Decreased chance of ‘double-dip’ recession is good news for Utah small businesses

utahstatechamber — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:37:01 +0000

Great read for our small business community:

Decreased chance of ‘double-dip’ recession is good news for Utah small businesses
By Linda Thomson
Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2010 12:45 a.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — New employment figures suggest there is less chance that the U.S. will plunge into a “double-dip” recession, and that is good news for small businesses in Utah, according to the Zions Bank Small Business Index issued Tuesday.

Some economists had feared that the country would experience the dreaded “double-dip,” meaning that the recession that officially began in 2007 would be followed by a brief period of recovery, but then another recession would hit.

However, the index suggests that scenario “seems unlikely.”

Chamber Directory App for Mobile Phones

utahstatechamber — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:05:34 +0000

I ran across an interesting something for us to consider- the ability to make our member directories available to anyone in the world via an app you can download on your iPhone, Android, Blackberry, or any other mobile phone with a web browser.

While, I’m not sure its something that we’ll jump to at the Salt Lake Chamber, it certainly is worth considering given the habits of today’s business professionals. Clearly, the easier one can make information available the more likely people will use your service. I wonder how many people will download an app to access chamber members but I think it might be a great way to get our members to do business with other members by promoting such an app at chamber events.

One such app can be found at www.mychamberapp.com here is some of the information from their site:

My Chamber App is a mobile software that allows users to quickly find businesses and events within the chamber community. MyChamberApp helps consumers and chamber members reach the most reliable and trusted businesses.

Would you like to see your local chamber and all of its members on MyChamberApp?

MyChamberApp is an excellent way to:
- Increase non-dues revenue
- Promote members’ businesses and events
- Encourage more members to join your chamber
- Demonstrate that your city and chamber are keeping up with technology.

Chambers can get started with MyChamberApp for as little s $5 per active member.

MyChamberApp is a nationwide app. If you would like to have an app customized specifically for your chamber, please contact us today to find out how we can help you.

Who is competing with your Chamber?

utahstatechamber — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:49:19 +0000

I read a great blog post that I think could be of value to Utah chambers. As background, Curt Moss, the author, is a friend but is also the former Director of Communications for the Las Vegas Chamber. I recommend scrolling through some of his other posts as well. Here is the post:

We know that one of the main reasons companies join chambers of commerce is to increase their business. And the exposure your members gain via your website is the single largest way you can promote them and drive traffic to their business.

The value that members receive from exposure on – and traffic from – your chamber’s website often justifies their membership renewal each year. And, that value can be used to acquire new members, plus generate non-dues revenue through website advertising. Click to Read More

Winter Policy Conference Begins Today

utahstatechamber — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:52:06 +0000

About a week and a half ago, the 2010 Utah Legislative Session began. Today, executives from chambers of commerce across our state will convene at the capitol for the Annual Utah State Chamber Winter Conference. Conference attendees will hear from Speaker Clark, Senate Majority Leader Jenkins, Representative McIff, Representative Dee as well as Kirk Jowers, Lane Beattie, Mark Bouchard, Dick Castner from the U.S. Chamber and Natalie Gochnour (click here for full agenda). These great business and legislative leaders will address healthcare reform, national business issues, the state budget deficit, gas tax, food tax, sales tax vendor discount, and education, amongst other items.

If you are a member of the Utah State Chamber and are unable to join us, please email me, revans@slchamber.com, and I will happily get you whatever take away materials we end up with or follow me or the state chamber on twitter for conference updates, www.twitter.com/ryan_t_evans and www.twitter.com/utstatechamber

Bringing together those that represent thousands of businesses in Utah is a great thing for our state-wide business community. Not only do we all learn quite a bit at this conference but more importantly it helps further the efforts at unifying the business voice and strengthening our influence with the legislature.

Winter Conference Draws Near

utahstatechamber — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:11:56 +0000

It was only a little over a year ago that I first became involved with the Utah State Chamber of Commerce. Last year’s winter conference was the first I had attended and I hardly helped at all in the planning. A year later and a lot has changed for me.

I have now had the privilege of helping to orchestrate two conferences- last summer in Park City and the upcoming conference at the state capitol on February 3 & 4. It has proven a very rewarding experience to help pull together a conference that benefits those that represent so many businesses throughout our state. In addition to what I’ve learned from our speakers at the conferences, I have learned equally as much from my chamber colleagues.

Two years ago I knew a handful of chamber executives in Utah and I can’t even say I knew them well. After a lot of time spent working with the board of the state chamber and reaching out on behalf of the Salt Lake Chamber I have gotten to know so many executives throughout our state and even some from cities I hadn’t even heard of before (I moved here fourteen years ago and have oriented myself pretty well but there’s always a random town that pops up that I’ve never come across before…)!

As this winter’s conference draws near, I believe it will be the best I’ve participated in yet. I think we have amazing presenters lined up and the list of attendees, while still growing, is all I could hope for- with chambers being represented from St. George to Ogden and Vernal to Magna. The Duchesne County Chamber has representation as does the Utah Black Chamber, Utah Hispanic Chamber, and Asian Chamber. A host of chambers throughout Salt Lake Valley will participate and a few chambers will send relatively new executive directors, while Steve Densely from the Utah Valley Chamber has more than twenty years experience.

All in all these conferences are a lot of work but the payoff of bringing together chamber professionals and helping to unify the voice of business makes it all worth while.

Hope to see you on February 3rd!

State Chamber Legislative Meetings

utahstatechamber — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:46:43 +0000

By Alan Anderson, President & CEO, Chamber West

As in previous years the State Chamber/South Valley Coalition has a room at the Capitol during the 2010 legislative session. For all but one day, we will meet in the Multipurpose Room in the Capitol. This is located on the 1^st floor adjacent to the north stairs (towards the quad). On Feb. 8^th, we will meet in the Olmstead Room in the East Building. The Capitol Board Room is now reserved for Legislators.

For those interested in attending, please help by choosing a date (or double up) for a Rep/Sen to speak to us about current issues happening on the hill.

Possible topics:

Jobs
Economy
Taxes
Budget
Transportation
Stimulus
Health Care (state level…Exchange, etc)
More?

The dates we meet are:

January 25^th Noon-2:00 – Multipurpose Room

February 1^st Noon-2:00 – Multipurpose Room

February 8^th Noon-2:00 – Olmstead Room

February 15^th Noon-2:00 – Multipurpose Room

February 22^nd Noon -2:00 – Multipurpose Room

March 1^st Noon-2:00 – Multipurpose Room

March 8^th Noon-2:00 – Multipurpose Room (session ends on the 10^th)

I look forward to seeing you all on the hill representing the business community of our state.

Now is a time to lead

utahstatechamber — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:37:12 +0000

By Lane Beattie, President and CEO, Salt Lake Chamber

The Utah Legislature will convene for the 2010 General Legislative Session Monday. They will do so with the well-deserved title of “Best Managed State in the Nation.”

Utah achieved this ranking in 2008 from the Pew Center on the States because of our performance in four key areas – money, people, infrastructure and information. It is a proud honor for our state, and one that Utah has received eight times during the course of the last four governors.

But today Utah, like every other state, faces serious challenges not felt by any previous Legislature or governor.

State government revenues have declined by nearly a billion dollars in the past three years.
Nearly 90,000 Utahns are unemployed. That’s a population almost the size of Orem City.
School enrollment in both public and higher education is at record levels.
Human service caseloads are up 14% in the past year alone.
And we have the fastest growing population in the country.

To quote the great patriot, Thomas Paine, “These are times that try men’s souls.” As business leaders we are asking a simple question: When the Pew Center does their next grading of the states, probably in 2011, what will they see?

Will we have managed through this financial crisis in a way that propels the Utah economy to once again lead the nation?

Will we have invested in our most important business resource – our people?

Will we have developed our workforce so that Utah families can be supported by high-paying jobs?

Will we have repaired and maintained our capital assets?

Will we have controlled costs so that future taxpayers are not burdened by our decisions?

Will we pay for our fair share of capital expenditures rather than passing them on to future generations?

Will we take responsibility for our choices and be held accountable for our actions?

May I suggest that the Pew Center, when grading all 50 states next year, will be asking all of these questions and more. They will be applying the business principles that you see attached to the wall behind me to the management of state government and asking, “Did they manage well and did they lead?”

Now is a time to lead.

As business leaders we ask the State Legislature as to apply business principles to the management of government. If they don’t , they will have squandered a great opportunity because no state is better positioned than Utah is right now to lead this country out of recession.

Of course, it’s not about the Pew Center, Governing Magazine, or any expert grading system, however well respected. It’s about providing the citizens and businesses in this state with abundant opportunities to develop and improve life quality.

And if we do, we will continue a long-standing tradition in this state to be not only well-managed, but to be a great place to do business, to live and to raise a family – a value at the heart of who we are.