December 2020 Vol 2
Brought to you by the
Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce
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Chamber members,
Well, here we are, on the brink of a new year. Whether you are enjoying some quiet days at work or a few last days of vacation before 2021 begins, it’s a great time to think about ways to make this year fantastic for you and your organization.
Here are a few ideas to get your new year rolling:
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Brush up your business strategic plan and your personal goals. Taking the time to create one, two, and five year plans for yourself and your organization will prove invaluable, and direction and clarity are often achieved before the planning process is complete. Be sure to engage your stakeholders—customers, investors, donors, staff, and family members.
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Manage your cash flow and in your personal life, establish a household budget. Take the time to create monthly cash flow projections for the entire year based on your budget and anticipated revenue. Maintaining a solid understanding of your historical cash uses will help ensure you are investing properly in savings, equipment or building repair/replacement, and debt reduction....and in your personal life, saving for the vacation, property, or college plans for your kids.
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Focus on marketing, social media, and new technology. If you don’t have the expertise in house for a modern marketing, advertising and social media strategy, and the software and equipment needed to operate your organization the way you need to, then make a plan to “acquire or hire” the know-how and the systems to accomplish your goals. Many local firms can provide you guidance regarding communications and technology.
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Plan for time off and professional development early in the year. Making vacation plans and committing to professional development goals at the beginning of the year is critical. Formulating a time-off plan for everyone ensures that the workplace establishes realistic expectations regarding a healthy work/life balance, while also developing staff and ensuring top performance.
Best wishes for a productive, successful and brighter 2021 from your entire Chamber Board, Ambassadors and staff.
Happy New Year!
Tracy
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2021 Membership renewals and sponsorships |
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By now, all members should have received a membership renewal due January 31st. Thank you to all those who have already paid! Please pay close attention to a few exciting changes with regard to sponsorships that give you more exposure, better planning and reduced invoices. The video below walks you through the changes. The deadline to receive the "Promoter" level sponsorship at no additional charge has been extended to January 15, 2020. Review the membership application.
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How to qualify and claim an R&D Tax Credit
The elusive and vague term “research and development” seemed like a gray area of spending reserved for scientists in lab coats, until now. Find out how you might qualify for an IRS R&D tax credit in 2021.
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Everything You Need to Know About Coronavirus Federal Small Business Stimulus Aid Programs
A breakdown of all the federal programs and aid for small business coronavirus assistance.
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The Latest Stimulus Details and Changes to PPP Loans
During the recent Small Business Update, U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive vice president and chief policy officer Neil Bradley and Jeanette Mulvey, content director at CO—, discussed the new coronavirus relief deal and the updates to PPP.
- Businesses can apply for PPP loans if they didn’t before
- A new ‘second draw’ PPP will offer businesses additional aid
- Eligible PPP expenses have changed
- Paycheck Protection Program loans are not taxable
- Changes to the employee retention tax credit (ERTC)
- A new grant program for live venues
Please click here or below to view the recording of the program.
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Badgerland Youth for Christ
"The Loft" 111 Rowell Street, Beaver Dam
Badgerland Youth for Christ is one of over 180 Chapters across the U.S. under the leadership of National YFC. Badgerland YFC has a variety of ministries spanning West Bend, Fond du Lac, Waupun, Portage, Lomira and even right here in Beaver Dam. This ministry reaches adolescents between the ages of 11-19 who are going into middle school through completion of high school.
Locally here in Beaver Dam, we offer the ministries Campus Life (high school) and Campus Life M (middle school). We offer a safe place for youth to gather, establish and build healthy relationships with adults who care for them and invest into their lives, explore their faith, and just plain have fun. Most of our ministry takes place at our youth room “The Loft” at 111 Rowell Street in Beaver Dam.
Our screened and trained adults and staff also meet with teens one on one in local establishments to invest into their lives and hear their stories and often find ourselves pouring into entire families. We are in our 12th year of this ministry existing here in Beaver Dam with our full-time staff person Hans Gochenaur leading the way locally under the supervision of the chapter Badgerland YFC.
To learn more about Youth for Christ, visit here.
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Beaver Dam 3D Productions
920-382-6644
email: contact@bd3dpro.com
Wish you could bring an immersive online shopping experience to your customers? Want to provide your client a 360° view of a home for sale, your hotel before they book, or fitness center before they join? How about a virtual tour of your showroom? With BD3D Productions, businesses can offer customers the ability to experience a virtual showcase of their products or facilities. Virtual tours have applications in many industries including retail, construction, hospitality, and real estate. Perhaps you need an alternative for a live manufacturing tour due to COVID?
BD3D Productions is a family-owned business created by Omar Morales specializing in virtual tours. They are based right here in Beaver Dam and look forward to being a part of this wonderful community. Omar is excited to bring this technology and exceptional service to businesses both locally and in surrounding communities. Picture your business or location in 3D and they will make it a virtual reality.
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Business Power Hour
Walker Johnson: Lessons learned
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Noon - 1:00 pm
Walker Johnson served 26 years in Wisconsin penal institutions for an armed robbery he committed as a teenager. Hear his inspirational story of how he turned himself around in prison and became an exemplary role model to those who met him.
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Virtual Breakfast Network
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Chamber members come together for coffee and conversation where we meet and learn more about each other and spend a little time sharing ideas for the morning’s discussion topic.
* Bring your own coffee and breakfast.
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Annual Meeting
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Noon - 1:00 pm
While not the way we would like to come together for our annual meeting, we do need to take care of some business and give a quick Chamber recap of 2020. We will also be announcing our annual award winners. We hope you can join us.
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What would WWBIC do?
January 5, 2021
6:00-7:00 pm
Free online session.
Join us and learn what services WWBIC offers such as business education courses, business loans, one on one coaching support, and financial capability workshops. Let us guide you as you explore, start, pivot, grow or strengthen your business and your personal finances!
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Friday Feature: 1099's
January 8, 2021
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Free online session.
Friday Feature is a presentation based educational offering with opportunity for Q&A throughout.
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Marketing Monday's: SEO
January 11, 2021
12:00 - 1:00 pm
Free online session.
Join us for an exciting new Marketing Monday! A 60 minute, high energy conversation led by Ben LeFort of Dolomite Marketing. Ben will guide conversations featuring NEW marketing topics each month, along with additional experts and small business owners sharing their marketing challenges and successes.
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ABC's of Business Planning
January 19, 2021
6:00 - 7:00 pm
Free online session.
Your business plan is critical for starting, managing, and growing your business and very necessary to secure financing! This workshop explains why a strong business plan is vital and will provide vetted resources to help you successfully complete your plan!
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Cashflow. Cashflow. Cashflow!
January 26, 2021
6:00-7:00 pm
Free online session.
Numbers sure can be scary! When it comes to your business your numbers are vital to your success! This workshop explains how money flows in and out of your business, as well as completing, tracking and understanding cashflow and projections to set your business up for financial success
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2021 State of American Business
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
11:00 am - 12:00 pm CST
Hosted by: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Join the U.S. Chamber’s 2021 State of American Business event on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 as we explore how a united business community can rally a divided nation around a widespread economic recovery, restore good governance, and rebuild our economy for the future.
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COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna. As states begin to prioritize, allocate, and distribute the first doses, the U.S. Chamber has created a new COVID-19 Vaccines FAQ one-pager to answer the common questions being asked by Americans—and especially business leaders. Click here to view the one-pager with accurate and current information about the vaccine allocation process, expected timelines, and what it all means for the road to recovery.
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Small Business Owners Still Feel Pain of Pandemic and Fear More to Come
The U.S. Chamber and MetLife released the Q4 Small Business Index —a survey of 1,000 small businesses to take the temperature of the sector, see where small business owners are confident, and where they are experiencing challenges. The Q4 index in particular focused on small business owners' outlook in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other insights, the Q4 Small Business Index finds that:
• Only 40% of all small business owners believe their business can continue to operate indefinitely without having to shut down permanently
• 62% of small businesses fear that the worst is still to come with COVID-19’s economic impact;
• 74% of all small business owners say they need further government assistance to weather the storm;
• Combatting COVID-19 (44%) and the economy (44%) are the two top small business priorities for the incoming president and Congress.
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What’s in Store for 2021?
Five Holiday Retail Trends that Will Shape the New Year
For both consumers and retailers alike, the 2020 holiday season shopping experience has been unlike any other. Check out the 5 holiday retail trends that you can expect to continue seeing well into 2021 as shared with CO— by the experts
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Last call for January Staples discount enrollment
As a Chamber member, we have worked with Staples to provide you with an ongoing 20% discount off your company’s in-store print & marketing services and 10% off in-store purchases of regularly priced items in 2021.
We need your company’s rewards number to get the discount applied to your in-store purchases. Please respond by 12/28, otherwise enrollment will be done once per month moving forward.
Register your company and rewards number here.
Forgot your #? Log in to your account and click rewards and then click rewards profile or call 800-793-3320 or set up a new account.
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Leadership Beaver Dam Minute
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10 Great Tips for keeping your resolutions this year
The new year feels like a new beginning, which is why so many people often set lofty resolutions during these times. While this practice can sometimes lead people to bite off more than they can chew, going after resolutions can also present great opportunities to overcome struggles with willpower, determination, and ingenuity.
So, what can you do to make it more likely that you will keep your next resolution? The tips in this article by Kendra Cherry on verywellmind.com may help you beat the odds.
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Tiny Habits
Author: BJ Fogg, PhD
Every January you make a long list of resolutions and every year they crumble faster than a dried-out Christmas fruitcake. You’re not alone: 80% of our best intentions falter before the end of the year, and most don’t make it to February. Here's a book and process that can help.
Rather than focus on breaking your bad habits, why not create a bunch of new good ones instead? According to Silicon Valley legend and founding father of habit research BJ Fogg, it will make you happier, healthier and more productive than ever. His ground-breaking method reveals that the key to changing behaviour is not about willpower; it’s about focusing on the things that are easy to change.
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Inspiration and motivation |
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“We will open the book. Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”
– Edith Lovejoy Pierce
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Thank you to our Platinum & Gold Sponsors |
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Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce
920.887.8879
info@bdchamber.com
www.beaverdamchamber.com
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