Establishing the Foundation for a Successful 2013

Culpeper Star Exponent Business Monday January 28, 2013 Jim Charapich

 

January has been a busy month. The Chamber has been involved in several projects and issues that help to shape our local economy in significant ways. There a few that I would like to share with you.

First, the Chamber is a big supporter of the E Squared Program. This program offers educators and the business community an opportunity to collaborate in a very unique way. The Program is designed to educate high school students on the principles of entrepreneurship. Students work in teams to develop a business plan for a product or service. The team with the best business plan is given scholarship dollars for advancing their education. The program kicks off at Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center on Wednesday January 30^th from 9 AM – 10:15. Businesses that are interested in the program are invited to Germanna for the program Kick Off. The full program time line and sponsorship opportunity information can be found at www.ESquaredCulpeper.com.

We have been busy planning the final touches of the Professional Development Conference on February 7^th. The Conference will be held at the Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center. Registration begins at 7 AM followed by one hour sessions from 8 AM – 4 PM. Our Keynote Speaker is Chic Thompson – His message will edu-tain you!!! The Conference is designed to “Strengthen the Business of Non-Profits & Small Business”. The sessions range from Fiduciary Responsibilities of Boards to Google Apps, and Protecting Your Online Reputation. The sessions are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to education. Thus, having the program at Germanna is a foreshadowing of the potential opportunity to advance your educational interests. Germanna credit and non-credit courses are the obvious next step to develop your educational growth. Go to

 www.ProfessionalDevelopmentConference.com or www.CulpeperChamber.com to register for the conference today.

 The Chamber has been working with the Career Resource Center  in Culpeper and the Piedmont Workforce Network to bring attention to a very powerful tool for employers. The tool is the Career Readiness Certificate (aka: CRC) which is administered by the Community College System in Virginia. The Career Readiness Certificate is a test that can be taken by those seeking jobs in order to demonstrate proficiency in several areas of work place skills. The Certificate in its most simple terms provides a credential at a Bronze, Silver, and Gold level. At a minimum, employers can recognize the credential for hiring as the jobs support the different levels of credential. The test takes 3 hours and costs approximately $45 to take. There are prep tests available online for practice.

Why is this important? The credential helps by revealing the likely skills capacity of the individual. The credential is also portable between industries. Applicants coming out of an industry with diminishing job prospects can show potential for opportunities in other industries. Thus, as unemployment decreases and the demand for talent increases, the credential can be very useful to open opportunities for employers and job seekers. Go to http://crc-gcc.com to see the latest webinar on the CRC. 

Action Alert - the Culpeper General District Court Judgeship

Culpeper Star Exponent

Business Monday

January 21, 2013

Jim Charapich

 

Action Alert - “The most critical legislative issue facing the Culpeper Bar Association is funding for the Culpeper General District Court Judgeship. Governor McDonnell’s budget for fiscal year 2014 provides funding to fill the fifteen neediest Virginia Court vacancies – with one exception- and that is the General District Court here in Culpeper. A recent Virginia Supreme Court projection forecasted that the caseload for The Honorable Judge Morton’s former position is 43.6% above the projected statewide average caseload, making it one of the highest-demand positions in the Commonwealth.”

 

 

“Failure by the General Assembly to fund the General District Court Judgeship in Culpeper will have a tremendous impact on our community. We are all aware of the very important role that the Courts play in keeping our community safe. Fewer criminal court dates in General District Court could have the potential to create delays in trying criminal cases, and even may create Constitutional speedy trial concerns for persons facing criminal charges.”

Further, the business community will be specifically affected by projected cuts in funding and civil court dates in Culpeper General District Court. The civil branch of the General District Court plays an essential role in the enforcement of contracts, maintaining proper relationships between merchants and customers, and preserving and enforcing the obligations that arise between landlords and tenants – just to name a few. By eliminating funding and civil dates available for General District Court, businesses in our community will see great delays in their right to pursue legal actions that will benefit their businesses.” Christopher Martin, Esq. – President, Culpeper Bar Association in a letter to the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce, January 14^th, 2013.

We share the view of the Culpeper Bar Association that commerce in Culpeper would likely become hamstrung by a failure to have judicial process by at least the same level as other jurisdictions. The decision for funding will be made during this short session of the General Assembly. There are many priorities that we face at the General Assembly this session, however, I cannot think of one that is more important than this issue. The savings achieved by not funding this position would be far outweighed by the ultimate cost to the community of limiting the speed of the judicial process in Culpeper.

 

This is an opportunity for our community to make a difference. I urge you to contact our representatives – Senator Reeves, Senator Hanger, Senator Vogel, Delegate Scott, and Delegate Webert and others that you may know to express your support for funding the judgeship for the General District Court in Culpeper. In addition, please urge your neighbors and friends to rally support for this important issue. This is your time to make a difference - Carpe Diem.

Leverage Advertising Dollars With the RADAR Project

Culpeper Star Exponent

Business Monday

January 14, 2013

Jim Charapich

Online marketing is a growing method of reaching an audience with your business message. When Facebook went public, one of the largest opportunities for them was to grow online advertising. Now I see sponsored ads in the middle of the news feed. I cannot easily distinguish them from other facebook posts but I do look at them actively and passively.

A press release by Chantilly-based research firm BIA Kelsey stated, “Retail Ad Spending in Local Markets to Exceed $26.8B Nationwide in 2013”.  Online ad spending is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. This is certainly a result of the accessibility of online resources and shopping via mobile smart phones and tablets.

As business, the options for advertising are varied. Print, media, radio, and TV advertising all play a very important role in the marketing mix. However, online advertising can engage an audience in new and very powerful ways. Like it or not, our behaviors are being tracked online. As business we have opportunities to reach new and interested customers with almost surgical accuracy. In addition, the reach for clients is well beyond historic geographic limits.

The case for online advertising is compelling. So where to start if you are a small business? How can a small business compete in the online world of advertising? Where should a local business advertise to gain the best return on investment? Are there behavioral, geographic, income, and other criteria that one can use to target a new and evolving audience? How could a small business know if their ads are being read and acted upon?

There are many questions when adapting to the new world of online marketing. The Culpeper Chamber has been working on these issues for a few years and has introduced a new opportunity for businesses to work together to leverage online marketing. The program is called the RADAR Project and is aimed at bringing businesses together to pool their advertising dollars for online marketing. The first target of interest is Northern Virginia.

Our members have an opportunity to use the resources of local media members in the Chamber to develop a joint online marketing effort. One of the challenges of online marketing directed into a large metro area, is that to make an impact the budgeted dollars need to be above most small business budgets. By pooling the dollars and creating a way to bring attention to the ad partners, small businesses leverage pooled dollars for a greater return and greater visibility.

We often relegate regional advertising to government-run tourism efforts (which has its place). However, the benefits of businesses learning the new marketing tools to deliver their messages the way they want them delivered, can produce a more relevant return on their investment. This is especially true in an effort to reach outside of our rural area to attract more metropolitan customers. By pooling business resources, reaching into the larger markets in a real possibility. Contact the Culpeper Star Exponent or the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce for more information about the RADAR project.

Professional Development Conference 2013

Culpeper Star Exponent

Business Monday

January 7, 2013

Jim Charapich

 “What a Great Idea – Creating a mindset of innovation” is the topic for our keynote speaker at the 2013 Professional Development Conference - PDC.  Charles Chic Thompson, Our keynote speaker is a dynamic speaker that will offer inspiration and a bit of entertainment at the conference, otherwise known as edutainment.

In addition to a great keynote speaker, the conference is packed with great sessions for small business and non-profits to tune up their knowledge in one convenient day. We have subject matter experts from various part of the Commonwealth of Virginia to strengthen the business knowledge for our attendees.

There will be between 36 – 42 sessions. Here are some of the subjects:

Employment Law, Tips/Shortcuts for MS Office, Email Marketing + Social Best Practices, Leverage Your Time and Organization with Webinars, Introduction to the Finding Funders, Mailing and List Management, Creating a Culture of Coaching To Grow Organizations, Introduction to Grant Seeking Basics, Protecting Your Business Reputation (and online), Social Campaigns, Dealing with Difficult People, Risk Management for Nonprofits (and other organizations), Developing a Fundraising Strategy, The Health Care Law & Tax Compliance, Donor Relations, Save Local Deals, Electronic Transactions Security, Roles and Responsibilities--Board Members and Executive Directors, Fiduciary Responsibilities of Boards, Google Apps,

Search Engine Optimization, Marketing - Branding across Platforms, The Aging Consumer - Chris Miller, Partnering for Success, Managing for Success, Social Media, How to Draft an RFP, Healthcare reform,

IPad for Business, Shoplifting and Loss Prevention, and Effective Practices for Orgs (subject to change).

The objective of the PDC is “To Strengthen the Business of Non-Profits and Small Business.” It is difficult to find the time to send staff to one session here and there throughout the year. Therefore we have set a day aside to bring some of the most interesting subjects in one day. When the days are cold and the goals are still forming for the year, the PDC is a great opportunity to learn from some of the area’s subject matter leaders.  

The PDC is held in partnership with Germanna Community College, RRCSB, and the members of the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce. The session knowledge is often just enough to understand your need for full class study. Germanna Community College is the answer to the greater need for advancing education. Germanna will be providing CEU’s to registered attendees for the sessions attended.

The event will be held on February 7^th from 7:30 AM – 4 PM. Our speakers and session descriptions are easily found at www.ProfessionalDevelopmentConference.com. Registration is $35 for members of the Chamber of Commerce and $45 for non chamber members. Lunch is included in the registration price. A registration link can be found at the same website. Register today for this power packed day of learning and networking.

Made In The Piedmont, January 2013

Jim Charapich

Made InThe Piedmont

Culpeper Times

January 2013

The “Made in the Piedmont” series for 2013 will focus on Culpeper’s Economic Indicators...  I disavow any claim to be an economist and yet, I am very interested in what can be found to suggest how we are doing economically. We are often tempted to take what is easy for consumption and extrapolate it locally without knowing Culpeper’s true economic picture. I invite you to share your thoughts on what would be of most interest to you the readers.

This month I would like to look at an indicator that is most interesting to me as the President of the Culpeper Chamber of Commerce – the number of new members that this business organization added in 2012. Most chambers of commerce have seen member attrition of about 10% - 25%, especially during the economic challenges of the past few years. The Culpeper Chamber has had 10% or less. In fact last year we had approximately 8% attrition (members not renewing ). This speaks well of our business environment since attrition relates to either companies relocating or going out of business altogether.

The Chamber cannot take full credit for the economic environment - healthy or not, except to say that we are a reflection of the business climate in Culpeper. Now consider that we grew by well over 100 members “organically’ in 2012 to reach approximately 575 members. I say “organically” since we did not have any special promotion or incentive to join. Businesses have found value in what we are doing and find a good return on their investment.

The number of new members is only part of the picture at the Culpeper Chamber, however, it is one of the most important barometers of our overall direction and delivery of services to our members. Therefore, in order to take advantage of this growth momentum, we will be engaging the business community to promote membership in a big way in 2013.

We are planning “Membership Madness”, a campaign to bring awareness to the benefits of joining the Culpeper Chamber in March. The Chamber is proud to have served as the “Voice of the Business Community” for nearly 100 years. Our hope is to be well over 600 members as we enter into 2014 – our centennial anniversary. In order to emphasize our “Membership Madness” campaign we will be tracking who brought in the most members in 2013. There will be incentives and a lot of fun celebration during the Membership Madness campaign.

If you are interested in joining, find a local member and have them introduce you to the Chamber. Make sure that they get credit for your membership… they will thank you later… and you can join in the fun.

We want to continue our mission to be the voice of the business community working to promote, build, and support the most effective climate for economic development. We are stronger, smarter, and faster in our work, the greater our numbers. We hope that you will join us in 2013 to make our business eco-system more prosperous and vibrant. 600 members, yes, very likely, 700 members would be an amazing indicator for the size of our community, 1000 by 2014? Anything is possible… join us today!