Member Brief Bytes
WHO'S THAT MEMBER BUSINESS/BUILDING?

WHO'S THAT MEMBER BUILDING

Get your Buffalo pride on with this business!

Had quite a few people guess last week, but first in was Mert Auger, City Administrator, with the Dairy Queen! They have reopened for the season.

Email me at [email protected] if you think you have the right answer! First one in gets put in a quarterly drawing for $10 of Buffalo Bucks!
ANYTIME FITNESS
TOMORROW Thursday, January 16th 8:00 a.m.
610 Crossroads Campus Dr. (across from Little Caesars Pizza)


Join us for our first GMB of the new year! Come gather with other business leaders to kick of the year of Good Morning Buffalos! Share what's happening in 2020 with your business and hear what's new at Anytime Fitness!
MEET THE CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Let's meet one of our new Board members just starting his three year term. Meet Jason Nelson, Administrator at Lake Ridge Senior Health & Living!

Jason has lived in Buffalo for 20 years this summer, so I will call him a true Buffalonian! His favorite thing about Buffalo is that it reminds him of his hometown, Moorhead, MN.

He accepted the invitation to sit on the Chamber Board as he wants others to feel the same way he does about Buffalo! Everything is here and the bonus is to be surrounded by a great community of people!

Couldn't have said it better Jason! Thank you for serving!
New Members 2020
FARMER'S INSURANCE
215 Hwy 55 E Suite 105, Buffalo
763-682-2997

We welcome Jackie Crevers with Farmer's Insurance to our Chamber family! Jackie took over the agency here in September of 2019. Farmer's offers home, auto, umbrella, life, commercial, work comp, specialty and Medicare insurance.

The opportunity arose to have her own agency and she moved to Buffalo so let's be sure to give her a warm welcome as she is new to the area! She is excited to get to know more people in the business community as well as the residents here.

Jackie and her office assistant, Julie, are two women dedicated to their clients and their community - going the extra mile to make it right for each individual they serve!
Chamber Events

ANNUAL CHAMBER BANQUET
Thursday, January 23rd, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Buffalo American Legion
304 10th Ave S

LAST CALL!
I have to have headcount in by Friday so register now! Let's break the attendance record! Would love to hit 150 people!! Just hit the button below!

The office is overflowing with great prizes! The wash tub is starting to fill - to be our Bootlegger stash!

Remember there is a costume contest - so if you feel like being a flapper - do so! If it's not your thing - no worries!

There is a table decorating contest - so if you want to compete - Let us know and get creative! If not enjoy the creations of others!

There will be photo op stations, LOTS of games, LOTS of prizes and LOTS of fun with a live auction with our favorite auctioneer! There will be member and Board recognition and more!

It truly is a fun night out!
BAG TOSSERS WE NEED YOU!

For your $40 entrance fee get a free mug filled with your favorite beverage and the chance to win up to $200! It's quite the sight to see all the tossers in a row! Will you be one of them?

Just give us a call and we will get you signed up! We are hoping the weather isn't -14 this year and the beer won't be slush in your mugs!
THANK YOU
TO OUR SPONSORS!

If you are still interested in contributing towards the event, we would love to add your name to the sponsor list below - just let us know!

PREMIER - Above $1,000+
Allina Health/Buffalo Hospital
Buffalo American Legion
Buffalo Lions
Edward Jones
Insurance Center of Buffalo
Rotary Club of Buffalo

RAZOR FLAG - $500
American Family Insurance - Chris Chapman
BioLife Plasma Services
DeZiel Heating and A/C
Havenwood of Buffalo
Mike Zumbusch - Insurance Brokers
Lake Ridge Care Center
Strive Therapy
wRight Lumber and Milllwork


CORNHOLE - $400 ($200 if returning)
Bankwest
Brenner Dental
Comfort Keepers
Cornerstone Wealth Mgmt
Culver's
Edina Realty
Edward Jones
McDonough Tax
Wright Technical Center

WINTER WINDS - $300
Kids Haven of Buffalo

JACK FROST - $200
State Farm Insurance - Mark Olson
Wright County Collision

BUFFALO BLAST - $100
Family Counseling Center
Thomes Insurance Group
GOOD TO KNOW
Wage and Hour Bulletin

Navigating state and federal overtime requirements
Employers are subject to both state and federal overtime requirements. Employers should carefully review the federal Fair Labor Standards Act to determine if they may be exempt from those requirements  before concluding only state law applies.

Federal law
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires some employers to pay overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a seven-day period. These employers include:
  • businesses whose employees produce or handle goods for interstate commerce;
  • businesses with gross annual sales of more than $500,000; and
  • certain other businesses, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools and government agencies.

State law
The Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act requires all employers, regardless of gross annual revenue, to pay overtime for all hours worked in excess of 48 hours in a seven-day period. State law does allow employers to designate certain employees as exempt from overtime, based on job duties, salary requirements and other criteria. Information about exemptions can be found in the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act  and Minnesota Rules 5200 . 
New federal salary threshold for exempt employees  
Employers who are subject to federal overtime requirements should be aware that the minimum weekly salary for exempt employees is schedule to increase to $684 per week on January 1, 2020. See the US DOL's Final Rule website for more information. 

What is the overtime rate?
Overtime rates must be at least one and a half times the employee’s regular rate of pay. The regular rate of pay is determined by dividing the employee’s total pay in any workweek by the total hours worked in the workweek. An employee’s pay includes credits allowed against the minimum wage for meals and/or lodging. There are some  exclusions from wages employers can make when determining the regular rate.

Questions?
Labor Standards serves the citizens of Minnesota by providing 
information about the state's wage, hour and employment laws.
 Phone: 651-284-5075 or 800-342-5354
Website:  www.dli.mn.gov
CHAMBER MEMBER /COMMUNITY EVENTS
WRIGHT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS SOME GREAT BACK TO BACK TRAININGS/SPEAKERS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF YOU FOR FREE!
We will be there - will you?

GAINING CUSTOMERS THROUGH GOOGLE
Thursday, January 20th 8-9 a.m.
Hanover City Hall
11250 5th St NE

Strong businesses make strong communities. Hanover resident and business owner and international speaker Kelly Baltzell will give an engaging talk on how to gain customers using the four categories of Google Search: Ads and organic, local and mobile search. Register below:

WEDDING EXPO
BUFFALO FLORAL
Sunday, February 23rd
10-3 pm
Rockford Township Hall

Patty Speckel, owner of Buffalo Floral for over 30 years, will be hosting their first ever Wright County Wedding Show and would like for any complementary business to be a part of it! Looking to network with other businesses in the wedding industry? Looking to meet and greet with new brides to be in the area? Here's a one stop shop!

For your fee you will get Facebook marketing every 2 weeks, be listed on a poster and have postcards for you to mail to your customer list to the show. Go to WCWeddingExpo.com or call 763-682-2010.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE POLAR PLUNGE
Why was the snowman rummaging through a bag of carrots? He was picking his nose!
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Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce
763-682-4902
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