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HOW ARE WE DOING?
SMALL BUSINESS FINANCING
The Ohio Development Services department operates a program called the State Small Business Credit Initiative, which is funded by the federal government. And in fact, the state just received $18 million to continue to expand what the program offers. Within that program are the Collateral Enhancement Program, the Ohio Capital Access Program, and the Targeted Investment Program. All are designed to help businesses grow by making capital more readily available. For more information visit http://development.ohio.gov/bs/bs_ssbci.htm.
HR NEWS: OVERTIME & PRESCRIPTIONS DRUGS
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The Society for Human Resource Management ( SHRM) reports that Friday, September 4 is the deadline to submit public comments on the proposed changes to the regulations defining exemptions from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Those changes affect who is eligible for overtime pay and include an increased salary threshold, annual automatic updates, and potential changes to duties tests. SHRM is gathering comments from employers and will submit them via its website at http://protectingopportunity.org/shrmovertime/#/ . - The local chapter of SHRM, the Muskingum Valley Human Resource Management Association, is holding its monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 9 from 8 am to 9 am at the Chamber. The presenters will be Joshua Stanton, a pharmacist for Shriver's Healthmart, and Tammy Lawson, a nurse practitioner. Chamber members are always welcome as guests at these meetings. Please RSVP to dmatz@zmchamber.com if you plan to attend.
REDUCING WORKERS' COMP COSTS
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce offers free webinars on topics related to managing your human resources. A webinar on "Proactive Approaches to Reducing Workers' Compensation Costs" is coming up on September 23. Visit the Ohio Chamber's site for more information or to register.
CREDIT CARD CHANGES COMING
Inc. Magazine recently published a good article about changes that are coming to credit cards and your ability to process them. "An important deadline is nearly here for all retailers who accept credit cards in their bricks-and-mortar stores. By October 1, you'll be expected to have upgraded your card terminals to accept so-called EMV cards--short for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa. These are the most advanced generation of credit cards, equipped with small microprocessors that secure point-of-sale transactions by encrypting the personal information of the cardholder." Read more.
EPA COMPLIANCE ASSESSMENTS
Free and confidential on-site compliance assessments are one of the services the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency offers to small business owners (100 employees or less). An on-site compliance assessment can help you understand the operating requirements, permitting and other paperwork procedures that must be followed under our state's environmental rules. Recommendations provided by EPA staff will give you a better understanding of how to operate your business and make improvements to maintain to maintain compliance with the regulations. Read more.
NETWORKING & ART THIS FRIDAY
The monthly First Friday Art Walk presented by the Artist Colony of Zanesville will be held downtown this Friday from 5 to 8 pm. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some great local artwork, network with others, and simply have a good time. You can start at any open gallery or studio and obtain a map and description of the activities taking place. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/zmchamber.
CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH BUSINESSES
The Student Business Connector is a new tool we are creating for use by students, parents and educators who are seeking work-based learning opportunities for high school and college age students. It will also be a way for employers to help educate the community's young people about the real world of work and the expectations of employers. This in turn improves the preparedness of the local workforce over the long term, retains young people in the area, and helps students identify rewarding career paths. WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need you, as an employer, to participate in a survey we are now conducting to gather information about what opportunities you offer for students to engage with your businesses. Please tell us if you offer internships, jobs, job shadowing, tours, presentations and more. This is the information we need to build the Student-Business Connector tool, which will be designed in simple directory format (example available at www.zmchamber.com/student-business-connector.html ).
LOCAL BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Area businesses now have access to a great new service that enables them to look up information about the local marketplace. SizeUp LBI (which stands for Local Business Intelligence), is a free online resource for demographics and business data that can help you make business plans and better understand how you measure up to competition, where you customers are, and how you should be marketing to them. The new SizeUp service is brought to you by the Chamber's Muskingum Growth Partnership.
JOB FAIR EVENT
A job fair for Muskingum County employers who are actively hiring will be held on Thursday, October 1 from 2 pm to 6 pm at the Muskingum County Welcome Center. There is no cost for employers (Muskingum County only) to participate but you must reserve a space in advance. For more information and to reserve your space contact tpoorman@zmchamber.com. The Job Fair is presented by WHIZ Media Group, WYBZ 107.3, the Port Authority, OhioMeansJobs-Muskingum County, the Muskingum Valley Human Resource Management Association, and the Chamber.
5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CORPORATE PURCHASING
From a column by Angelique Rewers: "Purchasing. Procurement. Supply Chain. Sourcing. Supplier Relationship Management. There are a lot of names for it. But no matter what it's called, for a lot of small business owners and self-employed professionals, those words typically bring either an eye roll or a sinking feeling in their stomach. To be fair, over the years, corporate purchasing departments have earned their reputations. They are known for creating tons of red tape, making vendors jump through hoops and, perhaps most of all, being fierce price negotiators who slash vendors' profit margins. But a lot has also been changing in the world of corporate purchasing -- much of it for the better. If you're a small business owner, here are five things you need to know today." Read More.
DEVELOPMENT LEADER ADDRESSING WORKFORCE NEEDS
John Molinaro, President, CEO of the Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth (APEG), will be speaking at the meeting of the P-20 Council for our region on September 18, at 10 am in Cambridge. He will be talking about how manufacturing has changed in SE Ohio, about workforce development, and the needs of employers and the tie to education. The meeting as a whole runs from 9 am to 1 pm. Register and find more details at http://new.aop20.org/registration.
You can also add your own event by clicking the submit event button at zmchamber.com.
Goss Supply & Rental
Longaberger Country Club
Norvell Hearing Aid Center
Partyland Supply Co.
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