of financing they offer, and look into alternative financing solutions if you need to.
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Setting Goals: The Master Skill of Success 2016 is behind us. 2017 is here. Each one of us is thinking about how we can make 2017 the best year ever. Admit it, we all do it. We say we are going to do something in the New Year and we talk about what we are going to achieve. Our goals might be to improve our health and fitness, make more money, or improve our relationship with our spouse, partner or significant other. Whatever the goals are in front of you, you are doomed to fail unless you take the proper steps to achieve them. Many years ago, there was a study done by Harvard Business School about the value of setting goals In 1979, interviewers asked Seniors graduating from Harvard about goals. Here is what they found:
by Greg Emslie of Focal Point
habit of doing so? Purchase a spiral notebook or a journal. You are going to keep this with you every day. For that reason, I like a nice journal. I like to carry something to which I feel an attachment. I use note pads and spiral notebooks for work making notes, writing lists etc. and my favorite, MY GOALS. Each morning upon waking up or each evening before retiring, I start a new page, write the date at the top and then write my goals for the day, the week, or more long term. The key is to write goals that represent your true future aspirations. If you are just getting started with formal goal setting, then limit your goals to 4 areas: Financial, Business/Career, Family and Relationships, and Health and Fitness.
84% had no specific goal at all. 13% had goals but they were not committed to paper. 3% had clear, written goals 1. Each goal should be written in the first person (I, and plans to accomplish them. Ten years later, the me). interviewers again interviewed the graduates of that 2. Goals should be written in present tense as class. You can guess the results. The 13% of the class though it is already being achieved Write each who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much goal as a positive statement. as the 84% who had no goals at all. Even more 3. Write each goal using an action verb. staggering – the 3% who had clear, written goals were 4. Write at least 8 goals each day. earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97% Make your Goals SMART put together. S Specific. To take a vacation is just a wish. Make that Why is that? Goals unlock your positive mind and release wish a goal by stating “When you will go? Where will you energy for goal attainment. With goals, you become laser go? Who will you go with? How long will you stay? focused and your ability to “hit the bullseye” increases What will you do?” The more specific you are, the more tenfold. You become what you think about most of the your goal seeking mechanism will kick in. time. Thousands of successful people have been asked M Measurable. I want to lose weight is a wish. How many what they think about most of the time. The answer is pounds do you want to lose is measurable. If it is not usually the same. They think about what they want and measurable, you cannot track it. how to get it. In contrast, unsuccessful people think about A Aligned. Your goals must be aligned with your values. what they don’t want most of the time. They think about If not, achieving them will cause you distress. You might their problems, their worries, their concerns, and who is have a goal of making $250,000 a year, but if you make to blame. Change the thinking and you change the that by selling illegal drugs, you will become very outcome distressed and your ability to continue earning that money will cease. Living without goals is like driving in a thick fog. Set your R Realistic. Your goal must be perceived by you as goals, develop clarity about those goals, and the fog being realistic. If you currently are out of shape and set a disappears. Clear goals allow you to step on the goal to run a marathon in 2 weeks, you are setting accelerator and race ahead to achieve more of what you yourself to fail because your goal is not realistic. want. Imagine taking a homing pigeon thousands of T Time Bounded. As in the above example, while 2 miles away from its home roost while keeping it covered weeks to get in shape for a marathon is time bounded, it in a cage. Once the bird is released, what happens? It is not realistic. Maybe 6 months is doable. Put a time on flies back to its home roost. That is exactly what setting your goals as to when you will achieve them. This allows clear goals does for us. It gives us purpose and direction. you to track and monitor your progress It is our built in GPS. Set little goals and you will achieve little goals. Set big goals and you will achieve big goals As you continue to set your goals on a regular basis, you will get better and better at it and you will start to see the The ability to set goals is truly the MASTER SKILL OF results of your actions. Remember Rome was not built in SUCCESS a day. Set aside time each day for the next 14 days to work on your goals. Think of it as The 14 Day Goal When you set goals, you become more energized, you Challenge. Keep at it after those 14 days and you will see become more productive, and your goal setting the fruits of your labor. When you get in the habit of mechanism starts to drive you in the right direction. But setting goals, you will achieve The Master Skill of how do we go about setting goals if we are not in the Success.
PghNorthChamber.com
January 2017
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Making your New Year’s Resolutions Stick by American Psychological Association It can be daunting when your list of New Year’s Resolutions is as long as your holiday shopping list. In addition to the post-holiday slump, not being able to keep your resolutions by February, March or even late January may increase your anxiety. When your holiday decorations are packed up and stored away, the frustration of an unused gym membership or other reminders of failed resolutions can make the later winter months feel hopeless.
By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life. APA offers these tips when thinking about a News Year’s resolution:
Start small Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead However, it is important to remember that the New of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing Year isn’t meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yocharacter changes. It is a time for people to reflect on gurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishtheir past year’s behavior and promise to make positive ment lifestyle changes. “Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular, overwhelm- Change one behavior at a time ing goal on January 1 can help you reach whatever it is Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. you strive for,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones “Remember, it is not the extent of the change that mat- requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, ters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at work toward changing one thing at a time. a time.”
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Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber
PghNorthChamber.com
January 2017
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Refocus & Rejuvenate10 Marketing Tips to Get Your Business Ready for 2017 By: George Beall — December 17, 2016 — Business 2 Community As businesses wrap up the fourth quarter of the 2016 fiscal year, many of them are looking ahead and sorting out how to make 2017 a success. Here are 10 tips for marketing that your business should be utilizing or preparing for the next year: 1. Prepare a Budget Projection Too many businesses cut out projection preparation as they write up their business New Year’s resolutions. One of the most important steps in achieving business targets for the New Year will involve introducing projections and accountability. Start your projections by calculating your expected net income for each month of the year and projected monthly expenses. This will allow you to understand the number of monthly sales you will need in order to achieve profitability. 2. Evaluate Your Personnel Ensuring success in 2017 will mean taking a step back and making sure you a starting with the right team. Give your business the best step forward by fortifying it with a team that runs like a well-oiled machine. This might mean shifting your team around to optimize their skillsets or hiring new team members or freelancers who can enrich productivity. 3. Check in With the Team Q4 is the perfect time to check in with your staff and make sure that they’re happy with the work that they are doing for you. Sit down with them for feedback and don’t just listen to their comments and concerns, demonstrate to them that you’re ready to provide solutions. Show that they’re more than just monkeys tightening bolts on an assembly line and that they’re valued for their work. 4. Click the Refresh Button On Your Product Line What rolled over from 2015 into 2016 might not be the product that the grabs the interests of 2017. Now is the time to evaluate your product line and determine if it’s up to snuff when it comes to customer demands. Breathe new life into what you have to offer by determining what solutions your current products aren’t currently solving and start innovating. 5. While You’re At It, Refresh Your Target Audience Primarily going after millennials won’t be cutting it for businesses in just a few years time. Work with your team to find out how your company can get on board with the new generation and draw in an audience they hadn’t yet considered. 6. Check in With Your Customers As the holiday season wraps up, you should be checking in with customers on social media and checking out their product reviews to get an understanding of what keeps them happy. Determine how you can continue to address their needs by offering customers incentives for filling out emailed surveys and writing up reviews. 7. Survey Customer Data Collection Recording and keeping track of the information that customers give you will only reward you with results if you make sure that you’re analyzing the data. Truly get to know your customers by collecting the right data and analyze what sites your traffic is coming from. Look at the bounce rate on your site’s sub-pages and read your customers’ comments and reviews. Analyzing these observations will give you a more clear idea of the thought-process behind your consumers’ purchases. 8. Dive Into Social Media Hopefully, you used early 2016 to get on board with social media changes and the impending mobile dominate marketing sphere. If you haven’t, you’ll find that 2017 won’t be so forgiving. Optimize your site for SEO and contemplate if now is the time for your business to consider creating a mobile app. Now is the time for your company to implement online outreaching efforts. This undoubtedly means putting the right experts behind your company’s keyboard of social marketing. 9. Upgrade Your Technology Survey the tools that your company is currently utilizing and filter out the applications and software that work from the ones that aren’t. If your business hasn’t already updated security tools such as firewalls and antivirus software, don’t even wait until 2017— do it now. Employing the help of intranet software companies such as Interact, Jostle, or Bloomfire could mean all of the difference for your business path to 2017 happiness. 10. Remember, You’ve Got A Reputation To Protect If you’re not Googling yourself or your business on the regular, it’s time to start. Reputation management is imperative for every business to implement all through the year, but this quarter it’s particularly important. Conduct a reputation audit and make sure to address negative feedback as best as you can. Look over crowd-sourced review sites like Yelp, Angie’s List, and Foursquare and make sure you reach out to reviewers and commenters that don’t paint your business in the best of lights
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Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber
Making your New Year’s Resolutions Stick Talk about it Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating. Don’t beat yourself up Perfection is unattainable. Remember that minor missteps when reaching your goals are completely normal and OK. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy. Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.
Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber
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Ask for support Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists are uniquely trained to understand the connection between the mind and body. They can offer strategies as to how to adjust your goals so that they are attainable, as well as help you change unhealthy behaviors and address emotional issues.
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Community Connection
Allegheny County Offering Christmas Tree Recycling Program Allegheny County is once again offering its annual Christmas tree Recycling Program this year. Residents of the county can drop off their Christmas trees beginning on Monday, December 26, 2016 to Monday, January 16, 2017 at al nine regional parks during regular hours of operation (dawn to dusk).
Cranberry Township Nourish Your Inner Artist Painting, sculpting, metalwork and photography can be lonely pursuits. But if you are someone serious about their art, the Cranberry Artists Network is holding a screening for new members on Saturday, January 14. Benefits of membership include shows in which only member artists can exhibit, discounts on art-related material, and special member-only events.
Township Communications Projects Honored Cranberry Township has been honored with three awards for its 2016 communications efforts by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, PSATS. The Township received first place for its Social Media as well as first and third places in the contest’s Audiovisual Communications category for two separate video productions. Altogether, 36 townships submitted entries for this year’s annual competition; 21 of them received awards. All entries were judged on the usefulness of information presented and how well the information was communicated to township residents. Overall attractiveness and readability were also factors in judging the awards. PSATS represents the Commonwealth’s 1,453 townships of the second class representing 5.5 million Pennsylvania residents.
Pine Township Daddy and Daughter Valentine’s Dance February 10th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Pine Community Center. Dads bring your little valentine’s (ages 5 & up) for a special evening and create memories that will last a lifetime! Dinner and refreshments will be provided.
Snow Day Bundle up, grab your skates and head to the Pine Community Center ice rink for a day filled with excitement! This FREE event is for all ages and will include games, bonfire, snowman building contest. Hot cocoa and hot dogs will be provided! Dates: Saturday, February 4 / Saturday, February 18 Time: 1:00 - 3:00pm While this event is FREE, registration is required. Please note: This event is weather dependent
McCandless Township Waste collection event January 21 JVS Environmental will host an e-waste collection on Saturday, January 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lots of McKnight Elementary School and North Allegheny Intermediate School on Cumberland Road . The collection ONLY is for residents of McCandless and the Town’s recycling partner, Ohio Township. Please enter the collection site using the McKnight School entrance.
Town Christmas Tree Recycling Program Public Works Department crews will collect Christmas trees for recycling from Monday, January 2, 2017 through Friday, January 27, 2017 (weather permitting). Please be sure to remove all decorations before putting your tree at the curb. All trees will be chipped and used for mulch. The mulch will be placed in the Lorraine F. Rogers Memorial Soccer Field parking lot and is available to all Town residents.
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NexTier Bank Nonprofit Spotlight Treasure House Fashions, founded in 2001, offers gently-used, quality fashions and accessories at deeply discounted prices. We’re open to the public, offering 6,000 square feet of notable brand clothing in sizes 0 through 5X (casual, business, sleepwear, sportswear, outerwear, After-Five, shoes, and accessories). Single Moms, Sassy Seniors and Female Veterans are offered a 50% discount through our S.M.A.R. T Card! When you shop at with us, you can expect exceptional bargains, great customer service…and a sense of community! We ladies have all benefited from “retail therapy” now and again – buying a special purchase that allows you to feel beautiful, both inside and out! We want you to experience that when shopping with us, but also your purchases allow us to fulfill another mission – extending that same “inside and out” beauty to women in need. Located in the Andre Plaza at the corner of Babcock Boulevard and McKnight Road, Treasure House is the “closet” for over 60 agencies serving women throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area. Gift certificates for clothing at our shop are distributed through these partner agencies; their clients then have the dignity of coming to our friendly, fashionable store and shopping for what they like, as well as what they need. We work with agencies that address diverse challenges that women face: poverty, homelessness, addiction, incarceration, single parenthood, domestic violence, natural disasters, divorce care, mental illness, health issues and unemployment. The universal need these women experience is having appropriate clothing to move forward in their lives. The underlying issue is a deeply bruised sense of self-worth – that can start to heal at Treasure House! We provide a specific resource of clothing in an affirming and uplifting manner. We “fuss” over the details to reinforce a core value – “You’re worth it!” Our mission is to “promote the dignity and
self-esteem of women, particularly women in transition or crisis. Outward appearance is not an accurate reflection of your worth, but it can affirm the treasure that you truly are!” Clothing is our means – not our mission. Our heart is to restore women in crisis, and we treasure every woman who graces our doors! Visit our shop and do some fashions “treasure hunting” at our house – it will bless YOU and other women in our community For more information, contact Sally Power at sally@thfashions.org or call the boutique at (412) 364-3256. Simply email Pbittle@PghNorthChamber.com your nonprofit organization’s logo and brief description and we will add you to the NexTier Nonprofit Spotlight!
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The Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber would like to thank those who have renewed.
We thank you for your continued support! Coldwell Bank—Jan Stevens
Cranberry Messenger Service
Dillon McCandless King Coulter & Gr
Cranberry Twp. Volunteer Fire Company
Hertiage Elder Law & Estate Planning, LLC Butler Location
Mary&Martha—Martha Holley-Jones
IQ Accounting
Polesky Agency, Scott Berney—Erie Insurance
VOICe Paxton Bookkeeping and Tax Service
AT&T Authorized Retailer—Mid Atlantic ProTel Chatham Commons of Cranberry
North Pittsburgh Greeting Company
Pittsburgh Plastics Manufacturing
Renick Brothers Construction Co.
Lou Negley’s Bottled Water, Inc.
Clean Town USA—DBA New Wave Car Wash
Geneva College Department of Professional & Online Studies DQE Communications, LLC
Fuellgraf Electric and Technical Management Associates
ServiceMaster of Greater Pittsburgh
XTO Energy, Inc.
Kontos Mengine Law Group
IntegraCare Corporation
Mathies & Sons, Inc.
Domestic Uniform Rental
Peak Performance Management
MSA—The Safety Company
Homer Nine and Sons
Beaver County Times
Kawneer Cranberry—ALCOA
Muhlenkamp & Company, Inc.
Holiday Inn Express
Panera Bread—McCandless
Sarver Landscape Maintenance Company
General Rental Center
ARMSTRONG December Renewals
Welcome to those who have joined!
Thank you for your referrals!
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Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber
2016 Recap: Tax Provisions for Businesses Whether you file as a corporation or sole proprietor here’s what business owners need to know about tax provisions for business and tax changes for 2016. Standard Mileage Rates The standard mileage rates in 2016 are as follows: 54 cents per business mile driven, 19 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, and 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations. Health Care Tax Credit for Small Businesses Small business employers who pay at least half the premiums for single health insurance coverage for their employees may be eligible for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit as long as they employ fewer than the equivalent of 25 full-time workers and average annual wages do not exceed $52,000 (adjusted annually for inflation) in 2016. In 2016 (as in 2015 and 2014), the tax credit is worth up to 50 percent of your contribution toward employees’ premium costs (up to 35 percent for tax-exempt employers). For tax years 2010 through 2013, the maximum credit was 35 percent for small business employers and 25 percent for small tax-exempt employers such as charities. Section 179 Expensing and Depreciation The Section 179 expense deduction was made permanent at $500,000 by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 (PATH). For equipment purchases, the maximum deduction is $500,000 of the first $2.01 million of qualifying equipment placed in service during the current tax year. The deduction is phased out dollar for dollar on amounts exceeding the $2 million threshold amount (indexed for inflation) and eliminated above amounts exceeding $2.5 million. In addition, Section 179 is now indexed to inflation in increments of $10,000 for future tax years. The 50 percent bonus depreciation has been extended through 2019. Businesses are able to depreciate 50 percent of the cost of equipment acquired and placed in service during 2015, 2016 and 2017. However, the bonus depreciation is reduced to 40 percent in 2018 and 30 percent in 2019. The standard business depreciation amount is 24 cents per mile. Please call if you have any questions about Section 179 expensing and the bonus depreciation. Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Extended through 2019, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit has been modified and enhanced for employers who hire long-term unemployed individuals (unemployed for 27 weeks or more) and is generally equal to 40 percent of the first $6,000 of wages paid to a new hire. Please call if you have any questions about the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. SIMPLE IRA Plan Contributions Contribution limits for SIMPLE IRA plans increased to $12,500 for persons under age 50 and $15,500 for persons age 50 or older in 2016. The maximum compensation used to determine contributions increases to $265,000. Please contact Holsinger P.C. if you need help understanding the latest tax provisions for business, the latest changes and which deductions and tax credits you are entitled to.
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5000 Brooktree Road, Suite 100 Wexford, PA 15090