For those that recall the Y2K phenomenon, as we approached the year 2000, the anticipation of the turn of the calendar meant a great deal of anxiety. Hospitals stockpiled water and redundant systems were put in place to safeguard against disaster. That particular holiday season found people scrambling for potential solutions to the challenge. As it turned out, most major systems were not adversely affected, or miraculously the solution for the challenge was found in time…crisis averted!

As we move into 2021, my message is short and to the point. We have plenty of opportunity to look at our cup full and not empty. Many businesses are thriving. Spring, while not necessarily just around the corner, will be here before any of us can blink an eye. None of us knows what the future restrictions/guidelines will be, nor do we necessarily know how quickly the vaccine will be distributed and available. We can, however, each decide at what level of optimism we are going to live our lives and with which approach is best for our respective businesses.

I believe that you have come to expect a level of professionalism and encouragement from me as the leader of our local chamber of commerce. I hope that I have earned my place as a community leader over the last 9 months, and that you are beginning to see some positive results of the approach we have taken.

I believe in the KIS approach: Keep It Simple. First of all, my hope for 2021 is that we can continue to Support one another both personally and professionally. Secondly, my belief is that we can be more Connected than we have been and do so in a way that furthers all of our business initiatives. I also would like to find a way for all chamber members to Celebrate business achievements and personal milestones in ways that are both meaningful and engaging.

In the coming days you will be hearing more about our TEAMS initiative (Together Everyone Achieves More Support) and a unique approach to forming common bonds across Colerain. All I ask is that you bring an open mind and heart to this experience. If you couple that with a true desire to make a difference in the life of your business and that of others, I can guarantee success.

Wishing all of you all the best in 2021!

Dave Moravec

President & CEO

Colerain Chamber of Commerce

513.923.5036 Office

309.838.1947 Cell

A special welcome goes out to our new sustaining sponsor LongSchaefer. Mike Long, Brandon Robertson and the LongSchaefer team of accounting professionals have been active in our community for years and we are thankful for Mike's involvement in board leadership. We truly appreciate them stepping up in a meaningful way as we enter 2021.

Wednesday January 20, 7:30 – 8:30 am – Board of Directors Meeting via ZOOM.

Third Thursday January 21, 5 –6:30 pm – Virtual Happy Hour – Back by popular demand is the Third Thursday Virtual Happy Hour. Our holiday event was so popular, in lieu of meeting in person because of COVID-19 restrictions, we are excited to bring this opportunity to meet other chamber members in a social setting. We hope that this event gains momentum and that you will support it by having your favorite beverage in hand while we have some fun conversation and share a laugh. Business professionals and part-time amateur standup comics Jason Goodall (Cincinnati) and Ms. Kathy Brennan (Springfield, IL) will be our guests; they will bring humor and context to this event. I am hopeful that we will also have special guest comedian and sales professional Jon Selig (from Montreal) with us as well As we begin to plan out our 2021 events this year, we anticipate bringing back our face-to-face networking Third Thursday event in the next couple of months. In the meantime, please come out and support our Virtual Third Thursday! Those in attendance will have an opportunity for a prize drawing. For more details, you can find them at the following LINK

Tuesday, February 9, noon-1:30 pm - Women's Luncheon - This will take place indoor with a location yet to be determined. Thanks goes out to Mary Cropenbaker (Hamilton County Solid Waste & Recycling) for her wonderful presentation yesterday to about a dozen attendees and thank you goes out to Doris Gibbons for sitting in for Sylvia Dwertman as our guest host. LaRosa's at Stone Creek was a terrific venue as always!

Wednesday, February 10, 9 - 11 am - Sales Summit - This is a special event that you won't want to miss if you are a sales professional. A group of purchasing professionals join us to discuss the do's and don'ts that affect sales people & business today. Please put this FREE two-hour session in your calendar. For more information or to register click HERE

PIVOT is an acronym: People Interacting Virtually Over Technology

This concept brings people together into one-on-one interaction in brief 5-minute time periods. During this 1-hour session, you may interact with as many as 10 different people in conversation think speed networking. If you have been looking for a safe and interesting way to connect your business with others, PIVOT your business and try out this media. The following local chambers have also been invited to participate which will increase the opportunity to connect with someone you may not already know. Sharonville, Harrison, Fairfield and Hamilton, as well as the African American Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have been invited to participate. Registration and more information can be found at the following LINK

CHAMBER GOLF LEAGUE – That’s right…we’re talking golf in January! We have secured an even larger number of tee times for this year at Pebble Creek Golf Club and would love to have your participation as a regular weekly player or alternate. League play will begin in April on Wednesday in the late afternoon (after 4:30 pm). If you are interested in playing this year, contact Dave Moravec at [email protected] or through the office 513-923-5036.

This interactive group, hosted and facilitated by Colerain Chamber member Quinn Wang allows each participant a chance to bring up an issue or opportunity to get advice from other experienced business owners around the table, which in essence provides you with the look and feel of your own board of directors, while you participate on behalf of other businesses at the same time. The program also allows for ongoing counselling on a one-to-one basis. Two groups have been formed, one for small businesses owners and a second for larger businesses. With limited spots available, these seats will be filled on a first-come first-served basis.

For more information reach out to Dave Moravec or Quinn Wang at: [email protected]

Different than the CEO Round-table, which is intended to form an ongoing board, this group coaching opportunity consists of (8) 60-90 minute sessions which will be held on a bi-weekly basis beginning January 29. The program focuses on: Behavior Styles, Mindset, Strategic Planning, Metrics, Ideal Customers, Marketing, Sales and Overcoming Constraints. Many business owners start their businesses with excitement for what the future holds. Then quickly realize that they are wearing all of the hats and essentially own a job; often believing the answer to better results is working harder. Chamber member, Jim Diebold - FocalPoint Business Coaching, found that to be the case when he started his business. His passion now is coming alongside entrepreneurs like him and showing them how to be strategic and intentional with their growth. To those looking for clarity in their established business or the newer entrepreneur looking for a solid foundation, Jim is leading this group program. Please reach out to Jim by Jan 22nd to register: [email protected], 513-444-0067.

Supervisory Leadership Development – Limited Seats Available 

Another training opportunity will be presented by chamber leader, David Denny on a weekly basis beginning February 4 at 3:30pm. This in-depth Leadership Development Course is intended to build your leaders to take on the many challenges they face in today's uncertain world. Comprised of six in-person 2-hour sessions, this program will address: accountability, managing expectations, communicating & listening, time effectiveness, delegation and motivating others. A ZOOM option can be made available for those uncomfortable with the in-person format. For more information you can click on the link below, otherwise contact David Denny at [email protected] or 513-490-4417 : More Information and Registration 

Current Board Members (terms): 

The holiday book bin program was a tremendous success. A special thank you goes out to all 20 of the bin sponsor locations (listed below) and those that helped with prize donations to make this a special way to give back to the community during the holidays. If you and your business would be interested in hosting a bin in the future, please reach out to Gail Nolte, founder of SideBySide who provided the following update:  

The Colerain Chamber of Commerce seeks to advance the economic, industrial, professional, commercial, cultural and civic welfare of Colerain Township; to encourage the growth of existing industries and businesses while giving all proper assistance to any new firms or individuals seeking to locate in the area; to provide business and industrial education to the people of Colerain Township and the surrounding areas; and to support all those activities determined to be beneficial to the local business community and surrounding areas. 

As always, we want to promote your business in any way that we can. If you have news that you would like to share with our membership, please send it along for us to post on Facebook or in our newsletter.

Please do your part to take preventative measures to help slow the spread and keep America open, healthy and strong using this toolkit with social media graphics and messages as provided by the US Chamber of Commerce. A Review the past lessons we've learned has also been made available.

Ohio businesses are able to apply for $10,000 Covid-19 relief grants. Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol can apply for $2,500 grants. The new grants for businesses will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency. More info here.

Joy M. Pierson - Community Development Administrator

Colerain Township 2021 Strategic Plan

Viewing of the township’s strategic plan can be found here.