Attention CEOs: Workplace Culture is Your Biggest Asset
SUMMARY
- CEOs agree that workplace culture is their most powerful asset, yet it ranks low on their list of priorities.
- According to research, a great culture affects reputation, hiring, and employee retention.
- Mark Miller suggests leaders start by making space for hopes and dreams, amplifying vision and values often, and adapting the aspiration as needed.
- Systems like polls and surveys can help monitor the health of an organization's culture.
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Leaders know that culture matters. But with so many problems to solve and goals to reach, it’s hard to make workplace culture a priority. In bestselling author Mark Miller’s recent book Culture Rules: The Leader’s Guide to Creating the Ultimate Competitive Advantage, he surveyed more than 6000 individuals from 10 countries. Although 67% of global leaders agreed that culture is their most powerful tool, workplace culture failed to show up in a top 10 list of priorities.
Unfortunately, this disconnect has far-reaching consequences. Culture affects everything from reputation to hiring to employee retention. In a Glassdoor survey, 56% of employees said workplace culture was even more important than salary. Elevating your company culture doesn't have to be daunting, according to Miller. His book outlines a simple strategic framework to create a thriving high-performance culture. Below are three rules to help you define the culture you want, integrate your message into the workplace, and find success by listening, learning, and adjusting.
Get Clear
Humans want to feel connected to something bigger than themselves. That’s why Miller’s first rule is called Aspire. Most leaders have already identified their organization’s aspirations—the difference here is communication. Miller advises leaders to translate their vision, mission, purpose, and core beliefs for employees. When aspirations remain unsaid, confusion reigns instead of culture. Maintaining values and articulating your vision not only outlines boundaries and expectations, it also creates a sense of shared purpose.
Repeat Often
It’s not enough to announce your organization’s expectations. Instead, Miller says you have to Amplify them, which is the second rule in his strategic framework. Leaders can amplify their vision, mission, and core values in many ways, and Miller suggests using a variety of methods. The world is loud and distracting, and to build a better culture, employees need reminders.
One technique Miller recommends involves looking at the last 30 days of your calendar and finding activities you personally engaged in that match your aspiration. Then, the goal is to strategize how you can use these same activities in the future to amplify your aspiration. This process can be far-reaching, affecting everything from hiring descriptions to onboarding new employees to recognizing team members who embody the mission and core values of your organization.
Listen & Learn
Enhancing workplace culture is not a one-and-done proposition. The last rule Miller wants leaders to understand is Adapt. In other words, clarifying your vision and values is important, but how do they actually land with the people who work for you? Miller advises leaders to prioritize listening so that they understand if their aspiration is on target or if it needs an adjustment. Systems that help identify problems that affect workplace satisfaction are important ways leaders can monitor the health of the culture they’ve worked so hard to build. Listening sessions and surveys are great ways to take the pulse of your organization. HR Morning has cataloged 45 sample questions to help employers build their own customized survey to measure workplace engagement and satisfaction.
The Bottom Line
Taking the time to reflect on the three rules of Miller's framework—Aspire, Amplify, and Adapt—will help you develop and maintain a healthy workplace culture. The long-term benefits for organizations are huge when people are more connected to their idea or mission because that will make them more invested in it. It's up to leaders to carve out space for the hopes and dreams of their team members, so they can create a culture that allows all members of their organization to thrive.
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The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike.
3 Qualities Successful Business Owners Share
SUMMARY
- Good leaders have the ability to share a clear, compelling vision that attracts top talent and serves a greater purpose.
- Great leaders are capable of adapting to change and leveraging diversity while creating an environment of psychological safety.
- Business owners who build authentic relationships with their peers, team members, customers, and partners make better leaders
- Developing skills related to personal and professional growth can help small business owners innovate around challenges and inspire others effectively
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What’s the difference between a good leader and a great one? When it comes to entrepreneurship, successful small business owners have certain qualities that serve them and their business. The reality is most entrepreneurs aren’t born with these characteristics but acquire them over time. The ability to communicate a compelling vision, adapt to change, and build relationships are three qualities that successful small business owners share. This article outlines the importance of each quality and how you can develop these traits for yourself.
Clear Vision
A compelling vision is like a magnet that attracts the right people. In an age where hiring and retaining top talent matters more than ever, the ability to share your vision is a difference maker. Humans naturally want to feel inspired and to connect to something bigger than themselves. Unfortunately, many employees have no sense of their company’s vision. They simply show up, do their work, and go home. Successful business owners have a vision that excites and inspires their employees.
What makes a vision compelling? According to Building Champions, an Oregon executive coaching firm, casting a clear vision requires asking yourself the three Bs:
- Belong. What do you want your team members to belong to? Your answers are tied to your convictions and sense of purpose.
- Become. What’s your ideal version of your company? Your vision asks you to see the future and imagine the story of your ideal brand, business systems, partnerships, employees, and reputation.
- Build. What do you need to work on? Rather than short-term, your business ambitions should sync up with the story of who you want to become.
Building Champions offers a free Vision Tool for leaders ready to do the work of vision casting.
Adaptability
One thing business owners know is that nothing stays the same. The ability to pivot and innovate is a hallmark of businesses that survived the pandemic and a common denominator for the ones that thrived.
Adaptability isn’t a trait that comes naturally to everyone. Yet, as a leader it’s essential. Monica Thakrar, President of MTI, a leadership and mindfulness training, coaching, and consulting firm based in Washington DC, believes adaptive leaders know how to do these things:
- Leverage diversity to remain flexible and open to different perspectives
- Continuously learn new ways of thinking inside and outside of their specific industry
- Create an environment of psychological safety, where others feel comfortable sharing their views and opinions without judgment
- Practice emotional agility with the help of supportive relationships, self-awareness, and optimistic mindsets.
If you don’t feel like an adaptable leader today, Thakar recommends starting by developing self-awareness around how you deal with setbacks. Are you able to learn from them or do they create unhelpful judgment or blame? She also encourages leaders to build relationships with peers who can provide support when things get tough. Thakar reminds business owners that the time to build your adaptability muscles is today — so you’re ready when the next challenge arrives.
Builds Relationships
Successful entrepreneurs are good at building relationships. And that’s different from enjoying small talk, as evidenced by how many successful entrepreneurs describe themselves as introverts. Leaders who cultivate relationships with industry partners, employees, and customers know a simple truth: you can’t do business alone. Research has even shown that investing in relationships at work will make you happier.
Sam Kaufman, a business coach and Forbes’ contributor, recommends getting to know your team members on a personal level. According to Kaufman, one-on-one meetings are crucial for maintaining a positive, collaborative work environment. These meetings should focus on personal goals, family, and other topics important to the employee. Additionally, Kaufman coaches leaders to allocate a few minutes at the start of team meetings for personal updates to emphasize the value of life outside of work.
When it comes to external relationships, Kaufman says that sharing your life with your customers promotes closeness. Use your current systems like blog, email, or social media to share your business story, updates on projects, and profiles of employees.
The Takeaway
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Being a good leader requires that you take time to hone skills specific to your personal and professional growth. With persistence and practice, anyone can become an excellent leader capable of innovating around challenges and inspiring others along the way.
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The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community.
What Businesses Want to Hear During this Election Season
Source: US Chamber
Business is working in America. It creates jobs and supports thriving communities. This election season, we want to hear from candidates about their plans on how to make government work better to support the economy.
We could be doing much better, US Chamber Executive Vice President Neil Bradley writes, “if our elected leaders focused more on putting wind at the back of small, medium and large American businesses.”
Why it matters: The first debate of the 2024 presidential campaign is this week, providing a significant opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen America’s economy and global leadership.
Big picture: Here are some issues concerning American businesses:
- Worker shortage: The labor shortage that began before the pandemic has only worsened. With Baby Boomers retiring and fewer younger people taking their place, this is likely the new normal.
- Trade: Trade is important to large and small businesses alike. Yet it has been more than a decade since the U.S. has signed a trade agreement with a new partner. While we stood still, other countries raced ahead, signing 100 new deals.
- Government policy chaos: One of the fastest-growing risks to businesses of all sizes is government policy risk. It is not just overregulation. It is that every couple of years, the government fundamentally changes its approach. How can businesses plan and invest for the long term?
Be smart: Americans believe in the free enterprise system, and as polling shows, voters are not interested in government dragging business into the culture wars or micromanaging business decisions.
- Letting consumers decide and the market work isn’t just good business sense, it is good political advice.
Bottom line: Voters are supportive of pro-growth policies and pro-business candidates who will help businesses create jobs and strengthen the economy. This election season, we want to hear from candidates about their plans on how to make this happen.
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The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce represents local employers in support of vibrant and sustainable communities in Columbia and Montour Counties, and is a proud partner of the US Chamber of Commerce.
Member News – August 23, 2023
Fromm Electric to Celebrate 100 years
Join Fromm Electric on September 28th from 11-1 pm at Fromm's Bloomsburg branch for an outdoor BBQ featuring a catered lunch and amazing giveaways from suppliers such as Milwaukee, Signify, and Eaton. The event is "rain or shine,". Find more details.
First Keystone Launching New Digital Platforms
First Keystone Community Bank will have a new & improved digital online banking and mobile platform launching August 28th - 30th. Here are a few of the new features.
CSIU offers a Community Health Worker Training Program
Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trained public health professionals who know their community and have the heart for helping others and serving their community. Learn more about the program the CSIU is offering here.
PA CareerLink, Columbia Montour hosting Job Fair Oct. 5th
The 2023 Columbia-Montour Fall Job Fair will be held on Thursday, October 5th at the LCBC Church campus, 2421 Columbia Blvd., Bloomsburg, PA. The event will begin at 11:00 am and close at 2:00pm. Businesses interested in attending can register here. Space is limited.
Berwick Borough Looking to Expand Waitlist for Housing Rehabilitation Grant
Berwick Borough is applying to the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $300,000 housing rehabilitation grant and interested residents who live within the borough limits should apply now to get on the waiting list for the no-cost repairs. Learn more.
Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg Annual Breakfast
Join the Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg for a breakfast event as we highlight the connections that drive our philanthropy. RSVP by August 29th.
First Columbia Bank Photography back in 2023
SEDA-COG announces DEP grants
DEP has $1 million in 2023 Small Business Advantage Grant funding available to small businesses and farmers who want to improve their operations through energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and natural resource protection. Learn More.
Community Giving Opens Healthy Workplace Grant
2023 Healthy Workplace grant-round for Community Giving Foundation is now Open! The application opened on August 1, 2023, and the deadline to apply by August 31, 2023. Learn more.
Bloomsburg Community Luau
Bloomsburg Community Luau, Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the Bloomsburg Town Park starting at 6PM. Enjoy live music and entertainment, great food, fun tropical activities, enter the Tiki Lounge decorating contest, and see Elvis on the outdoor big screen in the classic film Blue Hawaii. Bring a chair or blanket to relax and enjoy the entertainment at the corner of Market Street and Fort McClure Blvd.
Central Susquehanna Opportunities' Financial Workshops open for September
CSO offers a variety of free workshops to help you develop new skills and achieve your life goals. At our Community Action offices in Shamokin, Sunbury, and Bloomsburg, you can learn about budgeting, getting organized, improving your credit score, and more! See the full schedule here.
BTE To Offer Matinees and Workshops for
Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ in September
BTE’s production of William Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ features special school matinees and workshops for middle and high school students in several regional venues. See venues here.
IMC and Drive sponsoring PA Tax Credit Webinar
This informational session will review the various tax credit programs the Commonwealth has available to support businesses across many industries, whether an early-stage company or a long-established business. If you are in the tech field, manufacturing, property development, agriculture, or a community-based non-profit, join DRIVE and IMC to learn about some of the tax credit programs you can be taking advantage of. Register for this free webinar here.
Glen Brook teaming up for Estate Planning Seminar
Glen Brook Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center is hosting a free seminar on estate planning with Eric Young from Steinbacher, Goodall, and Yurchak on September 19th. Learn More.
Press Enterprise Best of the Best Voting is Underway
Many Chamber members are nominated for the Best of the Best of Columbia, Montour and Lower Luzerne Counties. Check out all the nominees and vote today!
Fall 2023 Career Expos
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania is excited to bring the power of all 3 of our universities together to benefit our students and employer partners across the state in a Fall 2023 Accounting and Financial Services Career Expo and Management, Supply Chain, Marketing, Technology and Analytics Expo on campus in Bloomsburg. Reach out to Darwin Kysor at 570-484-2181 to get more details about participation.
Camp Victory Community Open House Happening September 10th
Check out all the things planned for Camp Victory's 30th Anniversary Open house.
NEPIRC Manufacturing Day: October 13
Join NEPIRC on Friday, October 13th to celebrate the many contributions of our region’s manufacturing industry! At Manufacturing Day, you’ll be able to see product demonstrations; learn more about the cool products made right here in our local communities, and more!
Coming in October...Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc.'s Chili Cookoff & Fall Festival!
Stunning fall foliage and cooler temperatures create the perfect atmosphere for this first annual, family-friendly downtown Bloomsburg event. Read more.
New Member Highlight – Gannon Associates Insurance
Gannon Associates Insurance offers a host of coverage options from more than 80 insurance companies. The independent insurance agency, founded in 1973, has steadily grown to include 90 employees and 10 office locations in Pennsylvania and New York.
Its wide range of individual and group protections are available in personal lines such as auto, home, and life, or business insurance such as commercial liability and benefits packages. Their mission is to protect their customers by partnering with them and managing the risks they face through customized insurance solutions at a competitive price. They are committed to delivering unparalleled service to their customers and to the communities in which we live and work.
With Gannon Associates Insurance, you have a whole team of dedicated professionals taking care of all your insurance needs. For further information, please visit www.gannonassociates.com or call 844-GANNONS.
Cybersecurity Guidance for Employee Benefit Plans
Source:
Data breaches are becoming more frequent and are affecting businesses worldwide, especially those with valuable data stored online. It is no wonder, then, that employee benefit plans (EBPs) are prime targets for cybercriminals. Not only do EBPs operate in an electronic environment that shares employee information with multiple third parties, but their systems maintain sensitive employee data, including personally identifiable information, electronic protected health information, participant enrollment data, individual account balances, direct deposit information, compensation, and other financial information. This information is extremely vulnerable to cybercriminals who could gain access to employee accounts online in an attempt to request loans and distributions or access participant and/or sponsor contributions.
EBP Cybersecurity Recommendations
To address these risks, the DOL has provided updated guidance for ERISA-regulated plan sponsors and plan fiduciaries, since these parties have an obligation to ensure proper mitigation of cybersecurity risks for their EBPs. The following are the recommended best practices.
DEVELOP A FORMAL, WELL-DOCUMENTED CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM.
A well-designed cybersecurity program will protect the EBP’s infrastructure, information systems, and the information in the systems from unauthorized access, use, or other malicious acts. It will also establish strong security policies, procedures, guidelines, and standards, which should be documented, approved by senior management, reviewed annually, and communicated to participants
ENGAGE AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR TO PERFORM A SECURITY CONTROL ASSESSMENT.
The findings/final report should focus on existing risks, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses. System and Organization Controls (SOC) examinations and penetration testing summaries should also be requested.
CLEARLY DEFINE AND ASSIGN INFORMATION SECURITY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
For a cybersecurity program to be effective, it must be managed and carried out by organizational leaders with sufficient experience and knowledge to establish and maintain the vision, strategy, and operation of the program.
ENSURE ANY ASSETS OR DATA STORED IN A CLOUD OR MANAGED BY A THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDER ARE SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE SECURITY REVIEWS AND INDEPENDENT SECURITY ASSESSMENTS.
Fiduciaries should review security plans and procedures with service providers (hosted in the cloud or with a third party) to ensure appropriate controls are in place for protecting plan data.
DEVELOP A BUSINESS RESILIENCY PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSES BUSINESS CONTINUITY, DISASTER RECOVERY, AND INCIDENT RESPONSE.
The program should be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect the organization’s current operational and technology environment.
CONDUCT ANNUAL CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING.
Since identity theft is a leading cause of fraudulent distributions for EBPs, it should be considered a key topic of training with an emphasis on current trends to exploit unauthorized access to systems. EBP personnel should always beware of individuals falsely posing as authorized plan officials, fiduciaries, participants, or beneficiaries.
ENCRYPT SENSITIVE DATA WHEN STORED AND IN TRANSIT.
Ensure the proper protection of plan data through strong encryption standards. Data encryption can protect nonpublic information to safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of the data at rest or in transit.
PERFORM ANNUAL RISK ASSESSMENTS.
A risk assessment should identify threats, establish and review controls, mitigate remaining risks, and be monitored and updated annually.
ESTABLISH STRONG ACCESS CONTROL PROCEDURES.
Secure access control uses policies that verify users are who they claim to be and ensures appropriate control access levels are granted to users. Most EBPs use an online portal for participants to access their benefits. Without strong access control procedures, EBP participants’ retirement accounts could be misappropriated due to unauthorized access.
IMPLEMENT AND MANAGE A SECURE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE (SDLC) PROGRAM.
Ensure procedures, guidelines, and standards for developing in-house applications are secure. This may include activities such as penetration testing, code review, and architecture analysis.
IMPLEMENT STRONG TECHNICAL CONTROLS IN ACCORDANCE WITH BEST SECURITY PRACTICES.
Deploy and secure information systems that interact with plan data, including routine security updates and system hardening standards.
Review ability and effectiveness of responding to a cybersecurity incident or breach. In addition, review contracts to ensure data breach notification responsibilities are defined and processes exist for meeting obligations.
In summary, ERISA-covered EBPs often hold millions of dollars or more in assets and maintain personal data on participants, which can make them tempting targets for cybercriminals. Plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers play a critical function in reviewing cybersecurity roles and ensuring participant data is secure.
Attracting Talent from Generations Y and Z
The series of workforce trends now known as the "Great Resignation" have shone a new light on the role of leadership in business. It is now clear that millions of people across the nation are not happy with how their employers and managers treat them, and they are voting with their feet. We at the Chamber know that this impacts our members, who often have small, tightly-knit teams in their employ.
Lately, your Chamber has been talking about keeping teams together, retaining the skills and knowledge that each individual brings, and making sure our businesses are increasingly attractive to the inbound workforce - comprised of millennials and gen z. In addition to the tips below about developing a culture that fosters integrity, influence and impact, consider this recent presentation by Bloomsburg's own Shawn Kessler, Partner, Recruitment Division of Aloysius, Butler & Clark, one of the east coast's leading full-service marketing and advertising firms.
Shawn specializes in physician recruitment and knows the market - he's won the American Medical College's Award of Distinction, was featured in Health Leaders Media, and speaks about recruitment strategies around the country. Best of all, Shawn is home-grown - he's Columbia County native and a Chamber member with an office in Bloomsburg.
We were thrilled to connect with him at our "Rise & Thrive: Business Wellness" Breakfast, sponsored by Geisinger, and hosted on the lovely patio of the Elmdale Inn B&B. Check out Shawn's recruitment advice for the area's employers (roughly 35 minutes):
Need more than what Shawn shared? Here are even more tips about fostering a culture that's attractive to employees:
What is Inclusive Leadership?
Inclusive leadership is where leaders ensure that all their team members:
- Feel a sense of value and belonging
- Are treated fairly and equitably
- Are provided with the resources they need to thrive and succeed
An inclusive leader will be aware of their biases and will seek out other perspectives different from their own to inform decisions and allow closer collaboration. However, there must be a real commitment to the process, or employees will quickly realize and become disengaged.
Fostering an Inclusive Culture
The first step to fostering an inclusive culture is trust. Managers and business owners need to trust that their team members have the skills to do their jobs and create successful outcomes. Avoiding micromanagement is crucial to this as continually checking up on employees erodes trust quickly.
The next step is empowerment, allowing your employees to work on new projects that build their skillset and enable them to explore their potential. Having a good knowledge of your team's skills will allow you to put people together with complementary skills.
3 Traits of an Inclusive Leader
If you don't have them already, incorporating these three traits into your leadership approach is vital to developing inclusive leadership.
Integrity
To make a difference as an inclusive leader, you need to display absolute integrity and be aligned with your organization's core beliefs and values.
Influence
Managing performance is more than simply checking up on your staff to ensure they're doing their jobs properly. Instead, inclusive leaders use coaching and focused training initiatives to influence their teams and bring out the best in them.
Impact
A vital part of an inclusive leader's task is ensuring that everyone is working toward the organization's overall strategic plan. They accomplish this by ensuring that the entire team is focused and working together to achieve the outcomes outlined in that plan.
Bringing the Generations Together
A significant challenge for the inclusive leader is bringing together the working ethics of the different age groups now within the workplace. For example, those from the baby boomer generation generally have tendencies to prefer working within strictly structured systems. At the same time, those from Generation Z want to find value in their work and prefer more flexible approaches. The best inclusive leaders can listen to both these groups and tie their strengths together.
In conclusion, the greatest strengths of the inclusive leader are listening, strategizing, and organizing. If you can listen to and learn something from each of your employees, you can better strategize and organize to have everyone working together in a harmonious team. With these approaches, productivity and employee retention will naturally improve.
Member News – August 16, 2023
Berwick Borough Looking to Expand Waitlist for Housing Rehabilitation Grant
Berwick Borough is applying to the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $300,000 housing rehabilitation grant and interested residents who live within the borough limits should apply now to get on the waiting list for the no-cost repairs. Learn more.
Artsfest 2023 happening this weekend
The fifteenth ArtFest will take place on Saturday, August 19th, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. surrounding the monument on the Square and down Market Street in downtown Bloomsburg, with more than sixty art and craft and fine food vendors and local non-profit partners — more than ever before! — with live music by local performers all day and fun activities for people of all ages.
Service 1st Federal Credit Union Celebrating Submissions
Check out this year's entrants to the Service 1st Calendar contest.
Apollo Point Hosting Back to School Event
Food, games, and face painting happening on August 20th at Apollo Point from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Learn more.
Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg Annual Breakfast
Join the Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg for a breakfast event as we highlight the connections that drive our philanthropy. RSVP by September 6th.
FEMA Offering Free Private Sector Readiness Day
August 23 from 8:00-4:30, federal, state, and private sector partners who are leading the pack when it comes to informed emergency management will talk about innovations in crisis response communications, types of data that is out there, and how to put that information to work for your business. RSVP here.
First Columbia Bank Photography back in 2023
Community Giving Opens Healthy Workplace Grant
2023 Healthy Workplace grant-round for Community Giving Foundation is now Open! The application opened on August 1, 2023, and the deadline to apply by August 31, 2023. Learn more.
Arts in Bloom Announces Season
The Arts In Bloom series is comprised of high-caliber professional touring headliners, as well as performances and exhibits by Bloomsburg University’s resident producers. See full season here.
Bloomsburg Community Luau
Bloomsburg Community Luau, Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the Bloomsburg Town Park starting at 6PM. Enjoy live music and entertainment, great food, fun tropical activities, enter the Tiki Lounge decorating contest, and see Elvis on the outdoor big screen in the classic film Blue Hawaii. Bring a chair or blanket to relax and enjoy the entertainment at the corner of Market Street and Fort McClure Blvd.
BTE To Offer Matinees and Workshops for
Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ in September
BTE’s production of William Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ features special school matinees and workshops for middle and high school students in several regional venues. See venues here.
IMC and Drive sponsoring PA Tax Credit Webinar
This informational session will review the various tax credit programs the Commonwealth has available to support businesses across many industries, whether an early-stage company or a long-established business. If you are in the tech field, manufacturing, property development, agriculture, or a community-based non-profit, join DRIVE and IMC to learn about some of the tax credit programs you can be taking advantage of. Register for this free webinar here.
Call for Projects for Consulting Course
Projects are sought for a fall semester senior capstone consulting course in Bucknell's Freeman College of Management -Student groups will collaborate with clients on strategy, structure, and/or process issues and will be mentored by Bucknell alumni from Deloitte and Accenture. Contact Professor Neil Boyd by 8/21 at nmb015@bucknell.edu for more information.
Glen Brook teaming up for Estate Planning Seminar
Glen Brook Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center is hosting a free seminar on estate planning with Eric Young from Steinbacher, Goodall, and Yurchak on September 19th. Learn More.
GAF offering New Products
Two new products are being offered by GAF, Ultra HD Composite and RUBEROID® UltraClad SBS Membrane.
Press Enterprise Best of the Best Voting is Underway
Many Chamber members are nominated for the Best of the Best of Columbia, Montour and Lower Luzerne Counties. Check out all the nominees and vote today!
Fall 2023 Career Expos
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania is excited to bring the power of all 3 of our universities together to benefit our students and employer partners across the state in a Fall 2023 Accounting and Financial Services Career Expo and Management, Supply Chain, Marketing, Technology and Analytics Expo on campus in Bloomsburg. Reach out to Darwin Kysor at 570-484-2181 to get more details about participation.
Camp Victory Community Open House Happening September 10th
Check out all the things planned for Camp Victory's 30th Anniversary Open house.
NEPIRC Manufacturing Day: October 13
Join NEPIRC on Friday, October 13th to celebrate the many contributions of our region’s manufacturing industry! At Manufacturing Day, you’ll be able to see product demonstrations; learn more about the cool products made right here in our local communities, and more!
Coming in October...Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc.'s Chili Cookoff & Fall Festival!
Stunning fall foliage and cooler temperatures create the perfect atmosphere for this first annual, family-friendly downtown Bloomsburg event. Read more.
How your business can take advantage of search
Understanding SEO and how it pertains to your business goals will help you take advantage of search and drive more traffic to your website or page. Large and small companies will benefit from optimizing their online presence. By incorporating some of our easy tips, you can increase your company's ranking, resulting in more traffic and online sales.
What is SEO? The acronym stands for search engine optimization and refers to writing content and developing websites with keywords, tags, and unique content that can increase the rank of an article, page, or the overall website.
Although Google is probably the best-known search engine, Bing and other search engines are also performers and will help drive traffic to your site. Both Google and Bing offer basic tools for business webmasters and will alert you if problems arise.
Tips for How Your Business Can Take Advantage of Search
Identify the keywords or phrases that people would use to search for your business. These have changed slightly as mobile device usage increases, and people speak into their phones rather than typing them on a computer. If you sell shoes, then some of the keywords would include well-known brand names you sell, men's shoes, women's shoes, shoes for children, shoes in your specific location.
Use geo identifiers in your website. Google maps is ideal for this. You simply embed a map onto your website which includes the physical location. Digital photos taken at your place of business often include a geocache and can be placed on the website or page you want to rank for that area.
Don't forget to claim your business on social media. Some of these sites have pre-made pages that include a business name and location. You will need to go in and claim these, which may include returning a post card or phone call.
Set up social media accounts including Google +, Instagram, and Pinterest, as well as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit.
Don't overlook the benefit of hashtags when posting links on these sites.
Find natural sites to place links to your site, through message boards and question/answer websites. You will gain more credibility if you actually go in and participate on these boards.
Carefully consider the overall layout and design of your website. Photographs draw the eye, but for a site to rank, it does need solid content.
Content should be written with both the reader and bots in mind. Engaging content that delivers true value to the reader is imperative. When writing content, most people will naturally use secondary keywords related to the main article keywords. Overall, the main keyword density should be 3-4%. The keyword should be used in both the first and last paragraphs.
"H" tags play an important role in how search engine bots read content. A title is typically written in an h1 format, while the remaining content will be posted in descending order from h2 on down. The "h" tags essentially provide a value to each of the phrases, with h1 being the most important.
Add content on a regular basis. You can add more pages to a website using a blog, or by adding more services or items. Whether you add it daily or weekly, be sure to add it on a regular schedule.
One of the most important, and often overlooked items is to make certain that your website has a sitemap and that it has been submitted to the search engines. Contact the Chamber for more tips and ideas to help your business grow.
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The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike.
New Member Highlight – Catering For You
Catering for You was started in 2020 and provides catering of any size to any location. Everything is made from scratch.
With over 30 combined years of catering experience, the Catering for You team is dedicated to ensuring your event is filled with delicious food and exemplary service.
Menus are outlines that can be modified to fit your needs and they will take care of the cooking, serving, and clean up so you can enjoy the entirety of your event.