BRIGHT SPOTS - Did you know that

GITOMER ON SALES - Our partnership with sales expert Jeffery Gitomer continues with this week's column titled "The New Truth About Closing the Sale." A sale is not "closed." A sale is earned.... Read more.  

ECONOMIC INDICATORS - The Zanesville Board of Realtors reports that sales of all property types were down 6.5% in June compared to May. June sales were up 2.4% compared to the previous June, and year to date sales are up .5% compared to 2013.

FINDING TALENT - Chamber members have access to several great ways to make known their job openings. First is the free online job listing provided to members on the chamber website. Here's a quick look at what's listed now:

Sales Representative, Zane State College, Cambridge Campus.

Second, you will want to use the services of OhioMeansJobs - Muskingum County. They provide a variety of free services and publish a weekly list of openings at area employers. Other options include talking to the career planning and placement staffs at Zane State, Ohio University, Muskingum University, and Mid East Career Center, working through local staffing services, and advertising through local media and advertising services.

DEADLINE APPROACHING - You can save up to 4% on your worker's comp premiums but you have to enroll now in this savings program. The Chamber manages the Ohio BWC sponsored Safety Council program, and July is THE month to sign up.  In 2013 area employers saved a combined $45,000 by participating in Safety Council. The new year starts July 1 and you have to enroll by July 31 to be eligible for the rebate, so act now. For more information visit www.zmsafety.com. Be sure to check out the eligibility requirements for the rebate.

WORKERS' COMP - You can also cut your workers' comp costs by joining our group rating program. Group rating spreads the risk and saves employers as much as 50% on their premiums. The average premium savings for companies in the Chamber's program is $3,100 per year. To request a no-cost, no-obligation premium savings estimate visit the group rating section of the chamber website.

CUSTOMER SERVICE - Here's a blog post worth reading from international business advisor John Spence titled "Customer Service: It Will Save or Kill Your Business." For the vast majority of businesses today the ONLY competitive differentiator you have is the level of service you deliver to your customers..... Read more.

JAPANESE MARKET - The Ohio Development Services Agency (DSA) and Kegler Brown will be hosting "Conducting Business in Japan: An Overview of Export Opportunities" in Columbus on July 30, 2014. This seminar will cover issues important to companies looking to export products and services, and expand business operations in Japan. To learn more and to register, please contact Ashton Lahman at alahman@keglerbrown.com or 614-255-5515.

GROW & SAVE - A Chamber Marketing Package is a great way to promote your products and services in an affordable way. You can choose from two bundles of chamber services with two different levels of benefit and two prices. With either option, you will save significantly and get the use of great services like email marketing, direct mail, and more. Visit http://www.zmchamber.com/Marketing_Packages.htm for all the details.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS - If you have an event coming up you should enter it in our online events and meetings calendar at zmchamber.com as a way to promote it. It's free to members and it's simple to use. There is a "submit new event" link on the right side of the calendar page. Click it and fill in your details. You can also find the calendar link at any time on the homepage of zmchamber.com. Events entered in our online calendar also automatically posted to the Chamber's Facebook page.

 THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS