On October 22nd, more than 300 citizens packed City Council Chambers to voice concerns about safety in our community, particularly in our downtown area.  To gain input, Mayor Gruendl created two focus groups:  enforcement, and social services.  Most attendees crammed into the enforcement groups and asked the City Council for the following immediately:  (1) more police officers, (2) the enforcement of existing laws, and (3) the addition of a city-wide ordinance that will make it illegal to block the sidewalk.  Click here for a recap of the meeting.

On November 5th, our City Council will make decisions on each of these requests - click here for the agenda.  If you are concerned about crime in and around your business, home, and/or our parks, please attend the meeting on November 5th at 6:30p.m. (421 Main Street).  The City Council needs to hear from you.

Last month, Tri Counties Bank launched the Chico Retail Market Analysis in conjunction with the Chamber, DCBA, and the City of Chico.  This study was conducted to help local retailers increase their sales.  Click here for results.

And next month, December 4th from 10a.m.-noon, we are pleased to co-present a free seminar on "The Affordable Care Act and What it Means for Small Businesses" (Oroville City Council Chambers, 1735 Montgomery Street, Oroville).  Joe McClure, District Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, will discuss tax credits, employer options, the rollout timeline, and resources available now.

~Katie

After more than a year of research, the Chico Retail Market Analysis sponsored by Tri Counties Bank is ready for release.  Along with Tri Counties Bank, the DCBA, and the City, we're hosting a 2-day launch series on October 15th-16th featuring 3 informational sessions for businesses (increase your sales!), a presentation to our City Council, and a press event at the new Tri Counties Bank training facility at the airport.  Find out how our retail market is doing, what's happening with our secondary market, and where (and how!) local consumers are shopping.  Click here for event details.

On October 22nd, from 6:30-8:30p.m. in Council Chambers, the City Council is hosting a special study session on downtown concerns with specific intent to address policy gaps, economic development opportunities, and potential infrastructure investment.  As a business owner, if you attend just one Council meeting this year, make it this one.  Our Council members need to hear directly from you.

On October 23rd, the County will host a special community planning workshop Council Chambers from 9a.m.-11a.m. focused on alcohol concerns.  And, on October 24th from noon - 1p.m. we're hosting our City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and Administrative Services Director for a free Lunch Hour event in the Old Municipal Building.  RSVP for both of these free events by calling our office at 891.5556 or emailing info@chicochamber.com.

The Chico Chamber has done a lot of heavy lifting this year to bring attention to the many issues impacting business. Let's continue to work as a team toward solutions -- we're not going to see improvement until we do.  And check out cleanandsafechico.com for details on the many volunteer programs now up and running in downtown and south campus.

Pulling back the lens, it's October 1st which means the health care exchanges are now open.  Refer to our Health Care Reform Toolkit for information you need to stay compliant with changing regulations.

~Katie

"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." - William Arthur Ward

Katie Simmons  President/CEO

Like many of you, I am still a bit mystified by the Affordable Care Act and feel uncertain about the waves of change rapidly heading toward businesses in California.  Luckily, many local experts are working non-stop to explain the nuances and obligations of health care reform and we're working closely with them to give you the information you need.   

I'd like to introduce you to the Small Business Toolkit we put together with our partners at Butte County, Butte College, and the Alliance for Workforce Development.  Our Toolkit walks you through approaching deadlines, training opportunities, and webinars that will help you understand what the new health care law means for your business.   

We recommend that you check out Covered California and their Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), too.  Covered California offers information specifically designed for small businesses such as new options for health coverage and the tax credit fact sheet.

Keep in mind that if you own a small business, you may be required by the Department of Labor to inform your employees about health care coverage by October 1, 2013.  The notice to employees about coverage options is a Department of Labor (DOL) requirement and businesses can use the DOL tool online to determine if they must comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  The Butte County call center will open on October 1st, too, and will serve as a resource to you and your employees:  877.410.8803.

If you need more information, there are several educational opportunities for small businesses regarding the Affordable Care Act and the Department of Labor (DOL) notice of coverage options requirement.  Please refer to our Toolkit for dates and times and let us know if you have any questions.

It's time to adjust our sails.

~ Katie 

katie@chicochamber.com

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." ~ Phil Jackson

Katie Simmons  President/CEO

Every day I am fortunate to meet new business men and women in Chico - it's a favorite job perk.  Whether I am meeting with someone who is experiencing challenges (permitting, broadband, workforce, you name it), or I'm meeting with a proprietor who is getting ready to launch a dream business, or we're in a group setting working on broader community issues, I always learn something new about what businesses in Chico need in order to be successful.

Our business walks program (see photo below) is one of the most effective tools in the Chamber's advocacy toolbox.  Along with a team of business service providers from Alliance for Workforce Development, the Downtown Chico Business Association, 3CORE, The Training Place at Butte College, and members of City staff, we cover broad areas of Chico on foot - shaking hands, introducing ourselves, hearing business stories, and getting down to the issues.  If we're in a family business, we learn just as much about Chico's history as we do about what the Chamber can do to help that business succeed.

If you see us in your neighborhood, please take a moment to tell us your story, opinions, and ideas.  We're listening and we're helping businesses one day at a time and one step at a time.

We are here to serve you and by "we" I mean me, Heather, Phyllis, Angie, Rebecca, Jeanette, our fabulous Board of Directors and volunteers, and the many organizations who are participating in our business walks.  Together we offer an astounding number of services, many of which are free to you. Check out our Business Resources Guide for more info.

Think of the Chamber and our team as one of the best tools in your business toolbox.  We're here to help you get the job done.

~ Katie

katie@chicochamber.com

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

In a recent meeting, I overheard someone say, "the Chamber doesn't do anything," and I was stunned.  My staff and I run at top speed every day representing the needs of business to government, advocating for business interests in nearly every community discussion, producing meetings and events that connect businesses to each other and to policy makers, engaging young professionals in civic leadership opportunities...the list goes on and on.

But, I hear the question behind the concern: what is the Chamber actually making?  What can a member hold in their hands that the Chamber has produced?  What is the ROI on membership dues if the outcome isn't tangible?

We are fortunate that so many of our local policy makers are watching the Chamber and listening to what our Board of Directors, our members, and our staff have to say.  We've created the kind of presence that is undeniably influential.  We should be proud of this.

It's clear to me, however, that this kind of influence can't be seen or felt at times.  We can't hold it in our hands.  The outcomes associated with our work connecting business to business, business to government, and business to the community are profound and immeasurable but they're largely invisible...at first.

Consider this:  we helped lead the Clean & Safe Chico

Katie, Bill Such with Jesus Center, Peggy Mead with Chico Association of Realtors

Community Forum in May which led the Chico Association of Realtors to create the House of Hope, a new women's housing facility in Chico, which opened its doors today.  You certainly can't say that the Chamber created this house which will move women off the streets and into safe and clean shelter (a better scenario for the entire community), but if you look closely you'll see that the trail of this amazing project started with Clean & Safe Chico which started, in part, with us.

Thank you, members, for making the invisible possible.  We're all better off for it.

~ Katie 

katie@chicochamber.com

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." ~ Charles Darwin

Just as it seems like we may be pulling out of one of the worst economic recessions to hit during our lifetimes, the City of Chico faces a financial crisis that has many of us reeling.  With the interruption and/or reduction of key City services, such as police and fire, we're questioning the impact on our businesses and on our families.  We wonder: what does this mean for me?

Because I sit in the shadow of City Hall on a daily basis -- literally hunkered down in the Old Municipal Building as questions and concerns fly -- I feel a great sense of responsibility and urgency to help businesses and members of our community understand not only what's going on but what's to come.

In many ways, it's business as usual for us.  We provide our members with extraordinary opportunities to connect, learn, and make a difference.  That's our job.  But, we're juggling issues on an advocacy level that are profoundly significant and unpredictable right now...issues that have enormous impact on the health and vitality of our economy and rest largely in the hands of our City staff and Council.

Most of my work is done behind the scenes and I share my opinions and suggestions with our policy makers regularly.  But, the best thing I can do at times is to simply get out of the way and let the businesses -- you -- speak directly.   After all, the voice of business belongs to all of us.

To that end, I encourage you to attend our Lunch Hour with the City Manager on Thursday, July 25th, at noon.  Brian Nakamura will be joined by Mark Orme, Assistant City Manager, and Chris Constantin, Administrative Services Director, and all have pledged their time and expertise to you during this Q&A session.  Seating is limited so let me know right away if you'd like to attend.

I'm counting on you!

~ Katie

katie@chicochamber.com

"It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide what to do." ~ Elbert Hubbard

Last night, with Winchester Goose (a proposed craft beer bar) on the agenda, the City Council decided to hold off on making any further alcohol license decisions until they've had a chance to review the municipal code and consider policy options at the Internal Affairs committee meeting now scheduled for July 24th at 8am.  Licenses for the Winchester Goose along with the Mangrove Mini Mart (reinstated for discussion) will be considered at the August 6th Council meeting.

This delay isn't ideal for the proprietors, I'm sure, but it halts a chain of events that was considered very business-unfriendly by some.  To grapple with the concerns raised at this year's Community Call for Action, hosted by Chico State, I'm in favor of bringing the City, campus officials, business organizations, owners, proprietors, student organizations, Enloe representatives, and others together to begin creating a community-wide strategy.  If we don't work toward the same solutions together, we're going to end up sharply divided and adrift.  As I said in a recent email to our Mayor, City manager, and Chief of Police about this issue: "Let's get ahead of this speeding train, slow it down, and decide where we want it to go.  Right now, it's carving a(nother) very contentious path through our community." And, in my honest opinion, the last thing we need is more conflict.

On another note, I recently met with Don Krysakowski and Renee Friemoth of the Work Training Center. They are actively looking to pair businesses with WTC clients through a job placement program called Community Employment Services.  Having worked as a job skills coach in college, I know how powerful programs like these can be for employers and potential employees.  If you're interested in exploring the benefits of a risk-free situational assessment in your business, please contact Renee at 343.7994 x 1407.

Enjoy the holiday tomorrow and stay cool!

~ Katie