November 4, 2014
HOW ARE WE DOING?
BRIGHT SPOTS
Did you know that agriculture is big business in Muskingum County? For example, the county ranks 6th out of all Ohio counties for beef production, and 8th for sheep production. Learn about this and other bright spots in our community by visiting our Zanesville & Muskingum County BRIGHT SPOTS website, and check back frequently to see new content.
LEGISLATIVE LUNCHEON
AT&T is again sponsoring this annual event, which will be held on Friday, November 14 from 11:30 am to 1 pm at Bryan Place. Senator Troy Balderson and Representative Brian Hill will be on hand to make remarks and take questions. Also, Ben Lanka, Enterprise Editor for the Media Network of Central Ohio, part of the Gannett Co, will provide a post election analysis of the political situation in Ohio. Lunch is $15 per person. Make a reservation by emailing Jenni at jmasterson@zmchamber.com.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
The national Consumer Confidence Index rose from 89.0 in September to 94.5 in October, according to the Conference Board. Also, the percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased from 19.0 percent to 19.6 percent, while those expecting business conditions to worsen fell from 11.4 percent to 9.3 percent. For more information visit the Conference Board's website. Further, h
ere is the monthly Economic Dashboard for Muskingum County, courtesy of the Muskingum County Library System and the Chamber of Commerce.
HR WEBINAR
The Ohio Chamber's HR Academy is offering a series of affordable webinars on HR Issues and changing employment related laws and regulations. The next webinar is about "Prescription Drugs in the Workplace" and it's offered FREE on October 29 from 10 am to 11:30 am. Find out more about the webinar at the HR Academy website. Click "Register" for an agenda.
JOB FAIR
A job fair is being held for Muskingum County employers on November 12. A list of participating employers and the positions for which they are currently hiring is available at www.zmchamber.com. The webpage also provides other details.
FESTIVAL OF TREES
This annual community festival and auction is a GREAT way to promote your business. Provide an entry and/or incentive and increase familiarity with and awareness about your business. The dates are December 3-5, but its time NOW to register an entry. Look for details at www.zmchamber.com.
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
You should have received in the mail a request to renew your Chamber membership for 2015. Please note that membership rates will remain the same, and in fact the Chamber has not increased rates since 2010. We know you work hard for your income and we try hard, too, to add value to your membership without charging you more every year.
FREE HR WEBINAR
The Ohio Chamber is offering another free webinar, this one titled
"On the Horizon: Legal, Legislative, and Administrative Issues in 2015". The webinar is on Wednesday November 5 at 10 am.
Here's more information - click on the "Register" button for a list of topics that will be discussed.
EXPORTING HELP
The Ohio Development Services Agency is accepting applications for the 2015 Ohio Export Internship Program. The program will match companies with highly motivated students who have taken export-focused coursework, while providing a 50 percent reimbursement for the intern wages. For more information and to apply, please visit here. The deadline for submitting applications is Wednesday December 10, 2014.
