March 2021
Brought to you by the
Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce
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Ask your CPA about Employee Retention Credit (ERC)
For 2020, the employee retention credit can be claimed by employers who paid qualified wages after March 12, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2021, and who experienced a full or partial suspension of their operations or a significant decline in gross receipts. The credit is equal to 50% of qualified wages paid, including qualified health plan expenses, up to $10,000 per employee in 2020, meaning the maximum credit available for each employee is $5,000.
For 2020, eligible employers that received a PPP loan are permitted to claim the employee retention credit, although the same wages cannot be counted for both. These benefits combined with the PPP could pay over 50% of payroll for the year. Learn more.
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'Huge cultural loss' if restaurants don't recover, but help appears to be on the way
A COVID-19 relief bill the House passed over the weekend could soon infuse $25 billion into the ailing restaurant industry, which Madison-area restaurateurs say will be essential to keeping their businesses alive.
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Last week, the House Appropriations Committee announced a new process whereby Members of Congress can request up to 10 “Community Projects” that will be considered for funding in the annual appropriations bills. Grantees must be state or local governmental or non-profit entities. In addition, “Members must provide evidence of community support that were compelling factors in their decision to select the requested projects.” This week, the House Infrastructure Committee announced a similar process for transportation priorities. Additional details will be provided in the coming weeks.
The U.S. Chamber believes that state and local chambers can play an important role in recommending projects and providing evidence of community support. Within the next two weeks, we will convene a discussion on best practices and how chambers can engage to support local project funding. If you are interested in participating in the conversation, please click here to sign up by the deadline this Monday, March 8, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
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March 31, 2021 Deadline
- Did you apply for PPP?
Paycheck Protection Program
SBA is authorized to guarantee loans under the PPP through March 31, 2021. Legislation also:
- Makes all PPP expenses tax deductible
- Reverses an earlier directive that required PPP borrowers to deduct EIDL Advance grants from their PPP loan forgiveness amount
- Simplifies the forgiveness process for PPP borrowers with loans under $150,000 and holds harmless lenders who acted in good faith with SBA guidelines
- Makes the PPP accessible for sole-proprietor farmers who didn’t turn a profit in 2019
- Makes 501(c)(6) organizations eligible for PPP loans, subject to restrictions
Second Draw PPP
Certain eligible borrowers that previously received a PPP loan are now allowed to apply for a Second Draw PPP Loan:
A borrower is generally eligible for a Second Draw PPP Loan if the borrower:
- Previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will or has used the full amount only for authorized uses
- Has no more than 300 employees; and
- Can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020
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Open Road Harley-Davidson
24 S. Rolling Meadows Drive
Fond du Lac, Wis.
920.921.2344
Conveniently located off of Interstate 41 in Fond du Lac, Open Road Harley Davidson owners Pete Johnson and Lori Thiel extend a warm welcome and invite you to come in to check out their selection of new and used motorcylcles and Harley Trikes, motorcycle parts and Harley Davidson accessories. They also have a motorcycle service and repair department for touring motorcycles or cruisers.
Both Lori and Pete have a background in the financial services, but entrepreneurship was a lifelong aspiration for both Pete and Lori, so when they met at a Sturgis Rally, they began to dream together of owning a Harley-Davidson dealership and founded Open Road Harley-Davidson in 2007 and have been living life wide open ever since.
They believe in being the best rather than the biggest as they have consistently ranked in the top 10% among all dealers nationally by HDMC standards for customer experience and they have been awarded Harley-Davidson Motor Company's prestigious Bar & Shield Circle of Excellence Award three times.
To learn more about Open Road Harley-Davidson, visit here.
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My Helper's Care (MHC)
129 Park Ave
Beaver Dam WI
920.296.5065
My Helper's Care is who you call for all your in-home care needs, They even have ONE TIME SERVICE PRICING! Call them for help when you need...
TRANSPORTAION/ERRANDS
Arrange transportation to the bank, pharmacy, grocery store, appointments and more, church, laudromat, family gatherings and more
COMPANION CARE
MHC has purchased a home in Beaver Dam to be used for their clients and community members in need of socialization
HOSPIC/COVID SERVICES
MHC has a team of dedicated and caring hospice and COVID caregivers who ensure a smooth transition and education process by working closely with the family and care team
PERSONAL CARE/ HOMEMAKING SERVICES
Shower assistance * Wound care * Compression stockings * Exercising/ Range of Motion * Cath/Ostomy care * Toileting assistance * Monitoring vitals * C/Bi-pap, Vent assistance * Any ADL * Laundry * Household chores * Meal planning, preparing, portioning & packaging * Garbage removal * Spring/ Fall deep clean * Holiday * preparations * Home transitioning/ relocating * Medication reminders
JOIN THEIR TEAM! MHC offers hours that work around your schedule with competitive pay, mileage/travel reimbursement, quarterly bonuses. No certification required, with paid training. Visit their website.
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Bradley Finishing
Phone: 920-296-0542
Need a pristine job of painting on your business or home? Our new member Bradley Finishing is your go to painter. Speaking from first-hand experience on several projects, owner Shaun Bradley is a perfectionist and is in and out of a project in record time and leaves the project clean and tidy.
His amazing wife is Chamber Ambassador Stefanie Bradley form Armor Animal Health.
Call Bradley Finishing for deck staining and sealing, drywall texturing, interior and exterior painting, wood staining and sealing and more!
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Chamber Programming and Events |
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Virtual Breakfast Network
"Is your website helping or hurting you?"
Join us for networking and knowledge!
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Your company's website is doing two things for your business: it is either helping it or hurting it. The question is, what is your website doing for YOU? In this presentation, you will learn the most important "to-do's" that your company's website should include encouraging your potential clients to take action and connect with you, instead of moving on to your competition.
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Meet Your Instructor:
Amanda Kemmel
Client Experience/Account Executive - Home Pro Digital/Eviva Media
Amanda has always had a love for sales and marketing, always seeking new solutions and ways to do business better. She is known to start a conversation when talking to a business professional, "You know what you should do..." as oftentimes simple changes in business lead to incredible results. Amanda currently works with Eviva Media, a digital marketing agency that specializes in promoting businesses in the online space including website development, social media marketing, search engine marketing, and branding.
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Business Power Hour
Grow With Google Chamber Events
- The Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce is now a Google Partner
"Make your website work for you"
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Participants will discover how to create a search-friendly website that drives user action and supports their goals. Whether launching a new website or sprucing up an old one, this workshop will help.
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"Make your website work for you"
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Learn how your business can be found online with Google. This workshop explains how Google Search works and how you can improve a website's visibility with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The session also introduces products like Google My Business, Google Trends, Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Ads, and more.
In this workshop we’ll discuss best practices for:
- Improving your website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, on all devices
- Creating a free Google My Business listing
- Advertising your business on Google
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Meet Your Instructor:
Dave is a Google supported trainer for the Grow with Google partner program. He has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communications and has presented digital marketing topics to thousands of people across the US and Canada.
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Taste of Beaver Dam
Now - March 28, 2021
Taste of Beaver Dam promotion runs through March with the last drawing on April 1st. Enter for your chance to win restaurant gift cards weekly. Dine-in or carryout at Chamber member restaurants or bars and enter for a chance to win!
Photograph your receipt and include your name and phone number and send to beaverdamchamber@gmail.com or use the #BDEats with a photo of your food and where you purchased it for your chance to enter. Drop off entries at the Chamber are accepted as well. Do both and get double the chance. For full rules visit here. Chamber members include:
Bayside Supper Club, Benvenutos, Dam Chicken, Culvers, Higher Grounds, Lupitas Restaurant, Mcdonald’s on Spring, Old Hickory, Ooga Brewing Company, Palenque, Park Avenue Sports Café, Riverfront Wine Bar, Sake House, Sunview Restaurant, Taco Bell, Tower Lanes, Wendy’s Restaurant
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SAVE THE DATES! Upcoming Chamber Programming
Power Hour: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Training for the impacts of trauma
April 6, 2021 Noon - 1:00 pm
Sponsored by Marshfield Medical Center
Virtual Breakfast Network
April 13, 2021, 8:00 am - 9:00 am
Power Hour: Leading with Emotional Intelligence
April 22, 2021 Noon - 1:00 pm
Sponsored by: Leadership Beaver Dam
Virtual Breakfast Network with the "Linkedin Lady"
May 11, 2021, 8:00 am - 9:00 am
LIVE Business After Hours - Habitat for Humanity Restore
May 19, 2021 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Taste of Wisconsin - June 19, 2021, noon - 4 pm
Beaver Dam Area Chamber Golf Outing - June 28, 2021
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News Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) |
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Upcoming WMC Webinars:
WMC Members-Only Briefing - Sponsored by Riley Construction
Featuring Kevin Conroy, Exact Sciences CEO & Christopher Green, Wisconsin Hospital Association Chief Medical Officer
WMC Members-Only Briefing - Sponsored by Godfrey & Kahn
Featuring Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeManhieu
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HEADLINES
Wisconsin launches COVID-19 vaccine hotline
Those with questions about the COVID-19 vaccine can now ask them via a new resource. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says an assistance hotline is available for vaccine-related questions. Those with questions can call (844) 684-1064 toll-free. The resource is meant to help answers questions about vaccine locations, medical-related issues with the vaccine and registration.
DWD Begins Paying Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Extension
New pandemic unemployment benefits started going out to unemployment recipients Thursday, more than two months after the benefits became law in December. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) is an extension to regular unemployment, allowing recipients to receive extra weeks of unemployment coverage past the maximum 26 weeks. The new benefits created in December meant that those who had already exhausted their original 13 weeks of benefits were eligible for close to three more months of benefits.
WMC Thanks Lawmakers for Protecting Wisconsin Businesses from Predatory COVID-19 Lawsuits
WMC praised lawmakers on Thursday for protecting businesses, universities, schools, non-profits and other organizations from predatory COVID-19 lawsuits. The Senate passed Special Session Senate Bill 1 – which contained a measure providing COVID-19 liability protections to businesses and others – last week 27-3, the Assembly approved it on Tuesday 89-0 and Gov. Tony Evers signed it into law on Thursday making it 2021 Act 4.
Evers Administration Puts Forward Plan For COVID-19 Child Care Aid
Gov. Tony Evers’ administration is putting forward a plan to spend about $132 million of federal coronavirus aid on child care programs across Wisconsin by this summer — but the proposal requires approval from GOP lawmakers before the money can be paid out. Wisconsin received about $149 million for child care programs under the second COVID-19 relief package approved by Congress in December. Under the Evers administration’s plan, about $132 million of that would be distributed by June 30 to help providers struggling during the pandemic. Funds could pay for programming, technology and staff salaries.
A $668 Million Initiative to Expand Broadband Availability to Unserved Wisconsin Homes and Small Businesses
Charter has announced plans to deliver gigabit high-speed broadband to approximately 143,000 unserved Wisconsin homes and small businesses, as estimated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As part of this effort, more than $668 million will be invested in Wisconsin, which includes an expected private investment of at least $500 million by Charter and more than $168 million in support won by Charter in the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity (RDOF) auction.
Walmart Gets Behind U.S. Manufacturing With 10-Year, $350 Billion Investment
Walmart Inc. today announced that it’s investing $350 billion over the next decade on products made, grown or assembled in the U.S. The retailer, which is focusing on six priority categories, including plastics, textiles, small electrical appliances, food processing, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, and Goods Not For Resale, estimated the commitment will support 750,000 new jobs. The retailer said it will cultivate American-made products through reshoring, expanding orders with existing suppliers and placing orders with new suppliers.
Wisconsin and local governments would receive $5.5 billion in COVID-19 aid under House bill
Wisconsin and its local governments would receive $5.5 billion in federal help to fight COVID-19 and its economic toll — far more than what they got last year — under legislation recently approved by the U.S. House. The state would receive $3.2 billion and Wisconsin local governments would receive $2.3 billion in help, according to estimates from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Evers Says Schools Might Need Summer Classes, Early Start To Recover From Pandemic
Gov. Tony Evers said Tuesday he thinks schools should consider more summer school or starting classes earlier this fall to help children catch up, saying there had been a loss of learning during the pandemic, regardless of how districts had handled it. Evers also voiced support for teachers resuming in-person instruction when their schools are ready, saying it wasn't imperative that teachers first receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Wisconsin Dept. of Corrections stops reimbursing counties for housing prison inmates
County jails are housing more inmates waiting to be shipped to prison than normal, and sheriffs across the state say it could end up costing local taxpayers thousands of dollars. It's an issue FOX 11 first told you about in the fall, but it has re-emerged as the state recently stopped reimbursing counties for housing the inmates. Right now, Brown County is paying to house 74 inmates at its jail who are waiting to be shipped to state prisons. That is about seven times more than normal.
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U.S. Chamber Calls on Congress to Target American Rescue Plan Based on the Latest Data
Since the introduction of the American Rescue Plan, new data shows that personal savings have grown substantially with Americans saving almost $3 trillion since the pandemic began, and some states are generating more revenue than pre-pandemic.
Speaking to the importance of targeting aid where it is needed the most, U.S. Chamber executive vice president and chief policy officer released the following statement:
"The failure of Congress to heed the data and revise the American Rescue Plan means less money for other priorities, including infrastructure and education. We need Congress to act in a bipartisan manner, as they did last year on the many pandemic packages, which have been crucial in keeping our economy going. We need Congress to get the policy right with highly targeted aid for those most in need. As currently drafted, the American Rescue Plan fails the test.”
American Rescue Plan Relief Allocation Summaries
Click here to view a breakdown of estimated state and local funding allocations through the American Rescue Plan.
Click here to view a breakdown of estimated state-specific education and childcare funding allocations through the American Rescue Plan.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will continue to provide additional analysis of the American Rescue Plan funding allocations as information becomes available.
Personal Income is Higher Than It was Pre-Pandemic
In a year full of economic data outliers, personal income stands out. It is supposed to fall during periods of economic contraction and remain down for some time after. And yet, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ release of income in January, it is now more than 12% higher than it was pre-pandemic. Keep in mind, the economy was doing really well back then. The tremendous rise in income is stunning.
By the numbers: Driving the year-over-year increase was a 10% increase in January alone. That is the second highest monthly increase on record, coming in behind only a 12.4% increase in April 2020. The economy is doing well, all things considered, and the underlying data show that. Wages and salaries of workers rose $7.2 billion, or 0.7%, in January compared to December. In normal times, this would be a large increase. The overwhelming reason income jumped so much last month was government transfers though. They rose $140 billion, representing more than 86% of the total monthly increase.
The government transfers were almost all the latest round of pandemic relief payments, the $600 per person checks that mostly went out in January. Supplemental unemployment insurance benefits also contributed to the rise in income. They increased about $20 billion in January.
Higher income lead to a 2.4% increase in spending, after consecutive declines in November and December. Spending should continue to rise because Americans were unable to spend all the additional income last month. Savings increased $328 billion in January alone. Americans have compiled more than $1.8 trillion in savings above normal in the last 11 months. Those savings are available to boost spending in the coming months.
Looking ahead: February is likely to see a pullback in income because of the end of the relief payments, but March could see another strong rebound if Congress passes another round of payments it is considering now. The economy is poised for major growth starting in earnest when vaccines drive the virus to levels that allow close-to-full reopening.
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Green Tips: Being a Sustainable Business
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Sustainability is good for business
Having a business is more than about just making money. A business has an impact and relationship with the community, the environment, natural resources, and the future. Being a sustainable business can enhance your brand value and revenue because people are becoming more aware of the need to be sustainable and are willing to pay more to support that. A sustainable business also experiences lowered costs by creating less waste and using less energy. Find out more here.
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Leadership Beaver Dam Minute
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25 Rules To Live By, To Ensure You're Living Your Best Life By 25.....or whenever
While "you only live once", it is still is important to head through life with some parameters. In this Elite Daily article, discover 25 Rules to live by for your best life by age 25. We just felt they were good to live by no matter your age!
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Don't compare yourself to other people - you are different people on different paths
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Make time for passion even if it doesn't pay the bills - your passion feeds your soul.
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Don't say "yes" when you really want to say "no" - reclaim your right to not want to do something.
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Let bygones be bygones - The more you dwell on the past the less you live in the present.
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Close friends should be quality of quantity - loyal, genuine friends are a gift
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2021 South Central Wisconsin Career Expo
Presented by Good Karma Brands, AM 1430 WBEV and 95X
Are you on the hunt for talented people to fill your current employment vacancies? Or are you one of the people who are searching for a new or better career opportunity? You’re invited to the 2021 South Central Wisconsin Career Expo Virtual Event! This virtual event will take place the entire month of April. Learn more.
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Suicide-The Ripple Effect on Tuesday, March 9 at 6pm.
According to the CDC, suicidal thoughts went up significantly in young adults (ages 18-24) from 10.7% (2018) to 25.5% (August 2020). In all ages, it increased from 4.3% to 11%. Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam wants to help by providing this resource so that you may recognize the warning signs and offer solutions to your members, workforce, friends, family members, or anyone you see displaying behavior that may lead to suicide.
You must pre-register here.
The link to join will be emailed to you. The film is appropriate for ages 10 and up.
This opportunity is brought to Dodge Co. by Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam in partnership with Church Health Services.
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Inspiration and motivation |
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Dare to be what your best self knows you ought to be;
dare to be a bigger human being than you have ever been.
Norman Vincent Park
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Thank you!
2021 Executive Circle and Mission Sponsors (to date)
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Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce
920.887.8879
info@bdchamber.com
www.beaverdamchamber.com
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