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Greetings! Jan. 15, 2013
New business connections at tonight's Business After Hours ... just what the doctor ordered.
 OhioHealth invites Chamber members and guests to explore its Westerville Medical Campus while networking at our Business After Hours tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 15) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Pre-registration is not necessary, but offers some special privileges. Chamber members who register by noon today will be eligible for door prizes and will receive a preprinted name tag. To pre-register, click on this link to reach the online event page and follow the prompts after clicking "Register Now." You will receive a confirmation e-mail if successfully registered. You may also register by phone at (614) 888-3040.
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 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.
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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ODOT speakers headline "Navigating 2013" presentation at Groundhog Day Community Forecast
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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 Community Forecast Breakfast at Brookside Country Club, you'll have the opportunity to meet and learn from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) leaders and project managers who will orchestrate that project. ODOT speakers who will unveil details of the project and field questions from Chamber businesses are:
- Ferzan Ahmed, Deputy Director, Ohio Department of Transportation - District 6; and
- Leslie Montgomery, Traffic Engineer and Project Manager for the I-270/SR-23 interchange 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. You'll have the opportunity to meet and learn from:
- City Manager Matt Greeson
- Economic Development Manager Jeff Harris
- School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Tucker
- Libraries Director Chuck Gibson
The Groundhog Day Community Forecast event is one of the best attended networking and professional growth opportunities on the Chamber's annual calendar.
Eight students from Thomas Worthington High School's Business Entrepreneurship Academy also will attend the breakfast, seeking conversations with Chamber members that will help them in their career choices and internship pursuits.
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.
We will also announce the winner of the first $200 quarterly prize for the Chamber member who has recruited the most new members in our Membership Referral Program. Only two weeks remain before results are tallied to determine who brought the most new connections to our Chamber in the months of November, December and January. Are you in the running? (See the article below for an explanation of contest rules.)
Limited sponsorship opportunities are still available for the breakfast. Sponsors receive exhibit space at the event and the opportunity for brief presentations from the podium, as well as advertising and publicity. Contact the Chamber at (614) 888-3040 for further details.
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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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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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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.
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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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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 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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