|
|
The East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance
and East Valley Partnership Present
2010 East Valley Breakfast with the Governor
Tuesday, February 23rd
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Mesa Community College
$40 per person
$500 for table of 8 and sponsor recognition
|
| Eliminating Arduous Restrictions Tops Survey |
|
Based on feedback from our members, the chamber's Public Policy Committee has submitted a letter to Town of Gilbert officials and staff to recommend several changes to the current sign code ordinance in an effort to lift restrictions on all businesses across the community.
"Obviously, the more successful our businesses are, the more successful our community is in collecting sales tax and property tax dollars that pay for the services we all enjoy", said Susan Brechbill, chair of the chamber's Board of Directors. "We need to evaluate ways to lessen restrictions to help businesses, now more than ever. Do we really need permits for temporary signage? Can we lessen restrictions and allow more flexibility in types of temporary signage while maintaining quality and consistency? These are the issues we will be discussing as we meet with Town officials."
A flier can be found on the Chamber's web site outlining the recommendations we will take forward to the Town but a quick summary is as follows:
- Expand the types of A-frame signs allowed to include sizes; eliminate the restriction on the size of businesses and number of signs allowed.
- Allow Flying Banner signs with reasonable height restrictions, a secured base, and placement.
- Change the sign code regarding banners to require online notification instead of permitting.
- Allow special event temporary signage with time restrictions, online notification and expanded signage opportunities.
- Add a new section to allow Boulevard Signs on light poles for shopping centers.
- Develop an online permit application for permanent signs.
"Based on the feedback we have received, it appears that temporary signage is very important to a segment of our business community that is very focused on attracting foot traffic and those who are newer businesses trying to create a customer base as they grow their business," said Kathy Tilque, president/CEO of the chamber. "For those businesses who are more established and don't require new foot traffic, the temporary signage doesn't seem to be a priority on their marketing plan."
In addition to working with the town to make these changes, the Chamber will also publish a brochure that outlines the opportunities and restrictions of temporary signage that will be distributed to businesses throughout the community.
"We truly appreciate our members taking time to complete this survey. Respondents represent a good cross section of our entire business community," explained Tilque. "Respondents also represented the makeup of the Chamber's membership as 53 percent of those who responded have been in business six years or longer and 56 percent have six or more employees." |
| Chamber Offers Banner Ad Space on Web Site |
|
By Sarah Watts, executive assistant
Chamber members have the opportunity to gain additional exposure for their business with the purchase of rotating banner advertisements on the Chamber's web site at a low introductory rate. The web site, www.gilbertaz.com, has more than 48,000 visitors and an average of 180,000 business referrals each year. Rotating banner advertisements are sold on a yearly basis and include the following options:
- Side Banner (125 x 125 pixels) - $100 introductory rate; $400 regular price
- Footer Banner (234 x 60 pixels) - $125 introductory rate; $600 regular price
- Side and Footer Banner - $200 introductory rate; $900 regular price
For an additional $50, the banner advertisement can be placed on the web site's Member2Member coupon page with a link to your web site. To learn more about this promotional opportunity, contact Adrianne at (480) 570-0600 or e-mail adrianne@gilbertchamber.com. |
| Nominate Individuals, Businesses For Chamber's Annual Awards |
|
By Marty Tomljenovic, vice president of special events
The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations to recognize outstanding individuals and businesses at the 2010 Annual Awards Luncheon. "We are asking the community to nominate individuals and businesses that continually exceed expectations by providing a unique product, outstanding customer service, or other contributions of significance," said Kathy Tilque, president/CEO of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce.  This year's ceremony will include recognition of Business of the Year (large), Business of the Year (small), Employer of Choice, Family Business of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Wellness in the Workplace, Volunteer of the Year, Gilbert Leadership Award, and the SCF Safety Award. Please take a few minutes to nominate your favorite business or individual. A nomination can be found on Chamber's web site or requested by e-mail. Once complete, return the form by fax to (480) 892-1980 or e-mail to marty@gilbertchamber.com. Nominations must be received by May 3rd at 5:00 p.m. The 2010 Annual Awards Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, June 16th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Val Vista Lakes Community Clubhouse and will include the Chamber's Year in Review as outgoing members of the Board of Directors are honored and new members are introduced. General admission is $40; chamber member price is $25. |
| Membership Includes Shop Gilbert Enrollment |
|
By Sarah Watts, executive assistant
 As an added benefit to members of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, all member businesses located within Gilbert have been enrolled in the Shop Gilbert program. Shop Gilbert is a grassroots effort to encourage residents to put their money where their house is and keep tax dollars in Gilbert. The program is sponsored by the Chamber, the Town of Gilbert and the Gilbert Republic. Those businesses recently enrolled will receive in the mail a letter confirming their enrollment, a window decal for display in their store or vehicle, and a bookmark. In addition, Shop Gilbert participants will receive a monthly update on the campaign's efforts and a list of all enrolled participants. This list is also posted on the Shop Gilbert web site. Businesses enrolled in Shop Gilbert are eligible to receive a free business profile in the Gilbert Republic. To take advantage of this opportunity, complete the Business Profile form included in your enrollment packet or download the form at www.gilbertaz.com/ShopGilbert. |
| Workshops Big Help to Small Businesses |
|
By Grace Hodges, vice president of programs/services
Grow Your Business Using Marketing Automation - Learn how to save time and make more money by putting your business on autopilot. Discover how to generate more leads, automatically nurture your prospects, convert prospects to customers and generate more referrals. This workshop is sponsored by Infusionsoft and will be presented by Brad Martineau, director of marketing. Mark your calendar to attend on Thursday, February 4th from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. at Infusionsoft, 2065 W. Obispo Ave., Ste. 103, in Gilbert. Admission is free. How to Show a Positive Return on Your Investment - Conduct a business process analysis to examine your company's operations and finances and assess your organization's readiness to deal with the key issues that must be address to achieve your goals. This workshop will be presented by Charles Loew and Phil Vaney of Maset, LLC. Mark your calendar to attend on Wednesday, February 24th from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, 119 N. Gilbert Rd., Ste. 101, in Gilbert. General admission is $15; Chamber member price is $10. Reserve your spot at these great workshops! Contact Grace at (480) 926-6027 or e-mail grace@gilbertchamber.com. |
| |
 |
| Your Safety First! Safety in the Stairwell |
|
Be safe when taking the stairs: 
- Use handrails
- Never run
- Take one step at a time
- Avoid blocking the stairway for use by others
- Keep stairway free of objects and clutter
- Use caution when opening doors to stairwells
The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce cares about your safety in the workplace and has partnered with SCF Arizona to reduce workplace injuries. As a member of the Chamber, you are eligible to receive a savings on your insurance premium, free safety education, and more.
Put SCF Arizona to work for you! Call Ed Redmond at (602) 631-2983 for a quote and more information. |
| Chamber Alliance Presents Legislative Agenda |
|
By Kathy Tilque, President/CEO
With the new legislative session underway, the East Valley Chambers of Commerce Alliance (EVCCA) has provided our legislators with its annual legislative agenda and priorities, identifying those issues most pressing to its membership.
"As is expected, the budget will be on the front burner throughout the session but there are other priorities that need attention to improve Arizona's business climate," said Susan Brechbill, chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce. "Building a solid business base for Arizona is of utmost importance as we can never get into a situation of relying on one industry to fund the State as in the past. We look forward to working with our legislative delegation during this session."
Priorities identified for this session are as follows:
- Repeal of the Equalization Property Tax;
- Restoration of fund sweeps;
- Regular reviews of dedicated funds and, if not being used, then abolish the fund/tax collection;
- Legislative emphasis on health care cost transparency, access, portability and reasonable costs;
- Increased requirements for initiatives;
- Immediate moratorium on collection of job training fund taxes until funds restored;
- Establish government privatization review process;
- Address property tax inequities;
- Guarantee employees' right to vote by secret ballot regarding union organization decisions;
- Reform of current litigation system regarding tort reform and alternative dispute resolution;
- Oppose Arizona's participation in Western Climate Initiative
To view the legislative agenda in its entirety, visit the chamber's web site, www.gilbertaz.com. |
|
|
|
| Gilbert Leadership Holds Education Issue Day |
By Adrianne Lynch, technology director
Gilbert Leadership Class XVII took part in an Education Issue Day on January 15th. The day started with a tour of Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus, then lunch at Salerno's. The group then traveled to Gilbert's Highland High School where they enjoyed a musical performance by the school's Advanced Vocal Ensemble and Jazz Band and sat in on a panel discussion featuring district principals. To learn more about becoming a leader through the Gilbert Leadership program, contact Adrianne by e-mail at adrianne@gilbertchamber.com or visit www.gilbertleadership.com. |
| Go Green! Tip of the Month |
|
If your New Years resolution is to exercise then try these tips to a greener and less expensive workout...
Run/Walk outside - Why run or walk on a treadmill that uses electricity when you can walk or run outside? When you walk/run outside, you can explore your neighborhood and leave right from home so you don't even have to go anywhere!
Join a Gym Within Walking Or Biking Distance - It is not sustainable to drive to a gym, and if the gym is too far away to walk or bike, you probably won't go a lot anyway. Why? Well, if you have a limited amount of time to workout every day and you spend a lot of it in the car driving, it is not a sustainable use of time or the earth's resources. If you can walk or bike to your gym, you are already getting a workout in on your way, so you effectively use your time in a more sustainable way.
Bring a Reusable Water Bottle - Disposable water bottles cost more money in the long run than reusing a bottle and most disposable water bottles end up in landfills. Not good.
Source: Greener Trends |
| A Message from the Gilbert Fire Department |
January 4, 2010 Dear Town of Gilbert Citizens, Business Owners, School Administrators and Faith Based Organizations,
I am very excited to share with you that the Town of Gilbert has launched a new community information service designed to deliver public safety and community information. This service is called Nixle, and it delivers trustworthy and important notifications instantly to you by cell phone text message, email and web. There is NO spam or advertising and notifications are available to you at no cost; however, your standard text messaging rates do apply.
As a user, you are able to choose the information that you want to receive, from urgent public safety alerts and advisories to less time sensitive community information. We believe that this is a valuable tool for our community because it provides real time, secure public safety notifications to subscribers. Public safety notifications from the Gilbert Fire Departments could include; a serious injury or fatal crash in which a helicopter is enroute and an intersection is closed, a public safety emergency that requires people to stay in or remain away from their homes or traffic safety implications around a large fire scene. This messaging capability allows us to get important information to you very quickly.
If you want to receive these notifications, you need to go online at www.Nixle.com and click "register now." I believe that you will find that this notification capability will help keep your family safe and informed.
Sincerely,
Sheri Gibbons |
| Legislative Update: Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit |
Submitted by Employee Benefit Exchange Corp.
Arizona HB 2177 is tax-credit legislation that seeks to help small employers provide affordable group coverage for their employees. Under the program, eligible small groups will be issued vouchers covering up to 50% of their annual medical premium.
Eligible small groups are from two to 25 lives that have been in business in Arizona for at least one year and have not had group coverage for at least six months. Groups may now apply for a voucher that can be submitted to their Carrier in place of up to half of the premium. Carriers then submit the voucher to the state in exchange for credit off their premium tax.
The program also applies to individual plans, but note that individuals who earn more than 250% of the federal poverty level are not eligible. There is no earning cap on group coverage.
For more information on this tax credit or how you can receive discounts on premiums through Humana, SightCare of Arizona, or Total Dental Administrators, contact a member of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce's Insurance Benefit Taskforce. |
| Chamber Member Shout Out! |
|
The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce recognizes the following businesses for their contribution of door prizes or catering last month:
Advanced Chiropractic
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
Costco
DreamMaker Images
Gifford Health Institute
LaVie Nail & Spa
Premier Designs Jewelery | |
|
|
|
| Mark Your Calendar! |
|
Angela Tauscher of Mary Kay Cosmetics and Melissa Forrester of United Food Bank attended the Chamber's Business Wrap-up holiday event at Norwood Furniture in December 2009.
|
Register to attend any of the Chamber's upcoming events. Call
(480) 892-0056 or visit
|
| Small Business Workshop
|
|
Grow Your Business Using Marketing Automation
Learn the simple, automated marketing campaigns that every business should use to generate more leads, nurture unconverted leads and get more business.
Thursday, Feb. 4th
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Infusionsoft
2065 W. Obispo Ave., Ste. 3, Gilbert
Sponsored by:
General Admission - Free
Compliments of Infusionsoft
Register Now |
|
Business Connections
...Network NOW! |
|
Get to know other Chamber members and expand your network at this fun mixer. Includes door prizes and a light breakfast.
Thursday, Feb. 11th
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
119 N. Gilbert Rd., Ste. 101, Gilbert
Sponsored by:
Angela Tauscher
Independent Sales Director
Mary Kay Cosmetics
One Time Visitor Price - $10
Chamber Member Price - $5
|
|
Gilbert NOW!
... Network at Noon |
|
State of the Town Mayor John Lewis will deliver news from the Town, including the state of the community and a fiscal forecast.
Wednesday, Feb. 17th
11:15 AM - 1:00 PM
Southeast Regional Library
775 N. Greenfield Rd., Gilbert
Sponsored by:
General Admission - $25
Chamber Member Price - $15; $20 at door
|
|
Business Wrap-Up
...Network NOW! |
|
Wrap up the workday with other Chamber members and build your business. This fun event will include a Blazin' Wings competition and Pong Tournament.
Thursday, Feb. 18th
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Buffalo Wild Wings
1475 W. Elliot Rd., Gilbert
Sponsored by:
One Time Visitor Price - $10
Chamber Member Price - $5
|
| Small Business Workshop
|
|
Show a Positive Return on Your Investment
Learn how to get a positive return on your investment and make a detailed assessment of your organization's readiness to deal with key issues.
Thursday, Feb. 24th
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce 119 N. Gilbert Rd., Ste. 101, Gilbert
Sponsored by:
General Admission-$15
Chamber Member Price - $10
|
|
2010 Celebrity Waiter Dinner |
Come to the Cabaret!
Enjoy a fun evening of great food and entertainment. This event features local celebrity waiters, including Mayor John Lewis, state and local elected officials, Town of Gilbert VIP's, and other community leaders.
Thursday, Feb. 25th
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Villa Siena
890 W. Elliot Rd., Gilbert
Sponsored by:
General Admission - $75
Chamber Member Price - $60
Table Sponsor - $600
|
|
|
|
Shred-A-Thon and Business Fair |
Bring your sensitive documents for safe and proper destruction at this community event. Shredding by TNT Shredding.
Local businesses will be on site to share their products and services.
Saturday, Feb. 27th
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
119 N. Gilbert Rd., Ste. 101, Gilbert
First box* - Free
Each add'l box* - $5
*10"x12"x15"
Booth Rentals -
$75 non-members
$50 members
|
|
|
| Chairman's Express |
 |
The following members are recognized for their continued support and contributions to the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce:
APS
Banner Gateway Medical Center
Gilbert Tribune
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center
SRP |
| Premier Members |
| A.L. Russell & Associates
APS
Banner Gateway Medical Center
Gilbert Tribune
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center
SRP
Thorobred Chevrolet
Town of Gilbert
Villa Siena |
|
|
| Website Referrals
December 2009 |
|
|
Listings Displayed
Bolero's at Seville Golf & Country Club
Buffalo Wild Wings
Chick-Fil-A of San Tan Village
Country Cottage Cafe & Gift Shop
Dragon Wok Fine Chinese Restaurant
It's A Grind Coffee House
Johnny Rockets
Papa John's International
The Gilbert SkyBox Sports Grill
The Great Taste of Chicago
Coupon's Viewed
ActionCOACH Business Coaching
Elements Therapeutic Massage
International Minute Press of Gilbert
Papa Johns Pizza
Phoenix Children's Academy
Sam's Club
Solana Luxury Rentals
Storage One Self Storage
Sponsors Displayed
APS
Buffalo Wild Wings
Downunder Wines
Lawton Publications
National Bank of Arizona
Norwood Furniture
SCF Arizona
SRP
The Arizona Republic
Website Clicked On
Able Information Technologies
American Tax and Financial Services, LLC.
Blissful Ambience
Bolero's at Seville Golf & Country Club
Debra R. Merrill CPA, PLLC
Desert Sun Chiropractic
Discover Chiropractic
Frankie D's Salon
Hampton Inn & Suites Phoenix-Gilbert
Infinite Healing Center
Infusionsoft
Joe's Farm Grill
Liberty Market
Map Viewed
A Child's Place at the Ranches, LLC
A.L. Russell & Associates, Business & Entrepreneur Coach
Arizona Exterminating
Best Western Legacy Inn & Suites
Bruegger's
Costco Wholesale
Farm House Restaurant
Oregano's Pizza Bistro, Inc.
Serrano's Mexican Restaurants
Wildflower Bread Company |
| You Say It Best! |
|
"The leads group has been a very positive experience. It allows me to meet with other motivated businesses in the community who are dedicated to customer service and being masters in their field. I always feel good giving a referral to them."
Nathan Saydyk
Stoneridge Dental
For more information on how you can participate in a leads group, contact Annette at (480) 926-6020 or
|
| Membership Anniversaries |
|
1-5 YEARS
68 Creative Group
A Mug You Can Trust
Comfort Inn & Suites
CrossWoods Indoor Golf Center
Desert Schools Federal Credit Union
Dragon Wok Fine Chinese Restaurant
Experts on Sight, LLC
Ironwood at SanTan
Mountain Vista Medical Center
Oasis Orthodontics
San Tan Ford
The UPS Store #5070
USA Youth Fitness Center
6-10 YEARS
Arizona Farm Bureau Federation
Arizona State Credit Union
Caliente Construction, Inc.
Desert Gateway Baptist Church
Flancer's Café
Gilbert Santan Motorplex
Jackson White, P.C.
Nathan T. Davis, D.D.S., PC
Philip M. Barlow & Associates LLC.
Trilogy Golf Club at Power Ranch
Work Place Testing
11-15 YEARS
Benjamin Franklin Charter School
HoneyBaked Ham Co.
Waste Management
|
|
|
|
|
