Spring Into Action With Our Upcoming Events! 🌷🌹🌺🌿

General Membership Meeting

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Your Guam Chamber General Membership Meeting is scheduled to take place in the Micronesian Ballroom, Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. This moth's meeting will feature Benjamin J.F. Cruz, Public Auditor, Office of Accountability - Guam.

Save your seat today by clicking the button below! Members are encouraged to RSVP and made advance payments to secure their seats and for a swift and fast entry on the day of the event!

Save the Date: Friday, April 26, 2024

AI in Daily Operations: Exploring Practical Uses and Strategies for Today's Businesses

Your Guam Chamber Small Business Focus & Development Committee is pleased to announce that Christopher Duenas, CFO of Triple J Enterprises will be the featured speaker for this month’s seminar. He will speak on the topic - AI in Daily Operations: Exploring Practical Uses and Strategies for Today's Businesses. Discover some of the many ways AI can help your business. From customer service to human resources to communications, this seminar offers actionable insights into integrating AI across various business functions. Attendees will learn common ways to apply AI in real-world scenarios, providing the knowledge and tools needed to maintain competitiveness in today's business landscape.

This event is scheduled for Friday, April 26^th, 2024 at the Somnak Ballroom, The Westin Resort Guam. The seminar is open to members at $45.00 and future members at $60.00. Registration is open! Members are encouraged to RSVP and make advance payments to secure their seats for a swift and smooth entry on the day of the event.

TICKETS ARE EXTREMELY LIMITED!

Guam Chamber Centennial Jubilee

Saturday, May 4, 2024 • Hyatt Regency Guam

We have just a few seats left! Can you believe it? We are so excited that YOU are excited to celebrate our 100th Anniversary together! Saturday, May 4th is the date and Hyatt Regency Guam is the place! This milestone event will be a night to remember as we honor our past, celebrate our present, and look forward to the future. Mark your calendars for a night of celebration and reflection as we celebrate the significant milestone in our history of the Chamber's 100 years of partnership with the business community in Guam. Many businesses are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year as well! Snag your tickets today before we are all sold out!

Table and seat reservations are limited! Secure your spot today and join us in commemorating a century of excellence and progress.

Sponsorship opportunities have arrived and are waiting for you! If your company wishes to become a sponsor, view our sponsorship package and let us know if you're interested in making our 100th year, "that night" we all remember! Please email Brandin or contact us at (671) 472-6311/8001 regarding your selection!

BUSINESS OUTREACH

Governor Signs Bill 176-37 for CQA’s Implementation of Automated System, Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero signed Bill 176-37 into law on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency (CQA) headquarters, supporting a transformational stepping stone toward the modernization of CQA. Bill 176-37, now P.L. 37-82, authorizes CQA to promulgate rules and regulations through the Administrative Adjudication Act process to adopt and implement an automated system for customs data and the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, also referred to as the Harmonized System (HS).

The HS, a multipurpose international product nomenclature, was developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and is used by more than 200 countries as a basis for customs tariffs and the collection of international trade statistics. According to the WCO, over 98% of the merchandise in international trade is classified in terms of the HS.

Click here to read more of the news release

Take the GCA Survey!

The Guam Contractors Association (GCA) is reaching out and would like you to complete their short survey. With the ongoing build-up and future work projected over the next several years, GCA would like to gauge the current//future Housing and Workforce needs.

Take the survey now!

2024 Hafa Adai

Pacific Medical Conference

Sunday, June 30th - Monday, July 1st

This conference will feature keynote speakers who will discuss advances in medical care, cutting-edge techniques and share insights on the most pressing healthcare issues on the island. There are 20 hours of CME credit available for this event with 13 hours of in-person lecture.

For more information, please email DeAnne at

dknipschild@llu.edu

Women Small Business Owners:

Improving Your Financial Security Webinar

If you're a woman running a small business, you know that it can be both empowering and challenging. You have to make many decisions related to your business and its finances - but you still can't forget your own financial health. Your business takes a lot of work and determination... and so does your financial security. Working to grow and manage your business and planning for your personal financial future is important to meet your financial goals but presents challenges. The good news is that help is available!

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), joined by the Internal Revenue Service, the Small Business Administration's Office of Women's Business Ownership, and America Saves, will host a free webinar to help women small business owners improve their financial security.

Click here to read more!

U.S. Chamber Updates

Protecting U.S. Innovation from Government Confiscation

Collaboration between business and government bolsters America's standing as the world’s innovation leader. But this strength is at risk.

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Under new guidance from the Biden administration, unelected, unaccountable government bureaucrats could confiscate a company's intellectual property if it received any federal funding for research. This proposed expansion of government power threatens to stifle innovation and erode America's competitive advantage.

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Read more in a blog post by Brad Watts, Vice President, Patents and Innovation Policy at the U.S. Chamber's Global Innovation Policy Center.

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What we’re doing: The Chamber launched a coalition of business voices – the Business Alliance to Stop Innovation Confiscation (BASIC) Coalitio n – to defend IP rights from government overreach.

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Click here to check out an overview of the BASIC Coalition and if you'd like to learn more or join the coalition, reach out to Brad Watts directly at bwatts@uschamber.com.

Learn More

Small Business Owner Confidence in the Economy Ticks Up

The Q1 MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index, which measures small business owner confidence, is 62.3—similar to last quarter’s score of 61.3—reflecting a stable business climate. More small businesses see an improving economy, helping to drive the headline score up one point.

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One in three (32%) small business owners now say the U.S. economy is in good health, up seven percentage points from last quarter. Roughly two in five (38%) say their local economy is in good health, up eight percentage points from the end of 2023.

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This quarter’s survey also asked small businesses about their concern for future threats and crisis planning in response to those threats. Small businesses say they are most concerned about:

Cybersecurity – 60%
Supply chain breakdowns – 58%
Another pandemic occurring in the future – 54%
Inclement weather – 45%
Theft – 42%
Natural disasters – 39%
Act of terrorism – 37%

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The Q1 2024 survey was conducted January 26 – February 12, 2024. The survey has a credibility interval of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points for all respondents.

Explore the Index

Community Outreach

SBA Offers THRIVE Program for Small Business Owners in Guam

mall business owners on Guam looking for professional development may now apply for SBA’s T.H.R.I.V.E. Program. This free program offers small business owners on Guam a unique opportunity to accelerate their business growth through an intensive, executive-level training program.

T.H.R.I.V.E. stands for Train, Hope, Rise, Innovate, Venture, Elevate. The program combines online learning with in-person sessions, focusing on leadership enhancement, strategic financial management, market innovation, and cultivating a thriving company culture. Over a six-month period from late June 2024 to December 2024, participants will engage in an interactive curriculum, receive coaching from experienced business experts, and develop a three-year strategic growth action plan.

Interested applicants can learn more about the training program and apply online at https://sbathrive.com or by contacting Kenneth Lujan, SBA Guam Branch Manager at 671- 688-2599 or email at kenneth.lujan@sba.gov. Applications will be accepted through Sunday, April 28, 2024. The program will commence on June 18, 2024, providing an opportunity for growth and business transformation.

Click here to read more by viewing the news release!

Guam & CNMI 6-Week

Grant Writing Training

This grant writing & funding is having its annual 6-week live grant training for Guam and CNMI scheduled for Tuesdays, April 23rd - May 28th from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. You will be taught how to write foundation, state, and federal grants, and at the end of 6 weeks, you will have developed 1 master grant funding prospect! The train cost is $997 or reserve 3 seats and get the 4th one free. Take this opportunity to learn how to write grants by Ms. Holly Rustick, CEO of Grant Writing & Funding. So what are you waiting for? click the link below to register!

Click here to register!

4th Annail Earth Day Beach Clean Up

Saturday, April 20, 2024

TECO in partnership with the Guam Visitors Bureau presents its 4th Annual Earth Day Beach Clean Up scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Ypao Beach Park, Main Pavillion. Showtime will start at 7:30 a.m. and start time will begin at 8:00 a.m.

Join them in keeping our beach clean and celebrating Earth Day! Water, coffee, gloves, and trash bags will be provided to all volunteers.

Saipan Chamber of Commerce

15th Annual Scholarship

Golf Tournament

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 15th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at the Lao Lao Bay Golf & Resort!

Join them for a thrilling two-person scramble. secure your spot with Early Bird Registration before April 8th, and enjoy special rates. Don't miss out on this opportunity to support education while enjoying a day on the green.

Registration forms are available for pick-up at the Lao Lao Bay Golf & Resort front desk or by clicking here!

For more information on this event, please contact the Saipan Chamber Team at

(670) 234-7150 or email them! Goodluck golfers!

Need assistance in posting your job positions? Our Projects and Programs Coordinator, Schuyler Delgado, is available to assist you. Please submit your information via email or by contacting your Chamber Team at (671) 472-6311/8001. Click here to view job announcements!

Check out what's happening with our fellow Chamber members! News sent to us by a Chamber member is featured on our "member news" page. Feel free to send us your releases and we are happy to share your news!

Resources & Training

2024

Industry Recovery Updates

Click here

View Guams SBDC'S

April 2024

Training Events!

View Guam APEX

Accelerators

April 2024

Training Events

Webinars are held every Thursday from 10am - 11:30am via Zoom.

Zoom links emailed to registered attendees 30 minutes before the webinar.

Season 3: Episode 2 is now available!

In this most recent episode of the Chamber Member Spotlight Podcast, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Jaedeen Perez, the talented co-owner of Jaded and Cure. Jaedeen shared her journey of becoming a successful entrepreneur and the challenges she faced along the way. From co-owning a beauty brand to managing a successful salon, Jaedeen's passion for beauty and business is truly inspiring. Listen to her insights and advice on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube for a glimpse into the world of beauty and entrepreneurship.

Click your favorite links below to listen to our newest episode!

Youtube • Spotify • Apple Podcast