Monthly Archives: May 2011

Incentiprizing

In a recently posted article from the Huffington Post called “’Incentiprizing': The New Path To Business Breakthroughs,” the author, Naveen Jain, comes to an interesting conclusion about how to successfully grow your company from the inside. He begins his argument by noting that process most companies use to increase innovation and growth is to hire new employees. Jain then proposes that instead of going through this process, it makes more sense to create incentives for your current employees regarding innovative developments, investment ideas, and other such ventures. He quotes Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, who said, “No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else.” Jain notes that this very opinion gets employers stuck thinking they constantly need new talent in order to create new ideas.

This theory, Jain notes, is not so. He argues that there are employees at every company capable of thinking outside of the box for a company’s needs, and that the best way to tap into this hidden pool is through incentive contests, effectively singling out those employees who will be most useful for your business endeavors. To quote Jain, “Instead of looking for that needle in the haystack, let that needle come straight to you.”

 

Check out the full article here to see what Jain suggests for creating your own Incentiprizing initiatives!

Catching Up With the Chamber

hYPe Oliver Winery Event

It was a great crowd at the May hYPe event! Thanks to all who attended

On Wednesday, May 11th, we hosted a hYPe event at Oliver Winery, featuring some great networking activities, not to mention great wine and food provided by the Winery and local Bloomington restaurants. And this is just the beginning! With summer just around the corner, the Chamber is pleased to bring more exciting events to our members. In addition to the Oliver Winery Social Event, we have many more outstanding social events planned for members of both the Chamber and hYPe.  Some of the events in the near future are:

ABC: Credit Card Processing 101

When: May 20th, 2011 at 11:30am
Where: The Johnson Creamery Building, Rm. 108

If you are interested in offering the benefit of credit card processing for your clients and customers, this presentation is a must-attend. All your questions about credit card processing will be answered! The seminar will cover topics including, but not limited to, the following: cost components of a transaction, factors that influence cost, and pricing alternatives. You can even bring along your current merchant statement for personalized review with an Account Representative!

 

You can register for the event on our website, here!

 

WEB Awards Ceremony and Luncheon
When: May 25, 2011 at 11:30am (Doors open at 11am)
Where: Henke Hall of Champions

We are so excited to bring you the 2nd annual Women Excel Bloomington awards ceremony and luncheon. During this luncheon, we will honor seven businesswomen from Bloomington who have gone above and beyond the call for bettering their business and our community. In addition, we are thrilled to have guest speaker Caroline Dowd-Higgins, the Director of Professional Development for the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and an active advocate for women in business. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

 

You can buy tickets or sponsor a table by visiting our website, here!

 

hYPe Financial Health Professional Development Event
When: June 8th, 2011 from 5:30-7:30pm
Where: Bloomington Country Club

The hYPe Financial Health Professional Development event is a great resource for both newcomers and seasoned professionals alike! During this event, hYPe is happy to give you the opportunity to speak with a professional advisor and participate in discussions about topics like credit scores, strategies for debt relief, retirement, in addition to many more! The event will feature light snacks and a cash bar, and is free to attend, but registration is encouraged.

 

You can learn more and register for this event by visiting our website, here!

 

ABC: 10 Steps to Successful Social Networking in Business
When: June 10th, 11:30am-1:00pm
Where: The Johnson Creamery Building

This seminar is one for the modern professional needing to know about the best strategies for managing the social aspects of business. Rhonda Foster, the Human Resources Director with the Monroe County Government, will cover everything from how to manage projects, people, and time, to project presentation and research, and many more topics! The event attendees will also enjoy a lunch provided by Scotty’s Brewhouse, and is free to members!

 

Make sure to register for this event on our website so you can attend this informative seminar!

 

28th Annual Golf Scramble
When: June 15th 2011, with breakfast at 6:00am, and tee times at 7:00am and 12:30pm
Where: The Eagle Point Golf Resort

The Chamber is thrilled to present the 28th Annual Golf Scramble, which should be a fun day of golf with the chance to win amazing prizes! The tournament will be in Florida Scramble style with teams of four, offering more than $30,000 worth of cash & prizes up for grabs, including $1000 to the top 3 teams: 1st – $600, 2nd – $300, and 3rd – $100. Tee times are at 7:00am, preceded by a breakfast served at 6:00am, and 12:30pm, with a complimentary lunch for all players from 11:30am-1:30pm. Registration is required, so make sure to sign up early so you don’t miss what is bound to be a great event!

 

For more information and easy online registration, visit our website, here!

 

We hope that you are just as excited as we are about these events, and make sure to check our website for more information on events for our members. If you Like us on Facebook, you can get invites to our events directly so you will always know what’s going on at the Chamber!

 

April Showers Bring…

Indiana Thunderstorm

This photo was taken by an amateur Indiana Photographer from the Flickr Group "Indiana Thunderstorms." Click on the picture to check them out!

With all the bad weather and severe storm warnings we’ve been getting in Bloomington lately, we figured it would be a good idea to write out some suggestions for designing and implementing your plan in case of an emergency. The magazine Communication Briefings published an article concerning this very subject. They outline a series of steps a business could take to control a crisis situation in a way that minimizes the effect the crisis has on regular business flow. Because this model is a great resource for coming up with your disaster plan, we wanted to share it with you!

Step 1: Develop a crisis communication plan

a. Create a plan for how your employees and associates would communicate during an emergency; Start by creating an outline of rules that supercede normal procedure. Perform mock drills, and make sure to candidly critique your own readiness and performance. Designate a crisis team who will take charge during an emergency. Organize your crisis team by determining assignments each member can assist with in the disaster, including a primary spokesperson position. Make sure to compose the following materials: an up to date list of possible media contacts, federal emergency agencies, and important contacts that will need to be notified about the crisis and could help.

Step 2: Remember that perception is reality.

Remember that rumor control is critical in the business world. Do your best to manage your crisis effectively, and avoid the assumption that everyone knows you are trying your best to control the situation. Rather, assert that you are with solid public performance.

Step 3: Treat the event seriously.

When working in the public eye, keep in mind that all of your words and actions should echo the compassion you feel for any and all persons effected by the crisis. React seriously as if lives, careers, and your business are on the line, because they just might be!

Step 4: You only know what has been confirmed.

When dealing with the media in a crisis situation do not speculate about the impact of the emergency before you know what they are. When you speculate, you open the door for rumors that could hurt your business in the end. Stick to the facts

Step 5: Communicate early and often.

Like the previous step, do not make public comments until you have all of the facts. Make sure that you aren’t speculating, but early communication is just as important as accuracy in rumor prevention. As a rule of thumb: Provide as many facts as possible, even if they are little things like the square footage of the building or the number of employees that work on site.

Step 6: It ain’t over until it’s over!

Don’t assume because the story isn’t on the front page anymore that your business is in the clear. Make sure to reassure your important customers and business associates that everything is okay.

Step 7: Get back to business.

Make sure to get back to business as soon as possible. This will show customers and clients that your business won’t let a crisis like this prevent it from functioning normally. Be prepared for media. They may want to film you back at work, so make sure you are ready!

Hopefully, these steps will help you create an emergency plan, especially in case Bloomington continues to receive the crazy weather we’ve been having this spring! Stay safe and dry out there!