THIS WEEK Zanesville-Muskingum Co. Chamber of Commerce

December 21, 2015

MCBINorth Valley Bank

          

     

Merry Christmas! 
Happy Holidays | Happy New Year

BRIGHT SPOTS
Take a look at these appealing photos of the Muskingum River posted on our Facebook page.  Visit our "Bright Spots" website for more about the positive aspects of our community.
  
MARKETING RESOURCES & ADVICE
Need A Good Crash Course in Content Marketing? Start Here
Digital Marketing Minute From the Media Network of Central Ohio
Objection or Buying Signal: How to Tell the Difference
Lessons from Shark Tank's $2 Million Winner

FREE MARKET RESEARCH
The Ohio University SBDC and the Ohio University Center for Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Small Business Development Centers in the region, will be providing businesses in the region the opportunity to have a Market Research Project completed for their company.
  • The project teams will be formed from students within the Entrepreneurial Business Consulting class.
  • The Market Research Projects will be provided at no-cost to businesses through funding provided by the Ohio SBDC State Lead Center at Ohio Development Services Agency.
  • If you are interested in participating in the project, please contact Cindy Voorhies at the SBDC at cvoorhies@zanestate.edu.
EXPORTING GRANTS
The IMAGE program, funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Ohio Office of Export Assistance, offers financial assistance for small businesses to promote their products and services in international markets. 
  • The grant will provide a 50% reimbursement up to $10,000 per fiscal year for qualifying activities.
  • Funding is available on a first-come, first-serve basis and the deadline to complete proposed activities is September 29, 2016.
  • To learn more and to apply, please visit http://development.ohio.gov/bs/bs_image.htm. 
WORKERS COMP DEADLINES 
January 29, 2016 is the application deadline for many of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation alternative rating programs.
  • This includes the Deductible Program, One Claim Program, Individual Retro, and Group Retro all for the 7/1/2016 rate year.
  • Any businesses who received a Group Retrospective offer for this year should complete the "Employer Statement for Group Retrospective Rating" (form U-153) and submit to it CareWorksComp to ensure your enrollment for 2016.
  •  If you have questions about how your business can save through these programs please contact Dana Matz at dmatz@zmchamber.com. 
NATIONAL ECONOMIC NEWS
Some good news has been reported in recent days about the condition of the state and national economy.
LOCAL ECONOMIC DASHBOARD
The latest Economic Dashboard for Muskingum County is available, courtesy of our partners at the Muskingum County Library System.
  • The Dashboard provides local economic indicators such as auto sales, real estate transactions, unemployment rate and others.
  • ALSO, we are seeking a single sponsor for this service so that we can upgrade both the data provided and the presentation. 
  • Contact Tom Poorman or Dana Matz for more information on becoming the exclusive sponsor of the Economic Dashboard.
STORYBOOK CHRISTMAS CONTINUES 
A Storybook Christmas is a seasonal promotion that will continue through the end of the year.  It includes decorated businesses and streets throughout the county and is anchored by the spectacularly lighted Muskingum County Courthouse in Zanesville.  For more information on what you can see and do as part of this Christmas celebration visit
 
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. Here's how to begin using it:
  • Claim Your Business: sign in and update your business profile. Boost your localized Search Engine Optimization by adding a detailed business description and keywords. Hint: a keyword is anything a consumer would search for to find that specific business.
  • Create a post: it's important to remember that a post can be anything! A deal, a discount, a promotion, or a simple "Happy Holidays!" post is a great way to show your personality and commitment to the local community.
  • Share the post: Make it easy for customers to find what they're looking for by sending targeted promotions to their inbox and sharing your promotions on social media. FACT: 70% of holiday shoppers are searching on social media to find the perfect gift.
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.
 
 
 


CHECK OUT THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS ON WWW.ZMCHAMBER.COM 
FOR THIS WEEK'S MEETINGS AND EVENTS!
You can also add your own event by clicking the submit event button at zmchamber.com.
 
  
 

 THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS 



    North Valley Bank

               MCBI
 
 
 
  
 
 
Goss Supply & Rental
Longaberger Country Club
Norvell Hearing Aid Center
Partyland Supply Co.

 
Anthem  
    
 
 
 
 
  ZMChamber Logo