Start the day with great networking, door prizes and professional exchange when Chamber members gather for a Business Before Hours at Sam's Club, 5870 Sawmill Road, on June 21 from 7:30 to 9 a.m.   

Business Before Hours (BBH) and Business After Hours (BAH) events are designed to give Worthington Chamber members the opportunity to network with other members in an informal setting and to learn more about Chamber member businesses.

We encourage pre-registration. Select "REGISTER NOW" above to reach the online registration page, and follow the registration prompts.  Be sure to click "SUBMIT." You'll receive an e-mail confirmation when successfully registered. Members who pre-register by noon on June 20 will receive preprinted name tags, eligibility for extra door prizes, and listing in the "Know Before You Go" section of the website.

Plans are under way for A Taste of Worthington, the Chamber's 20th annual food sampling festival, on Friday, July 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the parking area of OfficeScape Corporate Center, 350 W. Wilson Bridge Road. 

The event offers great tastes and family fun as guests enjoy affordably priced appetizers, entrées and desserts from area restaurants in a festive block party atmosphere, with live music and family activities. Sponsors have the opportunity to showcase their products and services to approximately 3,000 guests, and area restaurants can show off tastes of their best as they vie for honors in the "People's Choice" competition for the crowd's favorite foods.

If you are interested in being a sponsor, food vendor or volunteer for the event, please contact the Chamber at 888-3040 as soon as possible, or click REGISTER NOW in the registration panel above to select your sponsorship level.

Join us for The Get Smart! Business Book Club, a Chamber partnership with Worthington Libraries. The group meets quarterly at a Chamber-member business. McVay's Ethan Allen, 6767 N. High St., will host our July 7 book discussion group, beginning at 5:30 p.m.  

There is no charge to attend the event. Pre-registration is encouraged through our REGISTER NOW link. Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be furnished, courtesy of Worthington Libraries and the Chamber.

The book selection for the July 7 discussion group is "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.  The Heath brothers (coauthors of Made to Stick) address motivating employees, family members, and ourselves in their analysis of why we too often fear change.   

If you would like to reserve a copy of the book from the library, click on this link and select the "Reserve" option directly under the picture of the book. You'll need your library card number and PIN number (usually the last four digits of your phone number) to reserve materials online.  

If you work in a home office or "wear all the hats" at a small office with five or fewer employees, the Chamber's new Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) subgroup may be for you. At each monthly "brown bag lunch" style meeting, members exchange best practices and business leads and learn from experts about topics that affect small business owners and home-based businesses, including legal, tax, organizational, IT and marketing/promotion issues.

The SOHO group will meet next on Thursday, June 23, from 11:30 to 1 p.m. at Northwest Library, 2280 Hard Road, in the community meeting room.  

Wes Mayer, FocalPoint Business Coaching, will present:

 "Prioritizing Your Marketing Strategies."

Business members of the Chamber are eligible to join SOHO. SOHO members pay a subgroup participation fee of $30 per year, in addition to their Chamber dues. A prospective SOHO member may attend the meeting free of charge for a one-month period and then may choose sign up for the group with the $30 annual fee.

Registration is required. To register, click on REGISTER NOW in the registration box above.  Bring your own lunch, if desired; bottled water will be available.  

SOHO meetings are scheduled for the fourth Thursday of the month. To learn more about SOHO, contact the SOHO Leadership Team for 2011, Glen Allie of Prudential (614-472-2707, ext. 7235) and Howard Brody, GLFM Business Solutions (614-209-0480).

Young Professionals of Worthington (YpoW) will gather to serve the community and celebrate their successes at an after-party on Wednesday, July 27.

The event includes a camp volunteer project at YMCA North, 1640 Sandalwood Place, Columbus 43229, where summer camp is among many projects serving area youth. At the Y, volunteers will complete several large projects, such as painting, mulching/landscaping and odd jobs to renew and repair the facility. The volunteer activities will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m.

Following a one-hour break to clean up and/or change clothes, the after-party mixer for social and professional exchange will be held at House Wine, 644 High St., Worthington, from 5 to 7 p.m.  Enjoy cheese and crackers sponsored by House Wine owner Donnie Austin -- and Happy Hour prices on many fine wines and beers.

Pre-registration is requested. Attendees who pre-register will be eligible for a door prize drawing and will have preprinted name tags. The event is free for YPoW members. For prospective members, $30 is your admission to the event AND your annual membership fee if your company is a current Chamber member.  

YPoW is grateful for the year-round sponsorship of AAA Ohio Auto Club and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield during our 2011 program year.