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HOW ARE WE DOING?
How likely are you to recommend Chamber membership to another business person? Let us know right now through this one question survey.
BRIGHT SPOTS
Did you know that a group is looking at creating a school focused on fine arts education in our community? Here is a story about the project from the Zanesville Times Recorder. Also, visit our "Bright Spots" website for more about the positive aspects of our community.
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SERVICE
SLN (Save Local Now) is a suite of social media marketing tools that now comes FREE with a Chamber membership. SLN is an online software platform that enables you to:
- Manage multiple social media accounts from one place
- Build an email list of current and prospective customers and regularly market to it
- Get ideas for social posts and email messages
- Access how-to resources to help you improve your marketing
- Offer promotions, events and specials and easily post them to multiple social accounts
- Benefit from automatic search engine optimization, resulting in your business appearing higher in search results on the major search engines
- Save time and more efficiently manage your social, email and other marketing efforts
- Get training on using the platform for you and your team members
You should have just received an email about about how to access your SLN account. If not please contact dmatz@zmchamber.com so we can be sure to give you instructions on how to get started. Also, visit www.zmchamber.com/sln.html for more information.
CVB WINS MARKETING AWARDS
The Convention & Visitors Bureau - staffed by Kelly Ashby, Lori Kappes, Leighanne Bollinger and Bill Callihan - won two statewide awards this week for tourism marketing.
- The Ohio Travel Association presented the CVB with a prestigious Ruby Award, which honors tourism and travel organizations that have found the most innovative ways to market their destination, experiences, or services. Specifically, the category first place award recognized the CVB's children's activity book project which is provided to visiting families at area hotels and attractions.
- Also, the CVB was recognized with Ruby Citation of Excellence for its motorcycle touring brochure, which recommends the best local routes for visiting motorcyclists.
TAKE THE OHIO ECONOMIC SURVEY
We invite you to take the 2016 Ohio Economic Outlook Health Check.
- The health check is a short online survey you can complete on your phone or laptop in 5 minutes.
- The free online health check poll gathers the perspectives of business people on the outlook for their organization, community, region, and Ohio.
- Over 6,000 U.S. and Canadian chambers of commerce, convention & visitor bureaus, and economic development councils are distributing this health check to their members to better understand how we can make our communities great places for businesses to grow.
WAGE SURVEY COMPLETED
The 2015 Wage & Benefit Survey, sponsored by the Muskingum Growth Partnership, has been completed. 30 Employers participated this year. The report, which inludes wages for a variety of positions and information on benefits, employment practices and the economy is available online at www.zmchamber.com/wage-survey.html. Here are a few examples of the kind of data revealed in the survey:
- The average wage range for an accounting clerk is $14.30 to $17.42 per hour at participating employers.
- The average wage range for an executive secretary is $13.38 to $19.56 per hour at participating employers.
- The average wage range for a laborer/material handler is $11.72 to $15.59 per hour at participating employers.
- 85% of the survey participants expect to hire employees in the next 12 months.
- 16% of survey participants plan to reduce employee hours to control costs in 2016, versus 30% that reduced hours to in 2015.
- 77% of the employers offer paid vacation benefits.
- 85% of the respondents offer some kind of health insurance to their employees.
- 90% of employers in the survey contribute to retirement plans for their employees.
- 87% of the survey respondents do not have unionized workforces.
- 68% of the respondents conduct pre-employment reference checks.
FESTIVAL SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
The Chamber organizes the annual Festival of Trees event as a community holiday celebration, a promotional opportunity for members, and a fundraiser for the Chamber organization. So far, dozens of businesses and organizations have submitted entries, and dozens more are expected. Here is the list to-date of entries. For more information on the festival including an entry form and schedule please visit www.zmchamber.com/trees.html.
LOCAL GIFT PRODUCTS
FoodWorks Alliance is the food products incubator based at MCBI, and its clients have been busy producing delicious products that make great gift items. For the first time, FoodWorks is offering Holiday Gift Boxes full of local food products for sale. Not only does this allow our small businesses exposure, but also presents gift options for that special somebody on your shopping list. The gift boxes and food products can be viewed at www.foodworksalliance.com. Orders must be placed by December 7.
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING OPPORTUNITY
The Ohio Development Services Agency invites you to participate in the Ohio Industrial Supply Trade Booth within the USA Pavilion at Hannover Messe in Germany, April 25-29, 2016.
- The event provides a low cost opportunity for Ohio small to medium-sized companies to showcase their products and services and engage with new buyers from around the world. Hannover Messe attracts 220,000 trade visitors and 6,650 exhibitors from 80 countries.
- Small businesses may be eligible to receive partial reimbursement for participation, booth design, travel, lodging, and other international marketing expenses through the Ohio International Market Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE).
For more information contact Wes Aubihl, Export Assistance Manager at the Ohio Development Services Agency, at (614) 644-9759 or Wesley.Aubihl@development.ohio.gov.
TOP 5 MARKETING TRENDS THAT WILL RULE 2016
"It's that time of year when marketers are shaping up their strategies for 2016. This year we dealt with Big Data, understanding that it's the "Age of the Empowered Consumer," and embraced the idea of cross-channel marketing. While these will continue to be big themes, marketers want to know what next year will bring. Here are 5 trends that we see making a big impact in 2016".....Read more courtesy of the Media Network of Central Ohio and the Times Recorder.
NATIONAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS
- Building permits in October 2015 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 1,150,000, up 4.1 percent from the revised September rate and up 2.7 percent from October 2014.
- Housing starts in October 2015 were at a SAAR of 1,060,000, down 11 percent from September and down 1.8 percent from October 2014.
- The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 0.2 percent in October after decreasing 0.2 percent in September. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in October, the same increase as in September.
- Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 271,000 in October, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 5.0 percent.
- Job gains occurred in professional and business services, health care, retail trade, food services and drinking places, and construction.
Sources: US Department of Commerce, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
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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