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CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
 Join us for the
Blount Partnership Christmas Open House (201 S. Washington St., Maryville) on December 5 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The staff will once again prepared hot dishes and Santa Claus is scheduled to stop by. There will be food in the board room and in a tent in the courtyard.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING SEMINAR
 Looking for information on fulfilling government contracts? Check out this Small Business Administration seminar on December 3 from 1-3 p.m. at the Burlington Branch of the Knox County Public Library (4614 Asheville Highway, Knoxville, TN 37914)
Let SBA show how you can qualify for government contracts. Come Learn About Contracting Certifications for: 8(a) Business Development-Minority Owned Firms, Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone)-Firms Located in these zones, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women Owned Small Business (WOSB).
Come hear from the following partners on the contracting opportunities and available resources that can assist you in getting certified and qualifying for contracts: City of Knoxville, Governor's Office of Diversity Business Enterprise, Knox County, Knoxville Community Development Corporation, SCORE, Tennessee Small Business Development Center, and University of Tennessee Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
For
more information register here.
BITCOIN AND CRYPTOCURRENCIES
 Join us at the Blount Partnership (201 S. Washington St., Maryville) on December 6 from 9:30 a.m.-noon as John Cannon, president of Symply Data Centers, presents a seminar entitled "
Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies: Exploring the NEW Currency."
Cannon explains cryptocurrency foundation technology, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin and other cryptocurrencies. How do you use it? What are the tax implications?
REGISTER ONLINE.
GIFT WRAPPING BOOTH SUPPORTING HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
 The Blount County Habitat for Humanity Holiday Gift Wrapping fundraiser is held annually at Foothills Mall, and we want you to join us!
Blount County Habitat for Humanity is a local non-profit with a mission to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, community, and hope.
Volunteering at the BCHFH gift wrapping booth is both FUN and rewarding. All materials are provided and volunteers wrap gifts at our booth in Foothills Mall throughout the month of December with donations going directly to BCHFH!
Two ways to sign up as a volunteer:
1.
Register online.
2. Download the mobile app "Golden Volunteer Opportunities" on your mobile device. The app allows you to check in and out and track your volunteer hours. Signup is quick and easy through the app.
Learn more about this opportunity.
RARE DECEMBER COFFEE CLUB SET
 Make plans to join us for the final
coffee club of 2018 at Treasures Jewelers (177 Foothills Mall, Maryville) on Thursday, December 13 at 7:45 a.m.
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 the representative(s) listed on the Chamber membership.
LAST TWO WEEKS TO GET PLACEMENT IN 2019 BASICALLY BLOUNT
 The 2019 Basically Blount lifestyle magazine and membership directory is entering production once again. This annual, full-color lifestyle magazine and chamber membership directory is initially distributed to all Chamber members starting Feb. 2019, along with distribution four times throughout the year via area professional offices, newcomers, visitors, and new businesses all looking to relocate to Blount County.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of Basically Blount or view the
media kit, contact: Rick Ford of Marcon Marketing at (865) 705-8580
SOFT SKILLS SESSION FOR DECEMBER
 It's Your Career! That's the focus of a free soft skills session offered in partnership by the Blount County Public Library, the Adult Education Foundation of Blount County and the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.
Registrations are currently being accepted online at
www.blountchamber.com for a class entitled Creating Infographics for Promoting Your Business on Dec. 21. This course qualifies for .2 CEU's awarded by Pellissippi State.
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.
FREE TECHNOLOGY CLASSES AT LIBRARY
 The Blount County Public Library is offering free computer classes in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint (2016) and Gmail. Receive an opportunity to gain a nationally recognized certificate from Northstar Digital Literacy. Course descriptions and schedules are listed below. The free classes meet in the Blount County Public Library's new Learning Lab (outside the library in the former First Tennessee Bank branch building) unless otherwise *noted. Spaces are limited and registration is required. To register, please visit the library's Information Services Desk or call (865) 982-0981, ext. 1450, or (865) 273-1428. Sign up no earlier than one month prior to a class.
Microsoft Excel 2016 Essentials: 2-session class. Bring a USB drive.
M/F - Dec. 10, 12 @ 2-4 PM.
Microsoft Word 2016 Essentials: 3-session class. Bring a USB drive.
M/W/F - Dec. 3, 5, 7 @ 2-4 PM
 Additionally, businesses need to take advantage of the library's subscription to Lynda.com. Using your library card, get access to Lynda.com, a LinkedIn Company, with thousands of courses in software, creative and business skills to develop your staff skills and meet learning needs at your own convenience.
Learn More
DECEMBER MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS
 Member-to-member promotions are here. Submit to the email below. Check out the latest offer from RCN Technologies. See 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!
By shopping at a business in the neighborhood, you'll most likely stop by other independent retailers in the vicinity.
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 1965 was "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds. The song was written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s. The lyrics, except for the title, which is repeated throughout the song, and the final two lines, are adapted word-for-word from the English version of the first eight verses of the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes.
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