Blount Partnership News & Events

 
Join us this Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7:45 a.m., for our monthly Coffee Club at Anderson Lumber Company presented by Cella. Coffees are designed to offer our members the opportunity to build business relationships with other members and to gain exposure for their business or organization in an "open house" setting. Coffees are open to anyone associated with a Chamber member business. Participation is not reserved to Chamber membership.
 
Don't forget to make use of BlountAreaJobs.com when seeking employees or posting job listings.
 
Read our 36th and 37th installments of The Dialogue at the bottom of this email where we visit with Kellie Moths, an Elite Level V Executive Consultant for Rodan+Fields, and Regina Cotton, managing partner of Integrity HR Services, LLC.
 
JOIN US FOR PRIMETIME AUGUST 23
Grab a ticket and network at the largest networking event in Blount County with Primetime on Tuesday, Aug. 23 from 4-6 p.m. at Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. Tickets are $15 and available by calling the Blount Partnership at 865.983.2241 or email Amy. Also, think about bringing a door prize.
 
This summer casual-themed event is your best opportunity to meet many Chamber members from all sectors of the community in one location. Use this event to network and meet new people in the business community!
 
SUPERVISOR TRAINING SET FOR SEPT. 9
Running a business is more than dollars and cents; there's a legal element that many human resource professionals, supervisors and managers deal with on a daily basis. To that end, the Blount Partnership, along with the law firms of Wimberly Lawson and Lewis Thomason, is hosting a three-part supervisor training - human resource/legal seminar on Friday, Sept. 9, 2016 from 8:30-11 a.m. at the Blount Chamber office located at 201 S. Washington St., Maryville, Tenn.
 
Topics to be covered include the top seven mistakes employers make that lead to legal trouble presented by Janet Hayes of Lewis Thomason, conflict management presented by Stacy Myers of Advanced Management, Inc., and what supervisors need to know about harassment, retaliation and discrimination given by Howard Jackson of Wimberly Lawson, Wright, Daves & Jones PLLC.
 
The cost is $50 per person for non-Chamber members and $25 per person for Chamber members. Register by phone at 865.983.2241. Register here.
 
CHAMBER BOARD NOMINATIONS OPEN
The Blount County Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for two positions (Member At-Large 3-year term, One-Year Director) for its 2017 Board of Directors until Sept. 12, 2016. Please complete the online form of an individual you think would make a good board member.
 
BEST OF BLOUNT AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN
The Best of Blount Awards are coming in November to the Clayton Center for the Arts and we need you to nominate businesses and people who have made an impact in the community over the past year. Submit nominations here until Aug. 31.
 
TASTE OF BLOUNT TICKETS ON SALE
Savor some of the best food in Blount County at the 15th annual Taste of Blount set for Thursday, September 8, 2016, from 6-8 p.m. at the Theater in the Park in Maryville next to the Blount County Court House. View vendors and menu.
 
Tickets, which are $25 for Blount County Chamber members, $30 for the public and $15 for students 17 and under or those with a college or student ID, are available at the Chamber office (201 S. Washington St., Maryville, Tenn.), by phone 865.983.2241 or online. Tickets are available at the door the night of the event on a cash-only basis.
 
For an additional $10, patrons 21-years or older are invited to sample locally crafted spirits and beers. Tickets are available at the event only.
 
Ticket holders can try savory favorites from local restaurants, caterers and gourmet grocers in addition to voting for their favorite appetizer, main course, sandwich, dessert, beverage, presentation and overall winner.
 
ATTEND THE FREE COST & ESTIMATING WORKSHOP
People associated with construction or manufacturing businesses need to attend this free cost and estimating workshop for government contracts, Thursday, Sept. 1 from 9-11 a.m. at the Blount County Chamber of Commerce. Learn federal contractor's qualifications, accounting system requirements, estimating system requirements and how to structure your compliant accounting/estimate infrastructure.
 
MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS NEEDED FOR SEPTEMBER
Get your member-to-member offer in for September. The updated listings will be sent Aug. 29. Also, new offers are being posted weekly, so check out the Blount County Chamber of Commerce Member-to-Member promotions online. This Member-to-Member Promotional Program offers you and your company the opportunity to market your products and services to the membership.
 
Here's how it works:
1. Submit a PDF of a service, product or discount you'd like to offer to the Chamber membership to jmuir@blountpartnership.com. Be sure to include an expiration date.
2. An email with all the promotions will be sent out on the final Monday of every month to our member database.
3. All promotions will be posted on www.BlountChamber.com
 
WHY YOU JOINED THE CHAMBER
Joining a local Chamber of Commerce can be a hard decision for many business owners. Some look at it as just another incoming expense, and assume it's not worth the trouble. But what it all comes down to are the member benefits, which often vary between chambers. However, there are many perks across the board to becoming a member. Keep reading to make sure your using the seven advantages of joining your Chamber of Commerce! Read more here.

Learn more about marketing your small business in a digital world, ask questions about social media, and take the time to discuss future campaign ideas. What are you waiting for? It's free with your chamber membership. Schedule your FREE session today.
 
If you have any questions regarding your free digital marketing member benefit ( Save Local Now), your digital platform, or online marketing in general please reach out the Blount Chamber's Rachel Coffman. She is here to help you in the year ahead and will keep you on track as you fulfill your resolutions in 2016.
 
REMEMBER TO SHOP LOCAL
Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!
 
The biggest job creators in the U.S. are firms under the age of five. Start-ups account for 3% of employment but nearly 20% of job creation.
 
Find what you're looking for in the Chamber Directory.
 
GOT AN EVENT OR NEWS? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT
Is your organization hosting an event in the community? Submit it here on our community calendar. If it's a tourism event, please email Ashlee so she can post it on www.SmokyMountains.org.
 
Also, please send us any news releases or good news about your business. We'd love to share it with the community.
 
REMEMBER WHEN
"My Sharona," the debut single by the Knack reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart this week in 1979 where it remained for six weeks. It was number one on Billboard's 1979 Top Pop Singles year-end chart.

Events

 

August 22-28

 

August 22-28 -- Art of Native Plants exhibit at Townsend Visitors Center
August 22 -- A Blueprint for Using Facebook in your Business
August 23 -- Primetime
August 23 -- Half Price Wing Night at Dead End BBQ
August 23 -- Experience River Cruising @ AAA Maryville Office
August 24 -- Blount Tourism Ambassador Class
August 25 -- Coffee Club at Anderson Lumber Company presented by Cella
August 25 -- Hot Summer Nights Concert Series: The Young Fables @ Blount County Public Library
August 26 -- United Way of Blount County 2016 Campaign Kickoff Breakfast
August 26 -- Recovery Revolution at RIO Revolution
August 26-28 -- Native American Music & Cultural Festival @ Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
August 27 -- Authors Guild of Tennessee @ Cades Cove Cellars
August 27 -- Mane Support's 8th Annual Hoof to Heart
August 27 -- Porch Pickin with Hunter Walker @ Wood & Strings Dulcimer Shop

 

August 29-September 4

 

 

Save the Date

 


You can access the entire calendar here to see other community events and submit your own.

The Dialogue

This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So here we go with our 36th installment visiting with Kellie Moths, an Elite Level V Executive Consultant for Rodan+Fields who firmly believes that as long as you have the passion within you, you can make this business work, because the products work.
 
Learn how Kellie found her new career. For Elite Level V Executive Consultant Kellie Moths from Louisville, Tenn., her son, Travis, is a member of the "Reason Why Hall of Fame" when it comes to Kellie's business success. Travis' struggle with adolescent acne motivated his mother to enroll as a Rodan+Fields® consultant so she could purchase Unblemish at the consultant price.
 
Six months later Kellie caught up with a friend from college who had experience in direct selling and saw the potential in Rodan+Fields®. Inspired, Kellie got to work sharing her story. And she had a lot to share: Travis' skin was clear from using Unblemish, and Kellie's skin was radiant thanks to Soothe, Reverse and Redefine.
 
Most important for Kellie, she knew Rodan+Fields® offered the time freedom she wanted so she could be there for her son as he pursued his competitive baseball career.
 
Within 14 months, working very part-time hours, Kellie walked away from a 25-year career as a fourth grade teacher. That same year, more than doubled her teaching income while becoming the first consultant in East Tennessee to qualify for a Lexus. Kellie loves living life on her terms as she helps others reach their financial and lifestyle dreams.
 

The Dialogue

This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So here we go with our 37th installment visiting with Regina Cotton, managing partner of Integrity HR Services, LLC, whose goal is to provide quality HR resources at a affordable price and to help small to mid-size companies ensure compliance with state and federal laws and help them decrease their risks and liability.
 
In addition to ensuring compliance, what else do you do? We are also a licensed insurance broker and provide full service benefit administration for all our brokering clients free of charge. Below are some of the services our company provides: > Comprehensive HR audit > Employee Training & Development. > Title VII, ADA, FLSA, EEOC, OSHA, etc. compliance. > I-9 compliance, including E-Verify. > HR Policies & Procedures > Employee Handbooks > Administration of Unemployment claims. > Administration of FMLA, Military and Leave of Absence > Employee Counseling & Performance Management. > Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Investigations > Supervisor Training Programs: Harassment, Discrimination, Wage & Hour Compliance > New Hire/Benefit Orientation Program > Pre-Employment Screening > Benefit Administration and ACA compliance. > COBRA Administration > Monthly Benefit Invoice Reconciliation
 
What is your background? My degree is in business administration, I am a licensed broker and I am certified as a professional in human resources. I have over 30 years of HR management experience and have worked in most industries throughout my career.
 
Integrity is an interesting name for a company. Why that? We chose the name Integrity HR Services because it represents how we do business. I believe you have to work hard and earn the respect and trust of your colleagues and clients. We truly value each and every one of our clients and treat their business as we do our own. Their success is our success!
 
What is your customer base. Small to mid size clients who need assistance with HR compliance. Our fees are based on headcount and are capped at 100 employees (so even if you have 200 employees, you're only going to pay for 100) and our full service brokering is completely free if we're the Broker.
 
What do you enjoy about what you do? We love helping businesses grow, we focus on compliance and stay on top of all the ever-changing employment laws and benefit regulations so our clients can focus their clients and the growth of their business.
 
Previous Profiles:
Dianna Glandon, Above the Rest Balloon & Event Designs
Eric Mowell, Peak60 Innovative Solutions
Dr. Jackie Hone, Trinity Direct Primary Care of Maryville
Randi Smith, Damsel in Defense
Roy Shields, Smoky Mountain Self Defense
Michael & Lori Bishop, Mountain Top Retirement Planning
Cynthia Warner, Cynthia's Natural Market
Holly Sparks, Realty Trust Group
Amy McCarty and Tosha Wilhelmsen, The Artistic Bean Maryville
Dr. Drew Osborn, Foothills Pediatric Dentistry
Ray Clowers, Champion Physical Therapy
Jeffrey Jeter, OneSouth Financial Group
Josh Fincher, Thermocopy
Cory Blanton, Aerotek Scientific
David Anderson, Shelter Insurance
Nancy McBee, Tennessee Trane Energy Services
Joel Honeycutt, J&S Janitorial Solutions
Suzie Cutshaw, JB&B Capital
Tom Klein, InfoSystems
Clint Woodfin, Spicer Rudstrom, PLLC
Rebecca Kiger, Home Instead Senior Care
Ben Hazel, Pree's Tree Specialists
Larry Parker, Auto Collision Experts
Jamie Weiss Photography
Jeff Jones, LC Fence
Steve White, White Enterprise Holding
Aundrea Scholem and Jennifer Madaj, Foothills Adult Care Enrichment Services
Wade McLemore, Paychex
Alan Baker, Crown Point Consultants
Shelby Avery, Avery Wealth Management
Kate Schriver, Schriver's
Elizabeth Ross, ECS Central, PLLC
Tony Saddy, Get Fit Maryville
Renee Taylor, CBI
Christy Simmers, Christy's Creative Cafe
Premier and Presidential Partners