Chamber Partner Update
"There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow by moonlight"
~Author Unknown~
The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce continues to provide regular updates and information for all of our newsletter subscribers and chamber partners. If you have business or community updates, events, or other informational items to share please let us know! Let's work together to keep Whitewater a great place to work, live, learn, celebrate, and grow!
Whitewater Chamber Events & Happenings
Ghoul's Night Out
Thursday, October 28th
4 pm - 7 pm
Grab the kiddos and head to the Main Street corridor in Whitewater for a ghoulishly good time of trick-or-treating! Click below for more details.
We are still looking for Trunk-or-Treat participants
Sign your trunk up today!
New this year to Ghoul's Night Out will be a Trunk-or-Treat event. We are inviting families, businesses, & organizations from all over town to participate by decorating a trunk and handing out candy to the children who attend! Click the button for more details and to sign up your trunk! Space is limited.
The Holidays are Coming!
The holidays are fast approaching and we are excited to announce we will once again be hosting our Windows of Whitewater window decorating competition for local businesses. The theme this year is "A Storybook Christmas" and we hope to see a lot of beautiful windows! To sign up your business's window click the link below.

It's time again to help make the holiday season happy for local children and families. The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce is once again partnering with the Head Start program to collect and distribute Christmas gifts for needy families. We will have the Giving Tree set up and ready for you to choose a child beginning on Monday, November 15th.

Gifts will be due by Friday, December 10th.
New Whitewater Cares Posters Available for posting in your business.

If you are interested in having one of the new posters for your business contact the Chamber! You can come to pick it up or we can deliver one to you. If you want to print one yourself simply click the image to download the document.
2022 Whitewater Chamber Community & Visitor Guide

2021 is coming to a close in a little more than two months and we are planning for 2022! The annual Chamber Guidebook will be in production soon and we want to be sure YOU are included! Click the image below for details on how you can be one of our advertisers.
Community Events & Announcements
The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce (WACC) has a great event calendar on our website available for public use. We encourage all community partners to submit events to the calendar. Click the link below to see/access the calendar and the submission link. If you have questions please contact us at info@whitewaterchamber.com.
Wally and Rods Warhawk Raffle Auction
Set for November 6th!

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football, men's basketball and baseball booster clubs will host the 26th annual Wally & Rod's Raffle and Public Auction on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the James R. Connor University Center's Hamilton Room, located on the UW-Whitewater campus. All proceeds for the event benefit the UW-Whitewater football, men's basketball, and baseball programs.
 
Doors will open at 5 p.m. for the event. Admission for the event is $20 per person and includes food, beverage, and one raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets may be purchased for $20 each. In addition to a number of sports memorabilia and items, raffle tickets are also for sale for a chance at cash prizes. Attendees with a ticket are eligible to win cash and cash card door prizes courtesy of First Citizens State Bank. Winning tickets will be drawn at approximately 9:30 p.m., and ticket holders need not be present to win.
 
Facial coverings are currently required indoors on campus unless actively eating or drinking. Check the UW-Whitewater web page in the days leading up to the event for the latest regulations and guidelines. For more information on the fundraiser, contact Jarod Wichser at WichserJJ08@uww.edu.
UWW to offer free Vaccination Clinics at the Whitewater & Rock County Campuses
UW-Whitewater Homecoming
October 25-30, 2021

UW-Whitewater’s Homecoming Steering Committee invites Whitewater businesses and organizations to participate in 2021’s Halloween-themed Homecoming A Nightmare on Main Street (October 25th-30th). Please consider participating through participation in the parade and/or sponsorship.

For more information, please contact the homecoming committee at homecoming@uww.edu or 262-472-1471. Thank you for your support as we look forward to this year’s Homecoming!

Royal Purple

Seeking Advertisers for the winter editions.

The Royal Purple Newspaper is looking for local businesses to advertise with them for the winter. The winter deadline is October 20 and the issues run from October 25 through the end of January.

Along with a nice color print advertisement, advertisers will also receive free online and social media advertising for the entire duration. They will also design ads for a small fee.

Businesses can contact the Advertising Manager at rpadvertising@uww.edu or (608) 728-4044. Click on the Media Kit image to the left for details on pricing and sizing. 
Arts, Music & Theater Happenings
College of Arts & Communication
Department of Music
Chamber Partner News & Information
New Chamber Partners!

2021 United Way
Season of Caring
Look who's Hiring!
Many businesses in Whitewater are hiring right now! If you or someone you know is searching for work pass the word. Visit each business's website for details on the positions they are hiring for. Some of the images below have documents linked to them.
Edge Broadband
Education & Training Opportunities
Downtown Whitewater, Inc. and Wisconsin DATCP offering
Virtual Community Training Classes
Business ID Theft
11/3/21 @ 8:00am
The Business Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin has initiated a program to provide free legal consultation on business matters to small businesses and their owners. This free consultation is provided virtually so this service is accessible statewide. 

Business owners and organizations needing free non-litigation business law services they could not otherwise afford can set up a virtual appointment with a volunteer attorney with business law experience. The Section is particularly interested in assisting those who are low-income or serving low-income communities. Please see Small business assistance which outlines the program and the process.

Services: Eligible participants can receive brief assistance on a wide variety of business law matters including:
  • Finance and lending
  • Insurance claims/coverage
  • Commercial leases and contracts
  • Tax
  • Labor and employment
  • Real estate
  • Commercial debtor/creditor
  • Regulatory compliance, including privacy and COVID-19 related requirements
Build, Grow, and Boost
Your Small Business Online

Navigating how to effectively start or develop your business online can be overwhelming. We are here to help guide you through this process by identifying the best solutions for your unique e-commerce needs and providing you with a roadmap to implement an effective online strategy.
Upcoming Partner Training

LinkedIn MVP (SBDC) Oct 26, 1 pm

Start a Small Business in Eight Steps (Western WI WBC)  Oct 28, 6 pm

LinkedIn MVP (SBDC) Oct 26, 1 pm

Back to Basics: SBA Financing and Federal Contracting

SBA & IRS Covid Tax Relief for Employers and Business Owners


The Wisconsin SBDC's Navigating the New Normal: A Guide for Small Businesses, a free planning guide to help you manage the uncertainty created by the pandemic.
11 Sales Techniques to Help Grow Your Small Business
Entrepreneurship Education
Training Programs Lending, Coaching, Financial Impact
Economic Development
Grant Programs Now Accepting Applications
$10,000 Main Street Bounceback Grants Applications Open!
Applications open through 6/30/22
Equitable Recovery Grant Program
Applications Open Thru Nov 5
The Equitable Recovery Grant Program will provide $50 million to assist community-based organizations working to increase equity and eliminate disparities, by providing services and programming to Wisconsin residents in qualified census tracts or disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grants up to $1,000,000 will be provided per eligible nonprofit organization.     
Applications are open through November 5, 2021, and will be evaluated in two separate award allocations:
  • $25 million for health, early childhood, education
  • $25 million for economic support, housing, environmental justice
Interested organizations can sign up for the Equitable Recovery listserv and additional information for the Equitable Recovery Grant Program is available here: 
Neighborhood Investment Fund
Applications Open Thru Nov 4
The Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant program will provide $200 million in funding for significant projects that provide long-term benefits to communities while also addressing negative impacts from COVID-19. The program places special emphasis on projects benefitting communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, especially those in qualified census tracts.

The previously announced program will make it possible for municipalities across the state to invest in shovel-ready projects and support underserved individuals and communities. The program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and will be administered by the Department of Administration.
Applications are open through November 4, 2021.
Additional information about the Neighborhood Investment Fund Grant program is available here: https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/NeighborhoodInvestment.aspx
WI Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance Program (WERA) provides up to 15 months of assistance with current or overdue bills to help households that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic avoid eviction. More than 13,000 Wisconsinites have already received help with rent and utilities statewide. Despite the recent eviction ban extension due to rising COVID-19 cases, help is still available for eligible households through WISCAP agencies and Energy Services. The program is funded by the Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program and administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration.

WUSD Launching
Youth Apprenticeship Program

Is your business/company looking for young eager workers, ready to learn your trade? Then you may be interested in this program. More details here.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Top Workplaces Program
Nominations Now Open!


Qualifying is easy and open to all businesses with 50+ employees in Southeastern Wisconsin. All eligible organizations that submit will enter the employee survey process and based on the results have the chance to be named a Top Workplace within the small, medium, and large business categories.

All businesses are to go to https://jsonline.com/nominate to nominate their company to the 2022 Top Workplaces program. The deadline is November 5th.
24/7 Access to Small Business Resources
Initiate is an online business resource with over 100 interactive tools, templates, videos, and guides. Exclusively available to small businesses working with participating organizations, such as WWBIC. More details here!
Loans that change lives
Healthy Workplaces & Communities
Information & Updates to Keep Our Community Safe & Healthy
If you or a business you know are in need of assistance please reach out!
We’re here to answer your vaccination questions.

We’re connecting Wisconsin business owners with experts in employment law, human resources, and financial management to provide timely insights on how to bring COVID-19 vaccination into your organization. The 5-episode Wisconsin Employer Vaccine Forum will tackle common questions, like “Can employers require the COVID vaccine?” and highlight the dos and don’ts all business owners should consider. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is here to help you safely and successfully navigate the pandemic recovery.
New County Recognition Program

Businesses that follow the County's Covid-19 Guidelines benefit the community in the following ways:
  • Supports a sooner return to normal post-pandemic
  • Help keep businesses open and thriving.
  • Reduces risk of illness among employees (Less sick time/time off taken)
  • Allows for other businesses to observe and implement best practices in promoting health and safety during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Essentially, this is a stamp of approval that lets your customers and employees know that you are protecting their safety. If you would like to apply for the county's Business Recognition Program, click HERE. There are no costs for the program, and the application only takes a few minutes to complete. 
Workplace outbreak guidance

The Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) have released guidance for employers related to preventing and managing COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace.
Walworth County Public Health offering on-site vaccine clinic opportunities at YOUR
business or organization

Typically, facilities need a space large enough to have about 15-20 people, socially distanced, at a time. A large break room, outdoor space, or training room would work. If interested fill out a request form (link below).
Did you know? Eligible businesses that allow employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine can receive a tax credit. Partner with a vaccine provider to host an on-site vaccination clinic.
Platinum Sponsors
Discover Whitewater
Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce
Whitewater, WI 53190
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