chamber_logo
554 West Lancaster Boulevard Lancaster, CA 93534 (661) 948-4518
Serving the community by Promoting, Protecting, Encouraging and Developing Business since 1902

Business Connection

 

December 2017

In this Month's Issue

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce

 Executive Committee

                    
Chairwoman of the Board
 

Vice-Chair

Past Chairwoman of the Board

Ex-Officio 
Mark Hemstreet - Chief Executive Officer
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce   
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors






Ron Hier, The Hier Advantage


Terry Roth, JAG Insurance


Donna Hill, MomsHouse

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce

 Office Staff 

Mark Hemstreet, Chief Executive Officer
Anna Zarley, Event Coordinator
Sharon Molnar, Office Coordinator
What can the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce do to help grow YOUR business???

What is Your Chamber?

 

Since 1902, the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce has existed as a private, voluntary, nonprofit (501(C)(3) and (C)(6) business organization dedicated to improving the economic environment of business growth and prosperity. The business community now serves a greater Antelope Valley Region, with a population of more than 480,000 people


 

As the Antelope Valley continues to develop and thrive, the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce continues to evolve to meet the needs of its members and our growing community. The Lancaster Chamber offers a variety of benefits to help businesses, large and small, to network and grow. 

 

Membership Benefits 

  • Personal Page on Chamber Website
  • Chamber Mobile App
  • Monthly E-Newsletter
  • Community Calendar
  • Membership Directory Listing
  • Membership City Map Listing
  • Radio Talk Show - Free
  • Chamber Classes / E-Learning Portal
  • Conference room for Members
  • Quarterly Mega Mixers
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Endless Networking Opportunites
  • Grand Openings/Ribbon Cuttings
Monthly Events  
  • Membership Luncheon
  • Business-4-Breakfast

Discount Advertisement 

  • AV Press - Chamber Page
  • Video Commercials
  • Web Video - Business Showcase

Please call the Chamber for more information: (661) 948-4518 



Member Benefits
Maximizing Your Membership
 
We all talk about how to bring more awareness to our business or organization. Social Media is nothing new, but are you on top of your game?  Are you part of the Lancaster Chambers Facebook page?  Add a quick post on our member to member page. Having an event? Weekend sale? End of Season Sell-off?  or other promotional opportunity you would like to publicize?  Give it a try, it's all part of being a Member of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce!

To join our Facebook page please log in and request to join the Lancaster Chamber Member-Member group and you will be added. 
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
 Upcoming Events
December 2017

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
Celebrating the Decades of Christmas
Holiday Parade
12/02/2017
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
On The Blvd

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
Finance and Executive Committee Meeting
12/12/2017
7:30 am - 9:00 am
554 West Lancaster Blvd
Lancaster, CA 93534

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
Holiday Open House
12/13/2017
5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
554 West Lancaster Blvd
Lancaster, CA 93534

Breakfast with Legislators 
Hosted by the Lancaster Chamber
12/15/2017
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
The Elm Cuisine
44844 Elm Avenue 
Lancaster, CA 93534

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce 
Board of Director's Meeting
12/20/2017
7:30-9:00 am
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
554 West Lancaster Blvd
Lancaster, CA 93534

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce 
Business-4-Breakfast  
12/21/2017
7:00 am- 8:30 am
A.M. Cafe
44205 10th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534

Chamber Office Closures
Christmas Day: December 25, 2017
New Year's Day: January 1, 2018
Normal business resumes the following 
business day @ 9:00 am

New and Renewing Members

November 
  Introducing Our Newest Members!

Desert Star Limousines
Melissa Keyes
42612 8th Street West
Lancaster, CA  93534
(661) 940-1914

Don Gus Fine Mexican 
& Seafood Family Restaurant
Gustavo Oliver
1324 West Avenue I
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 582-8118

Express Employment Professionals
Andrew Hoskins
40125 10th Street West, Ste Q
Palmdale, CA 93551
(661) 526-5307

Help For Heroes
Christian Scott
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 755-1567

TelPro Systems Integration
Melissa Contreras
410 East Avenue K-12, Ste 105
Lancaster, CA 93535
(661) 726-7872

We Are Pleased to Present Our Renewing Members


George's Cleaners
44759 Beech Avenue
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 942-4124
Member Since: 1947

United Way of Greater LA
AV Region
44907 10th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 874-4288
Member Since: 1991

City of Lancaster
44933 Fern Avenue
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 723-6000
Member Since: 1993

INSURICA
Walter Mortensen Insurance
1113 West Avenue M-4, Ste C
Palmdale, CA 93551
(661) 948-1003
Member Since: 1994

Lancaster JetHawks
45116 Valley Central Way
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 726-5400
                  Member Since: 1995                

Douglas B. Weber, DDS
44404 16th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 945-3661
Member Since: 1999

AV Eye Care Medical Group, Inc
42543 8th Street West, Ste 101
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 948-4373
Member Since: 2000

Brandman University
Antelope Valley Campus
39115 Trade Center Drive, Ste 203
Palmdale, CA 93551
(661) 267-2001
Member Since: 1993

Valley Iron 
Fabricators-Erectors, Inc.
PO Box 2601
Lancaster, CA 93539
(661) 945-0871
Member Since: 2000

Home Instead Senior Care
1805 West Avenue K, Ste 111
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 254-8701
Member Since: 2005

Brit O. Smith, MD
44847 10th Street West, Ste B
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 948-4523
Member Since: 2006

Passantino Andersen 
Communications, LLC
42305 10th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 538-1100
Member Since: 2008

Citizens Business Bank
42548 10th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 974-7976
Member Since: 2009

Extra Space Storage
45615 23rd Street West
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 945-3601
Member Since: 2009

Westside Union School District
41914 50th Street West
Quartz Hill, CA 93536
(661) 722-0716
Member Since: 2009

Lancaster West Rotary
PO Box 1981
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 476-2980
Member Since: 2013

Sienna Heights Apartment Homes 
43519 Kirkland Avenue
Lancaster, CA 93535
(661) 945-7191
Member Since: 2013

sPower
9346 West Avenue G
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 557-1280
Member Since: 2013

Antelope Valley Partners for Health 
45104 10th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 942-4719
Member Since: 2014

Poppy Reserve / Mojave Desert
Interpretive Association 
PO Box 1408
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 609-7280
Member Since: 2014

Camacho Mitsubishi
401 Auto Vista Drive
Palmdale, CA 93551
(661) 945-2600
Member Since: 2015

Exit Diamond Realty
44231 10th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93534
(661) 860-9810
Member Since: 2016

Sports Clips
44506 Valley Central Way, Ste 103
Lancaster, CA 93536
(661) 951-8200
Member Since: 2016
Interested in Becoming an Ambassador?  
   

Ambassadors have a unique opportunity to represent the Lancaster
Chamber at many events, including breakfasts, luncheons, mixers, ribbon cuttings/grand openings and more! 

 Through this involvement, ambassadors are able to represent the chamber while also representing and marketing their own businesses--it's truly a "win/win" relationship!
 

 If you or someone at your place of business is interested in
 participating in our comprehensive training series and ultimately
 becoming an amba ssador, please contact the Chamber: 
(661) 948 -451 8

 



For Job Seekers:

Use the resources below to connect with area resources that can help you with job placement.   Also, use the  Chamber's membership directory  to target specific industries.

For Employers:

Tell us about your job openings! 
Chamber members are encouraged to share their job postings with Chamber staff - email a job description to [email protected]

Internships:

The Chamber is always accepting resumes for interns. Projects may vary based on skill set. If you are seeking an internship for experience or college credit, contact us to see if we may be the right fit for you.  Email your resume to [email protected].

Member Job Openings




 Contact  Liz Montano 661-492-4234

 

Chairwoman's Message 

Greetings Members, 

Hope you had an opportunity to attend our Holiday Parade this year. We had 114 entries in the parade and exceptional support from the community.  Please always look into taking advantage of marketing in the parade program as this is an excellent marketing venue to our local community. Thank you to the staff, Mark, Anna, and Sharon, community members, parade participants, volunteers, and business support. 

Lancaster Chamber will be hosting a Holiday Open house on Wednesday, December 13th from 5:00 to 7:30 PM.  There will be amazing raffle prizes including Disneyland tickets, wine tasting, and a local toy drive.  Please join us at the Lancaster Chamber office to celebrate another successful business year.
    
Business for Breakfast will be held on Thursday, December 21 at A.M. CafĂ©.  This event is a networking event to assist you with providing information on your business in addition to discovering new and established businesses within our community.Be sure to bring a wrapped uni-sex gift for the gift exchange. 

We have an opportunity for our members to have breakfast with our legislators. This will be a quarterly breakfast that will host a variety of different legislative members. Our first event will take place on Friday, December 15th  at Elm Cuisine starting at 7:00 am.  Congressman Steve Knight will be speaking. Please RSVP if you decide you would like to attend this event.  

Monica Grado
Chairwoman of the Board 
2017-18
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce


Join us on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 from 5:00 pm- 7:30 pm for the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce's Annual Holiday Open House!

There will be plenty of food and festivities including a Photo Booth, Virtual Reality Booth, Wine Tasting, Raffle prizes including 2 one-day park hopper tickets to Disneyland (valued at over $300), and of course, networking!

The top three band performances from the Lancaster Chamber Christmas Parade will be presented with an award of $500 each. Band directors and drum majors will be present to accept their awards. 

The California Highway Patrol will be here for their annual CHiPs for Kids Holiday Toy Drive. Help make this holiday season special for a local  child or teen by bringing a new un-wrapped toy. 
Receive  ONE free  raffle  ticket for EACH unwrapped toy you bring. The CHP will also be recognizing some AV based companies who assisted with their first ever Explorer Competition that was hosted at the AV Fairgrounds this past year. 

You don't want to miss out on this once a year event! 

  EVENT INFORMATION
 
Date:  

December 13, 2017
 
Time:  
5:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Location: 
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
554 West Lancaster Blvd
Lancaster, CA 93534


The Importance of Having Good Hiring Practices
By Karen Hickling, NorKare Consulting, LLC

F inding the right candidate for an organization is one of the most important tasks any manager or business owner can perform. When you consider that your employees are your biggest asset, they can literally make or break the reputation of your business! Yet many companies, especially smaller ones, don't pay close enough attention to this process. Not because they don't care, but they just don't have the time or the resources to dedicate to it.  

However, if you have poor hiring practices eventually this may lead to a bad hire, which can be costly for the organization, but could also potentially expose your business to very expensive litigation. One of the most common problems that I have encountered is the hiring managers/supervisors are not properly trained in interview etiquette, so they don't clearly understand what they can and cannot say to a candidate.  

The key to interviewing is to keep your questions focused on job duties and responsibilities. 

Here are some examples of the right and wrong way to ask a question...


                  WRONG                                            RIGHT                                                                                                                
  1. 1.     Are you a citizen?
Should you be successful, can you verify eligibility to work in the united states? (be consistent with this question)
  1. 2.     Do you have your                 own car?

Do you have reliable transportation to get to work?
  1. 3.     Do you have personal obligations that could interfere with your work schedule?


 Are you able to work overtime if   necessary?
  1. 4.     Do you have a disability that might interfere with your job?

Can you perform the essential function of this position with or without reasonable accommodations?
  1. 5.     What year did you graduate from school?

What is your highest level of education?
  1. 6.     
    What social organizations or clubs do you belong to?

Do you belong to any professional organizations that would support your knowledge or growth in this position?
 
For more information visit www.norkareconsult.com and request a free copy of the NorKare Consulting, LLC Newsletter "The Puzzle"  
 

To all who attended the Thanksgiving Quarterly Mega-Mixer hosted by Castle & Cooke Mortgage!


Special recognition to all who donated raffle prizes:

Help for Heroes, Christian Scott
State Farm Insurance, Angela Hiatt
Pacific Trust, Regina Hernandez
Lancaster JetHawks, Dylan Baker
Wow AV Nutrition, Jorge Suarez
Don's Residential Doors, Don Jameson
Empire Hospice, Marine Chobanyan
AV Chem-Dry, John Shaff
Wells Fargo, Anjanette Tanaka
The Tech Gods, Christopher Perosi
SMS Bookkeeping, Alex Gonzalez
Lancaster Optometry, Arty Aleksanyan

One Lucky WINNER was chosen to win the 
$1,000 Chamber Pot!

Karla Brizuela with Pink N Sparkle your name was called!  unfortunately you were not present and you must be present to win! The $$ went back in the Chamber Pot and will be given away at our Mega-Mixer in February! 

And remember, you MUST be present to win 
the Chamber Pot! 

BUSINESS-4-BREAKFAST

 
   
  Join us for business, stay for breakfast!
 
     Thursday,  December 21, 2017
7:00 A.M.- 8:30 A.M


This Months Breakfast is Sponsored by:

Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
Wright Family Holiday Story

Bring a wrapped uni-sex gift 
for the gift exchange!
                     
 Event Location
A.M. Cafe
44205 10th Street West
Lancaster,  CA 93534


Please RSVP by Noon the day before the breakfast if you would like your business name to be included in the list that gets handed out to all attendees.

Be sure to bring plenty of business cards!

Please note:
 If you RSVP and do not attend you will be invoiced for $12.00
  
     FREE 
      Chamber Radio 
     Talk Show

"Minding Your Business"

Minding Your Business (MYB) the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce weekly radio show, features Chamber members and Friends each Saturday at 10:00 am and 12:00 noon on 
High Desert Radio 1380am. 

Hosted by Chris Spicher of AV Florist and Aaron Goldstein of Goldstein Digital. Music by Lions Named Leo of Bakersfield.
                       
 Call Chris Spicher: (661) 948-6006



  View our videos on YouTube 

The Month In Pictures

November

 Ribbon Cutting / Grand  Re-Opening
AV Hospital Wound & Hyperbaric Medicine Center
44151 15th Street W, Ste 211, Lancaster
(661) 949-5000
November Membership Luncheon 
Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for California Chamber of Commerce,
 Martin R Wilson
Business-4-Breakfast 
"Table Sponsor"
Sol Plaza Boutique Mall
Marshall Keyes & Pauline Espinoza
Business-4-Breakfast 
"Best Commercial Winner"
Cruise Planners, Annette Wick 
Thanksgiving Mega-Mixer
Hosted by Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC
Gabriella Godde, (661) 902-6000
Office Depot 
National Chamber Program

Join thousands of others who benefit from perks, discounts and business solutions through the National Chamber Program. We've championed the office products space to give you the best in group purchasing and world class customer service. Help your business grow- it's more than just a discount!

chamber_logo

ChamberSTORE

Helping Support Your Local Chamber is a

WIN-WIN!!

 

Take advantage of these special rates for chamber members!!

  

"A LA CARTE" OPPORTUNITIES:

  •  Digital Display Ad on Chamber Wall - $250 / year (2050x1400 dpi).
  • Static Display Framed Poster* on chamber/visitor's center wall - $1000 / year (24x20 inches -8  AVAILABLE) -includes a free digital display for one year.
  • Chamber newsletter ad (600x600 dpi, includes link to your website) - $75 each or $750 for one year.
  • Website home page banner ad (along top of page) - $2500 per year 
  • Website home page ad $500 / year (600x600 dpi).

PACKAGES:

  •  Package 1 - $500 - Includes one digital display ad and four newsletter ads.           
  • Package 2 - $1000 -  Includes one digital display ad, four newsletter ads, and one website home page ad (TWO AVAILABLE).
  • Package 3 - $1000 - includes one  24"x20" framed Chamber Wall poster* (12 AVAILABLE) and one digital display ad.

           *price includes poster production costs.

 

ADDITIONAL MARKETING

OPPORTUNITIES:

  • Community Calendar member event posting.
  • Annual area map and directories with advertising opportunities.
  • Referrals - Hundreds of request directed to members "ONLY".
  • Mailing Labels and Membership Lists available to members "ONLY".
  • Chamber Radio Talk Show and Chamber YouTube Free to members "ONLY".
  • Your business listed in the printed and online Membership Directory (Link to your website or social media!).

Chamber Membership Lists

 

 Labels by Alpha: $50.00