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Chamber Biz Your Monthy eMagazine January 2012 Big changes for Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce in 2012! The Inaugural Issue of...
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Chamber Biz Your Monthy eMagazine
January 2012
Big changes for Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce in 2012!
The Inaugural Issue of...
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www.VisitGeorge.com
Table of Contents
Page 2 Chamber Team 2011 ‐ 2012 Board of Directors Page 3 About Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce Page 4‐5 Article: Advocacy by Annette Medlin, GCCoC Page 5 Legislative Agendas Quick Links 2011 ‐ 2012 Public Policy Division Page 6 Featured Event: Little Black Dress Page 7 Article: Are you willing to conduct Business in Blue Jeans? by Jay Handler Page 8 Member News Page 9 Member Spotlight Article: Business owners could be missing out on potential tax credits! Page 10 Member Benefits Page 11 Chamber Calendar of Events
Chamber Team
Annette Medlin President/ CEO 843‐546‐8436 ext 25 Bill Crowther Membership Director 843‐546‐8436 ext 23 Katie Damon Events and Communications Director 843‐546‐8436 ext 28 Meredith Hart Tourism Marketing Director 843‐546‐8436 ext 22 Sally Hogan Tourism Manager 843‐546‐8436 ext 26 Gwendolyn Polite Executive Assistant 843‐546‐8436 ext 24
2011 - 2012 Board of Directors
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Will Howard, Chairman First Citizens Sean Phelan, Vice‐Chairman Elliot‐Phelan Law Jenna Jordan, Secretary/Treasurer USI Payroll Lori Lowell, Immediate Past Chairwoman First Federal
Laura Stroman Crowther Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS Joe Rincione Palmetto Financial Investments, Inc. Brenda England SC Employment Security Commission Jon Alden Lowcountry Preparatory School Todd Welden Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Perry Collins Liberty Terminals J. Ralph Byington Dean E. Craig Wall, Sr. College Business Administration, CCU Perry Peace Debordieu Colony Real Estate Larry A. Mercado Mercom Corporation Jay Nelson Georgetown Hospital Systems
CHAMBER BIZ
Our Business is Your Business
Our Mission Our Vision Our Core Values The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce stands as the voice of business and provides resources that promote member success resulting in a more dynamic and sustainable community.
The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce is the visionary leader for advancing a cooperative, productive and prosperous community.
Integrity Knowledge
Professionalism Collaborative Supportive
Fun!
The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce was founded July 24, 1917 for the promotion of the general welfare of Georgetown and Georgetown County. The GCCC has a membership of 700 and covers the entire Georgetown County region and extends into Horry, Charleston and Florence counties.
Contact Us! 531 Front Street
Georgetown, SC 29440 843‐546‐8436
www.VisitGeorge.com
Follow Us!
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www.VisitGeorge.com
Advocacy by Annette Medlin, President/ CEO, GCCC
It’s a time when politics and issues are very much top of mind for our State and our Nation. Primaries and debates have caused the Presidential climate to escalate and that will continue until a decision is made at the polls in November. With debates in Myrtle Beach, the SC Republican Primary on January 21st and the State Primary in June, the National political scene receives a South Carolina focus. In the midst of increased national presence, the 2012 South Carolina Legislature opened on January 9 with MONEY being at the top of the list. This is the beginning of the second year in a two‐year cycle and with the overshadowing of major races afoot, the focus will be very narrowly directed in order to have the most success in the limited time given. Your Chamber has approved it’s agenda for business for this year following the process used by our Public Policy Division annually. These are the steps to the process of finalizing and approving our agenda: An annual survey is offered to the membership to gather input. Public Policy Committee identifies key issues and makes recommendations to the Board. The final recommendations of the PPC are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors. The Chamber uses the following guiding principles in considering positions to take on issues. Will the issue: Help sustain and grow opportunities for Georgetown County businesses. Reduce the cost of doing business. Support infrastructure and environmental improvements that impact our marketability and quality of life in a non‐threatening way. Provide an environment for an increased qualified workforce. Additionally, your Chamber Board of Directors reviews the SC Chamber Competitiveness agenda and makes a decision to adopt all or parts of that agenda. We did sign a resolution of support for the entire SC Chamber 2012 Competiveness Agenda and you can review that work by following the link provided (page 5). As we move through the next few months, a regular report will be given on how business is doing at the Statehouse. (continued on next page)
Annette Medlin is the President/CEO of the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce. Annette is available to write for your business publication or speak to your groups regarding this and other business, leadership or Chamber related subjects.
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CHAMBER BIZ
Georgetown County Chamber 2012 Legislative Agenda
SC Chamber 2012 Competitiveness Agenda
Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce 2011 - 2012 Public Policy Division:
Perry Collins, Chairman Liberty Terminals
Joe Young Lowcountry Forest Products
Paul Boughasian Best Blinds
Suzie Dosher Georgetown Hospital Systems
Linda Mock Georgetown County Auditor
Nancy Cave Coastal Conservation League
Lynn Mueller Consultant
Steven Neeves Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors
Chase McGill McNair Law Firm
Have something you want
to “AD”
to our eMag?
Contact Bill
Crowther for more
info. 843‐546‐8436 ext. 23 [email protected]
We are currently working on a site for your Chamber that will allow you to contact your elected officials with one click, that will allow you to track specific bills pertinent to Georgetown County and that will keep you up to date on ALL issues that affect business from the National level down to the local level. Our current Chamber site is under construction and you will receive an invitation as soon as it is completed. The Advocacy portal will be a direct link from the new site. Make a note of the process your Chamber uses to establish priorities for business and be a part of that process. Throughout the year as issues come into your awareness, bring them to our attention!! If it affects your business it is something that needs to be discussed in our Public Policy Division. If you are interested in participating on the committee, please let us know; we could use your input!!
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Links to State and Local Agendas:
www.VisitGeorge.com
Women in Business is nothing new. Everyday women from all ages, races and backgrounds Wake up and compete in the business world. The Georgetown County Chamber is excited to celebrate the women that make our world go round! Ladies, put on your favorite black dress and enjoy a night that’s all about you. Gentlemen, come thank those women who make your life a little easier every day!
February 24, 2012 6-9 pm
Winyah Auditorium Georgetown, SC
Tickets: $35 for Members $50 for Non-Members & At Door
Purchase Tickets @ Georgetown County Chamber 351 Front Street Whitmire Fine Jewelry Hammock Shops First Federal 1025 Church St. GKCU 1530 Bourne Street Or Online www.VisitGeorge.com
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CHAMBER BIZ
Are you willing to conduct Business in Blue Jeans?? by Jay Handler, Consultant Allen owns a major transportation company in the Charlotte area. When I met him today for the first time, he had just come from church and was dressed in a pressed, button‐down, shirt and Dockers. Allen told me how much he had enjoyed the service this morning, but what REALLY impressed him was a young musician who had performed during the service. This young man came in wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt…untucked…and sandals. I expected Allen to disapprove. After all, he’s a 60‐something, affluent, “Southern Gentleman”. But he surprised me by saying what a joy it was to hear the young man play & how exciting it was to see so many young people attending church, regardless of what they wore. Allen told me a story about a business trip he took to see a client in California more than 20 years ago. Upon arriving at the client’s office wearing a sports coat and a tie, the receptionist quickly showed him where to find a hanger for his coat, and suggested he remove his tie and roll up his sleeves before the client came out of his office. “That’s just how we do it around here!” she explained. See, many of us grew up being told that we had to wear our “Sunday Finest” for church, that we had to wear a suit and tie to conduct business, that we had to look our best at all times in public. But the “California attitude” Allen found 20 years ago has really permeated our corporate culture across the country today. We can’t keep doing business the way our fathers and grandfathers conducted THEIR businesses. We can’t operate on a 40 hour work week, open Monday through Friday from 9a until 5p and expect people to continue doing business with us. It’s why cell phone numbers are mandatory on business cards today. It’s why you have to display all your contact information on the top right corner of your web site…why you have to have a Facebook Fan Page AND a blog AND a Twitter account AND email addresses and so on. Your clients are getting younger and younger. Your prospects and your prospective employees have options, and “Business as Usual” isn’t going to cut it anymore. We have to adapt our selling style to conform to a less formal Gen‐Y consumer, and we need to do it FAST! There are dozens of things we can do to ensure that our businesses, civic organizations and so forth, stay relevant to this younger demographic. But the first thing we MUST do is be willing to adapt to it. Is YOUR business willing to change to stay relevant?
Jay Handler is a nationally know speaker/coach/consultant focused on sales and marketing and owner of Chea Pass Printing, a member of the GCCC. For more information email [email protected] or [email protected]
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www.VisitGeorge.com
Member News ...
Do you have member news to submit?
Email all news to Katie Damon by the 13th of each month to be
submitted in the our monthly eMagazine.
MEMBERS... If you would like to guest write submit your articles to Katie Damon by the 10th of each month. [email protected]
Articles being submitted may or may not make the next publication depending on the focus of that issue.
Back Woods Fun Shoot ‐ January 22, 2012! $75 includes entry fee + Target fees per event and lunch. Registration opens at 9am. Contact Back Woods for more information at 843‐546‐1466 or [email protected]
1st Annual St. Paddy’s Day Bash on the River—March 16, 2012, 6pm‐11pm and The 3rd Annual Georgetown County Boat Show ‐ March 17, 2012 hosted by George‐town County Parks and Recreation. Free to the public. For more information, please contact Adam Payne at 843‐545‐3333 or [email protected]
2nd Annual YMCA Oyster Bash & Car Show—February 11, 2012, Noon—3pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, Children 5‐12 for $15 and under 5 are free. Call the Y for tickets 843‐545‐9622
Big Hearts helping Little Hearts—February 4, 2012, Re‐ception 6pm, Dinner 7pm Tickets are $100 per person. St. Christopher’s Children is raising money to purchase basic clothing for children in critical need. To reserve your tickets, contact 843‐237‐0777.
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CHAMBER BIZ
Member Spotlight Agapé Hospice, a full‐service Medicare/ Medicaid hospice, is South Carolina’s largest provider. Agapé provides both in‐patient and home‐based environments. Designed to provide comfort and support who are facing a life limiting illness, Agapé is a faith based hospice provider that excel in pain and symptom management and have nurses with advanced certifications in hospice and end of life care. Agapé has their Agapé Senior Foundation, which provides assistance to senior residents whose fi‐nancial resources may not allow them to remain in their care.
Agapé has opened a Georgetown County location at 3938 U.S. 17 Bypass South, Murrells Inlet, SC. For more information go to: www.AgapeSenior.com
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) provides businesses a tax credit for hiring individuals with barriers to employment.
The program enables targeted employees to move from economic dependency into self‐sufficiency as they earn a steady income and become contributing taxpayers. Participating businesses are compensated by receiving a reduction in their federal income tax liability as a result of the tax credit. Maximum tax credits range from $2,400 to $9,000 depending upon the qualified employee’s targeted group.
If you are a business owner you could benefit from hiring within the following groups: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipient Disabled veteran who within in the last year was discharged or unemployed for 6+ months Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipient Columbia/Sumter Empowerment Zone (EZ)/ Marlboro County Rural Renewal Community (RRC) resident Vocational Rehabilitation Client Recently released Ex‐felon Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient
This federally‐funded program is administered by the SC Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW). SCDEW must certify the Work Opportunity Tax Credits before employers can claim them on their federal tax return. Requests must be postmarked within 28 days of the employee start date. Only those requests indicating potential target group eligibility should be mailed in.
More information regarding WOTC and certification may be obtained at the addresses or phone number below. SC Department of Employment and Workforce: Laura Rushton, SC WOTC Coordinator, P.O. Box 1406, Columbia, SC 29202, 803‐737‐2529, [email protected]
Business owners could be missing out on potential tax credits!
Brantley, M. "Business owners could be missing out on potential tax credits!." Palmetto Workforce Connections (blog), November 8, 2011.
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www.VisitGeorge.com
Member Benefit
Sign up for the Chamber Office Depot Program & save up to 60% off a list of 175 items most commonly purchased by businesses!
Don’t miss out on this cost saving opportunity! You can save 15% to 25% annually on
your office supplies!
Contact Bill Crowther to Learn more and to get your
form today!
Georgetown County Business Institute
Members, Are you less than satisfied with your business’s current performance? Has the current economy impacted your business negatively? Is your original business idea no longer
working? Join us to discuss rebooting your business.
Take advantage of our FREE weekly business webinars! The first webinar is this Thursday, January 19th, 3‐4pm
“Your Business Vision” Renewal starts with examining your business vision and business idea. We offer suggestions for
developing a new, vibrant approach to your business!
Click here for a full list of webinars and to register!
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CHAMBER BIZ
Chamber Calendar of Events Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
January 16 17
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Leadership
Georgetown
County
19 20 Chairman’s
Circle Breakfast
Coffee &
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22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
CEO
Exchange
31 February 1 2 BAH at
Smith
Medical Clinic
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5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17
Coffee &
Contacts
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19 20 Public Policy Committee
21 22 23 24 LITTLE BLACK DRESS
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Discover Tuscany October 4‐13, 2012
•Rome•Assisi•Basilica of St. Francis•Montecatini Terme•Siena•San Gimignano• •Winery Tour•Florence•Tuscan Feast• Book now and save $100 per person! Register for an Informational Meeting Monday, February 27, 2012 at 6:30pm
Georgetown County Library, Waccamaw Neck Branch 24 Commerce Lane, Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Katie Damon 843‐546‐8436 ext 28/ [email protected]
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For a full list of events, go to OUR WEBSITE! www.VisitGeorge.com
