In The Know
The Weekly Newsletter of
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
Friday, August 28, 2020
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Durable Goods and What They Say About the Economy
From the Wall Street Journal: "The survey of new orders for long-lasting goods contains one of the most closely watched U.S. economic indicators. The WSJ explains durable goods, and why investors look beyond the headline number for a better read on business activity."
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SBA Helps Women-Owned Businesses Thrive
The SBA is amping up its efforts to support women entrepreneurs in launching new businesses and competing in the marketplace. Connect with the following training and funding opportunities specifically for women:
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Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO)
Businesses receiving assistance from WBCs see a significantly better success rate than those without similar support. Find your nearest center.
Funding for Women-Owned Small Businesses
Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) Federal Contracting program
This program helps women-owned small businesses compete for federal contracts. Understand the eligibility requirements before applying. The SBA also works with federal agencies to increase contracting opportunities and achieve the government’s five-percent contracting goal for women-owned small businesses. Keep an eye out for matchmaking events targeting both the federal and private procurement.
Other Resources for Women-Owned Businesses:
National Women’s Business Council (NWBC)
The National Women’s Business Council is a non-partisan federal advisory council serving as an independent source of advice and counsel to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Council is the government’s only independent voice for women entrepreneurs, tackling important and relevant economic issues.
Get Training Online with DreamBuilder
DreamBuilder introduces participants to all areas of business ownership through a carefully crafted and engaging curriculum, featured in English and Spanish. At the conclusion of the program, women leave with a business plan to start their own business or develop an existing one.
Scan below for more partner resources on women-owned small business:
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Kick Start Your Business with the SBA Debt Relief Program |
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The SBA recently announced that it will make the first six months' payments on the principal and interest on existing SBA loans and new SBA loans that are funded and in regular servicing prior to September 27th, 2020. This offer has many benefits for small business owners:
- Re-open your business, obtain equipment, and address new markets.
- This provides existing SBA borrowers with breathing room and immediate improvement to cash flow and bottom-line.
- On new loans this is the same as getting an equity injection to cover the first six months of principal and interest payments.
- From the lender's standpoint, the program provides an extra cushion until the environment improves.
Want more information? Contact the Chamber offices to be connected to your local SBA representative or visit sba.gov/tools/local-assistance. For a printable document containing all of this information, please click here.
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Chamber Job Bank: Helping Connect Employers To Quality Candidates |
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Latest PPP Updates and New Omega Program - Great Articles & Information |
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"Let's Eat!" Continues To Keep You In The Know On Our Local Food & Drink Businesses.
Remember to continue supporting our local, Chamber member food businesses. They are working hard to adapt to your needs to remain safely open. Click here for the latest issue of "Let's Eat!".
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"We Are All Essential" T-shirts Still Available! |
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The Chamber's "We Are All Essential" t-shirt project was a big success and our members continue to show their local community pride by wearing them and sharing photos with us. See Busy Bee Muffler owner, Robert Shook below who reached a record 7,000 people when we posted his photo to Facebook. We still have a small inventory of shirts in most sizes left to sell at just $20 each. Call the Chamber offices to purchase or stop by during regular business hours.
A big thank you again to our very generous sponsors who made this important project possible.
Please help us keep our message alive and keep sending us your photos of you and your employees displaying our message so that we may share them on social media and In The Know.
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Updates from Ohio Governor DeWine's August 20th
Press Conference
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Good Morning:
Below are the updates from the August 27, 2020 press conference with Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted. The next press conference is currently scheduled for Tuesday, September 1st at 2:00 PM. You may watch it live on WTOV9.
Thank you.
Tricia Maple-Damewood
President
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Ohio’s current COVID-19 case data:
- 112,489 confirmed cases
- 6,339 probable cases
- 118,828 total cases
- 13,150 hospitalizations
- 3,791 confirmed deaths
- 285 probable deaths
- 4,076 total deaths
- 2,929 ICU admissions
- 99,035 presumed recovered
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More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE.
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Upgraded to Level 3 (Red): Montgomery
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Remaining at Level 3 (Red): Erie, Lorain, Lucas, Mercer, and Preble
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Downgraded to Level 2 (Orange): Clark, Clermont, Franklin, and Trumbull
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Downgraded to Level 1 (Yellow): Marion, Muskingum, Perry, and Sandusky
- There are no counties on Ohio’s Watch List
- Governor DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Health will be issuing an order that requires K-12 schools to establish a mechanism for parents and guardians to report confirmed cases of COVID-19 among their children. Schools should notify parents/guardians in writing about each case and include as much information as possible without disclosing protected health information. Schools should also make non-identifying information about positive COVID-19 cases publicly available.
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The forthcoming order will also direct all K-12 schools to report confirmed cases to their local health department, which will then report new cases and cumulative case data for students and teachers to the Ohio Department of Health. This aggregate data will be published at coronavirus.ohio.gov each Wednesday.
- Lt. Governor Husted announced that the current sports order has been modified to clarify that participants shall not compete in more than one contest or game in any calendar day, as compared to the 24-hour period outlined in the original order. The goal of this adjustment in language is to assist organizers and teams when scheduling games or contests.
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Lt. Governor Husted announced that the Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) and InnovateOhio have identified an additional 38 duplicate payments, totaling $93,978 in savings, using the InnovateOhio Duplicate Payment Tool. In total, $1.1 million in savings have been identified since this project launched. OBM works with agencies to ensure that all duplicate payments are recovered.
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Lt. Governor Husted reminded employers about the TechCred program, which reimburses businesses to upskill their current and prospective employees. The current August round ends on August 31 at 3 p.m. Visit TechCred.Ohio.Gov for more information or to apply.
- Ohioans filed 18,988 initial jobless claims last week, according to statistics the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported to the U.S. Dept. of Labor today. Over the last 23 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $6.1 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 790,000 Ohioans. Of the more than 1.3 million applications the agency has received, about 94% have been processed, with about 6% pending. In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $5.3 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments to more than 542,000 PUA claimants.
As always, Coronavirus.Ohio.Gov and the Department of Health hotline, 1-833-4-ASK-ODH are great resources for those who have questions.
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The 2020 Trinity Health System Chamber Golf Classic is set for Tuesday, September 22nd, at the Steubenville Country Club. There are still a limited number of sponsorships and team spots left. Please contact the Chamber offices with questions or click here to register. For a printable registration form, click here. The deadline to register is September 15th.
This event is a favorite among our members and a full day of great food, drink and friendly competition. The Chamber will be pulling out all the stops to ensure your safety and enjoyment and that of those around you. We will be in touch with the safety protocols that will be in place that day as the event gets closer. Pictured above is the 2019 winning team from Newbrough Photo. And check out last year's "Power Putt" putting contest sponsored by Jefferson Security, Ambulance Service and Checker Transportation below. It will be back again this year by popular demand.
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Member Morsels
Member Morsels are free and an easy, fast way to reach hundreds each week. It reaches the entire Chamber database each Friday - that's over 850 local business owners, managers and employees.
Remember to visit individual member websites by clicking on the business name or logo. Submit your Member Morsel by clicking the button below.
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Don't forget to support our local farmers and spend your money near home by shopping at both Steubenville markets all summer long. The Gateway Market is held on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Eastern Gateway Community College and the Downtown Steubenville Market is held on Thursdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the corner of South 4th and South Streets.
For more information on the Gateway Market, visit the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District website at www.jeffersonswcd.org. For information on the downtown Steubenville Market, contact the Steubenville & Jefferson County Visitors Center at 740.283.4935 or visit www.visitsteubenville.com.
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The Winter Drive-In in Wintersville is featuring some great movies this weekend. Shows start at dusk.
Check out the drive-in's website above or their Facebook page for next week's listings.
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Best Pricing Yet on Logo Table Throws
for Your Business
From Proforma Innovative Services
Many of our businesses are in a holding pattern, waiting to see what happens with both our health and the economy. However, when a sale like this comes along, we really have to stretch our imaginations to find a way to take advantage of it.
This table throw works for both a 6' table and an 8' table, because it is made for both. Hook and loop fasteners allow it to convert between both sizes without looking too long or too short. The polyester poplin is machine-washable and wrinkle-resistant. The large logo on the full-color front is a great way to display your business. The price is just $185 each.
This special offer is available in September only, so contact Tina Thompson, at 740.275.8699 or email tina.thompson@proforma.com for more information.
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The Chamber's Podcast series, "In Good Company" continues to grow. Check out the first two episodes on the Chamber's Youtube page below, along with lots of other fun videos and clips. In the coming weeks, the podcast series will be available to listen to on your Iphone, tablet or in your car. Watch your Chamber emails and In The Know for updates. |
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Around the State. Around the Country.
Up-to-Date Information from the Ohio and United States Chamber of Commerce
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Guest Post: Reporting Unclaimed Funds to the Ohio Department of Commerce
Thank you, business leaders, for continuing to report unclaimed property to our office. It is because of you that we’ve been able to return $1 billion to Ohioans.
We know there is more money out there waiting to be claimed, and we want to reunite those funds with their rightful owners.
That is why we are asking you to report all unclaimed funds to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Unclaimed Funds by Nov. 1. Adhering to this deadline increases the chances that our office can locate the fund owners.
Division Superintendent Akil Hardy prepared the below guidance to help you with the reporting process.
Read the article in its entirety by clicking here.
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The State of Working Women: Marking a Milestone Even as the Pandemic Takes New Toll
This week we celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the constitutional right to vote. Although this amendment did not grant all women the right to vote, specifically those that are non-white, it is a hallmark moment in history. It is also proof that women have triumphed in difficult circumstances before and we can again. We need that reminder now more than ever amid a sobering avalanche of news in recent weeks about the impact of the pandemic on working women.
Study after study is now confirming what many of us already know and feel – while juggling work and childcare responsibilities is tough on all parents, women are bearing the greatest share of this increased COVID-19 related load.
Read all articles in this series by clicking here.
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The Library Link
Great Books About Business With Just A Click
Please Note: The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County is open for curbside service. Visit www.steubenvillelibrary.org to order books, then call your library branch to schedule an appointment to pick up your library items. Library branch contact information and operating hours are available by clicking here on this link from the website.
Your link to success begins at the library. With each week of "In The Know,"
you to a business book or magazine that will inspire, teach, inform, or elevate you, professionally and personally. This week:
How Successful People Think
by John C. Maxwell
Gather successful people from all walks of life — what would they have in common? The way they think! Now you can think as they do and revolutionize your work and life!
A Wall Street Journal bestseller, How Successful People Think, is the perfect, compact read for today's fast-paced world. America's leadership expert John C. Maxwell will teach you how to be more creative and when to question popular thinking. You'll learn how to capture the big picture while focusing your thinking. You'll find out how to tap into your creative potential, develop shared ideas, and derive lessons from the past to better understand the future. With these eleven keys to more effective thinking, you'll clearly see the path to personal success.
View this resource by clicking here.
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Today in History
Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington
- August 28, 1963 -
From History.com: On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the African American civil rights movement reaches its high-water mark when Martin Luther King, Jr., speaks to about 250,000 people attending the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The demonstrators–Black and white, poor and rich–came together in the nation’s capital to demand voting rights and equal opportunity for African Americans and to appeal for an end to racial segregation and discrimination.
The peaceful rally was the largest assembly for a redress of grievances that the capital had ever seen, and King was the last speaker.
With the statue of Abraham Lincoln—the Great Emancipator—towering behind him, King used the rhetorical talents he had developed as a Baptist preacher to show how, as he put it, the “Negro is still not free.” He told of the struggle ahead, stressing the importance of continued action and nonviolent protest.
Coming to the end of his prepared text (which, like other speakers that day, he had limited to seven minutes), he was overwhelmed by the moment and launched into an improvised sermon...
King had used the “I have a dream” theme before, in a handful of stump speeches, but never with the force and effectiveness of that hot August day in Washington. He equated the civil rights movement with the highest and noblest ideals of the American tradition, allowing many to see for the first time the importance and urgency of racial equality...
...In the year after the March on Washington, the civil rights movement achieved two of its greatest successes: the ratification of the 24th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished the poll tax and thus a barrier to poor African American voters in the South, and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public facilities.
In October 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr., was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On April 4, 1968, he was shot to death while standing on a motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee—he was 39 years old. The gunman was escaped convict James Earl Ray.
For more events that took place on
August 28th, please click here.
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-$200,000,000,000-
"Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos became the world’s first person ever to hit a net worth of $200 billion on Wednesday, as the tech giant’s stock continued a steady climb that kicked off in mid-March, as the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S."
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Questions about Oil & Gas?
These non-profit organizations are here to help you stay up-to-date on the oil and gas industry
in Jefferson County:
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Get The Information You Need - The Chamber Staff Is Here To Help |
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Melissa DeFrances
Administrative & Accounting Coordinator
Melissa is your go to for membership benefit or billing questions, job bank postings, event reservations or any other assistance you may need.
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Tricia Maple-Damewood
President
Contact Tricia with suggestions, input or feedback on member programming, how to get involved on a committee or special project or with questions related to Chamber membership.
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Hannah Ward
Administrative Assistant
Contact Hannah with changes to your membership information, questions regarding events or programs, or assistance with scheduling an Eblast or Member Morsel.
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Contact Us
The Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce
630 Market Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
Phone: 740.282.6226
Fax: 740.282.6285
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