SBA Business Gateway Program

A few days ago I received an e-mail from the Small Business Administration touting their new online Community.  Business owners, bloggers, government and others now have a place to discuss and share information about starting and running a successful business.

The Community features discussion forums, an idea page and blogs where small business owners can talk about their unique business issues and get direct access to even more valuable resources.

Here’s the link so you can check it out yourself:

http://communities.business.gov/

You can also visit Business.gov on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

It’s All About Networking

Chambers are famous for their social networking opportunities where people meet face to face such as Business After Hours, trade shows and golf tournaments. Now a term that is bantered about is “Social Media”.  What is that all about?

It’s really networking electronically. We’ve introduced you to some aspects of Social Media, like blogs & podcasts, but there are a lot more ways to network using social media than that.  Sharing videos, sharing photos, using message boards, using closed networks like Linked-In or Face Book. Then there’s wikis and nings and on and on.

What does this have to do with you?  It could mean your economic success or failure. It is a new way to understand markets. A new way to solicit customers. A new way to retain customers.

 The Technology Committee discussed Social Media at length this morning at our monthly meeting. If you had the opportunity to learn more about Social Media and how it could impact your bottom line, would you attend? 

We’ll be standing by at this “Social Media Blog” waiting for your reply…..

Buy the Alleghenies

The Chambers of Commerce in five Pennsylvania counties – Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon and Somerset have formed a partnership collectively known as the Chambers of the Alleghenies. Its purpose is to build economic success, promote our region and keep dollars local.

 

One objective is to create ways to encourage businesses within the region to allocate at least a reasonable percentage of their purchasing to local buying.

 

In response to that objective, www.BuyTheAlleghenies.com  was created. Check it out.  See if what you are planning to buy is available in the region at a competitive price. If it is, buy it. You will be helping to keep the $7.4 million here that is currently leaving every day. And that has far-reaching economic impact for us all.

Singing to the choir

If you are reading this blog, you probably already know a lot about e-commerce but perhaps you can share the message with those who SHOULD know more. 

I get a lot of mail – electronic and otherwise.   A few weeks ago I got an envelope with a publication from eBizITPA, an organization that is attempting to improve the tech savvyness of the business community in Pennsylvania.  This publication was titled “e-business, e-commerce and e-marketing 101.”  I set it aside.

I picked it up this morning to review since I wanted to mention it at tomorrow morning’s Technology Committee meeting.  The quote in the inside cover said it all: “E-business, while still young, is here to stay.  The Internet has become a standard in the consumer’s way of life…Like most markets, this one is driven by the consumer.  Today’s consumers want more flexibility in the way they do business with companies.  If a bricks-and-mortar company does not have e-business capabilities, it is seriously limiting its ability to effectively compete in today’s global marketplace.”  (from “The Impact of E-Business on the Retail Market”, Amazon, 2007)

The publication offers explanations, resources, statistics, best practices and more.   

Fortunately, eBizITPA is techno savvy and has made this publication available by free download.  Here’s the link. http://www.ebizitpa.org/downloads/files/handbook.pdf.  

There are businesses that are still overwhelmed by technology and the Internet.  Please share this message and the link with them.  If they are not at all techno savvy, you may have to print it off and hand it to them.  Do that.  They are the ones that need to hear this message the most.

Is there money for you in the Governor’s $650 million dollar energy fund?

As part of the $650 million package, residential consumers and small businesses will be eligible for $92.5 million in loans, grants, reimbursements and rebates to support energy conservation and weatherization projects that can ultimately reduce energy bills. Another $40 million is available to provide financial assistance through the state’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, and establish an energy efficiency loan fund through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

 

Households and small businesses can also qualify for $100 million to support the installation of solar energy technology. Solar power is a key cost-saving technology that enables homes and businesses to generate their own electricity and sell any excess power back to the grid through net metering.

Learn more about it:

http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/energindependent/site/default.asp

First Industries Tourism Program

Yesterday I was talking to a fellow who was considering opening a new business that would cater to tourists.  We discussed the First Industries Tourism program as a possible resource for grants and loans and I thought you might like to know about it as well. 

The grant piece is for new business start ups to help pay for the cost of predevelopment activities and feasibility studies for tourism-related projects. 

The loan piece offers loans under the “Small Business First” program for for-profit businesses engaged in tourism related activities. 

Information about this can be found at http://www.newpa.com/programDetail.aspx?id=47.

Finarelli Twilight Dinner Delight

 

Pan-seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Beer-Poached Littleneck Clams. Chianti-Braised Rabbit.  These are just a few of the delectable items on the menu when Matt Finarelli, chef extraordinaire and son of Twilight Dinner hosts Peggy and Jack Finarelli, treated us to an evening of sweet and savory tastes of his own creation in support of the programs of the Bedford County Chamber Foundation. 

 

 

 

Partaking in the banquet are (seated l – r) Lori and Dave Copley, Peggy Finarelli, Jim and Nancy MacRae, (standing l – r) Yvonne Butts-Mitchell, Lynn Ashe, Jack Finarelli, Carolyn and Chef Matt Finarelli and Bill Snyder.

Please call the Chamber office at 814-623-2233 if you would like to learn more about attending or hosting a Chamber Foundation Twilight Dinner.

Answers from Congressman Shuster

On August 22 we ran out of time for Congressman Bill Shuster to answer all the questions that were posed during the Government – Its Your Business breakfast.

I am pleased to present those topics and their answers here.

 Mercury Light Bulbs:

A nationwide phase-out of conventional light bulbs for energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights by 2012 was contained in H.R.-6 “The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007″. This legislation – opposed by Congressman Shuster – passed the House and Senate and became law in December 2007. Fluorescent light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, and the federal government hasn’t come up with effective ways to get Americans to recycle them. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and it’s especially dangerous for children and fetuses. Here are recommended disposal guidelines from the EPA for fluorescent lights that break:

 http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#fluorescent

 

 

Since the passage of H.R.-6, one major piece of legislation has been proposed in opposition to the mandated nationwide conversion to fluorescent bulbs. Rep. Michele Bachmann (MN) introduced H.R.-5616 “The Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act” in March 2008. Rep. Bachmann’s bill raises safety questions about the small amount of mercury in fluorescent lights and seeks to reverse the mandate, unless a comptroller general report shows clear economic, health and environmental benefits from the switchover to fluorescent lights. The bill’s been referred to the House Subcommittee on Energy & Air Quality. 

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FDA:

The U.S. food supply is one of the safest food supplies in the world. The FDA oversees food safety in the United States, and maintains a Food Protection Plan that aims to prevent problems before they start, can intervene when there are problems to curtail spread of sickness, and respond and manage any food crises that may arise. A complete and specific overview of the plan can be found at:

 

 

www.fda.gov

Legislation such as the 2008 Farm Bill, which Congressman Shuster supported, helps agriculture policy remain modern to keep American farms as safe as they can be. The health and safety of our food supply lies in producing our own food, not relying on imports. It is as much a national security issue as a health safety one.

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Government Waste:

The Office of Management and Budget, along with Federal Agencies, provide this resource to show which federal agencies and programs are meeting expectations and which ones are not. This information can be found at:

 

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/index.html

Speed Counts

The Chamber has been urging broadband deployment for several years.  This article from Boomtown Institute that I place here in its entirity, is indicative of this pressing need. Internet Speed in the United States   The results of a second annual survey of Internet speeds, conducted by the Communication Workers of America, show that the United States has not made significant improvement in the speeds at which residents connect to the Internet. Our nation continues to fall far behind other countries. The median download speed for the nation was 2.3 megabits per second (mbps). In Japan, the median download speed is 63 mbps, or 30 times faster than the U.S.   The survey included nearly 230,000 people in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Surveyors visited speedmatters.org and took an Internet speed test. The final results show that the United States has fallen to 15th, behind other industrialized nations in the percent of the population subscribing to broadband.   High Speed Internet is essential for economic growth and global competitiveness.  The United States has a lot of ground to cover just to remain competitive with other economies that have already adopted policies that facilitate job growth, business advancement, and individual achievement through access to the latest information technologies.   Broadband access is a topic we researched extensively for Boomtown USA. We felt then, as we do today, that broadband access to all corners of the United States is critical for the long term competitiveness of our country, in particular the rural regions. With high speed Internet access, anyone can become a global competitor.   According to speedmatters.org, the United States is the only industrialized nation without a national policy to promote high-speed broadband. Is it time to establish such a policy?   www.speedmatters.org

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Comfort Food

Because I like to cook, I am always on the lookout for good ingredients to inspire my menus.  Recently in my travels I noticed that the Giant Eagle, the DBI Farmer’s Market and Boyer’s Orchard among others are overflowing with a bountiful fall harvest of flavorful fruits and vegetables.  Despite the 90 degree weather today and the goodness of past summer salads, I am looking forward to a fall and winter of comfort foods, perhaps a simmering pot of soup, stew or chile this weekend as the coldfront pabses through. Perhaps with some fresh foccacia that I learned to make at a LIfeSTYLE cooking class!  Yum.  Hope you are also enjoying the bounty.