THIS WEEK 
October 8, 2015
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HOW ARE WE DOING?
BRIGHT SPOTS SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WAGE SURVEY ENDING The 2015 Muskingum County Wage and Benefit Survey is about to END, and we encourage you to participate. A link to the survey is provided on the homepage of www.zmchamber.com. THIS SURVEY REPORT IS: - Completely confidential - your information will not be made available to anyone except as anonymous and cumulative results.
- A valuable resource that helps you be sure your wages and benefits are competitive in the LOCAL marketplace.
- An essential tool for use in your planning and budgeting.
- One of the most commonly requested resources we provide.
The deadline to complete the survey has passed. But we are extending it to October 15. Please respond right away so that your company and others can benefit from this valuable resource. This survey is sponsored by the Chamber's Muskingum Growth Partnership, the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, and the Muskingum Valley Human Resource Management Association, and the data will again be compiled by JK Evans & Associates, LLC. WHY SPONSOR A CHAMBER SERVICE, PROGRAM OR EVENT? One study by Columbia University and the New York American Marketing Association found that "90% of U.S. marketers include sponsorships as one of their marketing tactics." The chamber offers a number of opportunities for members to partner with us and: - Increase awareness about your company
- Reinforce your brand
- Associate your company with a leading local business development organization
- Market your products and services
- Set yourself apart from your competitors
- Target a business audience
IT CAN WAIT On November 11, AT&T and the local Safety Council are partnering to provide area business people the chance to try out a virtual reality driving simulator and hear a presentation called "It Can Wait". The presentation focuses on the dangers of texting and driving, as well as engaging in other activities on your smartphone while driving. Tentative participants in the presentation include state legislators and highway patrol officials. The presentation will be held on Wednesday, November 11 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am, with the simulator available for use by attendees until 1 pm. For a more complete program description visit the online calendar of events at zmchamber.com. Safety Council Members: Attendance at this meeting counts toward the 10 required if you are working toward earning the rebate. Be sure to make a reservation if you plan to attend. NOVEMBER DEADLINE FOR WORKERS COMP SAVINGS Group rating is designed to allow employers of similar industries to "pool" their combined workers' compensation experience and file with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) as one larger employee group through sponsoring organizations like the Chamber. Employers participating in the Chamber's group saved last year an average of $3,800 last year in premiums. Now is your annual opportunity to apply for our group rating program administrated through CareWorksComp, Ohio's largest third party administrator. There is no cost or obligation to apply and it takes only a minute - just go online at www.careworkscomp.com/groupratingapplication and complete the form or call 800.837.3200 extension 57129 or 57200. You will receive a premium savings estimate later in the fall and can make a decision at that time whether to participate in the group or not. The deadline to apply for your savings estimate is November 18. PROPOSED OVERTIME RULE The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has published a nice "To-Do List in Response to Proposed Overtime Rule". The Muskingum Valley Human Resource Management Association is a chapter of SHRM. SHRM says: "Employers don't have to be in a holding pattern while waiting for the Department of Labor's (DOL's) proposed overtime rule to be finalized. While the DOL reviews 290,000 comments on the proposed rule, Lee Schreter, chairperson of the board of directors for Littler in Atlanta and a former HR professional, said that employers have the opportunity to "hope for the best and prepare for the worst." A few simple steps may help with employers' compliance efforts even before the final rule is released." Read more at the SHRM website. PITCH TO THE SHARKS "If you're a local entrepreneur, it's time to get your pitch idea ready. The Muskingum County Business Incubator's annual "Shark Tub" event is back in Zanesville this January, and already looking for talent. Based off of the hit ABC show, the "Shark Tank" inspired event follows the same format. "There's a ton of entrepreneurs in the community and in the surrounding area that people just don't know about, and they're these small, innovative companies that are growing and starting something that can really scale up to be something quite substantial for the area," said Executive Director, Larry Triplett." Read more at whiznews.com. RECOMMENDED READING
FACEBOOK OFFERS NEW ADS
If most of your revenue comes from people near your business, you could use local awareness ads to reach more of them and grow in-store traffic. Unlike promoting your Page or boosting posts, local awareness ads let you target people by distance around your business-as near as one mile away. Plus you can include a call-to-action button to give potential customers a way to get directions, call or message your business directly. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/business/a/local-awareness-ads. UNEMPLOYMENT COST CONTROL TIP CareWorksComp has provided the following advice on managing unemployment claims: Termination for poor work performance can be a challenging issue when communicating the facts to ODJFS. Before dedicating time and effort toward contesting the unemployment claim, try to determine your liability in the claim based on the claimant's length of employment. Most states, including Ohio, have a "base period" charge method and only wages paid to the claimant during their base period can be used in determining an employer's potential claim cost. The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters prior to the claim application. Since October marks the beginning of a new quarter, the standard base period is currently July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. If you hired someone after July 1, 2015 your account shouldn't be charged in the claim filed this year.
FOR THIS WEEK'S MEETINGS AND EVENTS! 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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