Take a gander at the latest edition of The Dialogue in this email where we visit with Danny Harbin of
Down Home Inspections.
CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE PHOTOS
 Thank you to all those who attended the Blount Partnership Christmas Open House. We had nearly 900 of you grace our doorway and we appreciate you giving us the opportunity to thank you.
Another thank you goes to
Jamie Weiss Photography for taking all the photos with Santa. The gallery with the ability to
download your picture is here.
We hope you enjoy these photos and please let us know if you have any questions. Have a great day!
GATEWAY MORTGAGE GROUP RIBBON CUTTING & OPEN HOUSE
 Please join us and Gateway Mortgage Group (1770 W. Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Maryville) for a
Holiday Open House and Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, December 12 from 11:30 a.m.- 2 p.m. The Ribbon Cutting will take place at 1:30 p.m.
DECEMBER COFFEE CLUB THURSDAY
 Make plans to join us for the
final coffee club of 2018 at Treasures Jewelers (177 Foothills Mall, Maryville) on Thursday, December 13 at 7:45 a.m. Treasures will be donating 10% of all purchases to United Way for that day.
Coffees are designed to offer our members the opportunity to build business relationships with other members and to gain exposure for their business or organization in an "open house" setting. Coffees are open to anyone associated with a Chamber member business. Participation is not reserved to the representative(s) listed on the Chamber membership.
HR FOCUS GROUP SET FOR JANUARY
 Can you believe the first HR Focus Group is set for January 9, 2019? Sign up today for Ryan Allen, Senior Loss Control Specialist for Accident Fund as he presents an enlightening seminar on Making Safety Successful. Topics to be covered include Common Safety Pitfalls, Safety Management Leadership, Basic Safety Program Elements, Building for Continued Success and Tools to Elevate Safety.
REGISTER HERE.
GIFT WRAPPING BOOTH SUPPORTING HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
 The
Blount County Habitat for Humanity Holiday Gift Wrapping fundraiser is held annually at Foothills Mall, and we want you to join us!
Blount County Habitat for Humanity is a local non-profit with a mission to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, community, and hope.
Volunteering at the BCHFH gift wrapping booth is both FUN and rewarding. All materials are provided and volunteers wrap gifts at our booth in Foothills Mall throughout the month of December with donations going directly to BCHFH!
Two ways to sign up as a volunteer:
1.
Register online.
2. Download the mobile app "Golden Volunteer Opportunities" on your mobile device. The app allows you to check in and out and track your volunteer hours. Signup is quick and easy through the app.
LAST WEEK TO GET PLACEMENT IN 2019 BASICALLY BLOUNT
 The 2019 Basically Blount lifestyle magazine and membership directory is entering production once again. This annual, full-color lifestyle magazine and chamber membership directory is initially distributed to all Chamber members starting Feb. 2019, along with distribution four times throughout the year via area professional offices, newcomers, visitors, and new businesses all looking to relocate to Blount County.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of Basically Blount or view the
media kit, contact: Rick Ford of Marcon Marketing at (865) 705-8580
SOFT SKILLS SESSION FOR DECEMBER
 It's Your Career! That's the focus of a free soft skills session offered in partnership by the Blount County Public Library, the Adult Education Foundation of Blount County and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.
Registrations are currently being accepted online at
www.blountchamber.com for a class entitled Creating Infographics for Promoting Your Business on Dec. 21. This course qualifies for .2 CEU's awarded by Pellissippi State.
All classes are conducted in the Blount County Library's learning lab located at 508 N. Cusick in Maryville and limited to 50 participants. 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.
FREE TECHNOLOGY CLASSES AT LIBRARY
 The Blount County Public Library is offering free computer classes in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint (2016) and Gmail. Receive an opportunity to gain a nationally recognized certificate from Northstar Digital Literacy. Course descriptions and schedules are listed below. The free classes meet in the Blount County Public Library's new Learning Lab (outside the library in the former First Tennessee Bank branch building) unless otherwise *noted. Spaces are limited and registration is required. To register, please visit the library's Information Services Desk or call (865) 982-0981, ext. 1450, or (865) 273-1428. Sign up no earlier than one month prior to a class.
Microsoft Excel 2016 Essentials: 2-session class. Bring a USB drive.
M/F - Dec. 10, 12 @ 2-4 PM.
 Additionally, businesses need to take advantage of the library's subscription to Lynda.com. Using your library card, get access to Lynda.com, a LinkedIn Company, with thousands of courses in software, creative and business skills to develop your staff skills and meet learning needs at your own convenience.
Learn More
DECEMBER MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS
 Member-to-member promotions are here. Submit to the email below. Check out the latest offer from Puleo's, Airport Hilton and RCN Technologies. See other promotions at
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
REMEMBER TO SHOP LOCAL
 Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!
Small business owners strive to survive and one of the biggest advantages they have over large retailers is the ability to provide more personable, hands-on, and memorable customer service.
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 or any good news about your business, please
send it to us. We'd love to share it with the community.
REMEMBER WHEN
Topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week in 1966 was "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys. Released on October 10, 1966, the single was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record charts in several countries. It was the costliest single ever recorded at the time of its release. "Good Vibrations" later became widely acclaimed as one of the finest and most important works of the rock era.
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