Your Weekly News & Updates - April 27, 2017
  Legislative
2017 Legislative Wrap-Up Breakfast Recap
MD Healthy Working Families Act Passed, Fair Scheduling Bill On The Horizon

The 2017 Maryland Legislative Session is over (unless a special session is called), and hundreds of bills are headed to Governor Hogan's desk for consideration. 

At this morning's Legislative Wrap-Up Breakfast, Chamber members and guests heard from elected officials including House Chair, Howard County Delegation, Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary , Senator Gail Bates, Delegate Warren Miller and Delegate Frank S. Turner and from business association advocates Mike O'Halloran, State Director Maryland and Delaware National Federation of Independent Business, and Larry A. Richardson, Vice President Government Affairs, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, who spent the session lobbying for Howard County's business interests. 

There was heated debate over the passage of the Mandatory Paid Sick Leave Act, legislation the Howard County Chamber actively advocated against.  Governor Hogan has referred to the Act as "dead on arrival" and today's panelists agreed saying the Paid Sick Leave Act was likely headed for a veto. However, most of the elected officials and advocates on hand this morning said they expect that veto would be overridden by the legislature.


The panelists also agreed that the Maryland Fair Scheduling Act was likely to get a lot of attention next session. It will be another piece of legislation closely watched by the Howard County business community and the Chamber. If passed, the Act would give employees "the right to decline work hours that occur during the 11 hours following the end of a shift" and would "require an employer to pay one-and-a-half times the employee's regular rate for any hours working during the 11 hours following the previous shift."

  Membership News
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(As of the last 45 days)
Pizza Month Ribbon Cutting at Uno Pizzeria & Grill, Ellicott City!

Uno Pizzeria & Grill, Ellicott City celebrated their one millionth pizza sold this week with a Happy Hour & Pizza Cutting Ceremony to raise funds and awareness for The Military Child Education Coalition.

Grand Opening Celebration at Halpin & Associates Law Firm & True Title, Inc.

There was a great turnout for the Grand Opening Celebration and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for The Law Offices of Kirk Halpin & Associates, P.A. and True Title, Inc.'s new office in Clarksville this week!

You can check out Halpin & Associates here and True Title, Inc.
  Information
SBA Small Business Resource Days

Looking for an opportunity to meet with leading small business resource providers? Join the U.S. Small Business Administration for "Small Business Resource Days" to learn about the many small business financing options available through SBA. 

Schedule of Resource Days:

May 3 - 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Pasadena
May 10 - 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Baltimore
May 24 - 9 a.m. - Noon - Hagerstown
May 25 - 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Wye Mills

Don't miss your chance to meet with small business assistance organizations and learn more about the opportunities available for small businesses.

TEDCO Announces $1 Million in Gap Funding for Startup Tech Companies

The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO)  will provide $1 million in new economic development funds for startup technology companies with investment capital to help cover the gap between seed funding and venture capital investments.

The Gap Investment Fund program, which was included in Governor Hogan's 2018 budget will be developed and administered by TEDCO.  Governor Hogan says "this new program will bridge that funding gap, giving technology startups a much-needed lifeline as well as incentive to stay and grow in Maryland."

2016 Small Business Credit Survey  Results Are In

More than 10,000 employers, including the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, participated in the 2016 Small Business Credit Survey to take the pulse of business conditions and the credit environment at small businesses across the country.

The survey results showed that many employers reported their small businesses were profitable and optimistic, but the majority faced challenges including relying on personal finances to meet funding gaps.
Get Active Howard County

Join the Chamber and our community partners in promoting wellness for your employees and their families.

Get Active Howard County is a FREE community-wide wellness initiative to help your employees to live a healthier lifestyle! 

Click here for the   Employer Tool Kit
; Watch the informative short clip on 
 
  Chamber News 

Have you Booked Your Trip with the Howard County Chamber of Commerce to Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast and Rome in October?

Discounted Earlybird Registration Ends April 30th!
Howard County Chamber Joins HCEDA and Others in Business Appreciation Week

Each year, Business Appreciation Week gives Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman, the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) and other business support groups the chance to go out into the community and meet with Howard County businesses to thank them for being in Howard County. 

Howard County economic development staff and others including the Howard County Chamber meet with various business owners and representatives to discuss how we can collectively work to make Howard County the best place to do business and improve the local business environment. This year, Chamber President/CEO, Leonardo McClarty joined Beth Woodring of HCEDA and Steve Ober of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing, & Industry for visits to Top Talent Professionals and NextLOGiK.   


2017 Interactive Membership Directory

View the 2017 Howard County Chamber of Commerce interactive membership directory found on the homepage of our website under "About the Chamber". 

Discover Howard County, connect with the Chamber, our members and much more!   

Click here

 
Electronic Certificates of Origin
 
The global B2C e-commerce market for shipments crossing borders is expected to grow from $400 billion today to a total global volume of $1 trillion in 2020, according to Accenture and AliResearch. Additionally,
it is expected that one billion people will shop online and across borders by 2020, with the US being the most popular origin for 25% of consumers worldwide. Very few other sectors of commerce provide such a promising outlook. Bottom line: E-commerce affects nearly every industry sector. The Chamber is now offering a time-saving process for receiving your Certificates of Origin for exporting your products. Create, submit, and print electronically certified documents right at your desk.   

Click here to find out more 
Join a Committee at the Howard County Chamber of Commerce

Interested in getting more involved with the Chamber? 

Sign up today for any of the following committees:
  • Ambassadors
  • GovConnects
  • Holiday Party
  • Legislative
  • Membership
  • Signature Events
  • YPN

Contact [email protected] to join a Howard County Chamber of Commerce Committee today!   
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