April 6, 2015
2015 DCR Chamber Membership Campaign: Batter Up!

When the Chamber grows, YOUR business grows as well!  Each year, your chamber organizes a Membership Campaign, with the intent to grow and expand YOUR network.  The Campaign is a wonderful opportunity for members to develop comradery, create relationships and build connections!  Learn more about the campaign by clicking here. Additionally, we have great sponsorship opportunities for this campaign. View them here. 

The 2015 Membership Campaign will feature a competition between two teams composed of "veteran" and "rookie" Chamber members.  All participants who sell a membership during the campaign will be awarded 2 tickets to the June 22nd Saint Paul Saints game, a pre-party and transportation to the game!  

 

The 6- week Campaign will begin with a kick-off celebration held at Casper's Cherokee in Eagan.  Participants will meet their captain and team, hear from current members and learn best practices for a successful membership campaign!  Kick-off event details include:
Thank you to our host!
Date: Tuesday, April 21st 2015
Time: 8:00am- 9:00am
Location: Casper's Cherokee (4625 Nicols Rd, Eagan, MN 55122)
Cost: Complimentary!
Register for the Kickoff HERE!

 

Teams have already been chosen and team captains have contacted all participants.  If you'd like to be a part of this campaign and have not heard anything, contact Kate for more info.  Let's play ball!

Thank you to our Premier Sponsor:
 
Committed to Business... for YOU.
Let's Put Brakes on Minnesota Spending 
Column by Minnesota Chamber Interim President Bill Blazar

The recent budget forecast sets the stage for Governor Dayton and the Legislature to adopt a budget for the next two years. The good news is that Minnesota has a growing surplus. That's not surprising given the fact that the 2013 Legislature raised permanent taxes by more than $2 billion to solve a much smaller two-year shortfall. A good share of these increases fell disproportionately on Minnesota businesses...click here to access the full article.

Legislature Reconvenes:  What's on tap for the second half?

 

The Minnesota Legislature has been in recess and will return to the Capitol on April 7.  We hope you took the time to connect with your legislators about your business concerns while they were back in their districts.  Important decisions that impact your ability to succeed and expand in our state loom ahead.  Your voice makes a difference!

 

NEXT UP - read more.
April's WomEn's Circle to Focus on Powerful Networking
How to Create Powerful Win/Win Connections: Tips to be Confident and Effective in Your Networking

April's speaker will be speaker and networking expert Teresa Thomas. Teresa shares her passion for creating energizing connections through networking events, facilitated workshops, speaking and writing. Networking is the primary path to gaining opportunities, learning and support to get where we want to go. However, the very idea of networking can feel nerve-wracking - or worse yet - slimy! Learn how to tap into the power of authentic and confident networking. While Teresa has been a professional connector for over 18 years, she is shy at heart. She enjoys sharing the out-of-the-box insights she has learned throughout her life to help others to effectively network with confidence. 
 
Teresa believes networking is really about seeing the interconnectedness between all of us. It is about listening and noticing the ways we can lift each other up. 
 
In this interactive session, Teresa will answer the most pressing questions she receives about mastering the ABC's of networking. You'll walk away being more confident and effective and ready to maximize your relationships through win/win connections. This event is included in the womEn's circle membership. You may attend as a guest one time for a fee of $25. Please email Chelsea Johnson to attend as a guest.
Mailpak: A great advertising opportunity to promote your business

Does your company have any promotions currently running that you would like to announce? Are you hosting an event you would like to invite chamber members to? Or are you simply looking to raise your companies' visibility in the community? If this is the case, the Dakota County Regional Chamber has the perfect opportunity for you to do so, the MailPak!

 

 You Provide:

- 500 Flyers

- 20lb paper; 8 ½" x 11"; must be folded in half

- Materials need to be at the Chamber by deadline

-  $150 investment, paid prior to deadline

 

You Receive:

- Circulation to approximately 500 businesses in Dakota County

- Advertising for current promotions and events

 

Our next deadline is Noon on April 24th. Submit your ads today! Please fill out 
this form and return to Chelsea by email or mail to our office at 3352 Sherman Court, Suite 201, Eagan MN. For questions, call 651-288-9202.

April Quick Poll: Social Media Trends

This month's Breakfast with Champion was a massive hit, with over 35 attendees an informative presentation from Hubbard Interactive about social media campaigns, tips and tricks. Take the quick poll below to find out if you know as much as you think about this hot topic!

Fill in the blank: There are more searches on _____ each month (24 Billion) 
than Yahoo! and Bing combined!

Google
Yelp
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin

Click here to cast your vote!

Local Focus: Find Out What's Happening In Your Community

 

Eagan City Council meets April 7 - see the agenda.
Rosemount City Council meets April 7- see the agenda.

Mendota Heights City Council meets April 7- see the agenda.

Farmington City Council Work Session meets April 6- see the agenda.
Workforce Development Quick Poll Results

Last Friday, we asked our Legislative Breakfast attendees to answer a quick poll regarding education and workforce development. Here are the results.

According to data obtained through our 2014 Grow Minnesota Visits--your Chamber's Business Retention and Expansion Program--55% of companies reported trouble hiring new employees. Has your company faced challenges in hiring over the past years?
Quick Poll Results: 60% said "yes", 20% said "no" and 20% said "not sure".

If attendees answered yes, we asked them to check all that apply.
8% said candidates lack technical skills.
32% said candidates lack soft skills, i.e. communications, dependability, problem solving, etc.
20% said candidates lack the required skills (specific to position) and/or experience.
12% said not enough candidates are interested to fill the openings. 
Recruitment and Retention Event: Tips & Strategies for a New Era

The Dakota County Community Development Agency, Dakota Scott Workforce Investment Board and the Dakota County Chamber of Commerce are partnering to host a free workshop, Recruitment & Retention: Tips & Strategies for a New Era, on Wednesday, April 22 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Ames Center, 12600 Nicollet Avenue, Burnsville. 

This FREE workshop will focus on thinking beyond business challenges in recruitment and retention for today's labor market and discuss best practices.The morning will feature a presentation on Results-Only Work Environment and will include a panel discussion with local businesses on recruitment and retention best practices. Click here to register.
Chamber Night Out! 

As the inaugural year at the new Saint Paul Saints stadium begins, your Chamber invites you to a St. Paul Saints Chamber Night Out. Join us at CHS Field on June 22nd for baseball, networking and fun! Tickets can be purchase HERE for just $18.00.  Bring your colleagues, spouse or the whole family.  The game kicks off at 7:05pm!
 
New Members
We welcome the following new members!


  

Mathnasium of Eagan

1960 Cliff Lake Road

Suite 112

Eagan, MN 55122

Primary Contact: Bari Kahar

www.mathnasium.com

 

Hello. I'm Bari Kahar, Center Principal of Mathnasium of Eagan, your neighborhood math-only learning center. We help kids in grades 2-12 understand math by teaching the way that makes sense to them. 

When math makes sense, kids leap way ahead - whether they started out far behind or already ahead in math. Our formula for teaching kids math, the Mathnasium Method™ has transformed the way kids learn math for over a decade across 500+ centers in the US and Canada:

1. We know how to teach your child math.

2.  We pinpoint your child's learning needs, meet them where they are, and take them where they need to go.

3.  We will help your child overcome homework frustration. 

 

Spire Credit Union

1251 Town Centre Drive

Eagan, MN 55122

Primary Contact: Rachael Reiling

www.spire-banking.com

 

Since 1934 we have proudly served the residents of Minnesota and Wisconsin. SPIRE currently has sixteen branch locationsin the Twin Cities area, including a branch in Princeton, Minnesota.  Whether you are just starting out in life, own your own business, or are close to retirement, SPIRE would like to be your

total financial solution.

 

Financial Sync

Primary Rep_ Mike Schaeffer

1200 Centre Point Curve #300

Mendota Heights, MN 55120

Primary Contact: Mike Schaefer

www.financialsync.com

 

It's tough to grow your business when you are continuously "in" your business. That's why companies turn to Financial Sync for critical business service needs. From CFO level expertise to daily, back-office operations, and everything in between, Financial Sync professionally manages the financial aspects of our clients' businesses. We work with a wide variety of small to medium sized organizations, customizing our solutions to meet their specific needs and budgets. As a result, our clients can spend their time and energy on revenue generating activities - focusing on their business, vs. in their business. Growing profitably, and saving time and money.

 

Member News
News on what's happening with our members and in the community!

 

 

Insider Training announces its new web series Smart Nutrition. In this weekly webinar Smart Nutrition offers participants a discussion of dietary habits and personalized meal-planning in a small group format. Registered dietitian Nicole Carlson helps you take control of your diet for long-term success! Register for one of our FREE webinars April 14th @ 6pm or April 23rd @ 6:30pm. The Smart Nutrition 4-week course begins Tuesdays in May at 6pm. Contact us at mymealplan@insidertrainingfitness.com for further details. 


 The City of Eagan is hosting two Eagan Streets Alive Informational Meetings on April 16th and 18th regarding the Streets Alive festival-type event taking place on September 12th. If you are interested in attending or sending a representative, contact Kerry Phillips by email or by phone at (651) 675-5500. 


 Marco, Inc., a leading technology services provider in the United States, announced today that it has purchased Better Business Equipment (BBE), a copier and printer company located in Omaha, Nebraska. Congratulations!


Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102
Eagan, MN 55123
651.452.9872