| Newsletter |
January 2010 |
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Serving the Communities of Columbus, Forest Lake, Lent, Linwood, Scandia, Stacy & Wyoming |
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 January 2010 Membership Meeting
"IT'S CALLED NET-WORKING...NOT NET-TALKING!"
Kick off the New Year at 11:30 a.m.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 @
Running Aces Harness Park in Columbus!
Cost: $15 Members / $20 Non-Members
Joe McIntosh of Dale Carnegie Training works with companies to help them improve their performance by improving the performance of their people. He will present on the effective methods of networking:
*Learn practical ways to meet people and initiate conversation.
*Discover a method of asking questions with confidence.
*Apply skills to make POWERFUL first impressions.
*Discover the secret to being a great conversationalist. Click Here for a Registration Form |
 "LAKES AREA ECONOMIC SUMMIT"
Why Simply Survive? When You Can Thrive? Friday, January 29 @ Polaris Industries*7290 Viking Blvd E*Wyoming, MN
8:00am - Registration & Welcome
8:30am-11:00am - Presentations & Focus Groups
Cost: FREE
Business Leaders and Owners are cordially invited to attend the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce's Economic Summit. David Olson, President of the MN Chamber will be the keynote speaker and Dave Purdy, President of Wealth Management Midwest, LLC will be the Summit's facilitator. The Chamber has also invited local and state representatives to participate in the Summit. "In troubled times, you don't want to be along. That's the worst, attend the summit and get much needed support and tools to stay a viable business and a stronger community." The Economic Summit is FREE and open to the public. Sponsored by the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. Please RSVP by Clicking Here Click Here to Participate in Our Pre-Summit Survey |
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Exhibitor Value Advantage
FLACC Business of the Month
1. How long have you been in business?
I started my business in January, 2004 originally offering marketing support services to small business owners. I quickly realized that many businesses participate in trade shows and expos but lack training and experience on how to realize  maximum benefit from this form of marketing. Having years of experience and a particular fondness for trade shows and expos, I tagged myself a 'Trade Show Strategist' and now focus on the nuances of event marketing.
2. What is your main service/product?
My main product is me. I give practical tips on how to strategize for greater results. I do this by offering consulting and training for individual businesses or through workshops and seminars. I also sell quality trade show display products at reasonable prices.
3. What makes you stand out from your competition?
Most of my competition sells products as their primary offering -- the bigger the sale the more assistance they provide. Knowing there is more to trade show marketing success than the size and cost of the display, I stand apart by focusing on the specific challenges of business owner-operators vs. the trade show marketing departments of major corporations.
4. What is your company's most significant recent accomplishment?
There have been many but one I'm particularly fond of is the honor of being asked to be part of a professional advisory panel for an event at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) that was being offered in connection with their Meeting and Event Management Degree Program. After several industry professionals and I gave presentations, I received comments and compliments from my colleagues about my focus on small business. Of particular delight was the fact that I am an alumnus of that institution having graduated in 1973 with a certificate in secretarial services.
5. Why does your business belong to the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce?
Much of my target market can be found in the membership lists of various Chambers of Commerce where businesses collaborate and network. I have been courted by several of the local chambers and given many of them serious consideration, but joined FLACC due to the camaraderie I was enjoying as a result of providing assistance for the home and business expo. |
Ambassador's Spotlight on Business
December, 2009
 Wally McCarthy's Chevrolet Cadillac
Scott Richards533 SW 19th St. Forest Lake, MN 55025 (651) 464-1400 http://www.wallymccarthyschevcad.net A Minnesota native, Wally McCarthy began his career in the automobile industry in 1949. McCarthy opened the Forest Lake dealership in August of 1997 along with Jerry Moe, who currently serves as the General Manager in Forest Lake. Wally McCarthy's currently serves over 500,000 satisfied customers in Minnesota and the surrounding area. Despite the current economy, Wally McCarthy's Chevrolet/Cadillac dealership is "here today, here to stay" as Sales Manager Scott Richards likes to put it. Other Wally McCarthy locations can be found in Roseville, Coon Rapids and Rogers, MN.
 Ruddy's Rental/Ruddy's Party Town
Chris Ruddy
21380 Forest Blvd. N.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
(651) 464-7368
http://www.ruddysrental.com
http://www.ruddyspartytown.com
Ruddy's Rental and Ruddy's Party Town are locally owned, family operated stores that opened in Forest Lake in April of 1983. Ruddy's Rental has rental equipment for any job - painting, decorating, gardening, building, plumbing and commercial projects. They also have a vast array of tables and chairs available for rent for larger events including weddings, graduation parties and more! Ruddy's also has U-Haul trucks, trailers, dollies and packing supplies for any size move. A business that has had continued success for over 25 years, Ruddy's is the only rental facility of its scale in the Forest Lake Area. Contact Ruddy's for your next big project!
Thank you to December's Ambassadors: Judy Johnon, Flexible Spaces; Vicky LaMotte, South Lake Design; Randy Mattson, Mattson & Wiens LTD; John Plasch, Credit Union at Forest Lake; Nate Wilner, First State Bank of Wyoming | |
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January Refreshment Host
Gavia, Inc.
Daree Selby
Wyoming, MN 55092
(763) 434-0848
Website
"Gavia, Inc.can help with your business computer needs. Our specialty is working with small businesses who need simple, cost-effective solutions to get their jobs done. Not every company needs a full-time IT professional on their staff. We can be your technical support resource." *******************************************
The Chamber is always looking for business to be Refreshment Host. For only $35 a month (which covers refreshment supplies) you receive recognition in the Chamber Newsletter, advertising at the Chamber front desk and at all the meetings held in the Chamber conference room. Please call the Chamber at 651-464-3200 to reserve your spot. |
Did You Know?
Save Big Just By Being a Chamber Member
Your Forest Lake Area Chamber is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce. By being so, we are able to provide our members with discounts to popular businesses across the nation including: Avis Car Rental, FedEx, Sam's Club and more! Visit the US Chamber Member Website to take advantage of these great deals. The FLACC Account # is 937665. | |
FLACC January Trivia
E-Mail chamber@flacc.org with the answer to BOTH questions to be entered into a drawing for a chance to win free admission to this month's membership meeting!
1. At last month's Membership Meeting (December 10) a trivia question was asked: In Great American Film,
Dino De Laurentiis ordered 1,012 pounds of Argentinian Horse Tails to create what?
2. How many people welcomed Governor Tim Pawlenty to Stars and Strikes in April 2009? |
FLACC Now Booking "Coffee Chatters" & Brown Bag Lunches for 2010
Great Networking Opportunity for You and Your Business
Coffee Chatters are held on the last Thursday of the month from 7:30a-8:30a at your place of business. It provides a great opportunity to invite other local business representatives into your place of business and network over breakfast. If you are interested in holding a Coffee Chatter at your business, please contact the chamber.
Our Brown Bag Lunches are educational seminars put on by our members. They are a great way to advertise your company and what you have to offer others in the community for FREE. Meetings take place on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month over the 12p-1p lunch hour. If you have a topic you'd like to present, please contact the chamber. | |
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FLACC Seeking Sponsors for 2010 Lakes Area Expo!
The Lakes Area Expo is on Saturday, April 10 @ 9:30 a.m.
It's that time again! The Chamber is now seeking sponsors for the Lakes Area Expo (formerly known as the Home & Business Show). The Lakes Area Expo will take place on April 10, 2010 from 9:30a.m. to 4:30p.m. This year, our goal is 150 Vendors and 1,800 attendees! If you are interested in sponsorship, please see the information below and contact the chamber if you would like to participate. ACT FAST! THESE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WON'T LAST!
Naming Sponsor - $1,000 ( Includes naming rights on all promotional materials, free booth and signage.)
Corporate Sponsor - $750 (Includes free booth and signage.) |
January At a Glance
Mark Your Calendars!
Tuesday, January 5: 8:30am-9:30am Chamber Talent Show Committee Meeting @ FLACC
Wednesday, January 6: 8:30am-10:00am Women in Business Meeting @ FLACC
Thursday, January 7: 3:15pm Ambassador Visits to Roberts Family Funeral Home & DUCTZ Air Duct Cleaning
Friday, January 8: 11:30am-1:00pm Young Leaders Group Meeting @ Famous Dave's
Tuesday, January 12: 8:30am-10:00am HUB Committee Meeting @ FLACC
Tuesday, January 12: 12:00pm-1:00pm "Getting Started with Social Networking"@ FLACC
Wednesday, January 13: 8:00am-9:00am Finance Committee Meeting @ FLACC
Thursday, January 14: 11:30am Executive Committee Meeting @ FLACC
Tuesday, January 19: 11:30am-1:00pm Membership Meeting @ Running Aces Harness Park
Wednesday, January 20: 7:30am-9:00am Board of Directors Meeting @ FLACC
Wednesday, January 20: 11:30am-12:30pm Lakes Area Expo Meeting @ FLAAA Sports Center
Tuesday, January 26: 8:00am Government Affairs Meeting @ FLACC
Friday, January 29: 8:00am-10:30am Economic Summit @ Polaris Industries
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 From the President
"Another year over....a new one just begun" John Lennon, Happy Christmas
And what a year it was......The FLACC celebrated 45 years of empowering businesses and we hosted the Governor! The FLACC sponsored:
- 1 Regional Speed Networking event
- 10 Membership meetings (over 156 people welcomed Governor Pawlenty to Stars and Strikes Entertainment Center)
- 6 Sunrise Networking events
- 2 Coffee Chatter events
- 11th Annual Casino Night
- Legislative Breakfast
- Spring and Swing Home Opener - Home and Business Show
- 22nd Annual Golf Tournament
- East Metro Business After Hours
- Ambassador Club visited over 32 businesses and facilitated over 6 ribbon cutting ceremonies
- A luncheon with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann where I presented the Congresswoman with the U.S. Chamber's "Spirit of Enterprise Award"
- Implemented a "Shop Local First" Campaign
- 2 Motivational and Educational presentations
- 4 Member Orientations
- Business Day at the Capital
- A school board candidate forum
- Taped 3 "Around Lakes Area" episodes which are aird on the local cable access channel
- Attended the Sessions Priority event sponsored through the MN Chamber
- The "Light up our City' event along with the City of Forest Lake and Stella's on 97
- 8th Annual Breakfast with Santa event
2010 is slated to be a very busy year at the FLACC. So stay tuned! I would like to thank all our Board of Directors and all our dedicated volunteers without you we would not have accomplished all that we did.
Thank you for being a member of the FLACC. I wish all of you a prosperous 2010! |
 Young Leaders Group
Michelle Biernat, Group Leader
The month of December brought participation in two of our key focus areas, mentorship and philanthropy. Members of our group continue to participate in Fairview Lakes Health Services mentorship program at Forest View Elementary. This month, we were able to share in the holiday celebration with our mentees and present them with a gift for the holiday. They were all very thrilled with their gifts! The Young Leaders Group also sponsored a kettle for the Salvation Army and participated in bell ringing at the Cub Foods in Forest Lake on December 17th. We had a pretty full kettle by the end of our two shifts. A special thank you to Karolina Konczyk for coordinating this event and to all who participated!
The Young Leaders Group kicks off the New Year with its first meeting on Friday January 8th at 11:30 a.m. at Famous Dave's. Melissa Heiniemi with Timeless Elements Med Spa & Laser Center will be presenting on their many services including laser hair removal, chemical peels, massage and other laser treatments. Please feel free to join us for this meeting and learn more about one of our local area businesses. The Young Leaders Group is also looking for presenters at our upcoming meetings. If you are interested in presenting, please feel free to contact me at michelle@rychley.com.
We are also very excited to participate in the Forest Lake Rotary Club's "Gettin' Cold for a Cause" on February 20th at 11:00 a.m. We are looking for 7 participants who would be willing to jump to raise funds for the Forest Lake Are Chamber of Commerce. We will be discussing our participation in detail at our January meeting. If you would like to participate or would like to sponsor a jumper, please contact me. Remember, our meetings and participation in our events are open to the chamber at large and we welcome the support of all of our chamber members.
"The Young Leaders Group plays an important role in connecting young members of our business community in order to foster relationships to help one another grow our businesses and help our community prosper."
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Community Corner
By Jim Westlund, Melaleuca-The Wellness Company Spotlight Non-Profit: Northwoods Humane Society
Northwoods Humane Society's mission is to care for animals in need. This includes homeless, abused and neglected animals. They help to heal them, love them and find a right and perfect home for each animal.
They are located 1.5 miles east of Forest Lake on Highway 8. Their address is 7153 Lake Blvd, Wyoming MN 55092; their website is www.northwoodshs.org and their phone # is 651-982-0240. 
As a non-profit organization, they rely solely on donations and adoption fees to cover all of their operating expenses.
Here are some different ways you or someone you know can support this wonderful organization:
*Donate time
*Donate $$$$
*Donate material goods (see wish list on their site)
*Drop off Aluminum cans
*Purchase vehicle from Whitaker Buick in Forest Lake
*Drop off unwanted digital cell phones
*Drop off grocery receipts from Bruce's Foods or Marketplace Foods
You can also see a list of animals ready for adoption on their site w/ pics. Check out their website or stop by and make a donation. It is a great opportunity to see how they operate and benefit our community...!
Upcoming Event:
Forest Lake Rotary's Winter Plunge
The Rotary Club of Forest Lake Presents "Gettin' Cold for a Cause," The First Annual Winter Plunge on Forest Lake! This is your chance to plunge into Frosty, Frigid, and Frozen Forest Lake in February and raise funds for your favorite non-profit!
Date: February 20, 2010
Place: Lakeside Beach in Forest Lake
Time: 10:30am- Registration, 11:30am- Plunges Begin!
Who can be a Plunger? Plungers must be a minimum of age 12, in good health, and must raise a minimum of $50 in pledges. Waivers of liability and some paperwork are also required.
To learn more go to -- www.winterplunge.kintera.org
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Save the Date! - February-April 2010 Membership Meetings
The Chamber has a lot of great membership meeting speakers in mind for the coming months. Put the dates on your calendar now - you won't want to miss out! While meeting topics aren't necessarily finalized, the dates and time of 11:30am-1:00pm are set in stone.
 Tuesday, February 16: Lori Bestler of Mindscapes Unlimited will present on how to "Succeed Beyond Expectations in 2010: Learn How to Positively Connect Quickly with People to Build Trust and Grow Your Business"
Within the first 30 seconds of meeting a person, their instinctive reaction determines whether or not they choose to like and trust you .
Each person makes unconscious immediate assessment of who you are in the landscape of their mind. Learn what affects a negative response and influences a positive connection *Communinicate More Effectively Through Body Language; Learn how to build repore; Understand what influences positive connections outside of what we say or do.
Tuesday, March 16: Colleen is in the process of lining up Dave St. Peter, President of the MN Twins as our March Meeting Speaker. Our Plan B in the event that he falls through is "Lakes Area Development & Construction Updates". In this case, we'll invite representatives in from our 7 representing cities to discuss the progress currently being made in each city, and what those changes might mean for area businesses.
 Tuesday, April 20: Governor Pawlenty is on our wish list! Last year brought such a great turnout and positive response that we'd love to our our Governor back again. Unfortunately, he doesn't book appearances further than 6 weeks out. We'll keep you posted! |
| YSB Corner
 Winter Plunge: Gettin' Cold for a Cause!
LAYSB is looking for pledges & plungers to join our team at the First Annual Winter Plunge sponsored by Rotary Club of Forest Lake on February 20, 2010! Click on the "Lakes Area YSB" team pledge page to donate or become a plunger for LAYSB! Visit www.winterplunge.kintera.org for more information.
LAYSB Seeks Youth Page Sponsors
Lakes Area Youth Service Bureau (LAYSB) would like to invite you to become an advertising sponsor of the 2010 "Youth Pages." The Youth Page is a vital informational link to the community about the programs, events and services offered by LAYSB and is published three times each year in the Forest Lake Times, Forest Lake Press, Chisago County Press and the North Branch Post Review. Advertising sponsorship is very affordable, cost effective and shows your support for area youth and families! For more information please contact Jackie Kottke at 651-464-3685 or via e-mail at jackie.kottke@ysblakesarea.org.
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MN Chamber Update
A Full-Court Press for Private-Sector Jobs
By David C. Olson
 The economy will be center stage when the 2010 Legislature convenes Feb. 4. Rest assured, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and our statewide network of local chambers will be working hard to ensure that the Legislature does nothing to increase the cost of doing business and slow the recovery.
Everyone loves to talk the talk; we're prepared to walk the talk.
Minnesota businesses face mounting competition in the global marketplace. There's no silver bullet to level the playing field. Our challenges are even more daunting, considering the multibillion-dollar projected shortfall in the state's general fund.
As the statewide voice of business, we will be advancing another aggressive and broad-based agenda with positions on approximately 50 policies. Our top five priorities are:
Spending/tax reform - We will advance spending reform that focuses on three components: Change the way the state sets its budgets to avoid overcommitting during times of surplus and to prioritize spending. Deliver government services at a lower cost per unit while maintaining or improving service. Reduce the overhead expenses of government, including recommendations on public employee benefits and compensation. We also will start the discussion on tax reform with a focus to encourage the growth of business in Minnesota and to create a more stable source of tax revenues.
Health care reform - Employers and employees alike need quality and affordable health care. The potential impact of federal health care reform legislation keeps health care a priority. The Chamber also will continue to monitor and support implementation of the 2008 state health care reform bill as well.
Environmental permitting - Streamlining, adding certainty and reducing the cost of the environmental permitting process is important to economic development. Businesses of all types and sizes identify problems in the system. In general, what takes months in other states can take multiple years in Minnesota.
Repealing the nuclear ban - Minnesota is approaching a dangerous crossroads in its ability to provide base-load power to maintain the economic vitality of this state and the quality of life for all Minnesotans. Eliminating this gag rule that prevents regulators from even talking about expansion of nuclear energy is necessary to ensure a reliable supply of competitively priced electricity.
Alternative teacher licensing - Employers are increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of the workforce pool, and the problem will be exacerbated by demographic trends that show a decline in workforce growth. Minnesota should provide alternative opportunities for college graduates and experienced professionals to gain teacher accreditation. Studies show that second to parents, quality teachers are the top predictor of student success.
Our efforts at the Capitol always are bolstered by firsthand experiences. If you have examples to share, or if you seek additional information on our priorities, please contact Tom Hesse, our vice president of government affairs, at (651) 292-4678 or thesse@mnchamber.com.
We are most effective when we represent your priorities. We thank you in advance for your participation as we advance your agenda in St. Paul.
David Olson is president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit the Web at www.mnchamber.com.
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There are many exciting opportunities for your business at the Chamber.
Call us to find out more: 651-464-3200.
Sincerely,
Colleen Eddy
Colleen Eddy
Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce |
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