If you or someone you know is looking for a job, please check out
www.BlountAreaJobs.com. Additionally, if you need employees, please utilize the job board to advertise your open positions. Click
here to get started.
AFTERNOON MIXER THIS THURSDAY
Get out of the office after work and unwind with us this Thursday, April 13 from 3:45-5 p.m. for an
afternoon mixer at Windy City Grille (2641 US-411, Maryville, TN 37801). Participation is not reserved to the representative(s) listed on the Chamber membership.
DID YOU TAKE OUR MEMBER SURVEY?
 Have you taken our 2017 Blount Chamber membership survey? If so, we thank you and want you to know that your responses will be looked at, analyzed and agonized over to give you more for your investment. If not, now's your chance to complete it.
SURVEY. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know your opinions.
EFFECTIVE USE OF QUICKBOOKS
 Join the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, Wednesday, April 26 from 9 a.m.-noon for a free
program tailored for owners and managers currently operating QuickBooks for their small businesses. Included is an overview of QuickBooks along with training on running relevant reports, budgets, and monthly forecasting. A few QuickBooks tips and shortcut will be discussed allowing for easier use of the software. Both QuickBooks desktop and online users are welcome to attend. The seminar takes place at the Blount Partnership, 201 S. Washington St., Maryville.
HR FOCUS GROUP
You don't want to miss our next HR Focus Group which meets next Thursday, April 13 from 8-9 a.m. at the Blount Partnership (201 S. Washington St., Maryville). The topic will be "Building an Accountability Culture" presented by Susanne Dalton Dupes of Dalton Dupes Agency.
To be great, teams and managers need to hold themselves and others accountable. Similarly, great companies need to foster a culture of accountability throughout the organization. During this session, we will explore what an accountability culture looks like. Participants will create a common understanding of accountability and look at the fundamentals of an accountability culture. Please
RSVP to Amy if you plan to attend.
GLENN SHEPARD SEMINAR RETURNS APRIL 19
 The Glenn Shepard Seminar, "How to Manage Problem Employees," returns to the Blount Partnership on Wednesday, April 19 from 8 a.m.-noon. In the seminar, he'll show you how to motivate your people, not just manage them. How to get them to follow you because they believe in your goals, your skills as a leader, and they are committed.
He'll also explain why The Millennials require such a different supervisory style than Gen X or Baby Boomers, and how to apply Dr. Ken Blanchard's (author of The One Minute Manager) principles of situational leadership to get all the different generations to work together as a team.
The cost is $129 for Blount Chamber members (When three from a company register, the fourth is FREE). The non-member fee is $149.
Register here.
SIGN UP FOR NEXT SOFT SKILLS CLASS
 Registrations are currently being accepted for a free soft skills session set for April 28 entitled "Time Management." You're busy, but how productive are you? Join us to learn effective strategies for managing your time and boosting your effectiveness at work.
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.
JOIN THE BLOUNT COUNTY JOB FAIR
The Blount County Job Fair sponsored by Cirrus Aircraft and Pellissippi State Community College is coming to the Second Harvest Food Bank on Friday, May 19, 2017, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. If your business is interested in participating to hire new employees,
email Claire for more details.
MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS FOR APRIL ARE HERE
 April Member-to-Member promotions are in. With over 50 merchants participating, there's something for you. Check out the
member-to-member promotions. New offers are being posted almost daily, 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
jmuir@blountpartnership.com. 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
SIDEWALK SALE SUCCESS
 In Summer, many chambers host an annual Sidewalk Sale, giving small local businesses an opportunity to gain new customers, and create buzz around their merchandise or deals. Because some customers wait all year to make purchases until this yearly sale, small businesses need to take advantage of the plentiful foot traffic in order to sell as much product as possible. Easier said than done. Does your town participate in a blowout Sidewalk Sale? If yes, keep reading for some foolproof advice on Sidewalk Sale success.
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.
REMEMBER TO SHOP LOCAL
 Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!
Small businesses can offer unique gifts, especially if they are selling their own handmade products. Think of shopping small as an opportunity to wow your friends and loved ones.
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
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car," by Trinidadian-born British singer Billy Ocean topped the Billboard Hot 100 this week in 1988. Part of its popularity lay in its cutting-edge (for the time) video, which featured cartoon mixed with live-action sequences. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 film
License to Drive.
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