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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2017)
8 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2017 BUSINESS BEAT 541-997-3128 290 Highway 101, Florence, OR 97439 www.FlorenceChamber.com www.facebook.com/fl orenceoregon www.twitter.com/FlorenceOrCoast October 7, 2017 From the Director’s Desk Welcome to the Chamber! By Bettina Hannigan Chamber Executive Director NEW PREMIER MEMBER Angle & Square, General Contractor Florence Area 541-991-8044 angleandsquare.com UPCOMING EVENTS: Chamber Noon Forum – NOW AT THREE RIVERS CASINO & RESORT! October 12 Come discover new ways to GET FUNDED and expand, update, and grow your business. Th is useful forum will be presented by Maia Hardy, Loan Offi cer with Community LendingWorks (associated with NEDCO in Springfi eld and serving all of Lane County), and Jesse Dolin, Economic Development Catalyst for the City of Florence. Learn how local business can access funding and services from our government partners. Get the help you need to grow your business. Join the Chamber at Th ree Rivers Casino October 12th at 11:45am for lunch and learning. Th is forum is open to the public and lunch is available for $11.99. PASSPORT q ART FLORENCE | OREGON Get yours today G d at the h Visitors Center! Chamber = Resources. Florence, like most small rural communities is challenged with limited housing and skilled work- force. How do we get the right people to come, stay and build their lives here? It seems obvious - we at- tract people that want this lifestyle. It is shock- ing, but not everyone wants to live in a small rural community – they’re not the people we should be marketing. Let’s go aft er people that want what we have; fi shing, wildcraft ing, hik- ing, beaches, lakes, and my favorite, community. Last month’s topic, at the Chamber Noon Forum, Cookie Branding? By Bobby Jensen Jr. Chamber Board Member Whether we like it or not, when we’re in business we have a brand. Th e brand is the overall feeling cre- ated when people think about your business. We as humans have a brand as well, but it’s referred to as our char- Small business has a voice in Salem. Th e OSCC has been actively representing small business interests. Until a few years ago there was no representation specifi cally for small business. Th e vacuum left legislators with little to no resistance for unfriendly business legislation. Th ings are diff erent now, thanks to the Oregon State Chamber’s advocacy small business is being heard. Here is a recent OSCC update for what is coming up very soon. “Th ere are a variety items we want to bring to your attention. Initiative Petitions are in full swing as the deadline for gathering signatures is October 5th for the November 2018 Ballot. Additionally, the Governor’s PERS Task Force is running and up to full speed. Initiative Petitions -Th e Business Coalition has launched two proactive Initiatives. Th e fi rst Initiative is to slow state spending g rowth and to pay off the state’s PERS debt. Th e second Initiative clarifi es the state Constitution on tax and fee increases in order to 2017-2018 Corporate Underwriters (held the second Th ursday of the month at Th ree Rivers Casino) was on “Hope for Housing”. Wen- dy Farley-Campbell presented for the City of Florence and she made a very interesting point, if we’re bringing in employees from outside the Florence Area, it’s very diffi cult for them to be- come a part of our community. When they go home aft er work, they’re not going to drive back for the 7pm local event or come back for week- end events. It’s not new news, Florence needs more skilled workforce; technical, manufactur- ing, skilled trades, and health care professionals are all in demand. Th e City is collaborating with Travel Lane County and the Chamber to develop a new marketing video that will tell our story and invite people that want what Florence has. Th is video will be used for recruiting through mar- keting, social media, and shared with commu- nity organizations. Sometimes, we as employers need to think out of the box. Like work sharing – where two people do one person’s job. How about two semi-retired people job sharing? Flor- ence is a popular retirement community but not all of us are quite ready for full time retirement. Two mom’s sharing one position, two students sharing one position and so forth. Opportunities abound when we are willing to change things up. Which brings me to my question, can you push a string? Are you trying without even re- alizing it? Are you feeling frustration, exaspera- tion, apathy, burn out? It happens sometimes without even knowing it. What strings are you trying to push? Staffi ng, technology, marketing, relationships, stagnation? Th e list goes on and they can be business killers. If you’re coasting, you’re going downhill. Let’s work together to look at your string and how Chamber resources can help you grow. Making connections will help you leverage other’s experience and knowledge, learning the easy way. Th e Chamber is here to help, we can help fi nd the answers your business needs. Call me and let’s talk. acter. So this spot is for you regardless of your position. Your brand is made up of thousands of diff erent interactions between you and your customers. Every detail of every interaction will aff ect the way people feel about your busi- ness. What we need to do is make a plan of how our brand will look, sound, feel, taste and smell! People will associate all of these senses with your business no matter what, so we want to look at all of them and make sure we are communicating the brand we want to repre- sent our organization. A few years ago I helped install an oven in a family business which was odd because it was a fi nancial planning fi rm. I immediately asked, “Why do you need an oven here”? “To bake cookies of course!” So what does baking cookies have to do with fi nancial planning? Sensory experience translates to trust, that’s what it has to do with it. Th eir brand was traditional and what’s more traditional than the smell and taste of fresh baked cookies? Associations like this are a way to connect your brand to people’s positive emotions. So you can see that you’re the choreographer, orchestrator and director! Build the experience all the way through with attention to all the details that will delight your favorite customers! address the three-fi ft hs requirement on revenue raising legislation Oregon PERS Task Force Th e Oregon PERS Task Force is now in full swing. Governor Brown has directed the panel to come up with $5 billion in funds to pay down part of Oregon’s $24.5 billion in unfunded liability. Th e task force IS NOT charged with reducing the cost of PERS. Th e Governor asked the PERS Task Force to generate ideas fi rst, and determine their feasibility and political viability second. Th e group will meet again on October 13th before submitting a report to Gov. Brown on November 1st. Th e recommendations of the group will likely produce legislation for the 2018 session that could have widespread consequences. Please fi nd a list of concepts that we compiled below: • Maximize marketing, sale and distribution of liquor, excise taxes on beer and wine. Th e task force discussed a 50-cent bottle surcharge on liquor but were less specifi c with regard to beer and wine. • OHSU $1 Billion in unrestricted funds: Th e task force has suggested looking into using these reserve funds and acting as backstop for OHSU if needed. • Rolling back limitations on city taxing authority with the requirement that a portion of additional revenues go to the state for UAL (marijuana tax, cigarette tax, etc.) • Tax on foreclosed properties: Counties currently use foreclosure tax funds to reimburse themselves for the cost of sale and any additional funds are disbursed to all taxing entities. Th e task force is considering repurposing foreclosure surpluses. • Restructuring the way that SAIF is managed. Ideas have been thrown out about using a portion of the dividend investment portfolio and using future dividends for Oregon’s UAL. Th e task force acknowledged the harm this would cause employers. • Selling or leasing state lands, unclaimed property and other property: $100 million-500 million. • Increasing estate taxes: $10 million-50 million. • Shift ing more fi re suppression costs to forest land owners: $10 million-50 million per year. • Assigning capital gains tax above projections to PERS fund: $100 million-500 million per year during economic growth periods. • Taking interest earned on state funds from each fund and putting it in common pool: $50 million-100 million. • Increase games and introduce mobile phone games to the state Lottery: $100 million-$1 billion over 10 years. Drift wood Shores Resort Th e Korando Dental Group Supporting Small Business Startups Th ree Rivers Casino Resort TR Hunter Real Estate Distinguished Sponsors 101 Th ings to Do Magazine Banner Bank Bi-Mart Beachcomber Pub Burns’s Riverside Chapel Fred Meyer Stores Lofy Construction Oregon Pacifi c Bank PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center Sea Lion Caves Spruce Point Assisted Living Th e Siuslaw News Be sure to thank these members for their investment in our community! By Russ Title, Description here Business Aft er Hours Hosted by the Florence Senior Center October 19 th . Join the Chamber and community at the Florence Senior Center, mix, mingle and make new connections. Enjoy appetizers and refreshments with live music. You’re invited to Business Aft er Hours on October 19, 2017, from 5-7 PM. Here’s your chance to tour the facility and discover new expansion plans. Business Aft er Hours Hosted by Heceta Lighthouse Station Bed & Breakfast November 2 nd . Don’t miss this rare opportunity to enjoy the warm hospitality of this historic bed and breakfast. Misty and her crew will provide wonderful homemade nibbles from the kitchen and libations to sip while you stroll through the beautifully decorated rooms, enjoying the breath taking ocean views. Making new business connections has never been such a wonderful experience! Business Aft er Hours are FREE to attend and open to the public. We invite you to come see for yourself how the Chamber does business! Event Committee Meetings – Come join the fun! Want to grow your business? Business by referral is powerful. Participating on a Chamber Committee is an eff ective way to build relationships and referrals. Contact us for upcoming meetings and times at 541-997-3128. Florence—and indeed the entire Siuslaw region—is in the business of economic development. All of us want to ensure a stable, secure, sustainable quality of life for ourselves, our families, and our fellow citizens. As one tribal leader noted at the Oregon Coast Economic Summit in 2016, “A rising tide lift s all canoes.” Coupled with that natural desire, consider this stunning fact: over the past 30 years, startup businesses have created nearly 40 million American jobs—which accounts for all of the net job creation over that same period. Of course, a lot of new businesses fail and large, stable fi rms can continue to grow as they develop new products and new markets. But nonetheless, the numbers suggest the real engine of job creation isn’t just business, but new businesses. Beyond their own growth, they play a part to attract new customers that can grow an entire economic sector, and they keep existing businesses sharp and focused on their own health. But new businesses are a risky venture. About one-third close within two years, and fully half are gone within the fi rst fi ve years. What if we committed as a city, as a region, to supporting our small businesses—and not just as customers, but with our hearts and minds, our time and our attention? Many of us in the Siuslaw region are doing exactly that. Th e Florence Area Chamber of Commerce is all about strengthening all of our local businesses. Th e City of Florence has a vibrant interest in economic development in the area, with an active Economic Development Committee and our own Economic Development Catalyst. We also have two incredibly rich resources working along the river and up and down the coast. Th e LaneSBDC, better known as the Small Business Development Center, works to provide old and new businesses alike with the tools they need to focus and grow their business. Th eir Small Business Management program, located at LCC’s Florence Center, is about to start their second cohort—and it’s not too late to join. And RAIN, the Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network, is about to launch their second coastal “pre-accelerator” aimed at entrepreneurs in traded sector businesses. Keep your ears to the ground and watch for announcements and opportunities coming from RAIN and the SBDC to support job growth in our area. Let’s work together to secure a bright future for our region.
