Check out The Dialogue at the bottom of this email where we feature a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So here we go with our 99th installment owner Chad Brewer of Accu-coat Spray Products.

 

HR FOCUS GROUP SET FOR FEBRUARY 7

Eric Ebbert of Wimberly Lawson opens up the 2018 HR Focus Group meetings with a talk entitled " The Art of Holistic Harassment Prevention and Lessons From Fox’s Carlson/Ailes Case." The meeting takes place Wednesday, February 7 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at the Blount Partnership (201 S. Washington St., Maryville). This presentation also is approved for HRCI credit. If you are interested in attending, please email Amy at alawson@blountpartnership.com.

 

NETWORKING TRAINING CLASS

Make plans to attend to attend our networking training class on February 6 at the Blount Partnership (201 S. Washington St., Maryville) from 3-4:30 p.m. and you'll never make a cold call again. Facilitator Raeus Jae Cannon shows you how to get the most out of the connections you strive to make. Register today by emailing Amy at alawson@blountpartnership.com

 

GET INVOLVED TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP

Make sure you and your staff maximize membership in the Blount County Chamber and get connected with potential customers. Connect with others by joining one of our special interest groups, volunteering for special events planning and/or receiving alerts & updates that could potentially impact your business. Not just for the business owner or Chamber representative, circulate this email to your staff and get them signed up today. Click the link to find out more.

 

EXPORT BOOT CAMP

The Tennessee Small Business Development Centers' International Trade Center is presenting a workshop that provides the nuts and bolts of information needed to become a successful exporter. The presentation is February 7 from 9 a.m.-noon at 17 Market Square, #201, Knoxville.

Topics include: How to identify markets for your products and services, How to finance your export transaction, How to mitigate economic, political and financial risks, Legal issues and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export assistance available through the Tennessee Small Business Development Center. Register here.

 

DIGITAL MARKETING TRENDS FOR 2018

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is presenting a workshop on digital marketing trends for 2018 given by Chad Rogers of Old Number Eleven, February 15 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Blount Partnership, 201 S. Washington St., Maryville.

Learn how you can adjust your marketing strategy for a more successful 2018. Topics include: SEO (Search Engine Optimization), SMM (Social Media Marketing), PPC (Pay Per Click) and Content Marketing. Register here.

 

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO BUILDING YOUR MARKETING PLAN

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is presenting a workshop that will help you draft your own marketing Plan for 2018 and beyond on February 22 from 9:30 a.m.-noon at the Blount County Public Library, 508 N. Cusick St., Maryville. Victory Harbin of Tech Nav and Chad Rogers of Old Number Eleven will lead the discussion.

Conversation will include: 1. Keyword Strategy, 2. Search Engine Optimization Strategy, 3. Paid Online Advertising Strategy, 4. Social Media Strategy. Leave the workshop with your first draft marketing plan. Register here.

 

JOB FAIR PARTICIPATION AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Sponsorships are available for the annual Blount County job fair slated for Thursday, March 22, 2018 from 2-6 p.m. at the Second Harvest Food Bank facility. Click here for the sponsorship form.

If you are interested in participating, please click here for more information.

 

PROMOTE AND PARTICIPATE IN OPERATION THANK YOU

Promote your business during "Operation Thank You" by sending 1400 gift certificates, brochures or business promotional pieces to us and we will distribute them during Operation Thank You.

Your Chamber constantly looks for ways to help you promote your business through the ABC theory - Always Buy Chamber. We do ask that your enclosure piece not to exceed 8.5x11". These inserts should be delivered to the Chamber no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, February 8.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Amy Lawson at alawson@blountpartnership.com or call 865.983.2241. There is a fee of $200 for insert enclosure.

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Participate in the Chamber's 20th annual "Operation Thank You" set for February 20-22, 2018 and meet other business people on a one-on-one basis.

During this three-day event, Chamber members, the Chamber staff and Board of Directors will personally deliver Chamber member information packets. We invite you to join us in this three-day effort. You can agree to call on as many or as few members as your schedule permits.

If you, someone (or several people) from your business, organization or group is interested in participating, please contact Amy Lawson at alawson@blountpartnership.com or call 865.983.2241.

 

SOFT SKILLS SESSION FOR FEBRUARY

It's Your Career! That's the focus of eight free soft skills sessions offered in partnership by the Blount County Public Library, the Adult Education Foundation of Blount County and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce that are scheduled over the next 11 months.

Registrations are currently being accepted online at www.blountchamber.com for the second class entitled Building a Team set for Feb. 23. This course qualifies for .2 CEU's awarded by Pellissippi State.

The other classes offered include Managing People and Personalities, Free Resources for Professional Development, How to Run an Effective Meeting, Improving Your Presentation Style - Speaking, Improving Your Presentation Style - Strategies for Engaging Presentations, Making Your Social Media Look Good and Creating Infographics for Promoting Your Business.

All classes are conducted in the Blount County Library's learning lab located at 508 N. Cusick in Maryville and limited to 50 participants. A complete class description is located on the registration site. All classes run from 8-10 a.m. with networking beginning at 7:30 a.m.

 

FEBRUARY MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS ARE HERE

Member-to-member promotions are needed for February. Check out the new offer from AAA, Realty Executive Relocation, Swagtown, Knoxville Zoo and Cell Phone Repair (FYI, they do more than phones). See this and other promotions at member-to-member promotions. New offers are being posted almost daily, 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

 

REMEMBER TO SHOP LOCAL

Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!

 

For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $73 remains in the local economy.

 

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 or any good news about your business, please send it to us. We'd love to share it with the community.

 

REMEMBER WHEN

Topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week in 2000 was "I Knew I Loved You," by Australian pop duo Savage Garden. The music video featured then teen actress Kirsten Dunst as lead sinnger Darren Hayes' love interest. The song went straight to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's second number one in the United States after "Truly Madly Deeply".