BRIGHT SPOTS - Did you know that the Huffington Post recently included Tom's Ice Cream Bowl on its list of best ice cream in the U.S.? Learn about this and other bright spots in our community by visiting our This is Zanesville & Muskingum County, Ohio webpage, and check back frequently to see new content.

DEADLINE THIS WEEK - 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. 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.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS- Retail sales tax collections in Muskingum County were up 5% in April compared to the previous year. Year to date sales tax collections for 2014 through April were up 2% compared to 2013. Home sales in May were up 40% over April. Year to date home sales through May were up 1.5% over 2013.  Sources:  Muskingum County Auditor Debbie Nye, Zanesville Board of Realtors. 

GROWTH - Here are some excellent resources for you on growing your business:

The Fastest Way to Grow Your Business - Forbes Magazine

Sales Funnel Calculator - mathmarketing.com

Why It Pays to Be Likeable: 7 Simple Social Media Strategies - NFIB.com

New Way to Measure Word of Mouth Marketing - McKinsey & Co.

The Sensible Social Media Checklist - marketingtechblog.com

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - What financial assistance is available for growing companies? The answer lies on the Jobs Ohio website. Jobs Ohio is the state's economic development arm. One example of a program designed to assist expanding businesses is the Job Creation Tax Credit. This is a refundable tax credit to companies generally creating at least 10 new jobs (within three years) with a minimum annual payroll of $660,000 that pay at least 150 percent of the federal minimum wage. For more information contact the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority at 455-0742.

GOLF OUTING - The annual Chamber-Jaycees Golf Outing will be held on August 22 starting at 11:30 am at Jaycees Golf Club. Lunch will be served before the event. The cost per team is $220. Major sponsors are Century National Bank, The Forker Company/Northwestern Mutual, WHIZ Media Group, and Emeritus at North Hills. For more information or to register a team contact Dana Matz at dmatz@zmchamber.com.

OIL & GAS - If oil and gas is a target industry for your business you should consider using Shalemart.com as one advertising avenue. Chamber members receive a discounted rate of as much as half off the regular rates, too (depends on the package). Shalemart is a monthly print and online publication focused on marketing to the energy field. The ad deadline for the next edition is Monday August 4. For more information contact Shalemart at sales@shalemart.com.

ART - The Artist Colony's First Friday Art Walk this month features the annual Y Bridge Arts Festival. The event is held Friday evening and Saturday from 11 am to 9 pm at Zane's Landing Park. Visit www.ybridgeartsfestival.com and www.artcoz.org for complete details.

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT - An independent, high quality assessment of your business might be just what you need right now to both save your sanity and get to the next level. The Chamber and MCBI have teamed up to bring that service to you at an extremely reasonable rate - just $99. As this article says, "A business assessment helps identify the business growth and development opportunities in your business." Contact Wendy Edgar at MCBI today to talk about getting your business assessment. And read on for more about the value of business assessments. "If you're like most entrepreneurs, you're moving at a mile a minute. With so much to do to run a successful business, and even more to learn, it can be challenging to find time to develop the key strategies to move your business forward. Even if you did have the time, would you know what projects would move your business forward?" Continue Reading

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