Author Archives: Bloomington Chamber Staff

From A Working Mother…by Katie Bruhn

I am 26 years old, married, have a 9 month old son, and a part-time job here at The Chamber.  I’m a busy gal!  I love my job, and no, I’m not just saying that because I’m writing a blog on my employer’s website either…  I sincerely enjoy all aspects of my employment.  I have an old fashioned streak though, and always planned on staying at home with my infant children.  Imagine how surprised I was to find that I wanted to go back to work!

Luckily, I work in a very supportive environment.  My employer is able to work with me on scheduling, and is flexible when there is an emergency.  That being said, I give my all right back.  It’s important for your employer to feel like their investment in you is worth it. I love my son 100x more than I thought possible, but the day came when I needed to leave him happily playing at the babysitter’s, and don my headset.  And though I’m sure my babysitter was annoyed with my twice-daily calls to check on the baby for the first week, it was a smooth transition.

Katie Bruhn is the Member Services Coordinator with The Chamber

Balancing work and home is tricky – I’m still working on it actually.  I’ve only been at it for 9 months, but I’m sure experienced working parents would say that forgetting perfection is the key.  I am slowly learning how to prioritize things that would have been at the absolute top of my list before I had a child.  Can’t answer all of your emails every hour while at home? Catch up while waiting in the grocery store line or rocking a sleeping baby.  Can’t drag yourself into the kitchen to clean it up for the 3rd time that day?  Get up 20 minutes early and speed clean to the morning news. 

Here are some other words of wisdom from veteran working parents in our office.  Post your favorite shortcut/suggestion/encouragement.  We can all use the advice – especially me!

  • Don’t procrastinate – You always pay for it later.
  • Read comments and discussion forums for other parents.  It’s encouraging to hear what other actual people are doing. 
  • Work on having a reliable friend and family support network that can pitch in when you’re at your wits end. 
  • Exercise will help keep your mind and body ready for the everyday challenges and successes.  Plus it’s a healthy role model for the kids.
  • Always be prepared (lay out clothes the night before, make lunches the night before, get plenty of rest), yet be flexible (in case of illness, weather, laundry issues).
  • Having a master monthly calendar of who/what/where/when will help with daily planning.
  • Try to spend time with your family with a clear mind and not bring the work home with you.

Celebrating Indiana Chamber of the Year!

Some Chamber Staff Accept Award

The Indiana Chamber Executives Association (ICEA) recognized The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce as the 2011 Indiana Chamber of the Year. Shelli Williams, President of the Indiana Chamber Executives Association, announced the award to the membership during the Annual Governor’s Luncheon held yesterday in Bloomington, Indiana.

“The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce stands strong as a leader with a commitment to moving the business community forward,” Williams said. “It is an honor to present this award to the members of The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.”
The Outstanding Chamber of the Year Award recognizes organizational excellence in chambers of commerce and provides a unique benchmarking opportunity to assess organizational strengths. The award is based on the U.S. Chamber’s accreditation process for local chambers and highlights accomplishments in the areas of leadership/governance, finance, advocacy and membership development. Applicants are individually reviewed and scored by a panel of judges comprised of chamber professionals who reside outside of the State of Indiana.

Chamber President & C.E.O. Christy Gillenwater commented, “We are so proud to be named Indiana Chamber of the Year because this award is the highest compliment that ICEA can give. We were in competition with chambers from across the state, but Bloomington stood out because of our tremendous board leadership, dedicated volunteers and engaged members. “
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce celebrated a banner year in 2010. The organization revamped its approach to membership and the results exceeded expectations. The new tiered dues structure was introduced to nearly 134 new members joining in 2010. In addition, retention rate remained higher than the national average for chambers of similar size.
The Chamber also made it a priority to stay on the leading edge of social media and technology by not only embracing these innovations for marketing and public relations efforts, but also by educating the business community on how to utilize the new technology.
“Not only did we grow our presence on social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, we exposed the Chamber’s upcoming events to more than 130,000 Facebook users through the pay-per-click advertising offered,” explained Gillenwater. “With Twitter, The Chamber has positioned itself as the ‘go-to resource’ for business news and advice with nearly 500 followers.”
In addition, The Chamber also initiated inBizCafe, a new portal offering a robust platform that can change the way businesses search and receive information to help with growth. inBizCafe connects local entrepreneurs and business owners with targeted resources they need to succeed. The site focuses on assisting the hottest business growth areas – entrepreneurial and small business companies.
Gillenwater continued by saying, “All of these emerging technologies that The Chamber embraced in 2010 serve different purposes, but also complement each other by providing outlets for dialogue with members, promoting Chamber members, and helping increase exposure for the Chamber on search engines and online in general.”
Advocacy is a primary function of The Greater Bloomington Chamber. Each year, advocacy goals and priorities are set through a strategic planning process with most of The Chamber’s advocacy positions enhancing commerce within the community and region. The Advocacy Division includes dozens of member volunteers that help The Chamber reach set goals. One sample of a very successful advocacy initiative that The Chamber implemented in 2010 was a community-wide initiative to encourage healthier lifestyles through public policy and environmental change. Through the Chamber’s two designation programs – Healthy Business Bloomington and Green Business Bloomington – the organization has elevated its leadership in these two areas.

A Healthy Bloomington

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce  is strongly supportive of initiatives that encourage worksite wellness and opportunities for individuals to make healthier lifestyle choices. Our interest in these areas stems from the work of our Health Care Team. This active group launched the Healthy Business Bloomington (HBB) Designation Program last year. Since the launch, three events have been held, centered around worksite wellness, and twelve businesses have received our HBB designation.  The goal of the program is to celebrate those businesses that have made a commitment to address workforce health issues, to hold these businesses up as a model for others to follow and to foster dialog and idea exchanges among businesses interested in worksite wellness.  

The work of our volunteers and members led us then to participating in the local ACHIEVE initiative, an ongoing effort of 18 months. The vision of the local ACHIEVE team is to empower individuals and catalyze organizations to be a model community that values and embraces the healthy choice as the first choice through collaborative education, policy, and initiatives. The focus of these efforts is to improve communication regarding health and wellness policies across sectors, especially among leadership. The recent announcement of the YMCA’s expansion plans will help our community reach this vision by providing more of our citizens with additional options to make the healthy choice.

The YMCA’s community project also aligns with The Chamber’s involvement in worksite wellness as well as the work of ACHIEVE to build a healthier community. The project, to build a new YMCA facility on the northwest side of our community and renovate the existing building on the south side of Bloomington, is one that we should embrace. 

The YMCA enhances the community with health initiatives that directly benefit the future of our community and the business community. And the Cook Group’s Lead Gift Challenge that supports this project will yield excitement and support towards meeting the fundraising goal needed to build the new site and renovate the existing site. Once again, our friends at Cook Group exemplify community stewardship and engagement through their generosity and dedication to this project. 

A YMCA located conveniently on the northwest side, has potential to attract people who work on the west side, as well as families and individuals who live on the west and north side of the county. This will allow the Y to continue to make a positive impact on the community through its many health and wellness initiatives. Moreover, we see an opportunity for businesses engaged in worksite wellness initiatives to encourage employees to utilize the new building and look for partnerships in improving employee wellness.

We also see value in the Y’s goal to provide childcare in the new building. Access to childcare is an ongoing issue in the community and the Y’s goal to provide childcare in the northwest facility will ease the ability of more families to work in Bloomington.

We are fortunate to have access to many facilities (both indoor and outdoor) that promote physical activity and healthier lifestyle decisions. Community support for the Y’s endeavors is critical and their respective projects will facilitate additional healthy lifestyle choices by residents in the community.

Support Our Students by Acting Now

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce encourages the MCCSC school board to act now on determining the budget for the referendum dollars.

Christy GillenwaterThe Chamber supported the MCCSC Referendum because we recognized that the referendum was necessary to ensure our community’s future. We work daily to build better business and a better community and current and future students comprise our future workforce. Moreover, today’s students are the children of area employees and employers.

Through the Chamber’s Franklin Initiative, we partner with local schools to staff a full‐time Graduation Coach at each high school, funded through outside grants. Due to this and other dropout prevention strategies, the number of students who dropped out last year decreased by 17% from the previous year.

However, the Graduation Coach Initiative has also taught us that schools need more resources, especially when it comes to engaging at‐risk students. The number of dropouts continues to be too high in MCCSC, and that will continue until we address the sobering fact that thirty percent of MCCSC students are not reading at grade level. Therefore, literacy and dropout prevention need to be a primary focus.

On November 2, voters stepped up and supported the referendum. Due to time constraints, class scheduling for the fall, etc. the board had to act swiftly after the election. They formed a committee of respected school and community leaders to make thoughtful, rational recommendations, supported by data, on how to spend referendum dollars.

The committee, which included experienced MCCSC staff with an inside understanding of the needs faced by our students, proposed a comprehensive system of literacy interventions and implementation of an effective alternative school model proven to reduce the dropout rate. Their recommendations will improve educational outcomes among the students who need it the most, and they need to be implemented now. Our students don’t have the luxury of waiting for the next superintendent, and every day matters.

As a volunteer member of the referendum steering committee, never did I hear promises to restore the school system to its identical state before the cuts occurred. When The Chamber publicly voiced support for the referendum, we advocated that referendum dollars be used to decrease classroom sizes, increase the graduation rate, and to fund reforms where needed. We must continue to look for improvements in order to best use the additional resources generously bestowed by the taxpayers.

Voters approved the referendum to support our children and MCCSC. They entrusted the board and staff to then make the tough decisions about what is best for our kids. We now have additional resources to keep our community competitive, and there is no need to accept the status quo. That is why The Chamber urges the MCCSC school board to act now to seize the opportunities presented and not be content to continue with business as usual.

Finally, we recognize that these are extraordinary times for MCCSC. Our school system continues to face major challenges, but also amazing opportunities. We look to the school board to set the vision for the desired outcomes for our schools, and thank them for their countless hours of service addressing these important issues.

Christy Gillenwater
President & C.E.O.
The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce

Exciting Times at The Chamber

What a crazy last couple of weeks. Of course I broke my New Year’s resolution to blog every week the second week of 2011… At least I’m jumping back on the horse and trying again this week.

It has been a bit of a whirlwind these past couple of weeks as The Chamber hosted the first Women Excel Bloomington luncheon of 2011 on Tuesday, January 18, there was a snow storm later that week that delayed the hYPe Launch, but we were finally able to have the launch event on Monday, January 24. Last week we also had the first Business After Hours of 2011 at the Monroe County Building Association Home Show the evening of January 27, and an ABC: About Business Connections that focused on credit card processing with Infintech on Friday, January 28. This week, we host our first Healthy Business Bloomington Breakfast of 2011 on Wednesday, February 2, another ABC on February 8, and the first hYPe professional development event on February 9. Then, on February 23, we host the first BizLink event of the New Year focusing on website optimization.

Whew, just typing all of those events made my fingers tired, but we think it is important to offer a variety of different events so that all business, small and large, for-profit and not-for-profit all benefit from their Chamber membership. We also encourage non-members to attend many of our events, get a feel for what we are all about, and explore the many benefits that come with Chamber membership.

Do you have a suggestion for a new event or ideas to make current events better? We want feedback from you so that we are meeting our member’s needs. If there is something we are not doing, or something we could do better please let us know so that we can discuss as a staff your suggestion and possibly make changes to improve our service.

New Year’s Resolutions in a Digital World

With the new year come New Year’s resolutions. People tell themselves that this will be the year they go to the gym three times a week, or this will be the year they stop smoking. As with many things in our world, resolutions have changed with the times, and now many of the resolutions I’ve been hearing about relate to the internet and social media. Whether it is a pledge to not check Facebook during work, or to learn how to use Twitter, the internet has altered what we place importance on and what we want to change about ourselves. This fad has rubbed off on me, and I too am making a resolution that I wish I could take credit for thinking of, but in fact WordPress proposed. I am going to do my best to write a new blog post at least once a week. Anyone else want to join me?

So what will I write about? For the most part, your guess is as good as mine. Since this is Chamber INsider, basically everything I write will be related to Bloomington, The Chamber, or a business issue. My goal is to give readers a peek into how things work here at The Chamber, what we are focusing on, and how what we do can help your business. When what’s going on in the office isn’t very exciting I’ll spice up the blog with some posts about great things going on in Bloomington, and occasionally I’ll discuss a new website or piece of technology that I think will have a profound effect on how people do business.

Want to join me in my weekly blogging? Have a suggestion for topics? Any questions about The Chamber that you always wanted to ask? Let me know in the comments below or e-mail me at drose@chamberbloomington.org and I’ll be happy to discuss anything and everything (within reason of course).

Chamber to Debut New Young Professionals Program

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the creation of “hYPe: Helping Young Professionals Excel,” a new program for young professionals between the ages of 21 and 40 in Bloomington, Indiana.  Slated as one of The Chamber’s new programs for 2011, hYPe will facilitate professional and personal development while encouraging networking for young professionals who live, learn, work, or play in Bloomington.

“As a community, Bloomington has taken positive steps to define and nurture business growth opportunities, and we see hYPe as a great way to help retain the immense talent that our local universities and organizations produce,” says Christy Gillenwater, President and CEO of The Chamber. “By connecting our young professionals to others and providing paths to continued professional development, The Chamber is actively creating our next generation of leaders.”

The hYPe program officially launches on January 20, 2011 with a special kick-off event at KRC Catering and Banquets from 5:30-7:30 p.m.  The event is free and is open to individuals between the ages of 21 and 40 years old.

The event will feature networking activities and a special presentation by Scott Wise, founder and owner of Scotty’s Brewhouse, who will discuss being a young entrepreneur and share business advice with attendees. Steve Bryant, Executive Director of the Gayle and Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, will emcee the evening’s activities.  Hors d’oeuvers will be served throughout the event and a cash bar will be available.

“The Chamber plans to hold future hYPe events on the second Wednesday of every month,” explains Gillenwater. “Events will alternate focus on professional development and personal development, and all of them will include ample time to network and meet other young professionals in Bloomington.”

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce extends its thanks to professional development series sponsor Solution Tree, and event sponsor KRC Catering and Banquets for their generous support of this new initiative. More sponsorship opportunities are still available for this year’s calendar of events. Contact DeJohn Rose at drose@chamberbloomington.org or (812) 336-6381 for more information.

To register to attend the first event visit http://tinyurl.com/hYPeLaunch, or sign up to be added to the mailing list by filling out a participant information sheet and returning it to hype@chamberbloomington.org. You can also find more information about hYPe on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/hYPeBTOWN, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hYPeBloomington.

Chamber Calls to Amend Proposed Monroe County Comprehensive Plan

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce issued a statement yesterday calling for significant amendments to the proposed draft of the Monroe County Comprehensive Plan, the 20-year visioning document that provides guidelines for the County’s land use policies.

This is a central planning document with specific implications for the business community and our community’s ability to grow and retain jobs. We have raised concerns with the Plan Commission that this plan is prohibitive to expanding economic vitality in our community over the 20-year planning period. Additionally, little has been done to address the concerns brought forth by community representatives and landowners in the most current proposed draft.

The Plan Commission is expected to take a final vote on the current draft Continue reading →

Creating a Pervasive Culture of Educational Success

Today all young people need to be “college-bound.”  This could include a union apprenticeship, 2 or 4 year college degree, certificate, or anything that will improve marketability.   With so many affordable education options, financial aid, and support services, there’s no good financial excuse why every young person shouldn’t be able to do it.

Over the course of a lifetime, a 4 year college degree earns almost $1 million more than just a high school degree.  Yet only 44% of Indiana 9th graders enter college, and only 22% complete a degree within 6 years.   Our own MCCSC graduation rate is only Continue reading →

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday

Yesterday, Christy Gillenwater, The Chamber’s President and CEO, wrote a post about buying local this holiday season and supporting the Bloomington economy.  Three key days of the holiday shopping season are coming up in the next week, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.  These days provide consumers special discounted pricing to encourage shopping, while also bringing more customers into businesses.  Some of our member’s specials for these “retail holidays” are listed below:

Scotty’s Brewhouse has a promotion going on that gives customers money back for buying gift cards. If a guest buys a $50.00 gift card they will receive $10.00 back. If a guest buys  $100.00 gift card they will receive $25.00 back. Guests that buy $500.00 or more will receive 30% back. In addition to this promotion they will also be running specials on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. On these days, customers will receive twice as many bonus bucks back on $50.00 and $100.00 gift cards and 40% back on $500.00 or more. In addition Scotty’s is offering 25% off any products online or in-store.

Another local establishment celebrating the holiday season is Les Champs Elysees Day Spa & Salon. It is offering a 25% discount on all services, all day on Small Business Saturday, November 27th. Men’s and women’s cuts and color are available with Sasha, Kelly D, Liesel, Erin, Misty and Maeve, wax and/or facials with Jacqueline, and massages with Jeremy. In addition, Les Champs Elysees is also offering a 20% discount on gift cards.  Customers may purchase a gift card towards any of our Spa and/or Salon services with a $50 value for $40.  There is a limit of 2 gift cards per client, and only one gift card may be redeemed at a time.

Does your company have a special? Leave a comment and we’ll add it to our list.