Everything I Know About Motivation I Learned from Prison
By: Charlie Westra, Growth Services Program Manager, Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center

​Supervisors are constantly in pursuit of finding the perfect recipe to motivate problem people. Whether it's a stereotypical millennial or an old-timer who is stuck in their ways, the question is the same: How do I get someone - anyone - to follow and execute my direction? It's one of the most important and difficult questions for leaders to answer. For me, I found the solution in a very unexpected place: prison. 

During my career as an instructor, I once had a student - let's call him Ross - who shared a pivotal story from his former life as a guard at the county prison in Jackson, Michigan. One day, the prison warden tasked Ross with cleaning up the yard. To clarify, for those who have never watched a prison movie, "the yard" is the outdoor communal space where inmates congregate and work off energy. To accomplish this goal of tidying the yard. Ross was going to have to get help from the inmates. 

Consider, for a moment, the task he was faced with. He had to motivate those who cannot be motivated. The inmates did not have a concrete reason (like a paycheck) to do what he wanted. So, Ross had to think creatively about how to convince everyone to help him. He weighed a few options for how to approach this: Ask the entire population for help? Ask only the most trusted inmates for help?

What Ross ended up doing was profound. He assembled a group of inmates (around 15% of the total population) based on observing who had the most influence with the other inmates. Essentially, he picked those who could best rally a team to make things happen. Then, with these powerful inmates gathered, he asked them all one simple question: "Do you guys want outside time?"

Now, Ross easily could have taken a different approach here. He could've stated, "You guys are going to help me clean my yard." He could have ordered them, bossed them, intimated them, threatened them into cleaning up the yard, which most likely would have resulted in a negative response. Instead, Ross appealed to what all the inmates wanted most: a chance to get out of their cells and break free from their daily routines. And, after asking his question, every single inmate in the room volunteered to help. 

With his clean-up team assembled and motivated, Ross provided them with the tools they needed, including rakes, brooms, and flats of flowers. The result was a rare sight to behold: the most hardened criminals planting flowers, pulling weeds and picking up litter. When everything was complete, the rest of the inmates entered the yard. Now that Ross had given ownership of the yard's condition to the group, what do you think happened the first time a cigarette butt was thrown into the flowerbed? The inmates took care of not only the cigarette butt, but also the disrespect. The inmates now policed the yard's condition - not Ross, and not the warden. 

Ross's dilemma was similar to what most leaders and managers deal with on a daily basis, providing a valuable lesson for how to motivate a team to work together to teach a common goal. Whether it's cleaning up the year or completing a project, people respond better when you align what you need with what they want. As a leader, if you are able to quickly articulate why it would be in the best interest of workers to follow your orders, you will be more effective at motivating people to follow you not because they have to, but because they want to.

Charlie Westra is a Growth Services Program Manager at the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, which provides services and support to manufacturers in Macomb County to enable them to complete, grow and prosper. Learn more at the-center.org.

Business as Usual
From the Chamber Staff

With the current leadership transition that we are undergoing, the staff would like to address the membership and provide reassurance that everything here is business as usual and that we are all here to assist you in any way that we can. 

Our Mission has been, and continues to be very simple: To bring features, benefits and value to our members, and each and every day we strive to bring a Return on Investment (ROI) to our members, and to make their Chamber the best business organization possible. Our Directors, Ambassadors, BRAG™ leaders, volunteers at so many levels, along with our staff are deeply committed to this Mission. 

Our seasoned staff is here to make sure that everything is running smoothly and to assist the membership in any way that we can, below is a list of our contact information and a list of our duties that each of us specializes in. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. 

Contact the Staff:
Patty LeDuc - Interim President & Director of BRAG, Networking and Focus Groups 
(all networking groups, Ambassadors/ Retentions)
586.731.5400 x 21 or Email

Linda Colton - Director of Events
(Event logistics, venues, event registration assistance, on-site sponsorship fulfillment assistance)
586.731.5400 x 20 or Email

Brenda Karafa - Director of Finance
(Accounts payable, accounts receivable, event registration questions, data base entries/updates)
586.731.5400 x 10 or Email 

Gina Rieck - Director of Business Development 
(Membership sales, sponsorship/ad sales, pre-event sponsorship fulfillment, ribbon cutting coordination)
586.731.5400 x 15 or Email 

Ashley Edwards - Director of Marketing & Communications
(Chamber connection, E-blasts, Website, Blog, YoPros Liaison, Collateral Materials, Social Media, Advertising Fulfillment)
586.731.5400 x 13 or Email 

We have a lot of upcoming events and we hope to see you there, Sterlingfest kicks off next Thursday, July 25 -July 27. To find more information click here. 

August Events:
-8.7.19 - Network & Learn, a great FREE opportunity to learn how to grow your business and gain a competitive advantage over other businesses. To view more event information and to register, click here. 
-8.14.19 -YoPros Free Mixer at Johnny Black's Public House - 40 and under encouraged, no one discouraged. To register click here. 
-8.16.19 - Breakfast & Business, Free to Chamber members who pre-register. An opportunity to network with 20 other business professionals in 90 minutes. To learn more and to register, click here. 
-8.20.19 - Amplified After 5 - A joint networking event with our neighboring Chambers, Anchor Bay, Blue Water Area, Eastpointe-Roseville, Marine City, Romeo-Washington. $20 for Chamber members, $25 for not-yet members. Register ASAP as tickets are selling quickly! Click here for more information! 

Michigan's Paid Medical Leave Act - What does this mean for employers?
By: Sandy Kaminski, HR Maxim

On September 5, 2018, Michigan became the 11th state to enact a mandatory paid sick leave law - the Earned Sick Time Act. This Act requires employers to provide employees with earned sick time. On December 12, 2018, the Act was amended and is now known as the Paid Medical Leave Act. 

What does this mean for Michigan employers? Well - that depends. If you have 50 or more employees, keep reading because you are a covered employer under the Act. If you have less than 50 employees, you are not a covered employer under the Act but should still keep reading because you are an inquiring mind that wants to know about the Act!

Covered Employers. The Act applies to employers with 50 or more employees and defines "eligible employees" to include individuals engaged in service to an employer in the business of the employer and from whom the employer is required to withhold for federal income tax purposes. However, there are many eligible exceptions. 

• Exempt employees;
• Private employees covered by an effective collective bargaining agreement;
• Certain employees covered by federal railway labor and railroad unemployment insurance laws;
• Employees whose primary work location is not in Michigan;
• Employees who work fewer than 25 weeks in a calendar year for a job scheduled for 25 weeks or fewer;
• Variable-hour employees; and
• Employees who work, on average, fewer than 25 hours per week during the immediately preceding calendar year. 

Accrual and carryover of leave. Leave accrues at the rate of 1 hour of paid medical leave for every 35 hours worked. Employers are not required to allow accrual of more than 1 hour of leave per calendar week. Employers may limit accrual, use, and carryover of paid leave to 40 hours per benefit year. 

As a covered employer, you can opt to front-load leave by providing at least 40 hours of paid medical leave to eligible employees at the beginning of the benefit year. For new hires, you can prorate the front-load. Additionally, front-loaded leave is not required to be carried over to the following benefit year. 
​
Leave begins to accrue on the later of the effective date of the law, which was March 29, 2019, or upon hire. Employers can require new hires to wait 90 days until using accrued leave. 

Existing leave policies. The law indicates minimum requirements and odes not supersede and other law or policy that provides more generous leave rights. Meaning, if an employer adopts their own leave policy that provides more generous leave accrual, use, and carryover - carry on as usual! There is no need to offer additional paid sick leave. 

Use of leave. What can employees use paid medical leave for?

• For absences resulting from an employee's mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; to accommodate the employee's need for medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition; or an employee's need for preventive medical care;
• To allow an employee to provide care for a family member with a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; care of a family member who needs medical diagnosis, care, or treatment of mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition; or care for a family member who needs preventative medical care;
• For absences related to domestic violence or sexual assault of the employee or the employee's family member, including, but not limited to, medical or psychological care or counseling, victim services, legal services, relocation, and participation in civil or criminal proceedings related to the incident;
• For meetings at a child's school or place of care related to the child's health, disability, or effective of domestic violence or sexual assault on the child; and 
• When the employee's place of business has been closed by order of a public official for any health-related or when an employee's child's school or place of care has been closed for a health-related reason. 

Leave must be utilized in 1-hour increments unless the employer has a different policy that is in writing in an employee handbook or other benefits document. 

Family members. Family members include:

• A biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, or legal ward or a child to whom the employee stand in logo parentis;
• A biological parent, foster parent, stepparent, adoptive parent, or legal guardian of the employee or the employee's spouse or a person who stood in logo parentis when the employee was a minor child
• Spouses; and
• Grandparents, grandchild, and biological, foster, or adopted siblings. 

Notice and verification of leave. Employers may require employees to comply with the employer's usual notice, procedural, and documentation requirements for requesting leave. Employees must be given at least 3 days to provide required documentation. 

Employers may require reasonable documentation relative to leave taken for purposes related to domestic violence or sexual assault; however, the employer may not require that this documentation explain the details of the violence. Any health information or information pertaining to domestic violence or sexual assault must be treated as confidential. 

Employers are not prohibited from applying standard discipline or discharge to employees who fail to company with the usual notice, procedural, and documentation requirements for requesting leave. 

Payout on termination. Employers are not required to pay unused, accrued paid medical leave to employees upon termination.

Notice and record keeping requirements. Employers must display a poster in a conspicuous place accessible to eligible employees detailing the amount of leave to be provided, terms under which leave may be used, and employees' rights to file complaints for violations of the Act.

Employers must maintain records documenting employees' hours worked and earned sick time taken for at least 1 year. 

If you need help with Paid Medical Leave Act compliance - Call HR Maxim at 586.842.3777 or email. 

Print Marketing is NOT Dead! 
By: Doug Kelly, 5by5Design 

In this digital age is print marketing still a viable portion of your overall strategy?
Below are a few reasons why the use of print materials marketing is NOT dead. 

Print provides a tactile experience. 
An online ad can only be seen on a device. A postcard or brochure can be seen and touched - and the quality of the printed piece speaks to the quality of your business. 
Studies continue to show that the average person rarely reads more than a quarter of the text on a web page or targeted email, preferring to scan the content. However, magazine readers see 90% off all pages in an issue and will usually pick up a copy of a magazine more than once per day on multiple days, according to Bauer Media. 

Print Marketing has a high response rate.
Believe it or not, direct mail is still used and rather heavily. According to a recent Pitney Bowes survey, 76% of small businesses say their ideal marketing strategy includes BOTH print and digital marketing. 

Furthermore, according to PrintIsBig.com, advertisers spent $167 per person on direct mail in 2015, and earned $2,095 - that's a 1,255 % return!

A newfound (old) way to stand out!
There is less competition with print advertising, as opposed to digital marketing where there are millions of companies competing for an audience. And, according to a US Postal Service survey, people actually look at direct mail!

The massive amounts of digital media has given print media a strange new power. Think of how special it is to get a written letter as opposed to an email. If you're trying to target a C-level audience, forget email - their assistant will just hit delete. But if you take your e-book, print it as a nice brochure and mail it to the exec's office, it might get to their desk and leave a lasting impression.

Also a printed piece stands out more than personalized emails, which we are constantly inundated with everyday. People like receiving mail that feels made for them - and they'll assume it was expensive to do, when it actually can be done cost - effectively. 

In some instances, print truly trumps digital.
Hard copy catalogs are still more popular than digital versions, and therefore remain a core marketing strategy for many small, medium and large Macomb County businesses. In fact, 58% of people read catalogs as opposed to the 12% who read online, while other stats indicate that 93% of shoppers will venture to a store after paging through a catalog. It seems that despite our screen-scrolling tendencies, society maintains a firm grip on the tactile experience of the print catalog. 

Print is sustainable.
Most paper in the US is recycled. According to Two Sides "In 2012, over 65% of paper used in the United States was recovering for recycling." As a marketer, you can encourage your company and your customers to recycle, and you can also work with printers to ensure that you are using recycled paper. 
Marketing Profs points out that, "Paper-based marketing has a smaller carbon footprint than digital marketing, since carbon emissions are only produced once, during the creation of the product. Meanwhile, carbon emissions occur every time someone uses a digital device. Even the act of producing a CD creates MORE CO2 emissions than printing a 100-page report in full color."

What's old is new again, and in this case, new and old can work together in innovative and powerful ways. 
​
Are you ready to create some effective print marketing pieces?

If your current marketing strategy does not include print, click to contact 5by5Design. 

What Assets Need to Be Included in a Michigan Living Trust?
By: Rutkowski Law Firm

A Living Trust in Michigan must meet various statutory rules in order to be considered effective and viable. If the rules are met, a trust can be an extremely powerful estate planning tool that gives you significant control over your assets while providing privacy and security. A Living Trust is a trust created by you during your lifetime to manage assets in the event of your incapacity or disability and provide structure after your death. Properly drafted, a Living Trust ensures you are able to tap in and use the trust assets while those assets are held inside the trust during the course of your lifetime. To put assets into the trust, you must first formally transfer ownership of the assets into your Michigan trust, which then enables them to be managed by the trustee. 

Any person can serve as the trustee of your trust, but it is quite common in a Michigan Living Trust to name yourself as the initial trustee. You will also need to choose a successor trustee who steps in after you pass away. That trustee will continue to manage assets and distribute the assets to beneficiaries according to the terms of your trust. Most Living Trusts, including some Irrevocable Living Trusts, can be altered at any time you wish, which means they give both flexibility and control. Traditional Irrevocable Trust planning focused on estate tax planning, but today, a properly drafted Irrevocable Trust can protect your assets from lawsuits and long-term care costs. 

Assets are often placed inside a Living Trust in Michigan because once you pass away, the assets can be distributed more quickly than those listed inside a will. Assets included in a Michigan Will must go through the probate process, which does not allow for efficiency of distribution. A Living Trust will also provide privacy in a manner that a Will going through probate court simply cannot. Finally, it is important to note that trusts are much more difficult to contest than wills. This makes it significantly more likely that your loved ones will follow through with the requirements and wishes you have laid out in a Trust and in a Will. 

Before deciding whether you need a Living Trust in Michigan, you must consider your needs and the various benefits different types of trusts can provide. Need help getting started? Consult with a Michigan trust lawyer today. 

**Article from Rutkowski Law Firm Blog**

Navigating The Maze of Student Loan Repayment Options
By: Integrity Wealth Consultants

Graduating from college is certainly cause for celebration! But for many graduates, earning a higher education degree has left them with sizable student loan debt. Fortunately, there are a variety of repayment choices available - from consolidation to refinancing - to help lessen this burden.

So, which path should you take when navigating the maze of repayment options? It will depend, in part, on which type of student loans you have: federal or private.

Repayment Plans
Federal student loans. If you have taken out federal student loans, there are quite a few repayment plans available. 

• Standard repayment plan. Based on your loan balance, with standard repayment you are required to pay a fixed amount for up to 10 years. 
• Graduated repayment plan. With this structure, you make lower payments in earlier years and then increase payment amounts in later years, for up to 10 years. This plan can be helpful for those who anticipate earning a higher income in the future. 
• Extended repayment plan. This plan extends the amount of years in which you repay the loan, up to 25 years. Here, it's important to note that the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan will increase with a longer repayment period. 
• Income-drive repayment plan. Depending on when your loan was obtained, different income-driven repayment programs are available. To participate in one of these plans, you will need to apply and meet the qualification requirements. They include a payment around 10 % to 20 % of your discretionary income, with the possibility of loan forgiveness after 20 to 25 years. If a student loan is forgiven through this program, the amount forgiven will be considered taxable income. 

More details about these plans, as well as a repayment estimator calculator, are available on the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans. Your loan servicer is also available to assist with implementing whichever repayment option you select. 

Private student loans. For those with private student loans, the repayment options are a bit more limited, and all of the details can be found in your original loan agreement. On average, private loan repayment terms range from 5 to 20 years. Unlike federal student loans, private student loans generally do not provide income-drive repayment options or loan forgiveness. 

Loan Consolidation
If you have multiple loans, a main advantage of consolidation is that you will have only one payment to one lender. 

Federal student loans. With the federal loan consolidation program, you still have access to the federal repayment options discussed earlier. But your interest rate will not decrease. The interest rate will be a weighted average of all rates on the loans, rounded up to the nearest 0.125 %. Prior to consolidation, carefully review your existing loans for any benefits (e.g., interest rate discounts or principal rebates) or payment credits toward loan forgiveness you may relinquish upon consolidation. 

Private student loans. When you meet certain qualifications, private loans can be consolidated into one new refinanced loan, ideally with a lower interest rate. 

Loan Refinancing
One reason to think about refinancing is to obtain a lower interest rate, which in turn can lower the amount of interest you will pay over the term of the loan. You should expect to pay a fee to refinance, and the interest rate will depend on current market rates and your credit score. 

The only option for refinancing federal student loans is with a private loan. A word of caution here: if you are refinancing from a federal loan to a private loan, you cannot return to a federal loan. Be aware that moving away from a federal loan means you will lose income-driven repayment options and any loan forgiveness that might have been available with the federal student loans. 

Loan Forgiveness
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. When you work full-time for a qualifying nonprofit or government agency, certain loans (e.g., Direct Loans) may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program in conjunction with an income-driven repayment program that includes 10 years of qualifying payments. The amount forgiven will not be considered taxable income. 

Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. This program may provide loan forgiveness up to $5,000 or $17,500 for certain loans when various qualifications are met, including teaching full time for five years in a low-income school or educational service agency. Again, the amount forgiven will not be considered taxable income. 

Repayment Tips
As you begin to consider these student loan repayment options, it may help to keep these in mind:

• Automatic repayments may slightly lower the interest rate with some lenders. It may be worth asking your lender or loan servicer if this applies to your loans. 
• A budge can help manage your expenses to free up additional funds to repay your loans or to make extra payments. 
• When making extra payments, consider focusing on repaying the student loans with the highest interest rates first. 
• Private student loans have fewer repayment options and protections available compared with federal student loans. As such, evaluate if it makes sense to repay private loans ahead of federal loans, taking into consideration the respective interest rates. 
• Look for ways to increase your income, such as working overtime or obtaining a second job, to help with extra payments. 
• Depending on your income, part of the student loan interest you pay may be tax deductible up to $2,500. (Please note: this deduction is not available if someone else can claim you as a dependent on his or her tax return.)
• If you stretch out the number of years you will be repaying the loan, you will increase the amount of interest paid over the life of the loan. 
• How you repay your student loans will affect your credit. For example, if you are late or skip payments, that may harm your credit score, which may limit your future ability to obtain a new loan at a reasonable rate or refinance your existing student loans. 

Weigh Your Options
Your repayment and consolidation options will vary depending on the type of loan. Evaluating the current loan interest rate, whether the rate is fixed or variable, and the term of the loan (how many years to repay) will provide a meaningful foundation as you begin to weigh the options. 

If it is a struggle to make your student loan repayment, contact the lender or the loan servicer for help. In certain circumstances, the lender may allow a loan deferment or forbearance to delay payments for a limited time. 

As always, before making any decisions, a best practice is to consult your financial adviser. 
​
**Article from Integrity Wealth Consultants Blog** 

Maximize the Use of Your Member Portal
By: Ashley Edwards, Director of Marketing & Communications, SHRCCI

There are many benefits to using your member portal on the Chamber website, lately I have been fielding questions on how to add a community event and how to update coupons on the website, so I figured I could put together a quick refresher on how to utilize ALL there is too offer on the member portal. 

​How do I log into my Member Portal?
How do I change my username and password?
Once you have successfully logged into your portal, your "home page" will appear (below for example):

Under the "Quick Links" on the right hand side, click on the "Change Username/Password" link. From there, you can input your new username and password.

** Please note that if you have forgotten it all together, you will need to call the office so we can send you a reset link to update your account information.**
***Since this is the same username and password for your entire company, make sure you share the information with your employees and co-workers that attend Chamber events!***
​
How do I update my contact information?
It's important to keep your listing as up-to-date as possible. This information shows on your listing in the directory. So if you get a new address, phone number, website or contact person, we want to have the most accurate information for your business so potential clients and customers can find you! 

From the "Members Only Home Page", click on "Update Your Contact Information" under the "Quick Links" on the right hand side, There are many things you can do from here:

• Update your employee list which includes their names, emails, titles, whether they receive communication from us, and you can also update your main contact. 
• If you click on "Edit My Profile", you can edit your businesses "General Information": Your company name, address, phone number, email address, and website. 
• Under the "Directory Listing" tab on the left, you can update and edit your categories, keywords and primary listing. This is EXTREMELY important because this is how the public can find you on our website!
• You can also list your social media accounts under this tab! Copy and paste direct links to your businesses Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and more! This will help other Chamber members, potential clients and customers find you on the web and follow you in the social media world! 

What else can I do in my Member Portal?
Aside from updating your username and password, and keeping your contact information up to date, you can pay invoices by clicking on "Pay Your Bills," you can measure your Return on Investment by running your Referral Report, you can view the most current Membership List alphabetically (this exports as a PDF ~75 pages, it may take a while to download). You can add your Member-to-Member and Member-to-Public coupons and discounts, and you can also submit an event to our community calendar. 

Please keep in mind that any updates you make to your profile, coupons, events, job bank, etc. come to use for approval BEFORE it is posted on the website. So don't panic if you don't see it showing up on the website right away. 

FAQ's:
Did I register for that Chamber Event?
If you are logged into your member portal, head to the page that is titled "Members Only Home", there will be a bold "My Events." If you have registered for an event, it will display the Event Title, the item purchased
(admissions or sponsorship), the quantity purchased, and the amount you paid. If the event you are looking for isn't displaying, you have not yet registered for that event. 

Job Bank 
Is your company or place of business hiring? Post the job description in our job bank, another exclusive FREE benefit to Chamber members.
How to Post a Job:

• Under the "News and Media" tab at the top of the website, drop down to the "Job Bank." 
• Under employers column, click on "Post a job, now!" 
• If you aren't logged into your Member Portal, it will prompt you to do so now.
• Fill out the form as best as you can and click "submit" at the bottom. The form will be sent to a staff member for approval and you should see your job post within 24 hours.
  
  

How to Submit an Event to the Community Calendar

• ​Head to the "Events Tab" on the website, under "Community Events" a "Submit an Event" tab will appear. After you click this link, please fill out the form accordingly. 
• This will be submitted to me, Ashley Edwards, and I will review and approve the community event within 24 hours of submission. (If over the weekend, please be patient, I will approve once I am in the office on Monday). 

How do I register for an upcoming Chamber Event?

• At the top of our website, hover your mouse over the "Events" tab and click on "Chamber Events."
• Find the event you wish to register for and click on it. This will direct you to a more detailed event page with location, time, and sponsor information. 
• Click on the green "Register" button at the bottom of the event. 
• Select the item you wish to purchase and enter the quantity (sometimes there is exclusive Member pricing for events, if you are not logged in, it will prompt you to do so before those prices are available).
• Input your information (First and Last name, organization, address, email, phone number), enter your credit card information and billing address, and then let us know who is attending this event. (This step is important for check-in purposes!
• Once you click Submit Registration, you will be redirected to a confirmation page with the details of your registration. You will also receive a confirmation email right away that can be used as a receipt for your records. If you were not re-directed to a confirmation page or didn't receive the registration email, you registration may have not gone through. If you experience any difficulty registering for an event, please call the office at 586.731.5400 and we will gladly help you out. 

I hope that this blog post is a helpful a refresher and a great tool for you to use to get the most out of your Chamber Membership. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 586.731.5400 x 13 or email.

Prevent Creditors from Taking Your Life Insurance
By: Legal Strategies, PC

One of the advantages of life insurance proceeds is that they pass directly to the named beneficiaries. A creditor of the deceased has no right to intercept the life insurance payment to those beneficiaries. 

However, that advantage is lost of the beneficiary names the "probate estate" or the "estate" instead of a person. In that case, the life insurance funds will pass through the probate court when that happens, the law requires that all creditors be notified and given time to present their demand for payment. Those creditors have priority and must be paid before any payment to the heirs. In some cases, the life insurance will be exhausted by the creditors, and the family will get nothing. 

If you are unsure who to name as the beneficiary of your life insurance, take the time to ask an experienced financial planner or your estate planning attorney. It could prevent a very costly mistake. 

If you are new to estate planning, contact Legal Strategies for a FREE consultation. 

What to know about Networking
By: Ashley Edwards, Director of Marketing & Communications, SHRCCI

Networking is a crucial part of professional or personal growth. It is constantly changing and developing new ways to exchange information or ideas with others who can potentially benefit you or your business. While we see traditional, face-to-face networking slowly becoming less popular, social media networking is becoming the bigger phenomenon. We believe that it is key to begin to balance out traditional and social media networking. It is important that companies are participating in both in order to reach all potential target audiences. One key goal to always have in mind while networking is to go beyond thinking, "What's in it for me?" and start considering, "How can I help?"

Networking is essentially building a trusting relationship with other professionals. It is a constant conversation so make sure you're not doing all of the talking. Listening is just as important because you may know someone that can help out the person you're connecting with. Make sure you're always connecting the dots. When you help someone out, he or she will be more willing to help you out. 

Social media networking is a completely different style than traditional networking. To start off, find out which social platform your target audience prefers to use. From there, make sure you keep your message short, sweet and to the point. Remember to be patient and that you may never get a response. Make sure you are being open with what you are asking for and that the conversation flows both ways. If you focus more on the relationship and conversation, it is more likely that the door will stay open for future collaborations. 

Here at the Chamber we have many ways for you to network yourself or/and your business. 
Visit our website to view upcoming Networking events, BRAG™ information, and so much more!