Chamber Connections Blog
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Here’s What You Need to Know About SBA’s Patriot Pitch Competition The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched the Patriot Pitch Competition, a national pitch contest designed to spotlight innovative small businesses across the country. The competition includes a $1 million cash prize pool funded by Clover Network, Inc., and eligible small businesses…
Are You Accidentally Killing Your Business’ Unique Value Proposition?
Are You Accidentally Killing Your Business’ Unique Value Proposition? Most businesses don’t lose their edge in one dramatic, cinematic moment. They lose it quietly. A tweak here. Following a trend there. A consultant recommendation that sounds smart but doesn’t fit. A few AI-generated ideas pasted into the marketing plan with the confidence of someone assembling…
How to Turn One Happy Customer Into Three New Leads
Hopefully, your happiest customers are already doing some marketing for you. Maybe they’re mentioning your business to a neighbor or tagging you in a post. Perhaps they’ve told a friend, “You should call them.” The problem is that most small businesses leave those moments to chance and probably don’t even know about them.…
One of the Most Affordable (and effective!) Ways to Advertise Your Business
Marketing gets expensive fast. Even social media, which used to be one of the cheapest avenues for exposure, requires paid placement these days. But while social media is still affordable, and targeting is pretty good, if you don’t choose your audience effectively, you’re paying for people to see your content event though they’ll…
Selling or Buying a Business? What You Need to Know!
Selling or Buying a Business? What You Need to Know! “Successorship” or “successors in interest” are terms describing the takeover of one employer’s business by another, generally resulting from a change in ownership due to a purchase, acquisition, or merger. Both the predecessor (seller) and successor (buyer) must notify BWC of a transfer in operations.…
Smart Ways to Use Summer Interns in Any Business
Summer is a great time to consider the advantage of temporary labor. You know that project you’ve been putting off? How about the organization structure you wanted to build? What about that technology trial? Or maybe there’s something you’ve been doing that could easily be managed by someone else so you can free up your…
7 Ways to Capture Tax Refund Dollars This Month
Tax refund season creates a short spending window. The IRS writes that most refunds are issued within 21 days, and people can start checking status shortly after e-filing through the IRS refund tracker. In other words, your future customers are getting a little breathing room in their bank account right now, and that changes…
7 Things You Should Do Before Hiring for the Summer
It’s getting to be that time of year again-the summer scramble for capable employees. Colleges are about to go on break. High schools will finish up soon thereafter, and eager summer employees are looking for jobs now. In the past, you probably posted a job, hired fast as fast as you could, and hoped…
Outdated Business Practices Are Costing You More Than You Think
Hello. 1999 is calling. They want their business practices back. If you’re old enough, that line may remind you of the classic 90s sitcom Seinfeld. But sadly, many offices are still running the same way that Elaine and George experienced way back when. Why? Because it feels safe. Familiar processes, standard office hours, packed calendars,…
Power Tool Safety at Work:
Power Tool Safety at Work: Protecting People, Productivity and Property Power tools play an essential role in many industries, including construction, manufacturing and maintenance. Examples of some power tools include circular saws, drill presses, bench grinders, air hammers/chisels, concrete drills and torque wrenches. Even though these tools increase efficiency, they also introduce risks when not…
Brain Fog Is Costing Your Business More Than You Think–Here’s How to Clear It
For a small business owner, the most critical piece of equipment isn’t your laptop, your CRM, or your delivery van-it’s your brain. When you are the visionary, the strategist, and the customer service department, your cognitive clarity determines your bottom line. However, “founder’s fatigue” often leads to the dreaded brain fog: that sluggish, scattered feeling…
Chamber Partners with Yodel to Launch AI Based Event Calendar for the Community
The Troy Chamber is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Yodel Event Calendar to enhance our online event calendar. By integrating Yodel’s automated event calendar technology, we will now provide our residents and visitors with a more comprehensive, up-to-date, and user-friendly community calendar that highlights all local happenings and activities. Yodel’s AI-driven platform automatically…