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In This Issue
Office Depot Discounts
Calendar
NoHo Farmers Market Every Saturday
UCNH Health Care Council meets on June 17
Networking Breakfast is June 25
Zaven Pogosyan & G Store & Gifts Honored.
Zaven Pogosyan & G Store & Gifts Honored.
LA Largest Mixer Happening July 19 .. Shrine Auditorium
Operation Smiles Uplifting Military Ribbon CuttingGrand Opening June 17
Fit for Business Fit for Life Oct. 6 Health Fair
Employer Federal & California Posters for 2013 Required
Employer Federal & California Posters for 2013 Required
Identity Theft Topic of May Networking Breakfast
LA's Largest Mixer
LA's Largest Mixer
President's Update
President's Update

Quick Links

Sign Up for
Office Depot Discounts
for Members

Chamber discount program with Office Depot  for Chamber Members.  

 

Special Portal in Members only section and in new members email or contact the Chamber office at [email protected], or call 818-508-5155.

 Members:

 

Pacific Coast Regional Small Business Development Center
New Horizons for Childrens
 

 

 

Renewals:  

 

The Daily News
United Children's Learning Academy
Jack Witt
Michael Murphy, Attorney
 

 

Staff

Executive Director:

Michelle Gilstrap

 

Bookkeeper:

Diane McCreary 

 

Monthly e-Dispatch Editor:

Jo Ellen Krumm

 

Webmaster & E-Dispatch
Layout Editor:

Shane Fachinello & Carrie Spencer

 

 

Testimonials

 Many members were recognized by other members at our May meeting:  

 

 

Zaven Pogosyan, for his work for the Chamber, the Kiwanis Entertainment Industry Group and more, by Carson Schreiber and Edo Gabrielyan

 

Relay for Life of Studio City/North Hollywood,  

for having 340 participants and raising more than $82,000 for cancer research and services in May, by Marilynn Bradbury

 

Jo Ellen Krumm, for editorial services, by  

Edo Gabrielyan

 

Calendar

 

June 17   Fit for Business Fit for Life Health Fair Meeting, West Coast University 10-11:30 a.m. RSVP Michelle, [email protected]

 

June 17   Operation Smiles Uplifting Military, ribbon cutting, noon, West Coast University,

12215 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91606    

 

June 21   Deadline to register for June 25 networking breakfast for early-bird rate and your contact information to be included on the Hot Sheet given to all attendees. Cost is $20 for members who preregister by the Friday before, and $25 for those who register later. For not-yet-members, cost is $25 if you preregister, $30 otherwise. Visit the website to register.

 

June 25  Monthly Networking Breakfast. 7:30 - 9 a.m. Daily Grill.  See article.     

 

June 28  Super King Supermarket Grand Opening/Ribboncutting,  

9 a.m.  7227 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91405  

 

July 4           Independence Day Holiday. Chamber office closed.

 

July 18      LA's Largest Mixer, 5-9 p.m., Shrine Expo Center, Los Angeles. The Chamber is participating. See event notice.

 

July 23  Networking Breakfast, 7:30 - 9 a.m., Daily Grill, Studio City

 

Oct. 6  Fit for Business, Fit for Life, UCNH Chamber Health Fair, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Roy Romer Middle School, 6501 Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood, 91606

 

NoHo Farmers Market Every Saturday 


The NoHo Arts District Farmers Market (nohomarket.org) on Saturdays offers freshness and fun every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the block of 5200 Bakman. 

 

It is a California Certified Farmers Market as well as a market for arts and crafts.

 

"This is a great opportunity for our members not only to promote the Chamber, but your own business each Saturday," says executive director Michelle Gilstrap. "You only need to let me know when you would like to reserve the booth, and I will work out a rotation schedule."  

 

Contact Michelle at [email protected] or 818-508-5155.

UCNH Health Care Council Meets on June 17th to Plan New Health Fair for

October 6th

 

Fit For Business Fit For Life Logo  


Fit 4 Business, Fit 4 Life is this year's theme for the UCNH Chamber's Health Fair that will be held at the Roy Romer Middle School on Sunday, Oct. 6th from 11 to 4 

 

"With expanded hours, and the expanse of the Roy Romer Middle School Athletic Field and the school facilities, we know this will greatly enhance the Health Fair this year, " Vic Viereck, Chamber President stated.

 

Sponsorships begin at $10,000,00 and go down to $150,00 for members, so they are priced for everyone to be able to come in to the fair and help the community be healthy.

  

Contact Michelle at [email protected] or 818-508-5155.

The information will be up on the website shortly.

 

 

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June 13, 2013
Greetings!(Contact First Name),

This E-Dispatch is sent to you to keep you informed of the changes affecting the business community of Universal City and North Hollywood.  We value our chamber members and advocate on their behalf with elected officials. Our website contains more information to assist our members: www.noho.org.
Networking Breakfast: June 25th @ Daily Grill 
 

Who will you meet at our networking breakfast on June 25th? You won't know until you get there, but we make amazing connections for business and the community. Come and find out. Don't be shy. 

 

We meet at the Daily Grill, upstairs at 12050 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, at 7:30 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Help customers and clients find you more easily with a listing on the Hot Sheet given to all attendees.

 

Just register by June 21 to get on the  Hot Sheet and pay the early-bird rate. Cost is $20 for members who preregister by the Friday before, and $25 for those who register later. For not-yet-members, cost is $25 if you preregister, $30 otherwise. 

Both Zaven Pogosyan and G Store & Gifts Honored on June 7 at Marriott Warner Center

 

Small Business Breakfast
Accepting the Small Business of the year were Kirkos Kyufterlyan, Anna and Zavan Pogosyan, Michelle Gilstrap, and Vic Viereck at the Small Business Breakfast.

 

Corinne Verdery
Corinne Verdery, Chief Real Estate Development & Planning Officer for the NBCUniversal Evolution Plan was the Keynote Speaker for the
Small Business Breakfast.

Photos compliments of
Harvey Branman Photography.

Zaven Pogosyan and G Store & Gifts were named Small Business of the Year for the UCNH Chamber and were honored at the United Chambers of Commerce Annual Small Business Breakfast June 7 at the Marriott Warner Center.  

 

A crowd of hundreds heard the plans of NBCUniversal Evolution plan and how it will break ground soon for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  After nearly 10 years in the planning and several changes from community input, the plan was approved by the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.

 

Mayor Elect Open Meetings

 

LA Largest Mixer Happening July 19:
Shrine Auditorium, UCNH Chamber Will Have Booth
 
L.A.'s Largest Mixer XV

5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Shrine Auditorium Expo Center

700 W. 32nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90007

Join Los Angeles area chambers and business organizations for The Ultimate Business Networking Event!   Mix and mingle with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of business people representing industries and companies in and around Southern California. 

L.A.'s Largest Mixer XV is a great opportunity to reach small to large companies, meet new clients and learn how the different chambers of commerce and business organizations can make your business grow.

Mixer admission: $20 per person (no credit cards or checks at the door).

For exhibitor or general information: 323.230.5656 or http//www.lamixer.com.  

 

Michelle is putting together a Schedule for our booth, if you can work the booth, she will have a ticket for those working for 1 hour that night. These are limited. 

Operation Smile Uplifting Military Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening: June 17- Noon -1 p.m.

  Operation Smiles Uplifting Military Logo

 

Operation Smiles Uplifting Military will have their official Ribbon Cutting/  

Grand Opening will take place from  

12 noon to 1 p.m,  6631 Laurel Canyon Ave, North Hollywood, CA; 9160 6.  

 

This is the first time that a program has been established to help our veterans with dental services beginning with WW II and Korean veterans the program will provide $1,500 worth of dental work.  Our veterans do not have any dental program at this time through the V.A.  

  

Those who can attend are encourage to RSVP to Dorothy Stringer at [email protected].

Fit For Business Fit For Life, October 6 Health Fair

Roy Romer Middle School 11- 4  Expanded Hours

 

Download links for Early Bird Opportunities

 

UCNH - Fit For Business - Fit For Life Event Oct 6th, 2013
UCNH - Fit For Business - Fit For Life Event Oct 6th, 2013

 

We invite you to take this opportunity to increase your exposure to the community by being a health fair/fitness sponsor. You will reap the benefits of extra visibility for your organization or services, while, at the same time, communicate your commitment to health and wellness.   

UCNH Chamber cares for our community and our children. Let's all take a part in educating our families to have a healthier lifestyle through proper screening, fitness, and nutrition. Together we can erase childhood obesity, and promote healthy lifestyles. 

 

Sponsorship Links: Click to download Early Bird Rates until June 30th.

 

Sponsorship Opportunities 

 

Sponsorship Form 

 

Sell Local - Buy Local 

By Tracey DeLeeuw, Tracey DeLeeuw
CEO BizDrive.biz

 

Are you selling online?  Do you have a website?  Are you missing out on business because you aren't being found online?  Are you scared?  You should be - if you are not selling online.

 

The offline market - has moved online.  Local customers want to buy online but less than 15% of local businesses are selling online.

 

The UCNH Chamber has partnered with Bizdrive to give our Members an easy way to get online, be found and start selling.

 

When you sign up with Bizdrive - you get an easy and automated business page with e-commerce, coupons, easy communications, feedback and rating and free training.

 

Local customers will be able to find you online, buy your services and become your long-term client.

 

Check out these stats - then signup with Bizdrive.biz - today and enhance your chances for success.

 

Click HERE to learn about Bizdrive.biz

Click HERE to sign-up with Bizdrive.biz

 

Online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as the driver of purchase decisions; user reviews are more influential than third-party reviews.

 

More Info

81% of online holiday shoppers read online customer reviews.

 

More Info

Almost two-thirds (62%) of consumers read consumer-written product reviews on the Internet.

 

More Info

When asked what sources of information they are "very likely" to consult before making a decision about their entertainment options, 62% named Web sites with user reviews as their top choice, even beating out a knowledgeable friend (59%).

 

More Info

Seven in 10 (69%) consumers who read reviews share them with friends, family or colleagues, thus amplifying their impact.

 

More Info

As of October 2008, almost half of US online adults read ratings and reviews at least once a month, and 19% post them. Nearly twice as many read reviews compared with 2007.

 

More Info

19% of US online adults post ratings and reviews at least once a month.

 

More Info

49% of shoppers intend to do their holiday gift buying online (versus in-store).

 

More Info

72% of consumers who are planning to research products online prior to purchasing (vs. 65% in 2007).

 

More Info

74% agree-including 14% who strongly agree-that they choose companies and brands based on what others say online about their customer service experiences, the survey shows.

 

More Info

58.7% of shoppers said they used product reviews to make decisions. Reviews rated higher than clearance sale pages (56.4%) and featured sale pages (51.3%).

 

More Info

People who read a review were 30% more likely to purchase a product and visitors who wrote a review were 80% more likely to convert.

 

More Info

Among the 46% of respondents who had posted or planned to post reviews about their online shopping experience, 88% said those reviews either were, or would be positive.

 

More Info

More than eight in ten (82%) of those who read reviews said that their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews.

 

More Info

 

55% of surveyed Internet users consulted other people's opinions online, making reviews the #1 resource for product research.

 

More Info

In a study of 2,000 shoppers, 92% deemed customer reviews as "extremely" or "very" helpful.

 

More Info

59% of their users considered customer reviews to be more valuable than expert reviews.

More Info

 

63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews.

More Info

 

 

81% consider the availability of customer reviews to be "very important" (33%)"somewhat important" (48%).

More Info

 

 

86.9% of respondents said they would trust a friend's recommendation over a review by a critic, while 83.8% said they would trust user reviews over a critic.

More Info

 
 
2013 Employee Posters ( REQUIRED FOR ALL BUSINESS OWNERS ) 

 

Owners with more than 50 must order new poster sets.  

Employee 2013 Poster Sets 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Chamber is selling the updated California & Federal Poster Sets for all employers.  Please make sure to order yours for your company. This is a mandatory poster for all employers of even one employee so you are not fined

If your company bought a poster set in the early part of the year or last December and has more than 50 employees, you must order a new one to keep up with the laws that went into effect last month. 
 
If you bought it from the Chamber, there is a small charge of $15 to replace what was purchased earlier.  Everyone else will have to pay the normal prices on the website.

Identity Theft Topic of May Networking Breakfast

Officer St. Pierre Speaker at Networking Breakfast

 

Officer St. Pierre

Lt. Mathew Jay St. Pierre with the Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division, Fraud Section, detailed dozens of aspects of identity theft at our May networking breakfast.  

 

"I work out of the Van Nuys station. We have 800 to 1,0000 reports of identity theft each month in the Valley alone," he noted. "Businesses and individuals need to be vigilant," he emphasized.  

 

"If you are a victim of identity theft, first and foremost, you must make a police report." Usually you'll have to go to the local police station to do that.  

You also need to put a fraud alert on your credit report, close the compromised account, and file documents to prove you are a victim.  

 

Immediate monetary loss might not be the worst part of identity theft. Trying to clear your name and your record can be a nightmare the blemishes your credit and reputation for years.

 

Some tips

  • Don't carry WiFi-enabled credit or debit cards unless you have a metal case for them. Otherwise, criminals with special equipment can get your information just by walking up next to you at a mall.
  • If you don't want to worry about WiFi issues, ask for cards that aren't WiFi-enabled. To see if your cards are WiFi-enabled, check them for a small symbol of progressively larger arches.
  • Don't provide account numbers, birth dates, passwords or your Social Security number in response to any e-mail, no matter how legit it may look. Also don't provide this information to people who may call on the phone purporting to be from your bank, or even from the police department.  If you think the caller might be legit, say you'll call back, but look up the number yourself.
  • Stay on top of bank transaction data and check your credit reports. You can get a free credit report once a year from each of the three big bureaus, thus you could check for free three times each year.

Members and guests at the breakfast also picked up excellent printed materials, including a detailed 46-page book on preventing and dealing with identify theft. Another great benefit of the networking breakfasts.

Jody Webber
Jody Webber,
NoHo Senior Arts Colony

Also in May, Jody Webber of the NoHo Senior Arts Colony, sponsor of the breakfast, talked about the Colony's unique mix of deluxe residential living with wellness, arts and The Road Theater Company on site.  

 

The Colony's leasing gallery is 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, (855) 399-5381 toll free. For information, visit www.NoHoSeniorArtsColony.com.

 

We welcomed new members Dorothy Stringer and Bruce Waterman of
Operation Smiles Uplifting Military, and   Zaven Pogosyan added his new store ZGallia.
 
Herb Pencille with cart at May breakfast
Herb Pencille wins the wheeled cart with a $25 gift certificate at the May Breakfast from the NoHo Senior Arts Colony breakfast sponsor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Ken Tippie & Dorothy Stringer
Board Member Ken Tippie presents membership plaque to Dorothy Stringer, Operation Smiles Uplifting Military
 

  


Ken Tippie presents membership Plaque to Zaven Pogosyan for his new store, Zgallia. 

LA Largest

 

 UCNH  Chamber will have a booth, contact Michelle at the Chamber Office to sign up for 1 hour at the booth. You will have a free ticket to work the event. 

 

President's Update  

By Victor "Vic" Viereck
Vic Viereck
Victor Viereck

 

To help people fight the effects of cancer, and become survivors, the American Cancer Society conducts many Relays for Life every year. On May 18-19 the North Hollywood and Studio City communities held their annual Relay for Life at Walter Reed Middle School.

 

Its net proceeds, as of May 19, 2013, exceeded $72,600, which was a record breaker, and will help save many more lives. All the participants and Principal and staff of Walter Reed Middle School deserve tremendous thanks for all their efforts. On Saturday, April 27 the East, Mid, and West Valley Family YMCAs held their annual Healthy Kids Day.  

 

The attendance and participation from the public made it a big success in promoting good health and fitness for children and their parents.

 

Both events lead toward healthy lifestyles that help people enjoy longer lives with less annual trips to doctors and other medical services. That is also a goal of the Universal City North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's annual Fit 4 Business, Fit 4 Life health fair which will be on October 6, 2013 at Roy Romer Middle School.

 

Promoting how to maintain good health enables people to enjoy their occupations and life to the fullest, helping their communities and business thrive. It's a foundation for longer, healthy lives and is why our Chamber of Commerce is working hard to promote the health fair. It is also a means of less need for whatever politically driven health plans are needed or imposed on the public.

 

Government programs cannot accomplish for people what we can do for ourselves. When we practice healthy lifestyles, life is more enjoyable and less time and money needs to be spent for medical care. We look for motivated participation by our Universal City North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce members and the public to make our Fit 4 Business, Fit 4 Life Health Fair very physically and fiscally successful for all.

Celebrate at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn on Sunday

Beverly Garland Hotel Father's Day

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