Be sure to join Raeus Jae Cannon for a free
networking training class as she shows you how to quit making cold calls and drive more business to you. It is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Blount Partnership. RSVP to Amy.
Maryville College is hosting a
Career and Intership Fair Thursday, November 3. The fair is open to the community from 2-4 p.m.
NASCAR HALL OF FAMER RUSTY WALLACE TO SPEAK AT BEST OF BLOUNT AWARDS
Get ready to rev up your engine with Rusty Wallace, a member of NASCAR's Hall of Fame, as he takes the pole position as the guest speaker for the Blount Partnership's Best of Blount Awards, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m., at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the Maryville College campus.
Sponsored by Rusty Wallace Kia, tickets are $30 and available by calling the Blount Partnership 865.983.2241,
online or at the Partnership office located at 201 S. Washington St., in Maryville. A premium $45 ticket is available for special seating and a photo and autograph opportunity with Wallace prior to the event.
The Best of Blount Awards focus on the Blount County community as a whole rather than only on the business sector. It celebrates those individuals and businesses that give their time and resources to make this area an outstanding place to live and work.
Awards will be given for Philanthropist of the Year, Community Impact Award, Bright Future Award, Business of the Year and the Tourism Award.
REGISTER FOR WORKERS' COMPENSATION UPDATE
Jeff Francis, Assistant Administrator Workers' Compensation Division from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, will be at the Blount Chamber on Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 3-4 p.m.
He will discuss the latest
updates to the Tennessee Workers' Compensation Act as well as Bureau Rules or Policies and effective dates of those updates and more.
RSVP to Amy to register.
PARTICIPATE IN SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY
This Nov 26, we want to celebrate Small Business Saturday with you! It's a special holiday created so communities can show love for small local businesses. And it wouldn't be a celebration without businesses like you joining us!
The day was setup to help businesses with their most pressing need -- getting more customers. The day encourages people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The single day has grown into a powerful movement, and more people are taking part than ever before.
If your small business is interested in participating, please
email Amy your logo and specials for the day. We are trying to get the word out about shopping locally at the beginning of the holiday season.
GRAINS AND GRITS TO BRING DISTILLERS TO BLOUNT COUNTY
Whiskey lovers from East Tennessee and beyond are invited to attend an unprecedented event in Blount County on Saturday, November 5. Grains and Grits, a celebration of Southern spirits and gourmet grub, will bring more than two dozen Tennessee distilleries to the Townsend Visitors' Center.
The festival showcases a who's-who of Tennessee whiskey legends, including Jack Daniels Master Distiller Jeff Arnett, who will be participating in his first-ever East Tennessee tasting, and other national whiskey names such as George Dickel. A bevy of craft distillers from throughout the state will also sample their spirits to attendees, including Old Forge, Popcorn Sutton, Thunder Road and Chattanooga Whiskey.
Grains and Grits is being arranged and hosted by the Tennessee Distillers Guild and the Smoky Mountain Tourism Development Authority (SMTDA).
While Tennessee whiskey serves as the event's focus, there will be plenty of offerings for non-whiskey-drinkers. Several area restaurants will serve food, and many area breweries and wineries will be in attendance.
World-renowned resort Blackberry Farm will serve both food and beer. Live music will provide a backdrop for the celebration.
Grains and Grits is an opportunity for distillers to connect with customers face to face, and nearly two dozen of them have signed up to offer samples at the event.
Tickets for Grains and Grits are $60 online and $70 the day of the event, and VIP parking is $10. They can be purchased at
www.GrainsAndGritsFest.com. The website also includes more information about the event.
SIGN UP FOR NEXT SOFT SKILLS CLASS
It's Your Career! That's the focus of free soft skills sessions offered in partnership by the Blount County Public Library, the Adult Education Foundation of Blount County and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce that are scheduled over the next eight months.
Registrations are currently being accepted for the second class set for Nov. 18 entitled, "Make Your Social Media Look Good Using Free Tools." Learn how to sharpen your online presence for a consistent, professional delivery of your brand or image. Explore tools and platforms for easy-to-create designs and beautiful graphics. Bring your laptop or tablet or one will be provided for your use.
All classes are conducted in the Blount County Library's learning lab located at 508 N. Cusick in Maryville and limited to 50 participants. Those interested must register online at
www.blountchamber.com/community/soft-skills. A complete class description is located on the registration site. All classes run from 8-10 a.m. with networking beginning at 7:30 a.m.
The other classes offered include Managing People & Personalities, Tips for Public Speaking, Hiring Good Employees, Motivation and Burnout, Time Management and Managing Change in the Workplace.
CHECK OUT NOVEMBER MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS
Check out the November
member-to-member promtions, please do. New offers are being posted weekly, so check out the Blount County Chamber of Commerce Member-to-Member promotions online. This Member-to-Member Promotional Program offers you and your company the opportunity to market your products and services to the membership.
Here's how it works:
1. Submit a PDF of a service, product or discount you'd like to offer to the Chamber membership to
[email protected]. Be sure to include an expiration date.
2. An email with all the promotions will be sent out on the final Monday of every month to our member database.
3. All promotions will be posted on
www.BlountChamber.com
TOP GROUPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO JOIN ON LINKEDIN
Marketers see LinkedIn as the second most valuable social network to grow and market a business, with it behind only Facebook (V3B Blog). There are 300 million users on LinkedIn and 1 million of those professionals have published a post (Social Pilot). This is one of many reasons the social media platform has become an excellent tool for networking and creating awareness for your small business.
Read more
Learn more about marketing your small business in a digital world, ask questions about social media, and take the time to discuss future campaign ideas. What are you waiting for? It's free with your chamber membership.
Schedule your FREE session today.
If you have any questions regarding your free digital marketing member benefit (
Save Local Now), your digital platform, or online marketing in general please reach out the Blount Chamber's
Rachel Coffman. She is here to help you in the year ahead and will keep you on track as you fulfill your resolutions in 2016.
REMEMBER TO SHOP LOCAL
Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!
Buying local foods has numerous health benefits to your family.
GOT AN EVENT OR NEWS? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT
Is your organization hosting an event in the community? Submit it
here on our community calendar. If it's a tourism event, please email
Ashlee so she can post it on
www.SmokyMountains.org.
Also, please
send us any news releases or good news about your business. We'd love to share it with the community.
REMEMBER WHEN
"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," a song performed and co-written by American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross topped the Billboard Music Charts this week in 1981. It was the main theme for the 1981 film
Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1981.
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