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Greetings! Jan. 9, 2013
Happy, Healthy New Year ...
The Chamber begins the new year with a variety of networking, information-sharing, business-building events for a variety of needs and interests.
 Resolve to stay healthy! Start the year on a healthy note with a visit to our Health & Fitness Expo tomorrow, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Shops at Worthington Place. (See the related article below.) Free health screenings, demonstrations, giveaways, door prizes and information will be available at 60 display tables in the mall. The event also launches a community-wide weight loss challenge for the next 10 weeks. You may sign up to "compete" for the highest percentage of overall weight loss on one of four nonprofit teams, either at the event or on the Chamber's website. (See "Sign-up for Community Weight Loss Challenge on the Calendar of Events.)
 Resolve to stay informed! As we look ahead to events that will shape our businesses and our community in the coming year, the July launch of the I-270/SR-23 highway interchange improvements nears the top of the list. On Friday, Feb. 1, at our annual Groundhog Day Business Forecast Breakfast at Brookside Country Club, you'll have the opportunity to meet and learn from the ODOT leaders and project managers who will orchestrate that project.
Additionally, as is our annual tradition, leaders of the City of Worthington, Worthington Schools, Worthington Libraries and the Chamber will share their projections for the coming year. Take time now to register for the breakfast using this link or the one below in "COMING UP." Watch your email for a link to our annual survey requesting your feedback on economic development and other issues. The results will be shared at the breakfast.
Resolve to be involved! Also plan to attend the Chamber's 2013 Annual Meeting on Feb. 26 at Holiday Inn Columbus-Worthington. Use this link to register or the one below in "COMING UP." A showcase of Chamber benefits, programs and involvement opportunities will begin at 11:15 a.m., prior to the luncheon and business meeting. In the article below, view the names of chamber members who have been nominated for election to the board of trustees at the meeting.
Please add to your calendar for 2013 the events below and other Chamber activities. We look forward to helping you make connections in the coming year.
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Expo encourages community to "Have a Healthy New Year, Worthington!"
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The Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce and The Shops at Worthington Place invite you to have a Healthy New Year, Worthington! at a public Health & Fitness Expo that will ring in the new year on a healthy note for the entire community. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the presenting event sponsor. The event is planned TOMORROW, Thursday, Jan. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. at The Shops at Worthington Place, 7227 N. High St. "Shop" for strategies and information that will promote a healthier lifestyle as you shop the mall merchants -- many of whom will have activities, discounts or door prizes related to the event.
Corporate sponsors
In addition to the presenting sponsors, corporate sponsors include OhioHealth, Healthy Worthington Food Pantry & Resource Center, HomeWell Senior Care; The Rite Bite (and Rite for You Corporate Wellness Program) and Brookdale Senior Living (operating Trillium Place, Emerald Crossings and Sterling House of Westerville).
 
 
The Expo will include:- health and fitness exhibits and giveaways from more than 50 exhibitors at 60 display tables, including many Chamber-member businesses in the health care field. Participants include:
Ability Chiropractic Inc.
AdvoCare - Brenda Buchta
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Barbara L. McClatchie, D.D.S.
Bath Fitter
Big Green Head
Brookdale Senior Living
Buckeye Vision & Aesthetic Center
Campus View Chiropractic
Chamberlain College of Nursing
City of Worthington Fire Department
City of Worthington Police Department
Columbus Podiatry & Surgery
Columbus Public Health
Costco Wholesale
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
DeVry University - Health Information Technology
dōTERRA Essential Oils
Dr. Sears Prime-Time Health
Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLC
Friendship Village of Columbus
FrontRunner, Inc.
Graceland Chiropractic
Green Bean Delivery
Healthy Worthington Resource Center and Food Pantry
Homewell Senior Care
Howard Brody, LMT
ICEbox Solutions, LLC
Independent Herbalife Distributor
Integrated Hearing Health
JuicePlus
Kroger - Worthington Mall Fresh Fare
Luebbe Hearing Services, Inc.
Mary Kay Cosmetics - Ann Baldwin
Max Out Gym, LLC
Metro Fitness North
Mount Carmel St. Ann's
Moving Forward Through Divorce
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Nerium International
Oakleaf Village
OhioHealth
Owens Construction Contracting Co.
ProVision Care Sam's Club
Senior Independence
The Laurels of Worthington & The Laurels of Norworth
The Rite Bite
Transition Times, LLC
Varckette Family Chiropractic
Walk with a Doc
Wesley Glen
Worthington Dental Group
Worthington Libraries
Worthington Ophthalmology
Worthington Optimal Wellness
Worthington Parks and Recreation Department
YMCA North Branch - numerous health screenings from health care providers, including hospitals, wellness companies, physicians, chiropractors, dentists, eye care and hearing professionals, and others. Free screenings include biometric screenings (total lipid profile and blood glucose from a finger-stick, blood pressure, height/weight, body mass index and body composition); heel bone density; DermaScan skin cancer screenings; heart health and lung capacity screenings; oral cancer screenings, video otoscope examinations, etc. No pre-registration is required for these screenings.
- exhibits sharing resources from public-sector health, safety and fitness resources, including Worthington Libraries, Worthington Community Center and Parks and Recreation department, police and fire departments, and Columbus Public Health
- demonstrations and "mini-seminars," featuring information on healthy cooking and recipe makeovers, drug safety, dealing with bed bugs, and exercises appropriate for workplaces or home offices. The demos will be held at intervals in the community room space that formerly housed Victoria's Secret. The schedule includes:
- 1 p.m. - Lighten Up! A cooking demonstration highlighting easy ways to lighten up your favorite dishes, including comfort foods like mac 'n' cheese. Presented by nutritionists from The Rite Bite
- 2 p.m. - Drug Safe! Find out how substance abuse is affecting the community and what residents can do to help. Presented by Drug Safe Worthington
- 3 p.m. - Look What I Brought Home from My Business Trip! Learn about the growing problem of bed bugs, how you can avoid bringing them into your home and office from common sources, and ways to detect and remove them. Presented by Four Paws K-9 Detection, LLC
- 4 p.m. - Lighten Up! A second cooking demonstration highlighting easy ways to lighten up your favorite dishes. Presented by nutritionists from The Rite Bite
- 5 p.m. - Desk-ercise! Discover simple exercises to keep you fit throughout the day, even at your workplace. Presented by fitness experts from The Rite Bite
- related activities and promotions at mall merchants, healthy lunch promotions at mall restaurants
- door prize drawings for Expo participants who visit a required amount of health exhibits and mall merchants
- networking opportunities for business professionals
- an opportunity to sign up for the 10-week Community Weight Loss Challenge, detailed below
About the Community Weight Loss Challenge
A 10-week health challenge for individuals and companies, promoting weight loss and overall fitness, will be launched at the event. Individuals who choose to participate in the Community Weight Loss challenge will be invited to sign up at the Health & Fitness Expo on Jan. 10, or online through the Chamber's website, between Jan. 7 and Jan. 13. The challenge will begin on Monday, Jan. 14.
Participants will choose one of four "teams" to join for the challenge. The teams are:
- the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce (funds used for scholarships and member education programs)
- Leadership Worthington
- Healthy Worthington Resource Center and Food Pantry
- Worthington Educational Foundation
A fee of $5 will be collected at sign-up time (later to be donated to the nonprofit whose team has the highest average weight loss among all team participants).
Upon sign-up, each participant will be directed to a confidential, HIPAA-compliant corporate wellness website where he or she will:
- self-report weight and activity levels on a weekly basis by entering them into the appropriate area on the website; all information is confidential and not accessible to the Chamber, mall, or any sponsor or organizer of the event
- receive nutrition and fitness tips
- access numerous supportive resources for maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- be encouraged to return to the Shops at Worthington place to "mall walk" once weekly for 10 weeks
- have weight loss percentage "credited" to the preferred nonprofit team
At the conclusion of the Community Weight Loss Challenge on March 25, the average percent of weight loss on each "team" will be calculated. The $5 fees collected at the beginning of the challenge will be donated to the nonprofit with the highest average. One individual who diligently sticks with the program also will win a valuable prize following the challenge. The names of all participants who desire to be part of a drawing, and who complete their self-reporting each week for 10 weeks (regardless of their weight loss results) will be entered into a random drawing to win a one-year Silver Membership to The Rite Bite, to take advantage of fitness equipment, fitness classes, nutritional counseling, relaxation and stress-alleviation offerings and other "Rite for You" services. Results of the challenge and drawing will be announced one week after its conclusion. Visitor information: There is no charge for the public to attend the Health & Fitness Expo. Lunchtime and late afternoon-to-evening hours will be popular times for business people to attend and find related programming and networking opportunities.
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COMING UP ...
Invoices will be sent, and payment will be expected, for reservations not honored or canceled before the deadline. OTHER EVENTS ...
Thursday mornings, 7:30 a.m. - Impact Tips Group (Subgroup participants only - call 888-3040 for details)
COMING SOON ... THE NEW CONNECTIONS REFERRAL GROUP. CALL THE CHAMBER FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Selected upcoming Chamber events are listed below. Click on blue (hyperlinked) events to register online.
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Click to learn about these timely promotions from Chamber-member businesses:
Where's YOUR E-sert? Contact the Chamber at 888-3040 to schedule the "E-sertion" of your promotional flier in PDF format.
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SUSTAINING MEMBERS
Gold Sustaining Members
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Follow us on social networking sites
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Build new connections and compete for cash in Chamber's new Membership Referral Program
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Build new connections for yourself and others as you help local businesses find a home in the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce ...
 As the Chamber continues in its efforts to Build Connections, Build Community, we're seeking your help to recruit new businesses to the Chamber who will benefit from the networking, referrals, advocacy and support for economic development.
Please call the Chamber if you know of a business that would benefit from Chamber membership. You will receive credit for each referral who joins due to your recruitment. Throughout the year, we'll keep track of your new recruits, as you compete for quarterly monetary prizes and a year-end grand-prize. Here's how it works:
One card will be recorded for each new member recruited; on Feb. 1 and at the end of all other three-month intervals, a $200 quarterly prize will be awarded to the person who has recruited the most members within that quarter. The award to be given at a BAH or other well-attended chamber event at the end of each quarter.
Quarterly prizes are $200 Visa gift cards from First Place Bank.
To determine the grand prize winner at the end of the year: All cards (from all four quarters are placed in a drawing, and one card is drawn to determine the winner). The prize package will be a large Home Improvement Package consisting of services to be donated (e.g., painting, carpet, new garbage disposal, furnace/AC maintenance package, remodeling or repair services, landscape, home décor, hotel overnight while paint's drying, etc.) The grand prize will be awarded at a Business After Hours.
For more information or to receive information to pass along to your member prospects, call Karen at (614) 888-3040.
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Jan. 24 SOHO meeting offers small-biz insight on developing relationships with community banks
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Work at home or in a small office of five or fewer employees? The Chamber's SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) Group invites you to its monthly meeting on Thursday, Jan. 24, from 11:30 to 1 p.m.
The event will be hosted by Insight Bank, 150 W. Wilson Bridge Road, who also will offer complimentary lunch to the registered attendees.
 Duffy Horan and Insight Bank staff members will be the featured speakers for the January meeting, offering tips for home-based and small-office businesses on working with bankers at community banks on the unique needs of small businesses.
 If you work in a home office or "wear all the hats" at a small office with five or fewer employees, the Chamber's Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) subgroup is 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.
Business and Associate Members of the Chamber are eligible to join SOHO. SOHO members pay a subgroup participation fee of $30 per year, in addition to their regular 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. Register online at this link: http://tiny.cc/SOHOJan24 or call the Chamber office at 888-3040. Select the member category if you are already a paid participant in SOHO; the "Join SOHO and attend" category if you are joining the group for the coming year and attending this event; or the "Non-member/Guest" fee to attend this meeting free of charge as a prospective member (you may attend once as a guest). Be sure to click "submit" when completed. Call 888-3040 for further details or assistance in registering.
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OhioHealth's Westerville Medical Campus hosts next Chamber BAH on Jan. 15
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OhioHealth invites Chamber members and guests to explore its Westerville Medical Campus while networking at a Business After Hours on Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  The Westerville Medical Campus, which opened in 2009 at 260 Polaris Parkway, is a convenient connection to OhioHealth's services for many Chamber members whose businesses and offices are in the Far North area. The Westerville campus offers extended hours to help make access as easy as possible. The Emergency Care Center, a recent addition to the campus which opened last summer, allows patients to be quickly diagnosed and treated, receive follow-up instructions and medications, and be discharged without having to go anywhere else to complete their care.  The full-service facility also offers heart and vascular services; laboratory services; physical and occupational therapy; sports medicine and orthopedics; sleep testing and diagnostics; comprehensive women's health services; and X-ray and imaging services. Click here to view a video about services at the Westerville Medical Campus.OhioHealth is also promoting good health among Chamber members as a corporate sponsor of the Chamber's "Healthy New Year, Worthington! Health & Fitness Expo" on Jan. 10 at The Shops at Worthington Place; see the related article. Monthly 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. Attendance at BAH events is considered a privilege of membership. Members may attend this event free of charge. Guests (spouses, friends, and referrals who are considering membership) are welcome at $20 per person. The guest fee is credited toward membership dues to those who join the organization. The fee is payable in advance or at the door by credit card, check or cash.
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Board members to be elected at annual meeting
| Mark your calendar now for the Chamber's 2013 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at Holiday Inn Columbus/Worthington. Watch for further details about the event.
A showcase of Chamber benefits, programs and involvement opportunities will begin at 11:15 a.m., prior to the luncheon and business meeting, which conclude at 1:15 p.m.
Click here to register online for the 2013 Annual Meeting.
Three Chamber members have been nominated for election to the board of trustees at the meeting. Three current board members have been nominated for officer positions. The candidates include:
For three-year terms commencing with the annual meeting on Feb. 26, 2013:
- Eric Bearfield, Holiday Inn Columbus/Worthington
- Mona Deringer, OSU Medical Center
- Cheryl Raudabaugh, NextDay Signs
For re-election to a one-year term commencing with the annual meeting on Feb. 26, 2013, allowing her to serve as chair of the board:
- Ann Baldwin, Independent Senior Sales Director, Mary Kay Cosmetics
Proposed slate of officers for one-year terms commencing with the annual meeting on Feb. 26, 2013: - Chair: Ann Baldwin, Independent Senior Sales Director, Mary Kay Cosmetics
- Chair-elect: Russ Kromminga, Lake Business Products
- Treasurer: Craig Bringman, Craig W. Bringman Co., L.P.A.
Once elected, the board chair may appoint up to two additional members to one-year positions on the board. Please review the Chamber's election procedures in the article below. Here is a review of the election procedure that is part of the Chamber's bylaws:
The candidates for trustee and officer positions will be considered for election at the organization's annual business meeting on Feb. 26. The article above, listing the candidates, along with the information on the Chamber's website, serve as official notification of the meeting to each member business.
According to the Chamber's bylaws, additional names of candidates for trustee positions may be submitted for nomination by "petition bearing the genuine signatures of at least 10 qualified regular members of the Chamber. Such petition shall be filed with the Nomination Committee/Executive Committee within 10 days after notice has been given of the names of those nominated (i.e., Jan. 22). The determination of the Nominating Committee as to the legality of the petition(s) shall be final."
Voting at the annual meeting shall be by members only. Each member has one vote. One representative of a regular member or a community/not-for-profit organization shall cast the vote for himself or herself.
New trustees and officers take office after the vote at the business meeting.
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Wine and dine with Chamber women in business
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Note: This event has rescheduled to Jan. 29 from its original date of Dec. 12.
Toast the new year with the Women's Business Network of the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce as you wine and dine with other Chamber-member business women for an after-work gathering that celebrates two entrepreneurial women in our Chamber.
Join us on Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Signature Wines, 3816 April Lane, Columbus 43227, for this special event.
You'll receive generous samples of all six Signature Wines, as well as a mini wine-making seminar and tour of the winery with Signature Wines' owner and award-winning winemaker, Kelly Harvey.
 You'll enjoy foods prepared by Susan Duve of Royal Fireworks, featuring her Royal Fireworks Sauce, Royal Fireworks Marinade, Grand Finale, Sweet Summer Jam, Sweet Hickory Mustard, Texas Sweet Hickory, Picnic Sauce, and Triple P Sauce.
Signature Wines is located on the east side of Columbus - about 20 minutes from Worthington.
Signature Wines is a vibrant, authentic, working winery in an urban setting with an industrial feel throughout the space. Our event will take place among stainless steel wine tanks, oak wine barrels, a stainless steel grape crusher, lab equipment, a wooden winepress - all of the equipment Kelly uses to produce award winning wine.
As always, our event will include networking and announcements to benefit our scholarship fund.
The cost is $20 per Chamber member ($30 per non-member). Register by calling the Chamber at 888-3004 or through the Chamber calendar of events at this link.
For more information, call (614) 888-3040.
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Get quick business leads Jan. 22 at QuickConnect
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Get Ready ... Get Set ... QuickConnect!
QuickConnect is the Chamber's direct sales opportunity for members, giving participants the opportunity to determine quickly if there is a fit in meeting each other's business or personal consumer needs. It's fun, fast, affordable and very effective.
The next QuickConnect session will be held next Tuesday, Jan. 22, at the Worthington Community Center, 345 E. Wilson Bridge Road, from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Very important: check-in is at 9:45 a.m. Please be sure to arrive at this time so the start of the timed exercise, promptly at 10 a.m., will not be delayed.)
The QuickConnect session is structured so that each participant will make one-on-one contact with 10 others. Participants face each other and have 90 seconds to discuss their company's products or services. Following each contact, participants indicate the next steps, including talking further about doing business; not a fit; and offering a referral.
Prior to the session, participants are provided a business profile/feedback form to complete. Please bring 11 copies to the session.
Please note: You should plan to attend QuickConnect ONLY if you have received a confirmation of your attendance and a copy of the questionnaire to complete, or a notice that your business category is full and you will scheduled at another date. Considerable care is taken to match QuickConnect participants with other Chamber connections. Therefore, we are unable to accommodate walk-ins or unregistered attendees for this session. Our exercise is affordable and targeted, based on information you provide us about your ideal customers and other chamber members you'd like to meet.
To make the session as meaningful as possible to participants, the number of businesses from a single business category (banks, insurance, financial services, etc.) will be limited to two businesses. In addition, members who have not previously participated in QuickConnect are given preference over those from the same business category who have attended a recent session. This procedure expands interest in QuickConnect and helps all participants receive the maximum benefit from the exercise.
Registration and prepayment deadline: noon on Jan. 18. No refunds can be processed for cancellations after this date.
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Get Smart Book Discussion Group meets Jan. 23 at LaChatelaine French restaurant and bakery
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Join us for the Get Smart Book Discussion Group, a partner program offered by Worthington Libraries and the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce.
Discussions about business books are held quarterly at varying Chamber-member businesses, offering professional education and networking opportunities to area business persons and library patrons. There is no charge to attend. Refreshments are provided by the Friends Foundation of Worthington Libraries and the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce. At many locations, beverages are also available for purchase.
The next Get Smart Book Discussion will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at La Chatelaine, 627 High St., Worthington. The session begins at 5:30 (with a half-hour networking period). Book discussion is held from 6 to 7 p.m.
 This quarter, the group will discuss non-verbal communication. The book selection is: "You Say More Than You Think: A 7-Day Plan for Using the New Body Language to Get What You Want" by Janine Driver.
(Review fromPublishers Weekly) A former body-
language specialist with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Driver has put her life on the line more times than she can count, depending on her understanding of body language-how to read it and how to use it to survive. Now a professional body-language trainer, Driver puts her lessons to paper with straightforward prose and easy-to-use methodology, intended to help readers break bad habits, overcome misleading assumptions, avoid blind spots, and project the kind of confidence they need for successful communication and/or negotiation. Offering a number of tips across a range of settings (business, romance, courtroom, etc.), Driver's advice will give readers immediate, effective results, such as a step-by-step guide to "Active Listening Head Moves": "Now try the head tilt with the double nod. Did the person speed up the conversation?" Sound examples (many drawn from her professional adventures), revealing exercises and self-tests, and a game sense of humor keep Driver's considerable expertise from overwhelming readers, making this an enjoyable and highly practical self-help.
To reserve the book at Worthington Libraries, use this link and then click on the "reserve" link directly below the picture of the cover:
http://catalog.worthingtonlibraries.org/resolver.ashx?isbn=9780307453976
To register for the book discussion group, click on this link or the link in COMING UP (above left) to reach the event registration page; then click REGISTER NOW at the right of the screen and follow the prompts. Pre-registrants receive printed name tags and eligibility for door prizes.
For more information about the book or Worthington Libraries, contact Jeff Regensburger, Northwest Library manager, at (614) 807-2652.
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 Need more information about these or other Chamber activities or benefits? We're open for business 24/7 on our website, www.worthingtonchamber.org, to view or sign up for events. Call 888-3040 or click here to e-mail us for help in using our website, making payment arrangements, or learning more about Chamber member benefits. Copyright 2012 - Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce, 25 W. New England Ave., Suite 100, Worthington, OH 43085. Phone: 614-888-3040. Fax: 614-841-4842. |
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pre-arranged appointment made through OhioHealth's general scheduling phone line, (614) 566-1111. The bone density test also requires a doctor's orders. 
