THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER PRESENTED BY:

FIREWORKS

Smoky Mountain Outdoor Center in Townsend is hosting Fourth of July fireworks. Check out their Facebook page for more details.

DEADLINE FOR PPP APPLICATION IS JUNE 30

Urgent reminder! The deadline for SBA to approve Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications is Tuesday, June 30. This loan program provides loan forgiveness for retaining employees by temporarily expanding the traditional SBA 7(a) loan program. Find a lender and apply today

GO VOTE AUGUST 6

The last day to register to vote in the August 6 State Primary, County General, Friendsville, & Townsend City Election is July 7. You can register to vote here . Here's what's on the ballot: State Primary -  U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, TN Senate (District 2), TN House of Representatives (Houses 8 & 20) County General - Assessor of Property, County School Board (District 2, 4, 6) Friendsville City Election - Friendsville City Commissioner (2 seats) Townsend City Election - Townsend City Commissioner (2 seats)  Sample Ballot - Aug. 6, 2020 election.pdf

GET YOUR BREW ON AT AM CONNECT

AM Connect Virtual Networking sponsored by Contract Furniture Alliance July 10 at 8:15 a.m. The Blount Chamber is hosting AM Connect on Friday, July 10 at 8:15 a.m., sponsored by Contract Furniture Alliance . For those who have never participated in an online meeting, here's some useful tips. ·        Please include your name and company name ·        Use the option to meet others in a small group setting by participating in our breakout rooms ·        Limited to 100 guests Register in advance for this meeting: Click here to Register After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING A VIRTUAL COFFEE CLUB? If you’ve been wanting to host a coffee and the waiting list was too long, why not get on the list to sponsor one of our virtual coffee clubs?  Benefits of attending virtual networking: Meet others that you may not have met at an in-person coffee. Extend your reach outside of driving area. Meet members located outside the county. Multiple opportunities to meet others in smaller group breakout rooms. Dates for future virtual coffee clubs are: October 9, November 13 and December 11. If you are interested in sponsoring, contact Jessica Hahn at jhahn@blountpartnership.com

MEMBERSHIP TO THE MAX

Learn more about the Blount Chamber and the many opportunities that go along with being a member. Learn how to make the most of the benefits afforded to you by joining our webinar on July 9 from 10-11:30 a.m.   Register in advance for this meeting: REGISTER HERE   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.   R E M E M B E R ! Your membership is a corporate membership. Please encourage co-workers to get involved, educated, network and promote your company via Blount Chamber events and opportunities.

Afternoon Mixer sponsored by Faith Promise Church Thursday, July 9, 2020 from 3:45-5 p.m. Faith Promise Church 539 Foothills Plaza Maryville, TN 37801 Get out of the office after work and unwind with the Afternoon Mixer. Mixers 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 and open to anyone associated with a Chamber member business. Participation is not reserved to the representative(s) listed on the Chamber membership.

A DIALOGUE WITH S.D. PROFESSIONALS

This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So, here we go with our 157th installment visiting with S.D. Professionals Director of Operations Amanda Webb which specializes in building points of contact for brands via creative design, content publishing, software development and digital marketing strategies. What is S.D. Professionals Background? In 1997, S.D. Professionals, LLC founder Jacob Timmons realized a need existed for connecting entertainment professionals with employment opportunities across the country. He later partnered with one of the world’s largest book gifting programs for children. From there, Jacob pursued other entertainment and tourism brands with regards to their search engine marketing campaigns, website management and social media presence. Today, SD Pros has grown into a powerhouse team with a broad range of traditional and digital marketing services. Describe your customers? We provide digital marketing services to brands and companies focused on family entertainment and attractions in popular destinations. We also work with several brands in the hospitality field. In addition, we provide solution-based services to non-profits and government agencies with family-focused missions. What environments impact your business? Because we manage the digial footprint of most of our clients, it's very important for us to stay up-to-date in these areas. In fact, we are ahead of the curve when it comes to creating ADA compliant websites. What do you wish you knew before you started at S.D. Professionals? I wish I'd known more people in and around our community. Joining the chamber has really helped me connect with other businesses and service providers.

IT'S MMM, MMM GOOD

WEBINAR CALENDAR

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is hosting a myriad of online training webinars to assist you in all facets of your businesses. Take a gander at the upcoming events for June. June 30 from 9-10 a.m. Types of Fraud & How to Prevent It! | Register July 9 from 9-10:30 a.m. Business Start-Up: The Essentials   July 14 from 10:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. How to do Business with the Government, Webinar Part 1   July 16 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Branding Your Business   July 16 from 10:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. How to do Business with the Government, Webinar Part 2   July 28 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Get it the Game with Govt. Contracting & Surety Bonding   July 30 from noon - 1 p.m. Doing Business with the University of Tennessee

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

June 29-July 5 July 1-31 -- See $1.7 million Titanic Violin July 1-4 -- Carolyn Meiller at Townsend Visitor Center July 2 -- Food Truck Thursday July 5-7 -- Bonnie Mueller & Doug Bartlett @ The Townsend Visitor Center July 6-12 July 6-11 -- Smoky Mountain Family Camp July 8 --  Lindsey Plyler State Farm Insurance Ribbon Cutting July 8-10 -- Carolyn Meiller & Deborah Adams at Townsend Visitor Center July 9 -- Maximize Your Membership July 9 -- Afternoon Mixer sponsored by Faith Promise Church July 10 -- AM Connect Virtual Coffee Club sponsored by Contract Furniture Alliance July 10 -- Summer Sunset Series Concert -- Angela Easterling July 11 -- Lin & J.L. Stepp Book Signing Save the Date July 22 -- Power Connect Lunch   You can access the  Blount County Chamber events calendar here   or the  community calendar here   .

REVIEW OUR BUSINESS RESOURCES

If you have questions about any business related topic about the COVID-19 crisis, please refer to our Managing Your Business During the COVID-19 Outbreak page that is updated daily. There's good information that can point you in the right direction.   Also take advantage of our member-to-member offers . There are a number of resources that you may find beneficial.

REOPENING GUIDELINES

As businesses reopen across the state, Tennessee’s Economic Recovery Group released guidance for businesses . The Tennessee Pledge guidelines recommend capacity limits, spacing requirements, and frequent sanitization, among others. Larger venues and activities where social distancing is not feasible remain closed. GUIDELINES The full guidance offered by the state can be  found here as well as printable guidelines . Lodging and Accommodations Guidelines Manufacturing Guidelines Construction Worksite Guidelines Office Building Guidelines Recreation Guidelines General Business Guidelines Retail Guidelines Restaurant Guidelines Exercise Facilities Guidelines Close Contact Business Guidelines Houses of Worship Guidelines Attractions and Large Venues Guidelines Swimming Pool Guidelines Summer Camp Guidelines Updated guidelines for close contact services, exercise facilities and recreation activities now focus on social distancing measures rather than strict capacity limits. In addition, the guidelines for close contact businesses also provide guidance for resuming certain services that require the removal of face-coverings. ERG also expanded guidance for attractions and large venues to include recommendations for large community events such as fairs and festivals. To protect Tennesseans from the spread of COVID-19, venues should implement measures to encourage social distancing, reduce occupancy and crowd density, encourage the use of cloth face coverings and increase sanitization. Full guidelines can be found on TNpledge.com for: Close Contact Businesses Exercise Facilities Non-contact Recreation Attractions, Large Venues and Large Community Events

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

If you aren't following us on social media, you must. We are constantly updating information as each day progresses. So, give us a like and stay up-to-date as we move through this crisis.   Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn   And follow tourism updates here: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

REMEMBER WHEN

Topping the Billboard Top 100 this week in 1987 was " I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston. It became her fourth consecutive number one single and sold over one million copies, making it her first platinum single in the US; and her biggest hit in that country at the time.

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