In This Issue
Upcoming Events


Coffee Connection
"State of the County" Address
Huntingdon Country Club
February 14, 2018
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.

Labor Law & Unemployment Compensation Breakfast & Seminar
Comfort Inn, Huntingdon
February 15, 2018
8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Social Media & Cyber Safety Seminar
Huntingdon County Career & Technology Center
February 23, 2018
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

China Adventure Information Session
J.C. Blair Education Center
February 28, 2018
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Winter Blues
Huntingdon Country Club
March 4, 2018
5:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

Welcome M.A.T.
AristaCare @ Huntingdon Park 
March 15, 2018
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Business After Hours
AristaCare @ Huntingdon Park
March 15, 2018
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Elected Officials Reception
Gage Mansion Bed & Breakfast
April 5, 2018
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. 

Business After Hours
Cricket Wireless at One-Stop
April 19, 2017
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. 

Huntingdon County Expo
Huntingdon County Fairgrounds
May 4, 2018 2:00-7:00 p.m.
May 5, 2018 9:00 a.m.-5 p.m.


Annual Golf Tournament
Huntingdon Country Club
June 20, 2018
Registration at 11:30 a.m.

Cisney & O'Donnell/Love It/Price Motor Sales Pre-Owned Outlet/The Colonial Florist Business After Hours
June 26, 2018
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Annual "State of the Chamber" Luncheon
Westminster Woods
August 16, 2018

Sporting Clay Tournament
Shenecoy Sportsman
September 12, 2018

"State of Education" 
Coffee Connection
Huntingdon County Career
& Technology Center
September 25, 2018
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.

Annual Awards Gala
Huntingdon Country Club
October 4, 2018

Partners In Excellence

Platinum
Team Home Health a Service of Fulton County Medical Center

Silver
Mutual Benefit Group

Bronze
Bumgardner & Flasher Oil, Inc.  

Royal
BottomLine Pros LLC
FirstEnergy Corporation
Juniata College
Lincoln Caverns, Inc. and Whisper Rocks
MDB Drafting & Design
Nationwide Insurance
Stiffler, McGraw and Associates, Inc. 
Contact Us

Yvonne Martin
President/ CEO

ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com


MacKenzie Locke
Program Director
mlocke@huntingdonchamber.com


500 Allegheny Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652

Phone: 814-643-1110

Fax: 814-643-1115
Links:

Constant Contact

Click here to register. 

After your free trial period expires you qualify for a special discount because you are a member of the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce. If you prepay for six months, you receive a 20% discount. Prepay for a year and save 25%! There's no better time to try email marketing. 
February 13, 2018

Governor Wolf Launches PA Business One-Stop Shop to Support Pennsylvania Entrepreneurship


On February 7, Governor Tom Wolf launched the new PA Business One-Stop Shop to serve as a sole source to guide entrepreneurs and small businesses through all stages of development, from planning and startup to operation and expansion. 

"I know first-hand how difficult it can be as a business owner to navigate through the complex web of processes, requirements, and resources that are needed to successfully run a business," Governor Wolf said. "That's why I tasked my administration to come together across agencies to simplify the process so entrepreneurs can get back to doing what they do best - creating, innovating, and succeeding in Pennsylvania."

The PA Business One-Stop Shop can be found at business.pa.gov and includes resources for planning a business, registration and permitting, hiring employees, receiving funding and technical assistance, and more. It is intended to take the guesswork out of many business operations and procedures, and serves as an equalizer for any who want to do business here. 

To continue reading this article, please click here


Penn National Dividend Program



China Adventure 2019



For more information on this trip, please click here! We will be holding an orientation on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the J.C. Blair Health System, Education Center. Please contact Yvonne for details or to RSVP at (814) 643-1110 or ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com. 

Labor Law & Unemployment Compensation Breakfast & Seminar

State Labor Law Compliance presented by Randy Liddle, Administrative Officer, Bureau of Labor Law Compliance, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

Federal Law Compliance presented by Jane E'del, Community Outreach Specialist for the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Unemployment Compensation presented by Nancy Smithbauer, Workforce Development Representative for Unemployment Compensation, Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Comfort Inn, Huntingdon. Please send your registration to the Chamber by emailing mlocke@huntingdonchamber.com or faxing it to (814) 643-1115.




Social Media & Cyber Safety Seminar

Please join us on Friday, February 23 from 9-11 a.m. at the Huntingdon County Career and Technology Center for our Social Media & Cyber Safety Seminar. 

Social Media Safety will be presented by Leonard Chernisky, Health and Training Specialist, PA Department of Labor and Industry. 

The purpose of this training is to provide online users with an understanding of what the dangers of using social media are as well as ways to protect yourself from those dangers. Upon completion of this program, you will be able to define what social media is, understand the dangers of social media use, understand some of the popular social media terminology, understand ways to protect yourself when using the internet and social media sites and understand personal and professional implication of social media. 

Cyber safety will be presented by Jigar Patel from the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11. 

This portion will provide an overview of the common attacks and preventative measures. Several tool/tool kits will be presented to help with staff training and best practices. 

To register, please email mlocke@huntingdonchamber.com. 



Huntingdon County Foundation



The new Facebook page for the Huntingdon County Foundation has gone public! All Chamber members are invited to visit and please "Like" the page. Then spread the word by asking your friends to "Like" us, too. Work continues on our new webpage - watch for an announcement in this space. 

Winter Blues Tickets



Join us on Sunday, March 4, 2018 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Huntingdon Country Club as we Shake Off the Winter Blues. Popular Blair County band Flight 19 will once again entertain guests. Former radio personality from Rocky 104.9, Jay Randyll will emcee the event. 

Non-profits will have tables to showcase their cause. Purchase raffle tickets from them for an iPad. Tickets are $1.00 each and proceeds benefit the non-profits. 

Join us at the "Taste of Huntingdon County" and vote for your favorite taste. A cash bar will be available. Tickets are $25 each and are available at the Chamber office at 500 Allegheny Street, Huntingdon. 

Sponsors confirmed at the time are:
Valley Rural Electric - Event Sponsor
Juniata College - Prize Sponsor
Huntingdon County Career & Technology Center - Patron Sponsor
Mutual Benefit Group - Marketing Sponsor

Register now to participate 

If you are interested in participating in the "Taste of Huntingdon County" please click here for the link. Non-profits interested in promoting themselves and earning a little - or a lot - of money should click here for more information and the form. You must be a member of the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce to participate. 

Tag the Chamber

When posting your upcoming event and promotions on Facebook, please tag the Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce so that we can share them on our Huntingdon, PA Promotions & Activities Facebook page. You have access to directly add the information if you prefer. Like us while you are are there! 



Reminders:

Huntingdon County Expo






Special Announcement! Facebook Virtual Tour for Business

If you recall we launched a new member benefit program last year that brought Google Street View virtual tours INSIDE local businesses. We've had a number of members participate in this program and it has really boosted their Google Local Search Ranking and provided a virtual walk-through of their business online and in our Virtual Business Guide
That program is now expanded to add in Facebook Virtual Tours!
Using the same 360 degree panoramic images as the Google program does, this new feature creates and provides a 360 degree interactive virtual tour of your business that is displayed and functional right in your Business Facebook Timeline! You can pin it to stay at the top of your timeline so that it is always visible to your fans/friends. 
Photo Shoot Day!
Our virtual tour photographer for this program will be in the area soon. If you'd like to learn more and possibly be on that photo shoot day then submit the online form found at  this linked web page and they will follow up with you immediately to go over the details. Don't wait - it's first come/ first served and space is limited. 
On The Job Training Program

Advantages To Using The OTJ Training:
  • Cuts the cost of wages for employers by a minimum of 50% during the training time.
  • Reduces the employer's costs for advertising and recruitment.
  • Allows employers to make all hiring and firing decisions.
  • Guarantees a quick referral process.
  • Requires minimal paperwork.
  • May involve a single placement, a number of people for one type of job, or a variety of jobs. 

How It Works:
An employer meets with the Business Services Representative to develop a job order indicating what type of people the employer desires and the screening method preferred to evaluate potential candidates (resumes, applications, interviews, etc.)
  • Post the job on the CareerLink system.
  • A search is then conducted of the eligible applicant pool for people who match the characteristics set by the employer. The employer is then provided the information about potential candidates in the manner in which they have requested. 
  • The employer decides whom they want to hire and a possible start date. The Business Services staff is notified about the circumstances of the hire. 
  • The employer and the Business Services Representative negotiate a contract, which includes a training plan, length of training and costs to be reimbursed to the employer for providing the training. It is important to note that this contract MUST be in place BEFORE an eligible client begins working or the opportunity to secure funding will be lost. 

To continue reading, please click here.  
Free  E-mail Blast
The Chamber offers FREE e-mail blast to our members who are offering free workshops or hosting events that donate all money raised to a charity.

Disclaimer: The Chamber has the right to refuse blasting information if the Chamber staff decides the information does not meet the proper criteria. 
FREE Bulk Mailing Permit Use!

The Chamber is now offering use of our Bulk Mail Permit for FREE to our members. Bulk Mail Permits cost $250.00 per year. If you are interested in using the Bulk Mailing Stamp, we will walk you through the process to make it easy for you. You will still have to pay postage. 
Let the Chamber Help You Save Money

If you are interested in saving money on your electric bill, please contact ymartin@huntingdonchamber.com or 814-643-1110 to get connected with the program endorsed by 120 chambers of commerce in PA and 80 Harrisburg based associations. OnDemand Energy manages 6 billion kWh in PA. There is no cost or obligation involved with seeing how much money your business or organization can save. In many cases it has been quite a significant savings. OnDemand Energy can also review your gas savings options with you. 
E-Newsletter Advertising Opportunities

You are now able to be the exclusive sponsor of our weekly e-newsletter. The cost is $200 a quarter and includes your name in the email heading as the sponsor and an ad (2 in. wide and 3 in. tall) at the top of the left column of the newsletter. 

If you only want to have an ad (2 in. wide and 2 1/2 in. tall) in the left column, the cost is $100 per quarter or $300 per year. Please continue to share your events and special news and we will include that information for free. Contact mlocke@huntingdonchamber.com if you would like to include your ad in our e-newsletter or be the exclusive sponsor. 
E-mail Blast Special Rates

Many of you have been asking about more opportunities to send email blasts to our database of nearly 1,000. Currently individual blasts are $50 for for-profit businesses and $25 for non-profits. You can now purchase one blast a week for a quarter for $200 or one blast a week for a year for $500. Non-profits pay $100 for the quarter or $250 for the year. Contact mlocke@huntingdonchamber.com if you are interested in taking advantage of this special opportunity. 
HCCC Member to Member 
Facebook Group

This group is being brought to you at the request of HCCC members during the most recent survey. The HCCC Member to Member group is a closed group for Chamber members only to post questions and important information that other members will find valuable. Please invite other Chamber members to join our group and share in discussions. 
Want to be Featured in the Next Chamber News? 

If you have any business news and updates, achievements, awards or recognitions that you would like to be included, it can be done for FREE! If you have an event that is free or all the proceeds are being donated to a non-profit as a fundraiser, we'll include it for FREE! If you'd like to include a promotion or a money making event or non-profit fundraiser where proceeds will benefit the organization's operations, we charge a small fee. (Profit - $25 and Non-Profit - $10) Contact MacKenzie Locke at 814-643-1110 or mlocke@huntingdonchamber.com if you're interested in including an article. 
Huntingdon County Chamber of Commerce | (814) 643-1110 |mail@huntingdonchamber.com | http://www.huntingdonchamber.com
500 Allegheny Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652