Many Opportunities to Grow Your Business

Culpeper Star Exponent

Business Monday

Jim Charapich

March 17, 2014

We help business improve their story. We help business celebrate their story. We are the place that business stories matter. We grow business stories. These are just a few ideas that came to mind on Friday as I attended the transformational workshop - Marketing Your Story with Kim Weitkamp at Culpeper Library as part of the Culpeper Tells Weekend. Congratulations to the Friends of the Library on their outstanding program. The Culpeper Chamber is a proud sponsor of the event. We wish them great success as a Storytelling Festival for many years to come.

In other Chamber news, there are many opportunities to grow your business with us. Lead Culpeper 2014 is a go! We have notified 15 candidates of their acceptance into the program. There are a few new and improved additions to the program this year. Our first session will be held at the remarkable Verdun Adventure Bound facility in Culpeper at the end of April. There are only a few more openings available. Please contact the Chamber office ASAP for details or go to our website at www.LeadCulpeper.com - Congratulations to the Class of 2014 Candidates.

The Chamber will host a Town Council Candidates Forum Breakfast on April 9th. Breakfast is served at 7:30 AM. The forum begins at 8 AM. We are accepting questions to consider for the candidates to be asked at the Forum. The event will be held at the Germanna Community College Daniel Technology Center. We have confirmed participation from all but one (incumbent) candidate. All have been invited. We wish all of the candidates congratulations on their candidacy and their willingness to dedicate their energy to public service. Go to the www.CulpeperChamber.com to register for the event. With nine candidates on the ballot, this will be interesting. Most importantly, please put May 6th on your calendar and remember to exercise your protected privilege to vote.

The Chamber is working with the Culpeper County Schools to help coordinate the 2014 8th Grade Career Expo on April 11th. We have extended invitations to many businesses to participate. Our hope is to have one or two businesses from unique areas, Banking, Retail, Entrepreneurship, Non-Profit, Food Service, Government Service, Law Enforcement, and Real Estate, Construction, Trades, High Tech, Engineering, Automotive, Healthcare, and others. The program offers students at a critical decision point for educational options to talk with business leaders in the community about career requirements in their selected industry. Please contact Jim Charapich at JimC@CulpeperChamber.com if you are interested in being considered. Industry sectors fill up quickly.

In addition, The Culpeper Chamber continues to work closely with Career Partners and The Culpeper County School’s to bring E Squared to our high school students. The program is an award winning nationally recognized entrepreneurship development program. In my “graded” session with the students on how to develop a business plan, I emphasize that E Squared Culpeper is a locally developed and refined program that is rare at the high school level. Our students are gaining a significant advantage in the job market. How many job applicants have actually written a business plan? The Culpeper educator and business collaboration is a progressive strength unique to our community. Go to www.ESquaredCulpeper.com for details about how the program participants have an opportunity to win $5,000 in higher education scholarship funds. Please remember to thank an E Squared Culpeper sponsor for their generous support.