Chamber news & updates
Week of October 26, 2020
Message from the President & CEO:
Have you ever seen a really good movie with a great leading actor?

Once the movie does well in the box office, suddenly everyone is talking about that person. The actor goes from an unknown to a household name in what seems like minutes,

If you enjoyed their performance maybe you took the time to learn more about them. When you did, you might've found out they didn't get famous overnight after all.

Instead, they worked at it for years in a local theater and in commercials. They positioned themselves in a way that they would get noticed and it eventually paid off.

You need to do the same in your business. You need to catch the eye of people who will buy from you and promote you through word of mouth.

As 2020 comes to a close, you should be thinking about how you'll position yourself this year for success in the next.

What will you be doing now to benefit your business later?
Looking for an Interesting Marketing Opportunity to Reach Business Owners and Employees in Alameda? Check This Out:

Check out the advertising opportunities on the Chamber of Commerce's website. Rates are affordable and you could get your business in front of thousands of people a month

People tend to see the Chamber as a powerful force and voice of business within the community. If you align yourself with the Chamber through advertising on our site, people will often see you as a reputable member of the community.

This is ideal because people do business with those they know, like, and trust. The Chamber can help with that..

We have availability on the homepage, calendar/events page, and specific resources pages. That way you can target your audience more precisely.

We have premium top of page space, and for those looking for a discount, we have bottom of page spots as well.

Call us today to find out what space we have available.
Chamber Blog
Yelp Ads Have Changed. Here's What You Need to Know.
Do you get good reviews on Yelp? Are you still having problems getting found? Social media isn't the only place you can find affordable ads. Yelp recently underwent an ad overhaul. Here's what you need to know about its new features.

The Chamber blog is published weekly on Monday. It contains helpful information for professional and business growth. 

Recent posts include important topics like: COVID operating tips, how to start a business in Alameda, and ways to increase sales. Find the solution you need.
Shop Alameda: Support Small Business
If you're a customer, take the shop local challenge and buy something from a local merchant once a week. One way to ensure you keep up with the challenge and help to support our neighbors is by purchasing the Visit & Shop Alameda Gift Card.

This gift card can be spent at any of our participating merchants and it tells them that you support the Island and its businesses.
Want More Customers?
Join the Visit & Shop Alameda Gift Card Program
If you're a business owner and you long for more customers, check out the free Visit & Shop Alameda Gift Card Program.

It's free to participate for all businesses. The eCard can be run through your POS so no additional software or tools are required.

The Chamber, the City of Alameda, Downtown Alameda, and the West Alameda Business Association will market your business and its affiliation with the program for more customers.

Best of all, It costs you nothing!

Chamber Academy Webinars
Wednesday, October 28th,
10:00 AM
Keep Your Business Safe:
Top Tips for Keeping Your Data Safe No Matter Where You Are
Everything You Need to Know to Protect Your Business 

Are you working from home these days? While you've likely spent time setting up your home office, you may not have considered your data security needs. Many of us don't feel like we have the know-how to be more secure or we figure our employers are taking care of it.

But cybercriminals are enjoying the easier access to important data and because of this, your personal data may be at increased risk too.

Cybercrime costs business $3.5 billion annually and it affects all sizes of organizations. With a greater number of people working from home, the risk is increasing. It's time to secure your remote and in-office workplaces so you don't fall victim to this type of crime.

In this webinar, we'll give you easy to implement tips, even if you're not a techie. And we'll talk about everything you need to know to avoid being a cybercrime victim. If you think you're not at risk, the criminals have already done half their job.
Wednesday, November 18th,
10:00 AM

Federal Debt Economics

What are the different ways we measure federal debt and deficits?

Geoffrey Woglom, Professor of Economics Emeritus at Amherst College discusses traditional ideas of the economic costs of the debt and why recent events have caused economists to rethink these issues. 

Professor Woglom will describe Modern Monetary Theory, which argues that there are no costs to debt and, what is often considered to be a more reasonable view, that the costs may be smaller than we thought as long as we stabilize the debt when the pandemic is over.

Stabilizing the debt, however, will require reducing deficits from their pre-pandemic levels of 5% of GDP to under 1% of GDP.

Presenter: Geoffrey Woglom is a Professor of Economics Emeritus at Amherst College where he taught for over 40 years. During his career, he has been a consultant at the Federal Reserve Board and the International Monetary fund and held visiting positions at Harvard, Cambridge, LSE, and Nanjing universities.
Thursday, December 10th,
3:00 PM

California Employment Law Update: What Every Employer Needs to Know Heading into 2021  

California’s Governor recently finished signing into law many new employment-related bills. Some have already gone into effect and others go into effect on January 1, 2021. The new laws are related to COVID-19, including leaves of absences, discrimination, and independent contractors. This webinar will include information on these new laws so you can ensure compliance. 

Presenter: Shivani Sutaria is an employment law attorney and workplace investigator in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the founder of Shivani Sutaria Law Offices in San Mateo, CA She focuses on:
  1. Conducting External Workplace Investigations
  2. Providing Advice and Counsel to Employers
  3. Presenting Trainings on Employment Matters

Prior to starting her own firm in 2014, Shivani worked at a San Francisco law firm litigating employment disputes in state and federal court as well as administrative agencies such as the EEOC, DFEH, WCAB and DLSE.

Shivani received her juris doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law, her Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Southern California, and her Bachelor of Art in Sociology from University of California, San Diego.

Shivani is a graduate of the Association of Workplace Investigators’ (AWI) Training Institute and is an AWI Certificate Holder (AWI-CH).
Member Spotlights
At Alley & Vine, they look forward to showcasing the bounty that California has to offer - beautiful produce, pristine seafood, and livestock raised with care. Each cocktail is handcrafted with a reverence for season and quality. The wine list is one of the most preeminent in Alameda, featuring domestic and international options.

Owned by partners Francisco Bazo, Casey Hunt, and Chef Jason Ryczek, the team brings over 50 years combined experience in the restaurant industry. Francisco grew up in Lima, Peru and has lived in Alameda for over a decade with his wife and two daughters. Francisco previously worked at One Market Restaurant and Waterbar in San Francisco and is excited to present an inviting place for everyone to gather in Alameda. Casey is a new Alameda resident and was swayed to move to the area after experiencing firsthand the warmth of the people on the Island. She has worked at Waterbar, Masa’s, and Rubicon in San Francisco and looks forward to enticing the Alameda community with a high level of food, drinks, and service. Chef Jason was the executive chef at Farallon in San Francisco and can’t wait to present tasty food and visit with everyone who comes to Alley & Vine.

Alley & Vine is a warm, welcoming place to enjoy yourself and the company of those you care about. The Alley & Vine team is a family and will care for you and yours like family too.

Alley and Vine is located at 1332 Park St, Unit D.
Daisy's Mercantile is the name that Barbara and Ron Mooney stand behind as they work collaboratively to create the magic you experience when you walk into their shop.

For 16 years, the duo has loved their customers and dedicated their business to providing them with amazing service and products that surprise and delight them.

Barbara has always made it her business to use her creative gifts no matter what type of job she held. She was "bitten" by the entrepreneur bug back in 1995 and has never looked back. First as a caterer & event planner, then a baker, and now a shopkeeper.

As much as she loves the creative side, she secretly loves the numbers and behind the scenes action it takes to run a business.

Ron grew up in a family business and it shows. It doesn't seem to matter if it is Daisy's or someone else's endeavor, Ron starts churning out ideas when anyone starts talking business. He handles the operations of getting a product where it needs to be as well as the accounting. Ron can often be seen with his sidekick, Cookie the shop dog.

Ron's very active with Alameda's downtown business association and that's reflected in the business. This dedication to civic duty is a vital part of Daisy's core values.

Daisy’s is located at 1347 Park Street. Currently open seven days a week and surrounded by books and restaurants, it is a one-stop shop where you can feel good about supporting local safely.
Your Vote Matters!
Don't Forget to Vote November 3rd (or before)

Voter information for the City of Alameda residents can be found on the city's website.

You can also access information and ways to vote on the county website.

Let your voice be heard.
Business Resources
Get the latest information on COVID-19, funding programs, economic news, and government initiatives on these sites:
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East Bay Economic Development Alliance
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Employment Development Department
  • California unemployment dropped to 11% in September and employers gain 96,000 non-farm payroll jobs. Learn more.
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SBA Alert
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CALCHAMBER
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Information for Workers and Employers
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  • Use YOUTUBE to Grow Your Business
  • On October 7, California's Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) co-hosted the final "Grow With Google" webinar, which featured a video message from special guest, Governor Newsom: "I just want to express respect and appreciation to all of you that are [...] taking advantage of the skills and lessons we can learn, the insights in this virtual course." 
  • Watch the October 7 webinar and learn about best practices for creating a YouTube Channel and compelling video content that promotes your products and services and drives engagement with your brand.
  • How to Celebrate Safely
  • Many traditional Halloween celebrations – such as parties and in-person, door to door trick-or-treating – pose a high risk of spreading COVID-19 and could put your family and loved ones at risk. Enjoy your holidays safely. For low-risk activities, read CDPH’s Guidance for Safer Halloween and Dia de los Muertos Celebrations during COVID-19.
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City of Alameda Updates

Business Openings
Alameda County is preparing to update its local Health Officer Orders to permit additional activities during the week of October 26, including:

  • Indoor dining up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people
  • Indoor worship services up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people
  • Indoor theaters up to 25% capacity or less than 100 people
  • Expansion of indoor retail and malls at up to 50% of capacity and permitting limited indoor food courts

Playgrounds opened last weekend but all children over 2 need to wear a mask.
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Issued on 10/15/20 by the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health, these new procedures include information on tents, wind screens, and heaters.
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Next council meeting: November 4th.
From Our Members
1st United Doubles Down to Help Fight Hunger Through Donation Matching
First United Credit Union is hosting a virtual food drive where they will match donations up to $10,000.

Eligible donations can be made through 11/15/2020.
Our Chamber = Community • Together We Are Stronger. Better. One.
Catalyst • Convener • Champion
Alameda Chamber Of Commerce
www.alamedachamber.com
510-522-0414
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