HOW ARE WE DOING?

BRIGHT SPOTS

Did you know that Zanesville-Muskingum County is the hometown of an astronaut, professional athletes, expert musicians, famous actors, business executives, military heroes, and civil rights leaders? 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.

JOINING THE LIST MAKERS

Much has been made of a list of Ohio cities that appeared on the web last week which rated Zanesville as a poor place in which to live. Nothing is gained by confronting these kinds of "journalists" ("I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw). Instead we are intensifying our effort to grow awareness about the great aspects of living and doing business in this community. We are going to create our own lists about Zanesville and Muskingum County. We will publish the lists at the www.zmbrightspots website and distribute them through social media. Hopefully, our lists will reach both local people and those reading about us in other places. So to kick things off, here are two lists, one about 8 Unique Small Businesses and one about 15 Great Views of Zanesville & Muskingum County. Watch www.facebook.com/zmchamber for more in the coming weeks. We are well aware of any local shortcomings. But it is erroneous and lazy to fail to look beyond statistics at the complete picture of both assets and liabilities that is Zanesville and Muskingum County. We hope our own lists provide a more accurate and fair-minded view and that you will help share them with people you know.

YOU HAVE A SAY
Please help the Chamber and ultimately yourself by taking the annual Six Minute Survey for members. We need your help in setting priorities, meeting member needs, evaluating our performance, and finding ways to improve. Your opinions and ideas are essential to making sure that our services are aligned with and responsive to the challenges you face in your business. Please spare a few minutes of your valuable time to complete the survey.

OVERTIME RULES CHANGING
Jim Evans of JK Evans & Associates LLC has provided some information about changes adopted by the US Department of Labor. "The Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule that will significantly increase the number of employees who will become eligible for overtime. Media reports have focused on the most obvious change to the regulations, i.e., increases to the overtime exemption annual salary threshold from the current $23,660 to $50,440. However, the rule change announcement encompasses 295 pages, so there are other significant potential changes that have not been reported by the media. A brief summary of these proposed and potential changes are discussed below." Read more at http://chamberexperts.weebly.com/. ALSO: A 1 hour seminar on this topic that will be held on August 27 at 8:30 am at the John McIntire Library. Mark your calendar now and watch for registration details.

4 DATES TO KNOW 

• July 15, 2015 is the last day for employers to notify the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation if they would like to change the payment schedule from the BWC's default bi-monthly payment plan under the new prospective billing approach.
• The first prospective premium payment will be due by August 31, 2015 and will apply to coverage in September and October.
• July 31 is the last day to enroll in the safety rebate program for workers' comp. See www.zmsafety for more information.
• OSHA's Confined Space Standard will be effective August 3, 2015. More information can be found on OSHA's website, www.osha.gov.

CHAMBER - JAYCEES GOLF OUTING

This annual event will be held on Friday, August 14th, 2015, at Jaycees Golf Club. The shotgun start will be at noon. The event is a Four-Person Scramble format, and entry is $225 per team which includes 2 golf carts and a pre-match cookout. Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams, and contests include Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin, and more.

Limit of 32 teams, so register early! Hole sponsorships are $50. Register by emailing jmasterson@zmchamber.com.

5 MARKETING SERVICES YOU CAN USE TODAY

1. Expand and customize your member business listing in the online directory.
2. Enter your events and meetings on our web-based calendar of events.
3. Offer an online Hot Deal via our website to promote a sale, special promotion, or discount.
4. Illustrate your professional expertise by posting a business column on the Chamber Experts blog.
5. Use the Chamber's social media accounts and resources to publicize your offerings, capabilities and accomplishments.

Visit the Marketing Solutions Center to help you locate services that can meet your needs depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

BUIDLING PERMIT REQUIREMENTS
The Mid-East Ohio Building Department has shared information about when a building permit is required and when it is not. Generally, a permit is not required for:

• Tool or storage shed less than 120 square feet
• Playground structures
• Fences less than 6 feet high
• Oil derricks
• Retaining walls less than 4 feet high
• Water tanks
• Sidewalks
• Tents, depending on the size

Most other construction requires an approved permit. For more specific information contact the department at www.meobd.org or 740-455-7905.

SAVE ON WORKERS' COMP

Here are the top 5 reasons every business should join the local Safety Council:

1. SAVE MONEY - You can earn up to 4% off your workers' compensation premiums. Participating local employers are saving thousands of dollars in premiums per year through this program.

2. TRAINING - Informative monthly training presentations are provided on workplace safety, employee health, and workers compensation.

3. STAY INFORMED - Stay up to date on changes and better management practices in Ohio's workers' compensation system.

4. HEALTHCARE COSTS - Our new emphasis on workplace wellness training, in addition to safety, can help control healthcare costs and improve productivity and safety.

5. NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY - Over 80 people attend the council meetings each month to hear the training presentation, enjoy breakfast, and interact with fellow business people.
Now is the time to enroll in this program

*           The annual enrollment period begins now and ends July 31!

*           Visit www.zmsafety.com to enroll and to review the eligibility requirements.

ECONOMIC STATISTIC OF THE WEEK

Retail sales in the U.S. declined slightly in June.  Sales went down .3% compared to May.  For a complete explanation and analysis visit http://www.briefing.com/Investor/Calendars/Economic/Releases/retail.htm

CHECK OUT THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS ON WWW.ZMCHAMBER.COM AND WWW.VISITZANESVILLE.COM FOR THIS WEEK'S MEETINGS AND EVENTS!

You can also add your own event by clicking the submit event button at zmchamber.com.

   

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