I love talking to our Chamber members. It is fascinating to hear from businesses first-hand the challenges they face. Last week we discussed the importance of mentors and how we need mentors to impart their industry and job knowledge to the younger generations. Along with being a mentor is also providing good training and orientation to your employees. I …

  We work in a multi-generational workplace, the baby boomers and traditionalists are aging out of their roles and creating a void where knowledge is not being shared with the upcoming generation. The term mentor dates back to Greek Mythology and describes the relationship between a younger adult with an older more experienced adult who helps the younger adult navigate …

In the workplace, we get to work with a variety of people. We all have different traits and personalities. We have all been there where we have had to work with someone who’s lack of planning and irresponsibility causes frustration, chaos, and extra work for us. These are the people who don’t pull their weight in team projects, are consistently …

  Loyalty in the workplace is creating and maintaining a strong culture. Last year while mentoring 7th Grade Students at the Jerome Middles School I had a discussion with the class about the importance of Integrity in the workplace. I likened integrity to Aesop’s Fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. Integrity and loyalty go hand in hand.  Just like in …

  October 16, is national Support your Local Chamber Day. If you do not know what a chamber of commerce is or what it does you are not alone. The first Chamber of Commerce was founded in France in 1599 with the purpose to form a business network and to advocate on behalf of the business community. Joining the local …

  There are 79 days until Christmas, that is 11 weeks! If your budget is like mine, I need to start thinking about Christmas and budget a little each month for gifts. In 2018, the United States had 30.2 million small businesses in operation which account for 99.9% of all businesses in the country. Small businesses have a huge impact …

  Denzel Washington said: At the end of the day it’s not about what you have or even what you’ve accomplished…it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back. The fall season is the time when businesses get inundated with donation requests. The challenge for businesses is deciding whom to give to and …

  This week I have had numerous conversations with a variety of businesses. They are all reporting the same concerns. The first has to do with the challenges of finding and keeping employees. Businesses are reporting that potential employees  either turn down job offers due to wages or new employees do not last past the first few days because they …