By: Lori Webb

Running a business can be overwhelming at times. Small businesses don’t have a corporate trainer coming in, or a full time IT person on staff and it’s easy to get bogged down in the daily grind of running a business. We are always looking for solutions and ideas to help our members grow their business. Your success is our success. I hope that the 4th Friday Lunch & Learns are helping in some small way! That is the goal, to offer different training and education that helps business owners grow their business. We are getting ready to have our third class, this one is on Excel. Microsoft Excel is one of todays most powerful and versatile business tools. From creating a simple spreadsheet to analyzing reams of data, there are numerous Excel functions that can help your business improve its overall performance. If this sounds like something that you could benefit from, the class is March 23rd, from 11:30-1 at the Shears Technology Center at HCC. The cost is $15 and lunch will be provided. To reserve your spot call 620-665-3559 or contact me, Lori Webb if you have more questions.

Our first two classes focused on Social Media and we received great response from what people were able to take from the class and go back to the office and implement. I think there is still a lot to learn on this topic and we are planning on having more sessions focused on the ever changing world of Social Media. We have had requests for a class on what questions you can and can’t ask in an interview and different HR issues around this idea. Something I struggle with and have heard from many members is how to be more organized. Keep your eyes open for some help there too.

Our main goal for these classes is to offer education to our members on topics that help the running of their day to day business. If anyone has any ideas on what would help them, be sure to contact me. I truly want this to be a membership driven classes. And again, your success is our success!!

Best wishes and I hope to see you soon!

Lori Webb
Director of Sales
Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce

By LeAnn Cox, Director
Greater Hutchinson Convention/Visitors Bureau

Mary Ellen Leicht, the NJCAA’s Executive Director, has presented a proposal to change the format of the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, and so far the response has been supportive from those involved in the tournament.

Though Hutchinson has hosted the tournament for over 60 years, this event is one that we as a community should never take for granted. There are many other communities across the country that would love to snatch the tournament from us, so it’s imperative that we continue to find new ways to make it more successful. And I think the new proposal does just that.

With guidance from the NJCAA Basketball Committee, chaired by HCC’s Athletic Director Randy Stange, the proposal has many appealing aspects to it.

First and foremost, the proposed change would make the tournament a 24 team single elimination contest. We currently have a 16 team double elimination tournament. Four of the additional eight teams would receive “at large” invitations and four would be a rotation through the Districts. The new format would also include “seeding” all 24 teams, mirroring the format of the NCAA.

By adding eight more teams, the tournament would expand from five days to six days, although the total number of games played would go from the current 26 games to 24 games.

Later this month at the NJCAA Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, the proposal will be voted on by the NJCAA Board of Directors. Whichever way the vote goes, we as a community should continue to embrace the tournament and do all we can to help boost attendance and make it the most exciting championship possible.

By Bailey Stiggins

Saint Patrick’s Day events have become a staple in many communities across Kansas and the United States. Parades, running events, and parties draped in the traditional green are essentially what most of modern Americans knows about this holiday. Irish or not, a great majority of people celebrate in some way or another – even if it’s just as simple as putting on something green.

In some cities across the United States, Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations have become tourist attractions. Chicago famously turns the river that bares the city’s name a bold shade of green. New York hosts a parade down 5th Avenue that is more than 250 years old, which draws around 150,000 marchers and millions of observers.

Closer to home, some Kansas communities are getting in on the Saint Patrick’s Day action. Wichita celebrates with a growing parade in the Historic Delano District. While Manhattan hosts two separate weekends of green action in the Little Apple. The first is “Fake Saint Patty’s Day,” which is primarily a celebration of green beer, and the second is more family-friendly including a breakfast, parade, a 10 Kilometer run, and many other activities.

It’s about time that Hutchinson and Reno County start a little Saint Patrick’s Day tradition of their own. This year, the Chamber will be hosting the first-ever Shamwalk event in downtown Hutchinson. This event hopes to get people out, decked in their green, and patronizing our downtown bars and restaurants.

Shamwalk can be described as a pub tour, a socializing and networking event, a chance to sample food and beverages from the five participating businesses, or just an excuse to get out in your green. Like I said, this is a first time event, so it will be what the participants make of it!

We’ll start with a kick-off event at the Chamber from 3-4 in the afternoon on Saturday, March 17th. We hope during that time you’ll meet some new faces, familiarize yourself with some of the Chamber staff, and enjoy delicious foods and drinks. After the kick-off party, stroll the streets of downtown Hutchinson and stop in at each of our five participating businesses: Sushi Miso, Jillian’s, Carl’s, Anchor Inn, and 21 Santa Fe.

There will be chances to win prizes through out the day, and participating businesses will be offering special discounts and goodies to Shamwalk participants. It’s just $20 to participate, so don’t miss out. Registration includes a t-shirt, the kick-off event, special offers, and a chance to win prizes!

We want to see all of Hutchinson out and participating in this fun event! Head over to the Chamber Calendar to register now. http://members.hutchchamber.com/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=4167

By: Bailey Stiggins

My guess is that you’ve at least heard the term “corporate wellness” by now. If you live in the business world, your company may already be taking steps to implement better practices and promote healthy living. But why is there a sudden surge in the push for corporate wellness? Why is my health my employer’s concern?

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For about the last one hundred years or so, our society has made monumental achievements in the world of convenience. We’ve gone from farming a few acres with a team of horses, to covering thousands of acres with one machine. Gone are the days where water must be drawn from a well and hauled into the home for cooking and cleaning. And I don’t know one child who walks 15 miles uphill to school anymore (like my grandparents tell me they did).

I, for one, am grateful to live in a world where I can have most things at the push of a button. On the other hand, are we helping or hurting our culture by making life so easy?

Life, for most Americans who are my grandparent’s age, was once about work, physical work. Whether it was hauling hay bales, mining coal with a pick and a shovel, or working on an assembly line in a factory, Americans were exercising a minimum of eight hours a day, just by doing their jobs.

Counter that with today, and you see very few jobs that require heavy physical labor. Many of us sit at a desk or in a meeting for most of our working hours. While processes are quicker and easier, our current working environments typically don’t lend themselves to active living.

As the old saying goes, you have to take the good with the bad. While I wouldn’t trade my comfy office life to grind flour with a mortar and pestle all day, there are times when I wish active living was something I just did without thinking.

Alas, for most of us, being active is a choice we must make consciously. We must choose to walk or bike where we need to go, we must choose to get in 30 minutes of exercise at the gym, and we must choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator. I don’t know about you, but sometimes making that choice is difficult to fit into my daily routine.

So back to my original question, why is my company so interested in my health and wellness?

Would your company let the copy machine go without maintenance? Would your company not fix the plumbing if it needed repair? Would they allow your computer to be destroyed by a virus? I’m guessing they wouldn’t. Companies need all their machinery and equipment to be working properly or it slows down efficiency and eventually, the company loses money.

I’m not trying to compare you to a machine, but to your company, you are the most valuable tool or piece of equipment they have. When you’re not operating at peak performance, the company is not operating at peak performance. If a business wants to achieve the most with their tools, good health should be a priority. Since today’s lifestyles typically don’t lend themselves to healthy, active living, employers need to help their employees remember how valuable health is, and make being active a part of their business’s culture.

Employees who are healthier and who take care of their bodies are typically more productive, need less time away from work due to illness and doctor’s appointments, need less medication, and even tend to be happier. And of course, if a business is providing health care to their employees, a healthy employee is much, much cheaper to insure. What business doesn’t like saving money?

So why is this important to the Chamber of Commerce? Well, a goal of the Chamber is to be a service to businesses in our community. By serving as a connector between businesses and opportunities for education, involvement, and resources for corporate wellness, the Chamber can increase overall health and wellness in Reno County. And as I stated earlier, a healthy Reno County is a more productive, happier, more vibrant community, and who doesn’t want that?

The Chamber will be connecting businesses to local wellness resources, but what is it doing for our own employees? Well, starting this month, the Chamber will provide a paid membership to a gym so our employees will be able to exercise regularly. In addition to that benefit, it’s also giving employees two hours a week of paid time to exercise. I think that’s really quite a perk and speaks volumes about the Chamber’s commitment to supporting workplace wellness. We’ll also be doing health assessments and encouraging employees to participate in local events such as the 5K Trail and Treat in October, and the Sandplum Bicycle Classic.

When it comes to workplace wellness, the options are endless. Companies will be able to operate programs on a variety of different levels and prices. But having something to offer to your employees will encourage them, no matter what it is. We must all work on creating a culture of wellness in Reno County, and our business community is an excellent place to start.

By Kate Quinlan-Laird

2012 marks the 5th year – 4th consecutive year – that the Chamber has conducted the Reno County Wage & Benefit Survey online. This comprehensive survey will start Wednesday February 1st, 2012 and will examine pay and benefits for local job positions here in Reno County.

While the survey has been adjusted slightly over the years to work better for our local companies, we have worked hard to keep it roughly the same length and style. It is meant to take approximately 30 minutes to answer once all the information has been gathered. The end goal is a snapshot of the wage and benefit packages provided in Reno County.

Data will be combined so no employer’s responses can be identified. Results of the survey will be released in March. All participants will receive a free copy.

Who uses it? You do. We aim to help existing companies be as competitive as possible. The survey is an excellent tool for companies to use when setting budgets or when recruiting.

The Chamber also uses this information in the attraction of new business to our region. Those considering a move to Reno County are interested in what the prevailing wages for different jobs in the market are.

The survey deadline is February 28th. For further information please contact the Chamber 620.662.3391.

Reno County Job Fair

The 2012 Reno County Job Fair is approaching. The event takes place Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the National Guard Armory, 1111 N. Severance, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. If you have job opportunities please register! It is sponsored by the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, hutchareajobs.com, Radio Kansas, and KANSASWORKS –Hutchinson Workforce Center

For many reasons, October is always a month I look forward to and this year was no exception.  It started off with a trip out of state to the national TEAMS Conference, and was followed by our Kansas Travel Conference, held this year in Lawrence, Kansas.  But this year, our travel conference held special significance.

Our three-day conference is the major event of the year for travel and tourism promoters in Kansas, and offers both hoteliers and tourism professionals a variety of educational seminars and workshops. In addition, a trade show showcases goods and services available to the lodging and tourism industry.

The Hutchinson CVB entered the Marketing Awards competition, created to recognize individuals and organizations that have made an impact on the development and expansion of the travel and tourism industry in Kansas.

Of the seven award categories, we entered two–Visitors Guide and TV Advertising. Our friends from the KS Underground Salt Museum attended the conference and also entered the competition in the Co-Op Marketing category for their joint ticket “Double Discount” offer with the Cosmosphere.

I’m proud to say that BOTH the CVB entries won their respective categories against some mighty stiff competition from McPherson, Emporia, Liberal, El Dorado and Abilene! Additionally, the KS Underground Salt Museum and KS Cosmosphere and Space Center received an award for their entry. And – to top it off – the CVB also won the “Overall” advertising category against entries submitted for TV, radio, billboard, website and print!

We all know that Hutchinson is a great community with high-caliber attractions and events, but bringing home a coveted award or two every once in a while sure helps remind us all just how lucky we are!

By LeAnn Cox, Director of the Greater Hutchinson CVB

The holiday season is fast approaching and it’s time to hit the streets to find the perfect gifts for our friends and family!

In our modern world of convenience, sometimes all we want to do is hole up at home and shop on our computers to avoid the crowds in our local brick-and-mortar businesses.  But did you know that on-line purchasing is estimated to reduce sales tax collections to state and local governments by some $8 billion nationally? Whoa!

I think we can all agree that one thing we can do to help each other and ourselves is to make as many of our purchases as possible, locally. Buying locally helps create jobs in our community and, through the sales tax, helps to fund the many services upon which we all depend. Fire and police services, as well as bike and walking trails are made possible in part by sales tax. Streets, roads and bridges are kept in good repair by local sales taxes, and property taxes (the taxes we all love to hate!) are held down by strong sales tax collections.

The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce reminds you to remember “The H FACTOR” this holiday season. This H FACTOR, a campaign to encourage hometown spending goes beyond trying to get people to make as many of their retail purchases locally as possible. It includes medical and dental services, dining and entertainment, and whatever else Reno Countians are seeking. We know there might be some things that are not readily available locally, and for those it’s great to have both a major city less than 50 miles away and to have the on-line alternative. We’re just suggesting that everyone LOOK HERE FIRST! We really do have a lot to offer!

Buying locally will increase the options retailers and service providers offer here. With new jobs now on the community’s horizon and the clouds of the national recession beginning to break-up, we think this is a very important time for Hutchinson and Reno County to take a step forward. Buying everything we can locally is one way every citizen can participate in making our future brighter.

Remember The H FACTOR this Holiday season (and beyond!)