The Voice of Business - The Blog of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce

Daily Briefing, 2/2/12

2012-02-02T07:05:00.001-05:00

Morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, City Council formally established the Neighborhood Improvement Zone Authority and selected its board members. Warren Hospital in New Jersey has joined the St. Luke's Health Network.

In state-wide news, the Corbett administration has announced that it is relaxing the guidelines for its proposed asset test of food-stamp recipients.

In national news, Mitt Romney will now receive Secret Service protection. Newt Gingrich will pick up a major endorsement from Donald Trump later today. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has announced that he expects the United States' combat role in Afghanistan to end in 2013. Facebook has finally announced its Initial Public Offering at $5 billion.

We have two Chamber events today: a Grand Opening at the Gourmet Buffet and Grill and a Grand Opening at Aura Salon in Easton.

And that's it! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

Upcoming FREE Chamber Mixers & Events

2012-02-01T12:57:00.000-05:00

We typically have 20-30 events a month, and a good portion of those events are free. As such, we wanted to take a second to review what FREE Chamber events we have coming up in February.

Gourmet Buffet & Grille, 2/2, 3317 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown
Aura Salon Grand Opening, 2/2, 1940 Northampton Road, Easton
First Monday, 2/6, 812 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown
Allentown Art Museum Mixer, 2/16, 31 N. 5th Street, Allentown
Lehigh County State of the County Address, 2/16, 1050 Iron Pigs Way, Allentown
Young Professionals Meet & Greet, 2/23, 1223 Broad Street, Bethlehem
Webinar - If magazines were widgets & e-journals were commodities: Applying strategic sourcing models to purchase of content & e-resources, 2/23, online
American Hairlines Leap Day Mixer, 2/29, 74 W. Broad Street, Bethlehem
Pacifico Restaurant Mixer, 2/29, 2960 Center Valley Parkway, Center Valley

Daily Briefing, 2/1/2012

2012-02-01T06:33:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Allentown City Council appointed Cynthia Mota to the vacancy caused by Michael D'Amore's election to District Judge. In Bethlehem, six have applied to be the City's Controller. The Lehigh Valley Airport Authority heard presentations yesterday on what land they could sell.

In state-wide news, as a result of a lack of state action, 17,000 unemployed Pennsylvanians have lost their unemployment benefits.

In national news. Mitt Romney won a commanding victory in the Florida primary yesterday.

Okay, that's it for this morning. Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

What comes next in the Republican race for President

2012-01-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Florida Primary is being held as I type this; if polls are any indication, Mitt Romney is expected to cruise to an easy win. However, the race won't end after tonight, no matter what happens. So, what comes next in the race for the Republican nomination?

On February 4, Nevada is holding their Presidential caucuses. Given its proximity to Utah and high Mormon population, Mitt Romney is expected to win, though Ron Paul's campaign has shown a high degree of organizational prowess in caucus states.
Next up is the Maine caucuses, to be held on February 4 - February 11.
On February 7, three caucuses are held: Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota.
February 28 sees the next two primaries held - Arizona and Michigan. As the son of the former Governor, Romney is the likely favorite in Michigan.
On March 3, Washington State holds their Caucuses.
March 6 is the big day: Super Tuesday. Primaries will be held in Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia & Vermont, with caucuses held in Alaska, Idaho and North Dakota.

How about the never-ending series of Republican debates?

Believe it or not, there are no debates for three weeks. The next debate is February 22, in Arizona, sponsored by CNN and the Republican Party of Arizona.
The next debate is before Super Tuesday on March 1, in Georgia, sponsored by CNN and the Georgia Republican party.

But, here is the real question - will the primaries go this long? What do you think?

Daily Briefing, 1/31/2012

2012-01-31T06:52:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The Valley added 1,300 jobs in December, lowering the unemployment rate to 8.4%. The Florida Republican is today; final polls all show Mitt Romney with a significant lead.

That's it for now (yes, I know, slow news day!). We'll be back later.

What could blow up the economy in 2012

2012-01-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

As we previously blogged about, we held our Economic Outlook event last week. The event reviewed likely global, national and local economic trends and was extremely informative for anyone who has an interest in how the economy turns out in 2012.

The consensus of the event was continued, if gradual, economic recovery in just about every sector, even the labor market. However, according to Dr. Jay Bryson of Wells Fargo, three items have the potential to destroy the economic in 2012. We wanted to review what those three possibilities are:

Increasing geo-political tensions: The entire world is a hotspot, but political and military actions have the potential to seriously hinder economic recovery. Iran, for example, has been threatening to block off the Straits of Hormuz, and US officials have not ruled out military action to keep the Straits open. If the Straits are blocked, however, that could drive oil up to $150 a barrel - which would be a $50 increase from where it is today. That is not something our economy could absorb.
Possible shut-down of federal bond market: Our debt has, without question, grown sustainability over the past few years, and the time may come where investors refuse to by U.S. bonds. However, according to Dr. Bryson, this remains unlikely in the immediate future, as the U.S. continues to be viewed as a solid investment. This issue must be addressed in the long-term, however.
Europe debt crisis: The European debt crisis "blowing up" is the item here that is most likely. There are numerous European countries in which debt default is some level of possibility. Greece is the country most likely to default, but other countries have that risk as well, including Spain and Italy. Italy could cause the biggest problem - if it were to default, that's $3 trillion in debt down the tubes. The U.S. itself does not hold a huge portion of the debt of any of these countries - but many of our trading partners do - and if these countries go down, the domino effect could hurt the U.S. as well.

So, what do you think? Any threats that we missed? Let us know in the comments!

Daily Briefing, 1/30/2012

2012-01-30T07:01:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing...on a very slow news day!

In state-wide news, Pennsylvania has begun to seek funding to plan and implement a state-wide insurance exchange. The Pennsylvania GOP met over the weekend and endorsed Steve Welsh for Senate, David Freed for Attorney General, Diana Irey Vaughn for Treasurer and John Maher for Auditor General.

We have one Chamber event today: a grand opening at Antonella's Bakery in Easton.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Daily Briefing, 1/27/2012

2012-01-27T06:20:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, acting Superintendent Russ Mayo has had the acting removed from his name and is now the Superintendent of the Allentown School District. In Lehigh County, County Executive Don Cunningham has said that he will veto the property tax reassessment passed unanimously by the Board of Commissioners.

In state-wide news, legislative redistricting is now in a holding pattern, with districts now still in the old 2001 lines - something that may remain through the 2012 election.

In national news, Republicans debated for the final time before the Florida primary.

We have one Chamber event today: the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is holding an event on networking.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Chamber has taken another public policy position - and we're pretty confident that this is one that everyone in the Valley can pretty much get behind.

There are currently two full-times Federal judges serving the Lehigh Valley area - but there should be three. As a result, clients who are in federal court, as well as their attorneys, must travel to Philadelphia, wasting much time, energy and money that could be spent here, in the Valley. The lack of a third judge is a disservice to the Valley.

As a result, Tony Iannelli, our President & CEO, as well as Dan Labert, Executive Director of the Lehigh County Bar Association, sent the letter below to Senators Casey (D), Toomey (R) and President Obama. The lack of a third judge hinders our legal system and does not favors to justice or the legal process. A third federal judge could also result in a reopened facility in Easton.

Check out the letter below for more info:

Federal Judge Letter - Senator Toomey

Daily Briefing, 1/26/2012

2012-01-26T06:54:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Joe Paterno's funeral was held yesterday. Lehigh County Commissioners voted to proceed with reassessment, over Executive Don Cunningham's objections. Commissioners also appointed Mike Schware to the vacancy on the Board of Commissioners. Ryan Mackenzie announced that he will seek the Republican nomination in the 134th Legislative District, Doug Reichley's old seat.

In state-wide news (and this is a big one), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court invalidated the state legislative redistricting maps. That being said, no opinion has been released yet, so it is still unknown how this will affect candidates.

In national news, the Federal Reserve yesterday said that it expects to keep interest rates low through 2014. Republican Presidential candidates debate tonight, one last time before the Florida primary on 1/31.

Today's is a busy day in Chamber world, with three events: a mixer at Braveheart's Highland Pub in Hellertown, a mixer at Allentown Symphony Hall with the Lehigh Valley Easy Pages and a President's Roundtable with Jim Koch of the Boston Beer Company.

And that's it! Have a good one, and we'll see you later.

The economy in 2012

2012-01-25T11:00:00.002-05:00

As you may have read, the Chamber held its annual Economic Outlook event yesterday. In front of 550 people, local and national experts discussed the likely state of the economy in 2012. In case you missed it, here's a recap of the event in the media:

LV Chamber asks: Is the economy better than you think? (The Morning Call)
Wells Fargo economist, Lehigh Valley experts say economy will continue in 2012 (The Express-Times)
Economist paints brighter future for 2012 (WFMZ-TV)

Yes, the headlines tell it all: the economy is actually slowly recovering. Hiring has averaged 150,000 for the past three months and GDP continues to slowly grow. Corporations are sitting on more cash than they have in years and the business-to-business sector continues to grow phenomenally. When it comes to hiring, however, the local picture remains cloudy - the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area has the 2nd highest rate of unemployment of any area in Pennsylvania, and the real unemployment level is closer to 16% when you factor in those who have stopped looking for work (that number is NOT factored into the unemployment numbers that you hear about regularly).

For a look at the live tweets of the event, check out the hashtag #ChamberEO.

And, of course, let us know what you think about the state of the economy in 2012!

Daily Briefing, 1/25/2012

2012-01-25T06:24:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Lehigh County, County Commissioners are set to vote on whether or not to proceed with a property tax reassessment. The Chamber held its annual Economic Outlook event, and the verdict was a good one - the economy isn't doing THAT badly! In the Parkland School District, a preliminary agreement with the teacher's union calls for a pay freeze for teachers. The preliminary budget also contains a 4.96% tax hike. Matt Cartwright of Scranton has announced that he will challenge Congressman Tim Holden in a Democratic Primary.

In state-wide news, a state government panel voted to approve legislation that would shrink the size of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

In national news, President Obama delivered his State of the Union address yesterday; the Republican response was delivered by Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana. Here's some good news; economic confidence is at the highest its been since May.

That's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll see you later.

Daily Briefing, 1/24/2012

2012-01-24T06:26:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Phil Mitman announced his resignation from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation yesterday, effective April 30. North Whitehall Township formally hired Jeff Bartlett as the Township's first ever manager. Jim Smith, a lawyer from Berks County, announced his candidacy for State Representative in the 134th Legislative District. That seat was formally held by Doug Reichley. In school board news, the East Penn School District's and Whitehall-Coplay School District's preliminary budget calls for a 3.2% tax increase, while the Nazareth Area School District calls for a 2% hike. In the Bethlehem Area School District, the tax hike is 4%.

President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address today. The four Republican candidates remaining for President debated yesterday in Florida. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) suffered a stroke yesterday.

We have one Chamber event today, and its a big one: our annual Economic Outlook. Make sure to follow the event live on twitter at #ChamberEO.

That's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll see you later.

Growing Your Small Business in 2012 - Reinvent Yourself

2012-01-20T10:09:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! Another day, another guest blog entry, again from Carol Ritter of Carol Talks.
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I recently walked into Starbucks for my usual, a small cup of coffee. I walked toward the gal who would take my order. Wasn’t paying much attention then I looked up and I saw “YELLOW”. It was so obvious it made me curious, so instead of ordering my coffee I went to see what the “YELLOW” was all about. It was the new Starbucks Blonde campaign, blonde coffee, blonde travel mugs, blonde ceramic mugs and new blonde packaging. What a great idea! When we walk into Starbucks we generally see green and during the holidays we see red. As customers we are used to the consistent brand Starbucks offers. But we are not used to “BLONDE” and “YELLOW” it’s not the normal color you see when you stop in for your cup of Joe.

Reinventing yourself is as critical as creating a sense of urgency for your business. Consumers get tired of the ‘same old same old’ real quick. It doesn’t matter if you are a dentist, an auto repair business or whether you are a small bank, you can and must reinvent yourself a minimum of once a year.

6 Basic Reinvent Yourself Ideas for Any Business- Give-em a HOOK

A Dentist can - take his or her practice on the road - network & sponsor events
Auto Repair can begin- BIG Inspection Thursdays - $10 off if you bring car in on Thursday or give away free lunch to first appointment of the day
A Bank can start Charity months, pick a charity each month and match what your customers donate
Restaurants - Mad Mondays - Create a Monday menu with meals you don’t usually carry
Printing - offer free business cards for every new customer on Fridays
Any business can partner with another like business, if you buy from me get a coupon to shop with a partner biz

Who would have thought that “YELLOW” could be so prominent and create so much curiosity. My guess is that the coffee is the same, the travel mug style has been sold before but now that’s it’s the ‘blonde’ campaign and packaged so uniquely; it’s new and exciting. Maybe you could take your business “BLONDE”; I heard it’s more fun!!

Daily Briefing, 1/20/2011

2012-01-20T06:10:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Weather incoming: 2.5 inches of snow may hit the ground by Saturday morning. In Upper Macungie, planners approved a new plant for Ocean Spray.

In national news, Republicans debated before the South Carolina primary, which is tomorrow. Texas Governor Rick Perry dropped out of the race yesterday and endorsed Newt Gingrich. Kodak has filed for bankruptcy.

We have one Chamber event today: the Small Business Council is having an event on positioning your business for future excellence.

And that's it for now. Have a good one, and we'll be back later!

This Week With Tony - Buy Lehigh Valley Expo!

2012-01-19T14:05:00.002-05:00

We have another major Chamber event coming up - our annual Buy Lehigh Valley Expo. In the video below, Tony, Joellen and Liz talk about the upcoming event and what makes this year's special. Enjoy!

Daily Briefing, 1/19/2012

2012-01-19T06:10:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Bethlehem, possible replacement candidates for Controller have until January 31 to submit their resumes to City Council. In Allentown, the head of the city's EMS has resigned after guiding through controversial new changes. In the Allentown School District, taxes may rise as much as 7.37%. The Sands in Bethlehem had the best revenue growth of any Pennsylvania casino. Northampton County recommended the approval of a new contract with the County's Social Services Union.

In national news, official results of the Iowa caucuses will be released today; the end results may show that Rick Santorum won.

We have two Chamber events today: a Young Professionals event on stress relief and a grand opening at SourceOne Accountants.

That's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll be back later today.

Five tips for a great webinar

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

The other day, I met with Chamber Members Wolper Subscription Services to discuss their upcoming webinar. We've used webinars, with great success, let others know the benefits of Chamber membership and allow our Chamber members the opportunity to speak with others on areas of their expertise. Webinars can be great tools, if done right; they can also be insanely boring if done wrong. Here are some tips on the right way to host a Webinar.

1. Data collection - do it right: When you register for any Webinar, you have to fill out basic information - but, most webinars allow you to ask for more. Get someone's position in the company. Ask what kind of business their company does. Make sure to collect data that is related to your objectives for holding the webinar, be it sales info, accounting, etc. You can also usually have somone answer a pre-webinar question or two that can help you create the content that they are looking for.

2. Short slides, brief bullets: It is much better to have twenty slides with two bullets each than five slides with eight bullets. To keep someone's attention, you have to make webinar slides brief and bullets short.

3. Make it interactive: One of the problems with webinars is "drift." Someone can be sitting at their computer, their attention can wander and BOOM, they're on Facebook and no longer paying attention to what you have to say. To limit that, make your presentation interactive...have numerous poll questions and surveys. Use the highlighting and pointer features to try and grab someone's attention. Don't just give a power point presentation...odds are decent you will lose your attendees.

4. Practice and prepare: Nothing looks worse than being unprepared for a webinar...having slides out of order, having animation that doesn't work right, etc. It makes it look like you didn't run through your presentation first...something you'd never do in a real world presentation. Treat your webinar the same way - practice it and proof the slides ahead of time. Make sure that everything looks the way it should and that nothing will appear on the presentation that surprises you.

5. Follow up right: Most webinars allow you to send out a pretty standard follow-up, thanking your attendees for coming. Don't settle there; send them a white paper. Ask them to fill out an evaluation. Give them a special offer for attending. Make sure that there is some wort of benefit to the attendee that goes beyond having just attended the webinar.

Daily Briefing, 1/18/2012

2012-01-18T06:27:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, teachers approved a three-year contract that called for a one year pay freeze. At Allentown City Hall, Managing Director Ken Bennington announced his resignation. In the Bethlehem Area School District, the preliminary budget hikes taxes 4%. The Wilson Area School District's preliminary budget raises taxes 1.8%. In Emmaus, Shane Pipe was hired yesterday as the new Borough Manager. In Macungie, Council voted to restore funding cuts made earlier - this will likely result in a larger tax increase.

In state-wide news, Congressman Todd Platts (R-PA) announced yesterday that he will retire from Congress.

We have two Chamber events today: a review of the latest in Social Media rules & regulations and a tour of the Nestle Pure Life Facility.

That's it for now! Have a great day and we'll try to get back to you later. Have a good one!

Daily Briefing, 1/16/2012

2012-01-16T06:26:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In local news, a WFMZ story notes that Valley libraries are now offering eBooks for borrowing. In national news, Jon Huntsman is dropping out of the Presidential race and will be endorsing Mitt Romney later this week.

That's about it...yes, slow news day. Anyway, have a good one, and we'll see you either later today or tomorrow!

Job Opening

2012-01-13T11:01:00.002-05:00

Hello, everyone! Another job opening to share. As always, if you have a job opening that you'd like published on the blog, please E-mail it to me at mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org.

Have a great weekend!
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Position Description
Editor
January 2012

The Editor is a critical member of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley staff, responsible for the publication of the organization’s monthly community newspaper, HAKOL (the Hebrew word for “the voice”).

The only Jewish newspaper in the Lehigh Valley area, HAKOL serves as the primary source of Jewish news and information for 4,000 families in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. It is published 11 times a year (one summer issue) and averages 28 to 32 pages in the main section. Six special sections are published each year, ranging from 12 to 16 pages. HAKOL is advertiser supported. It is mailed directly to homes for free and is also published in its entirety online.

In addition to providing general Jewish news, HAKOL serves as a primary communication vehicle for the Jewish Federation, as well as other affiliated Jewish agencies. The tabloid serves to promote the mission of the Federation, a non-profit organization that helps Jews in the Lehigh Valley, in Israel and around the world.

HAKOL is governed by an Editorial Board. Production is supported by a layout/graphic design associate and an advertising salesperson. The Editor reports directly to the Director of Marketing. HAKOL is a member of the American Jewish Press Association.

The Editor is a hand-on project manager who works independently and in coordination with staff and community resources to deliver the newspaper and other publications on deadline.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Coordinate and manage content, layout and design of newspaper – allocating print space for story text, photos, advertising, and illustrations according to space parameters and copy significance, using knowledge of layout principles and aesthetics
 Work in conjunction with director of marketing and other Federation staff
 Interact with community and agency/synagogue representatives to collect, edit, fact check newsworthy articles and information listings
 Review and select articles and releases from wire service (JTA) or other national sources (JFNA, JAFI, JDC, etc.); edit article length as needed
 Responsible for checking copy for spelling and grammar errors, inconsistencies, incorrect facts, day/date consistencies
 Develop special feature sections and assign or source feature articles from volunteers and freelance writers
 Create annual editorial and special features calendar
 As determined, attend Federation and other community programs to cover them as news articles; may be responsible for photography at specific Federation events
 Recruit and manage volunteer and freelance writers
 Responsible for publication of Shalom Lehigh Valley, a Jewish Guide to Life in the Lehigh Valley (This is a free standing, comprehensive directory of local Jewish resources)
 Work in coordination with the Advertising Representative to oversee advertising sales, content, contract questions, resolve advertiser issues
 Evaluate earnings, revenue streams for appropriate decision making; work with appropriate staff to develop analysis and evaluation tools
 Serve as a liaison to the Editorial Board
 Work with print vendors, mail house and post office

CLASSIFICATION:

• Part-time
• This is an exempt position and may require some evening and weekend hours

QUALIFICATIONS:

 BA, or equivalent, preferred
 Excellent writing skills
 Ability to organize and schedule work effectively and efficiently, juggling multiple projects at once
 Maintain attention to detail and the big picture
 Ability to work well with and manage others
 Oversee each issue/publication from content, to design layout, through production and distribution
 Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods
 Sound editorial judgment
 Ability to work on deadlines, staying focused and calm under pressure
 Creativity and intellectual curiosity a plus
 Must be computer literate; preference for expertise in using Adobe InDesign; familiarity with PhotoShop and Illustrator a plus
 Knowledge and understanding of Jewish practices, customs, history, and community organization is helpful, but not required

HAKOL can be viewed online at: http://www.jewishlehighvalley.org/hakol.aspx

Daily Briefing, 1/13/2012

2012-01-13T06:03:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Be careful outside today, as a wind advisory is in effect until 6pm. In state-wide news, Pennsylvania has the 2nd highest rate of air pollution in the entire U.S. when it comes to pollution from power plants and refineries. Vice President Biden will be in neighboring Bucks County today to discuss college costs. Two marines have been identified in the video that features four marines urinating on Taliban corpses.

We have one Chamber event today - the kick-off of our LGBT business initiative.

That's it for now. Have a good one, and we'll see you later.

Guest Blog Post: Growing Your Small Business in 2012- Grow Your Business - Be Outrageous

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

We have a guest blog post today from an outstanding Chamber Member, Carol Ritter of Carol Talks. The topic is incredibly timely - how can you grow your business?

Read on for more!
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This is the first in a series of articles with bullet proof, completely tested ideas for growing your small business. I remember when I coached softball many years ago. I just wanted to be a coach and help kids learn about softball, team work and, most importantly, build character. When I took on the sport, I didn’t realize, I needed umpires, I needed a team mother, I needed to attend meetings and I needed to gather a team to work on the fields. I liken that to running a small business.

As an example, let’s take Angela who loves to cook and is really good at it. Will she grow her business simply by the overwhelming aroma of fresh made bread and the wonderful taste of her Italian specialties. Possibly, but probably not. She will build her business by strategically positioning herself in the community, offering outrageous deals and consistently driving people through the doors.

The secret to her success is her ability to handle and explore risk not necessarily the taste of her food. You cannot see outrageous growth without risk. If Angela or you are content with middle of the road success and just paying the bills then don’t read the following Top Ten Ways to Grow Your Business Outrageously.
1. Design and implement an outrageous marketing plan
2. Be willing to spend money to make money
3. Hire talent with personality (this is huge for customer service)
4. Create a sense of urgency for your buyer (they can’t live without your product)
5. Teach your customer many reasons why they should shop with you (Valentines Day offer Dinner for Two created by Angela) (Wild Wednesdays with wild discounts)
6. Know your competition - and be outrageously bigger and better (an example of this is the home of the mile high lasagna)
7. Ask your customers what they would like to buy (consider new things on your menu)
8. Reinvent yourself at least every two years (let your customers see new and exciting)
9. Create an atmosphere of outrageous service (so lacking in this world, be known for service, when customers feel great they will purchase and pay for your product)
10. Don’t be afraid of free (always be willing to do something or give something for free, the world loves that, maybe recipe of the month online, customers can submit their recipes and vote on best recipe win dinner for two once a month)

I used an Italian restaurant as an example but this could work for most small businesses. Don’t be the ho hum, run of the mill business in your community. BE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS IN PRODUCT, IDEAS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. Wishing you a very prosperous and outrageous New Year
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Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in remarkable leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country. Carol’s innovative strategies provide leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND BETTER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com

From the Nazareth Patch

2012-01-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

This great article ran earlier today in the Nazareth Patch about an upcoming Chamber initiative - a Lesbian, Gay, Transgender & Bisexual (LGBT) Chamber. We are holding a kick-off event tomorrow.

Check out the article below:
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LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE
By Margie Peterson

Those in the Lehigh Valley who would like to turn back the clock on gay rights can pack it in right now. Game over. The fat lady has sung.

I say that because the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce – not exactly a charter member of Queer Nation -- is holding a kick-off event Friday morning for its new Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Business Initiative. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn Allentown Bethlehem Airport at 1787-B Airport Road in Allentown.

It’s the first step toward starting an LGBT council within the Chamber that would provide networking and other opportunities and resources for LGBT business owners and employees.

I can think of few more solid indicators that the gay rights movement has arrived than to have such a bastion of the establishment embrace it. The LGBT council will join other groups within the Chamber, such as the Women’s Business Council and the Young Professionals Council, as a sort of chamber within a Chamber.

Tony Iannelli, president of the Lehigh Valley Chamber, which he says is the ninth largest in the nation, acknowledged that establishing an LGBT council has “raised a few eyebrows.” But he said it is both good for business and the right thing to do.

“What has made us successful is when we feel there’s a demand…we try to recognize that market and build a partnership with it,” he said.

Some of the larger companies in the Valley, such as PPL and Air Products, already have gay and lesbian resource groups that meet in the workplace.

“When PPL created domestic partnership benefits for their employees it really came out of requests from this group,” according to Adrian Shanker, president of Equality Pennsylvania, a nonprofit advocacy group for the LGBT community. “It’s not controversial anymore to say that the business community supports the idea that people should be employed based on their talent, not their sexual orientation. It’s in their best interest to have a top, talented workforce.”

If only Harrisburg would catch up. “Just about everyone else is leaps and bounds ahead of our state Legislature who has yet to vote on a non-discrimination law,” said Shanker, who worked with the Valley Chamber on Friday’s LGBT council kick-off.

A poll last year showed 69 percent of Pennsylvanians support prohibiting discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation, yet the Legislature drags its feet.

Iannelli told me that many Chambers around the country don’t join forces with groups representing a certain demographic, as his organization does with the Lehigh Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “You have got to be open and flexible to building partnerships to these varying communities,” he said.

Maybe that’s how the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber got to be among the largest in the country – by avoiding backward thinking.

Daily Briefing, 1/12/2011

2012-01-12T06:06:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The Easton Area School District is looking at a $7.6 million deficit this year. The Bethlehem Area School District will likely see taxes rise 4%. Also in Bethlehem, the city is letting ArtsQuest pay its 2011 bill late as a result of ArtsQuests' financial difficulties. State Representative Joseph Emrick announced yesterday that he will run for reelection. In Lehigh County, County Commissioners may proceed with reassessment, despite a request from the County Executive not to do so.

In state-wide news, Republican State Senator John Rafferty has dropped out of the Attorney General's race, leaving Cumberland County DA Dave Freed as the only GOP candidate.

In national news, foreclosures are at their lowest rate since 2007. Natural gas is at its lowest price in a decade.

We have one Chamber event today: a free mixer at Chianti's Restaurant.

That's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll be back later.

This Week With Tony - Your Chamber Membership Plan

2012-01-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

You've heard me say it before - by joining the Chamber, you qualify for multiple benefits, including:

Access to 20-30 events a month, with at least five of those being completely free.
Over $4,000 in free marketing value.
Multiple discounted purchasing & insurance programs.

One of the things we have found that some struggle with, however, is knowing which programs to take advantage of. To that end, we have an outstanding group of Chamber volunteers, the Ambassadors, who work with members to make sure that they are getting the most out of their Chamber membership. Our Ambassadors are now able to work with any member and develop a customized Chamber Membership Plan, designed to help that member use their Chamber membership to the fullest.

For more info, watch the video below, or E-mail me at mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org.

Daily Briefing, 1/11/12

2012-01-11T05:58:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Citing a volatile real estate market, Lehigh County will be scraping its reassessment plans for now. In Allentown, Jaindl properties has announced that it will look to engage in development along Allentown's waterfront. Also in the city, Allentown's planning board approved work on the arena project. In Easton, City Council heard a presentation on red-light cameras.

In state-wide news, Pennsylvania is changing the way in which it gives out food stamps, creating an asset test which would bar those who have over a certain amount in assets from receiving stamps.

In national news, Mitt Romney won big in New Hampshire yesterday. The next race is the South Carolina primary on January 21. The CEO of Fannie Mae, Michael Williams, is going to resign.

We have one Chamber event today: a municipal update from the Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

When is the best time to share something on a Social Network?

2012-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Recent studies show that Social Networking is the most popular activity on the internet today, with 23% of all time spent online spent on a Social Network of some kind. Of course, this makes perfect sense, and as we have said repeatedly in the past, this leads to ample opportunity for your business to make more money.

Now, all of that being said, like everything else in the world, social media use for your business comes down to timing. When should you share information on a Social Media site in order to make the most impact? The answer may surprise you.

Check out this infographic. According to the research done by Kissmetrics:

The best time to tweet if you are trying to get Retweeted, is in the afternoon - the most retweets occur at 5pm.
Wednesday is the most popular day of the week to tweet when it comes to click-throughs.
The best time to tweet for click-throughs is at noon or 6pm.
For Facebook, it's a different story - Saturday is when the most articles are shared. Most shares are done at noon (no data on click-throughs though...to bad).
If you are trying to get likes, you should share no more than once every two days.

Also, this is completely to anecdotal, so take it for what it's worth, but some time ago, we analyzed our blog hits and discovered that 12pm was the most popular time for this blog to be read. Accordingly, we started publishing our second posts of the day at noon. Now, for this blog, that makes intuitive sense - it tends to be work and business oriented, so most of our hits will occur during the work day - but for your blog, it may be different. My point is this: check out your analytics and see what makes the most sense for you.

Daily Briefing, 1/10/12

2012-01-10T05:57:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The fate of the bi-county Lehigh Valley Health Board is still up in the air, with the possibility existing that the board could still be formally established. Lehigh Valley housing sales rose 10% in the month of December compared to the same time last year.

In national news, Bill Daley is stepping down as Chief of Staff to President Obama - Jack Lew, the President's Budget Director, will take his place. The New Hampshire primary is today - Mitt Romney will likely win easily, and the real race is for second between John Huntsman and Ron Paul.

We have two Chamber events today: an employer update with the Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry, Julia Hearthway, and a Harrisburg update with the Greater Northern Chamber.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Uncertainty Reigns: A look at some of the tax cuts that expired on Dec 31 (but may come back!)

2012-01-09T12:49:00.001-05:00

As this story so accurately points out, on December 31, 50 tax cuts (for both individuals and businesses) expired. Okay, fine, so what's the problem?

The issue here is that Congress may choose to reenact any or all of these taxes - and do so retroactively. For the average individual, the uncertainty may not mean all that much, but for those in the financial planning, accounting, investing or tax sector, this presents a nightmare - planning is very difficult, if not flat out impossible.

Among the tax cuts that are set to expire -

Individual tax cuts:

Tax break for employees who use mass transit and had their expenses subsidized by their employers.
Option to deduct income tax or state and local taxes.
Certain mortgage insurance deductions.
School teacher tax deduction for teachers who use their own money to purchase supplies for their classrooms.
Tuition deduction on higher education.
Larger deductions for those who file the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).
Conversion credit for plug-in cars.

Business tax cuts:

Tax deductions that would allow businesses to speed up depreciation deductions.
Tax credit for ethanol.
Tax credit for R&D expenses.
Tax credit for construction of some "new energy" homes.

Ouch.

Job Openings

2012-01-09T09:07:00.002-05:00

We have one Job Opening today, just read on. As always, if you are a Chamber Member and have a job opening you are looking to advertise, just E-mail it to me at mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org. Thanks!
---

Administrative Support Specialist
Salary: $12.54/hr.
Hours: 35 hrs/wk. 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Flex)
Description: Front desk receptionist for busy children’s services organization in Allentown. Also, providing administrative support services to staff. Responsibilities include answering phones, greeting clients, word processing, data entry, mail handling, and special projects.
Requirements: High School Diploma or GED. Front desk and multiline phone system experience a must. Basic MS Suite computer skills, including Excel, Word and Outlook. Ability to multitask. Must be customer service oriented. Experience with office equipment. Bilingual (English/ Spanish). Must be able to work a flexible schedule for staff coverage. Car and valid driver's license, and reliable transportation.
Submit Resume at www.cscinc.org EOE

Daily Briefing, 1/9/2012

2012-01-09T05:40:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In local news, Easton has officially taken over its very successful Weed and Seed program after the state cut the funding for the program. In state-wide news, WFMZ runs a story on what the state legislature is expecting to deal with in 2012. In national news, the New Hampshire primary is tomorrow, with final polling showing Mitt Romney well ahead of the rest of the pack.

We have two Chamber events today, both in downtown Allentown: today is First Monday and the beginning of Restaurant Week.

That's basically it for now; another slow Monday. Have a great day, and we'll see you later!

A closer look at the unemployment numbers

2012-01-06T10:56:00.003-05:00

A report just released shows that unemployment decreased again in December, dropping down to 8.5%, with 200,000 jobs created in December and a total of 1.6 million jobs created in 2011. This, of course, is good news (though certainly not fast enough for the 8.5% still employed). Unemployment is at its lowest rate in almost three years, since February 2009.

That being said, the recession's aftermath is absolutely hurting some groups greater than others:

Among teenagers, unemployment is 23.1%.
Among blacks, unemployment is at 15.8% and 11% among Hispanics. Whites are facing unemployment of 7.5%, while Asians are at 6.8%. This month saw little change.
42.5% of the unemployed had been so for more than 27 weeks. This month saw little change.

The numbers this month were positive, but stubborn challenges remains.

Daily Briefing, 1/6/2011

2012-01-06T06:20:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In local news, Senator Bob Casey spoke yesterday at a Chamber event. North Whitehall township is set to hire their first full-time manager. In Allentown, graves near the site of last week's sinkhole will not have to be exhumed. In state-wide news, Senate Democrats are filing a lawsuit to stop the movement of a Senate seat from the western part of the state to the east. In national news, a possible vote discrepancy has arisen that may result in Rick Santorum actually having won the Iowa caucuses. A new jobs report will be released at 8:30am today; the report is expected to show that the economy added 150,000 jobs in December.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Do you need to be on Google+? Well, maybe............

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Google+ is the latest Social Media service to enter the fray, and it is a major player in the field, with at least one analyst saying it could hit 400 million users by the end of the year.

So, the first question: what the heck is Google+?

It is, of course, a social network, sponsored by Google. It's key features:

Circles: You can put all of your friends & contacts into different circles, then use those circles to determine what information to share and with who.
Integration with Google: If you use any number of Google services, like GMail or Google Reader, you can easily integrate them with your Google+ account.
Hangouts: You can have a video chat with two or more contacts on Google+.
Droid Integration: Droid phones are now being seemlessly integrated with Google+ - this is a very big deal for mobile addicts (like myself).

Currently, about fifty million people are on Google plus, with massive increases believe by many to be coming.

The biggest downfall to being on Google plus? As far as I'm concerned, it's time fatigue, as this video below perfectly demonstrates.

So many business people are already stretched to the limit when it comes to their time - how on earth are they supposed to handle yet another Social Network when they can barely manage the ones they already have?

The answer may be as simple as: well, you don't really have a choice. Google+ isn't really mainstream...not yet...and it's membership is still well short of Facebook (over 750 million), Twitter (over 200 million) and LinkedIn (over 100 million).

Still, we've seen these numbers change before. MySpace was once the kind of the Social Media heap...and now it is in the trash-bin for the majority of people.

Look out world, here comes Google+!

Daily Briefing, 1/5/2011

2012-01-05T06:50:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Congressman Tim Holden visited yesterday with Northampton County leaders as he prepares to represent the area. The Lehigh Valley Health Network is apparently looking at space within Allentown's new NIZ zone. In Allentown, Democrat Mike Schlossberg (full disclosure: that's me) announced that he is running for the State House of Representatives, seeking to replace Jennifer Mann, who announced her retirement last month. The Sands Casino saw their revenue increase this year. J.B. Reilly, who is helping to lead the arena development in downtown Allentown, resigned from the board of the Lehigh Valley Health Network. Bill Hecht, former PPL CEO, is the new Board Chair.

The state is looking at wave to reduce the number of district judges - according to the currently plan, one judgeship would be eliminated in Northampton County. In national news, President Obama will be using his recess appointment power to appoint three individuals to the National Labor Relations Board.

We have one Chamber event today, but it's a big one: a lunch & live Business Matters with Senator Robert Casey.

And that's it! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Daily Briefing, 1/4/2012

2012-01-04T06:28:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing on what was unquestionably a busy day.

Most local governments swore in 2011's election winners and held reorganizational meetings. In Lehigh County, newcomer Brad Osborne was elected Chair after five deadlocked ballots. In Northampton County, John Cusick was reelected chair. In Bethlehem, Eric Evans was elected Council President. In Allentown, demolition has officially started for the arena project. The city did, however, see less Earned Income revenue than previously budgeted. Kevin Deely (D), former President of the Easton Area School District teacher's union, has announced his candidacy for the State House of Representatives in the 131st District, against Representative Justin Simmons (R).

In national news, Mitt Romney won the Iowa Caucuses over Rick Santorum by an astonishingly close eight votes. Ron Paul finished third, Newt Gingrich fourth, Rick Perry fifth and Michelle Bachmann sixth. Rick Perry was flying back to Texas to determine whether or not he would stay in the race, while Michelle Bachmann vowed to press on. Meanwhile, former rival John McCain will endorse Romney in New Hampshire today. In other news, the manufacturing sector showed significant improvement in the end of 2011.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

How does the Iowa Caucus work?

2012-01-03T11:26:00.001-05:00

As you probably know, the Iowa Caucuses are held today - this is the first actual nominating contest to determine who will be the Republican nominee for President (Democrats are holding a caucus as well, but President Obama is uncontested).

However, these caucuses are different than primaries that we have in Pennsylvania. A primary is like any other election - you just go into the voting booth and vote - caucuses, however, are very different animals. Here is how they work:

Voters show up at designated locations and the formal meetings begin.
Representatives speak on behalf of their selected candidates.
Voters vote by secret ballot.
Results are sent in to the state party, who then sends the results to the media.

Voters are actually voting on delegates to district conventions - at the district conventions, a vote is taken to send delegates to the state convention, where National Delegates are ultimately selected.

Yipes. Confusing. Anyway, for caucuses, you must be in attendance - no absentee voting - and you must be able to dedicate a couple of hours to the process for your vote to count. This tends to skew voters in caucuses to more dedicated and passionate voters - and voters who actually have the time to participate.

Daily Briefing, 1/3/2012

2012-01-03T06:42:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone, and Happy New Year! Welcome back to work! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

A Morning Call story looks at Northampton County's investment in Commerce Center Boulevard, noting the economic development that has taken place there. Another story also looks at what comes next in the political career of Ron Angle.

In state-wide news, a memo obtained by the Harrisburg Patriot News and written by Governor Corbett's staff contrasts the accomplishments of Governor Corbett with previous Pennsylvania Governors and other Governors across the country.

In national news, today is the Iowa Caucuses - final polling generally shows Mitt Romney with a slightly lead, closely trailed by Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. The federal government has begun to enforce a new law banning the use of cell phones by truck drivers while driving.

And that's it for now. Have a great day, and we'll be back later!

Daily Briefing, 12/28/2011

2011-12-28T06:13:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Unemployment in the Valley remained at 8.6% in November. George Hitcho, who killed Freemansburg police officer Robert Lasso earlier this year, may use the insanity defense. In Palmer Township, Supervisors held the line on taxes in their 2012 budget. Cable rates are going to increase an average of 10% in the Valley in 2012.

In national news, Sears and Kmart are set to close 120 stores after a slow holiday season. Ben Nelson (D-NE) announced yesterday that he will retire in 2012.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

Daily Briefing, 12/27/2011

2011-12-27T06:29:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone, and welcome back to work after what we hope was a great Christmas! Here is your Daily Briefing.

Tougher teenager driving are going into effect in Pennsylvania. In Upper Saucon Township, supervisors adopted their 2012 budget that calls for no tax increases. In national news, some good news when it comes to post-Christmas shopping: online shopping traffic on Christmas day increased 16.4%, while mall traffic on the day after Christmas also increased.

No surprise here, but it's been a slow news day, and that's it for now. Have a good one, and we'll see you later!

Good economic news...yes, you read that right....

2011-12-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years, we've gotten way, way to used to reading bad economic news. Well, of late, there has been a spate of pretty good economic news, and it seemed worth summarizing.

It started with a record-setting Black Friday in late November, but it didn't end there. Unemployment tanked in the latest report, dropping from 9% to 8.6%. Combine that with the fact that the latest report on first-time unemployment claims hit 366,000 (lowest level since May 366,000), and there is reason to hope that the jobs market might, just might, be improving.

And there's more. Manufacturing indexes are on the rise, as is housing construction.

This isn't to say that we are out of the woods yet, many dangers remain, particularly the ongoing debt crisis in Europe. But, the news, for once, seems generally positive.

By the way, we will be out of the office on Thursday, Friday and Monday. For those of you who celebrate, have an outstanding Christmas, and we'll see you again on Tuesday!

Daily Briefing, 12/21/2011

2011-12-21T06:07:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The House of Representatives approved a Congressional redistricting map yesterday that gives the Valley two Congressman; Governor Corbett still has to sign the legislation, but he is expected to do so. PoliticsPA has a great breakdown of who crossed party-lines on the vote and their likely reasoning.

In national news, the House of Representatives voted against the two-month extension of the payroll tax-cut. Republican Presidential candidate Gary Johnson has announced that he will now seek the Libertarian Presidential nomination.

We have one Chamber event today: a joint East Penn/Western Lehigh lunch featuring the Parkland Charole.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Daily Briefing, 12/20/2011

2011-12-20T05:49:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Easton, members of the Greater Easton Development Partnership have vowed to keep the Main Street and Ambassadors programs running despite the fact that the Neighborhood Improvement District, or NID, was voted down. Bethlehem Township approved its budget yesterday; the budget keeps taxes steady.

In state-wide news, the State House shot down a Democratic redistricting map; a final vote on the Republican version of the map is expected today.

In national news, AT&T has dropped its bid to purchase T-Mobile. House Republicans will vote today on a Senate bill to extend the payroll tax for two months after Speaker Boehner came out in opposition to the plan.

And that's it for now! See you later today.

How to update your Chamber listing

2011-12-19T12:37:00.002-05:00

If you are a Chamber member, you are probably familiar with our online business directory that lists every member. One of the nicer features of our website is you can change and update your business information anytime you want, something that is obviously important for a variety of reasons, including Search Engine Optimization. In the video below, I conducted a screen-cast that walks you through how to log-in and update your information.

As always, This Week With Tony is sponsored by our friends at M&T Bank.

Daily Briefing, 12/19/2011

2011-12-19T05:55:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

First, the top story of the day is the death of North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il, who died yesterday at 69. Kim Jong Un, Il's son, is the new leader of North Korea.

An Express-Times story notes that Lehigh Valley cities are taking a big hit when it comes to federal funding this year.

In national news, House Republicans have rejected a deal struck by the White House and Senate to extend the payroll tax cut by two months. Google has unveiled the top searches of the year: #1 was internet sensation Rebecca Black.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

Daily Briefing, 12/16/2011

2011-12-16T06:07:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In local news, the fight over redistricting and war of words between Senator Lisa Boscola and Congressman Charlie Dent continues. Northampton Community College has selected Mark Erickson, current President of Wittenberg University in Ohio, as its next President. Police in Allentown evicted the Occupy Allentown protesters.

In national news, initial filings for unemployment dropped to their lowest levels since May 2008. Republicans held their final Presidential debate before the Iowa caucuses yesterday. Democrats and Republicans have apparently reached a deal that would keep the government funded through October 2012. Fitch's has downgraded many of the world's largest banks.

That's it for now! We probably will not be back with another entry later today, so if we don't get back, have a great weekend!

The Chamber on Redistricting

2011-12-15T12:38:00.000-05:00

We've made a couple of previous blog entries, outlining the new State House & Senate districts in Lehigh & Northampton counties. However, as has been made public recently, the Congressional redistricting maps have been released - and it brings terrible news for the Valley.

We will no longer be represented by one Congressman, but instead two: Charlie Dent and Tim Holden. Easton, parts of Bethlehem and more than 20 Northampton municipalities are no longer in the 15th Congressional District. The plan itself was approved by the State Senate yesterday by a 26-24 vote.

The Chamber opposes this plan. From Michelle Griffin-Young, our Executive VP of Government & External Affairs:

"Our 5,000 members --employing 140,000 individuals-- are committed to the Lehigh Valley as a unified constituency. The Chamber’s regionalization efforts have proven successful to our members time and time again. Breaking up the Valley with two different Congressmen will be a detriment to the continuation of our region’s growth and prosperity. We urge the House & Senate to work together as the Lehigh Valley delegation to replace Easton and the large portion of central and northeastern Northampton County back into the 15th District to keep our Valley strong!"

The legislation must still be approved by the House and signed into law by the Governor. We urge our members - and every Lehigh Valley resident - to contact their Representative and tell them to oppose this plan.

Redistricting: Northampton Edition

2011-12-15T12:13:00.002-05:00

We covered the Lehigh County redistricting on Tuesday - now, here's a look at how redistricting will affect the Valley in Northampton County, at least on a state-wide level:

Allen: In the House, 183rd Legislative District (Julie Harhart). In the Senate, 14th Senate District (John Yudichak).
Bangor: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Bath: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Bethlehem City: In the House, split between 133rd Legislative District (Joeseph Brennan) who has portions of the Southside) and 135th Legislative District (Steve Samuelson) who has portions of the entire city. In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Bethlehem Township: In the House, split between 135th Legislative District (Steve Samuelson), who has Ward 2 and part of Ward 3, and 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn), who has the remainder.
Bushkill: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Chapman: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
East Allen: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn). In the Senate, 14th Senate District (John Yudichak).
East Bangor: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Easton: In the House, 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Forks: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Freemansburg: In the House, 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Glendon: In the House, 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Hanover: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn). In the Senate, 14th Senate District (John Yudichak).
Hellertown: In the House, 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Lehigh: In the House, 183rd Legislative District (Julie Harhart). In the Senate, 14th Senate District (John Yudichak).
Lower Mt. Bethel: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Lower Nazareth: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn).
Lower Saucon: In the House, split between the 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman) and 131st Legislative District (Justin Simmons). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Moore: In the House, split between 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn) and 183rd Legislative District (Julie Harhart). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Nazareth: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
North Catasauqua: In the House, 183rd Legislative District (Julie Harhart). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola)
Northampton: In the House, 183rd Legislative District (Julie Harhart). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Palmer: In the House, split between the 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman) and 137th Legislative District (Joe Emrick). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Pen Argyl: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn).
Plainfield: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Portland: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick).
Roseto: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick).
Stockertown: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Tatamy: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Upper Mt. Bethel: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Upper Nazareth: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
Walnutport: In the House, 183rd Legislative District (Julie Harhart). In the Senate, 14th Senate District (John Yudichak).
Washington: In the House, 137th Legislative District (Joseph Emrick). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).
West Easton: In the House, 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Williams: In the House, 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman). In the Senate, 24th Senate District (Bob Mensch).
Wilson: In the House, 136th Legislative District (Bob Freeman). In the Senate, 16th Senate District (Lisa Boscola).
Wind Gap: In the House, 138th Legislative District (Marcia Hahn). In the Senate, 45th Senate District (Jim Brewster).

Daily Briefing, 12/15/2011

2011-12-15T06:04:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, developer J.B. Reilly unveiled proposals for a $50 million office complex near the incoming arena. Allentown City Council also reviewed a waste-to-energy proposal yesterday. In Whitehall, property and earned income taxes are slightly increasing. In Easton, taxes have been held steady. Businessman Elmer Gates spoke at a Chamber event yesterday.

In national news, the Iraqi war has officially come to an end. President Obama has dropped his demand for a surtax on millionaires in exchange for a payroll tax extension.

We have two Chamber events today: a Grand Opening at Tilted Kilt in Allentown and a Holiday Vendor Night at the Main Street Commons in Bethlehem.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Daily Briefing, 12/14/2011

2011-12-14T06:29:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, a fence has gone up around the arena site, preparing the area for demolition. A new hiring survey shows that 7 in 10 Valley employers expect to do no hiring or firing in the first quarter of 2012. In Easton, Met-Ed met with Easton City Council yesterday to discuss power outages during the freak October snowstorm.

In state-wide news, the Congressional redistricting map was revealed yesterday. The Valley is now in two Congressional districts, with the Easton area going to Congressman Tim Holden. The map has to be approved by the State House and Senate, then signed by the Governor. In other news, Jerry Sandusky waved his preliminary hearing yesterday.

In national news, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that states ban cell phone use while driving. Donald Trump has cancelled his plans to moderate a Republican debate after only Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich accepted the debate invitation. The House of Representatives approved payroll tax extension legislation, combined with a bill that would speed up government approval for the Keystone XL pipeline. The Federal Reserve announced yesterday that they were keeping interest rates at record lows.

And that's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll be back later today.

Redistricting: Lehigh County edition

2011-12-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

As an article from John Micek of the Morning Call noted earlier today, redistricting is making its impact felt in the Valley. Assuming the current map holds, below is a quick guide to who will represent the various municipalities in the Valley. Today we'll run Lehigh County:

Alburtis: In the House, 134th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Doug Reichley. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Allentown: In the House, split between 132nd Legislative District (currently held by Representative Mann) for parts of the Center City, the entire West End and most of the East Side and the new 22nd Legislative District (currently vacant), containing the entire South Side and most of Center City. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Bethlehem: In the House, split between the 133rd Legislative District currently held by Joseph Brennan (10th, 12th and portions of the 13th Ward) and 135th Legislative District currently held by Representative Steve Samuelson (11th and portions of the 13th ward). In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.
Catasauqua: In the House, 133rd Legislative District, currently held by Representative Joseph Brennan. In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.
Coopersburg: In the House, 131st Legislative District, currently held by Representative Justin Simmons. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Coplay: In the House, 133rd Legislative District, currently held by Representative Joseph Brennan. In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.
Emmaus: In the House, 131st Legislative District, currently held by Representative Justin Simmons. In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.
Fountain Hill: In the House, 133rd Legislative District, currently held by Representative Joseph Brennan. In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.
Hanover: In the House, 133rd Legislative District, currently held by Representative Joseph Brennan. In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.
Heidelberg: In the House, 187th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Gary Day. In the Senate, 14th Senate District, currently held by John Yudichak.
Lower Macungie: In the House, 134th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Doug Reichley. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Lower Milford: In the House, 131st Legislative District, currently held by Representative Justin Simmons. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Lowhill: In the House, 187th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Gary Day. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Lynn: In the House, 187th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Gary Day. In the Senate, 14th Senate District, currently held by John Yudichak.
Macungie: In the House, 134th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Doug Reichley. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
North Whitehall: In the House, split between 183rd Legislative District currently held by Representative Julie Harhart (4th Ward) and 187th Legislative District currently held by Representative Julie Harhart (Wards 1, 2 and 3). In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Salisbury: In the House, split between 131st Legislative District currently held by Representative Justin Simmons (3rd Ward and 4-1), 133rd Legislative District held by Representative Joseph Brennan (1st and 2nd Ward) and 134th Legislative District held by Doug Reichley (4-2 and 5th Ward). In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.
Slatington: In the House, 183rd Legislative District currently held by Representative Julie Harhart. In the Senate, 14th Senate District, currently held by John Yudichak.
South Whitehall: In the House, split between the 132nd Legislative District held by Jennifer Mann (Wards 2, 4, 5 and 7), 134th Legislative District held by Doug Reichley (Ward 3) and 183rd Legislative District currently held by Representative Julie Harhart (Wards 1, 6 and 8). In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Upper Macungie: In the House, 187th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Gary Day. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Upper Milford: In the House, 131st Legislative District, currently held by Representative Justin Simmons. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Upper Saucon: In the House, 131st Legislative District, currently held by Representative Justin Simmons. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Washington: In the House, 183rd Legislative District currently held by Representative Julie Harhart. In the Senate, 14th Senate District, currently held by John Yudichak.
Weisenberg: In the House, 187th Legislative District, currently held by Representative Gary Day. In the Senate, 16th Senate District, currently held by Senator Pat Browne.
Whitehall: Split between the 133rd Legislative District, currently held by Representative Joseph Brennan (all of Whitehall except the 7th and 10th Wards) and 183rd Legislative District currently held by Representative Julie Harhart (7th and 10th Wards). In the Senate, 18th Legislative District, currently held by Senator Lisa Boscola.

Wow. We'll be back with Northampton County tomorrow!

Daily Briefing, 12/13/2011

2011-12-13T06:22:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Salisbury, it appears that the township will slightly raise taxes to pay for new fire trucks.

In state-wide news, a Morning Call article looks at the effects that redistricting will have on the state, noting that Allentown will gain a legislative seat. Today will be the first preliminary hearing in the Jerry Sandusky case. In Harrisburg, City Council has announced that they will appeal a ruling that denies them the right to file for bankruptcy.

In national news, U.S. Supreme Court announced yesterday that it will hear a case on the constitutionality of Arizona's controversial immigration laws. Occupy protesters successfully closed down ports on the West Cost.

We have one Chamber event today: the Women Business Council's 3rd Annual Tea & Tree event.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

Pennsylvania is the 26th Best State for Business

2011-12-12T11:51:00.000-05:00

Forbes Magazine has come out with its annual ranking of the best states for business. It bases its rankings on a variety of criteria, including:

Business costs
Labor supply
Regulatory environment
Economic climate
Growth prospects
Quality of life
Population

Pennsylvania came in 26th. Hurting the state was its relatively low business costs and labor supply ranking, though the state does have the 6th best quality of life in the survey.

As for the rest of the survey: Utah is the best while Maine is the worst (for the 2nd year in a row). In general, the West ranked best in the entire region.

A companion piece, the best states for jobs, showed similar rankings.

Daily Briefing, 12/12/2011

2011-12-12T06:13:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing (though I warn you, sorry, it's a slow Monday!).

Home sales in the Valley increased 13% compared to November last year. As noted by WFMZ, heating assistance programs are in jeopardy this year.

Yeah...that's it for now. Really. I'm not being lazy, I swear. Anyway, we'll be back later today. Have a great day!

Daily Briefing, 12/9/2011

2011-12-09T06:15:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

With a few weeks still to go, the Lehigh Valley has set an all-time participation record for the year. Occupy Bethlehem was removed from its encampment yesterday after failing to get a permit. In Northampton County, County Council voted to increase spending without increasing taxes, despite the objections of County Executive John Stoffa.

In national news, Democratic efforts to pass a payroll tax cut extension failed in the Senate yesterday. The Senate also blocked President Obama's nominee to head the Consumer Protection Agency.

We have two Chamber events today: a Grand Opening at Elaine Zelker Photography and a webinar on Identity Theft.

And that's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll be back later today.

The Chamber on Prevailing Wage

2011-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

We wanted to let you know about the public policy position that The Chamber is taking - this one on the need to reform state's prevailing wage laws.

A Prevailing Wage is the rate at which public employees must be paid when state funding is involved in a project. The goal of a prevailing wage is to ensure that workers on public projects receive a fair wage for their work. This prevailing wage must be tied closely to the wage paid in a competitive market for labor whether the work is performed for either public or private project owners. A mechanism needs to be exercised to set prevailing wages which more closely represent the actual wage rates for both public and private projects across the different regions of the state as well as the fluctuations in the labor market.

The Chamber signed onto the following letter that was sent to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives:

On behalf of our thousands of statewide member businesses of all sizes and crossing all industry

sectors, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry writes to express support for bills to reform the PA Prevailing Wage Act that the House may consider this week.

The PA Prevailing Wage Act (the Act) mandates that workers on public construction projects costing over $25,000 be paid the local “prevailing minimum wage”. The problem is the set wage is typically tied to union wages and therefore often grossly inflated, which burdens the Commonwealth and local governments with higher costs and triggers increases to property taxes while providing no real public benefit. Local governments and school districts are operating under increasingly restrictive budgets and the prevailing wage mandate is one more obstacle impeding efforts to balance budgets and improve communities through vital construction projects and infrastructure improvements.

The PA Chamber supports abolishing the Act. Short of full repeal, we support bills that aim to help mitigate the adverse impact of this archaic and harmful mandate:

HB 1271: Exempts certain road maintenance, which until a recent court decision, had usually fallen under the Act’s exemption for maintenance work. This court decision has forced municipalities to curtail regular roadwork, such as resurfacing, replacing guide rails and painting lines, when they cannot afford the inflated wages that result from the prevailing wage mandate;

HB 1685: Directs the PA Department of Labor and Industry to adopt classifications and definitions for jobs subject to the Act. No such standard guidance currently exists, which creates uncertainty for contractors who face potentially devastating penalties for even accidental violations;

HB 1329: Raises the threshold for a project to be subject to the Act to $185,000; up from the current threshold of $25,000 that was established nearly 50 years ago.

Daily Briefing, 12/8/2011

2011-12-08T06:05:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, the Arena project demolition has been delayed by a few weeks. Also in Allentown, City Council reversed itself and decided to hire EMTs; it's budget passed last night with increases to water, sewer and garbage fees. In Hanover Township, a sinkhole is threatening properties. Occupy Bethlehem has said that they will get the required paperwork necessary to stay in their current encampment. In the Southern Lehigh School District, teachers and the board have agreed to a new four-year contract.

In state wide news, Jerry Sandusky was arrested once again on additional sexual abuse charges.

In national news, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has been sentenced to fourteen years of prison on public corruption charges.

Today is an extremely busy day in Chamber world, with four events: a Grand Opening celebration at the Pennsylvania School of Business, a Hispanic Chamber celebration of Fiesta de Navidad, a Hellertown-Lower Saucon Holiday Dinner Mixer and a Holiday & Movie Mixer at the Roxy in Northampton.

And that's it for now! Have a great day and we'll be back later.

Expand your network with Connections

2011-12-07T10:19:00.001-05:00

If you are a Chamber member, you receive Connections. Connections is our 48-page monthly publication. We print about 6,000 copies that are sent throughout the entire Lehigh Valley, and it is one of the Valley's premiere sources of information for the latest business happenings in the area. If used properly, it is also an outstanding way in which Chamber members can expand their business network. Here are some thoughts on how you can specifically use Connections to do just that.

1. Member News: Every month, we print news items that we are given by our members (this is totally free, and if you want to submit news, please send it along to me at mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org). Make sure to check out the news items and drop the printed businesses a note, saying congrats.

2. New Members: New Members, and their contact information, are listed in Connections every month. If you have a second, make sure to drop a note to the new members, saying welcome and describing your services. Don't just sell, but use the new member section as a chance to build a relationship.

3. Event attendance: Connections always contains a flier that lists the latest events you can attend and RSVP. On a budget? No problem - in this month's Connections, eight of the events are totally free!

4. Advertise: You can get the word out about your business by advertising in Connections for as little as $75 per month. Make sure to check out our rates.

Daily Briefing, 12/7/2011

2011-12-07T06:51:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

This should be fun: expect 1-4 inches of snow later today. In Hellertown, two police officers will keep their jobs after Borough Council decided to use $60,000 in casino money from the previous budget year. In Bethlehem, the city appears set to start charging for police escorts at funerals. New school board members were sworn in in the Parkland and Easton Area School Districts.

In state-wide news, former Montgomery County Commissioner and Lt. Governor candidate Jim Matthews has been arrested on perjury charges.

We have two Chamber events today: a workshop on Transmedia Marketing and a Grand Opening at Regus.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Daily Briefing, 12/6/2011

2011-12-06T05:50:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The Bethlehem Area School District could raise taxes by 4% and cut more programs and staff. In Allentown, the city has settled an excessive force lawsuit involving their police department. In Nazareth, the Mayor Daugherty has stopped his efforts to join the Colonial Regional police department. The Northampton County Courthouse celebrated its 150th anniversary yesterday. In Bethlehem Township, tax and sewer rates appear set to hold steady this year. New school board members were sworn in yesterday in the Allentown and East Penn School Districts.

In state-wide news, the House of Representatives is set to upgrade it's Megan's Law regulations. State Senator Dominic Pileggi has said that he will not run against Senator Bob Casey.

In worldwide news, the S&P has put every Eurozone government on notice for a credit downgrade.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

How to promote your Facebook page

2011-12-05T12:28:00.001-05:00

I was chatting with a friend the other day about how awesome Facebook is (yes, I realize how corny that sounds, and yes, I actually have these conversations in real life) when he mentioned his dilemma to me. He had just started a business page on Facebook and was happy to finally get around to it...but, he wasn't sure how to promote it to the masses. After all, what good is a business page if you cannot get anyone to actually like it?

Fair point. How do you get someone to discover your Facebook page? Here are five easy ways:

1) Your Website: If you have Social Media, you need to link to it on your website. Fortunately, there are plenty of different ways to do so: something as simple as a hyperlink that leads to your Facebook page, a logo that says "Find me on Facebook" or a Facebook widget that shows viewers a snapshot of your page.

2) Google: Google loves Social Media. Need proof? Type in "Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce" in Google, and four of the top ten results are links to Social Media. How do you make your Facebook profile Google friendly? Fill out every field - including address, description (make sure to laden it with words that are SEO-friendly to your business), phone number, the works. From there, update constantly. Google loves fresh, interesting content.

3) Your business card: Check out the back of Chamber business card:

On the back of all of our business cards, we have links to our Social Media. We also have a QR code that leads to our webpage, but that's a whole other blog survey.

4) Your E-mail signature: This is what my E-mail signature looks like:

Mike Schlossberg
Vice President, Member Relations & Applied Technology
Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce
Bethlehem Office
561 Main Street, Suite 200
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Phone: 484-809-1796
Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce
Fax: 610-758-9533

Follow the Chamber on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, The Chamber's Blog

Yup - we link to our Social Media in every E-mail that we send. And why not? Think about how many E-mails you send a day. This is an easy one!

5) A big old E-mail blast: Like most businesses, you probably have a collection of E-mails or some sort of e-Newsletter. Make sure to E-mail the entire list and let them know where to find you. From there, make sure to include links to your Social Media presence in every E-mail.

6) Your own network: If you are the administrator of a page, you can "suggest" that others like your page from your personal profile. Some people aren't comfortable with bridging their personal & professional lives like this, and that makes sense, but this is a pretty easy way to instantly get likes.

Any tips to share with us? Let us know in the comments!

Daily Briefing, 12/5/2011

2011-12-05T05:20:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Bethlehem, the city has told members of Occupy Bethlehem that it has to get a permit for the city site on which they have been camping. Members of the Southern Lehigh School District held a memorial service for their recently deceased former superintendent, Joseph Liberati.

In national news, the U.S. Postal Service will be announcing $3 billion in reductions. According to published reports, Hermain Cain is set to endorse Newt Gingrich today. Senate Democrats will be introducing a new version of the payroll tax cut extension. European leaders will be meeting again today in an effort to draft new fiscal union in an effort to save the Euro.

Business Matters airs today at 8pm on WFMZ, featuring a debate on whether or not Queen City Airport should be sold for redevelopment.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Economic new: More jobs & the Fed to the rescue

2011-11-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Two particularly important pieces of economic news came out today that are worth noting, as they could have an effect on Lehigh Valley businesses.

First, on the jobs front: good and bad news.

Good news: Private sector jobs shot up in November, with the private sector creating 206,000 jobs. Analysts had expected the creation of only 125,000.
More good news: Approximately 42,000 job layoffs were announced in November - the good news here is that the number shrunk by .7% from October.
Now the bad news: overall job layoffs are up this year - over 560,000, compared with 2010's 530,000 - and there is still a month to go.

Now for the global news: the Federal Reserve, along with the central banks of the Eurozone, England, Japan, Switzerland and Canada, have announced coordinated action that will make it easier for countries around the world to trade the US Dollar for foreign currency. This is being characterized as a "contingency measure" so that central banks can use other forms of currency in the event of a crisis. The likely trigger of such a contingency is the European Debt Crisis, which may cause foreign banks to need to use other currency in order to be able to conduct normal business.

The fact that such a measure is even necessary should speak volumes about the severity of the crisis in Europe.

Daily Briefing, 11/30/2011

2011-11-30T06:11:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing,

The first of three public meetings was held yesterday on the Allentown Arena project. PPL is promising better communication during the next major weather event. In Northampton County, elected officials are working to minimize a tax increase that they say is unavoidable. The Northampton County Gaming Revenue Authority again rejected a request from the Borough of Hellertown for two new patrol officers. In Bethlehem, Councilman David DiGiacinto has proposed keeping the Dewberry Fire Station open for at least another six months while emergency services in the city are studied.

In national news, American Airlines filed for bankruptcy yesterday. After an allegation of a thirteen-year extra-marital affair, Herman Cain said yesterday that he would reassess his candidacy. The S&P has downgraded 37 banks, using new credit-rating criteria.

We have one Chamber event today: a C.E. Roth Grand Re-Opening in downtown Allentown.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

Daily Briefing, 11/29/2011

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The big news story of the day is that State Representative Jennifer Mann (D-132) announced yesterday that she will not seek reelection. Southern Lehigh Superintendent Joseph Liberati died yesterday at 57. In Northampton County, fee hikes at the Center for Animal Health and Welfare have angered municipal officials. According to a new survey, local employers are less likely to hire more employees and purchase more equipment in the next six months.

In state-wide news, the State Senate Majority Leader, Dominic Pileggi, is reportedly considering a run against Senator Bob Casey.

In national news, President Obama is pushing for an extension of the his payroll tax cut. Good news for Cyber Monday sales, which increased around 15% compared to last year.

We have one Chamber event today: a Women's Business Council lunch on how to get noticed.

And that's it for now! Have a great day and we'll be back later.

Black Friday a success!

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Good economic news to report. Black Friday was a huge success. According to published reports:

Sales rose 6.6% compared to last year, totaling a massive $11.4 billion.
Retail traffic rose 5.1%.
226 million shoppers went online on Friday and over the weekend, up 14 million from the same time last year.
The average shopper spent about $400, up from $365 the year prior.

This is great news...Black Friday is typically seen as a statement of consumer confidence, which as of October, was on the decline.

Unless, just in case you haven't been bombarded with advertisements via E-mail and Social Media today and managed to miss this, today is Cyber Monday, which is the biggest online sales day of the year. Surveys have noted that 123 million Americans expect to shop online today...thus begging the question...does your small business have a website with an eCommerce component?

Daily Briefing, 11/28/2011

2011-11-28T06:18:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone, and welcome back to work! We hope you had a great Thanksgiving vacation. Anyway, here is today's Daily Briefing.

An Express Time story takes a look at the additional funding cuts facing local libraries. A Morning Call story takes a look at the declining funding available to the Ben Franklin Technology Partners' business incubator. Proposed legislation would make it easier for public utilities to raise prices.

In national news, today is Cyber Monday, the biggest online sales day of the year, and record sales are expected. Fortunately, Black Friday was a huge success, breaking new spending records. The New Hampshire Union-Leader endorsed Newt Gingrich for President this weekend, a major prize in the Presidential race.

Business Matters airs today at 8pm on WFMZ, featuring a debate on whether or not Gay-Straight Alliances should be allowed in schools.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.

Job Openings

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here are today's job openings - as always, if you have any job openings you wish to promote and you are a Chamber member, just E-mail them to me at mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org.
--

Account Executive, Interactive Marketing and Advertising

Metter Interactive has a great opportunity for a driven, internet marketing-savvy individual to help grow new business, while managing and creating marketing and advertising solutions for new and existing accounts.

You must thoroughly understand both interactive/online and traditional marketing, and should have at least 3 to 5 years of experience in an agency, fast-paced marketing department, or in an ad sales/consulting role. Experience in B2B marketing is preferred. The ability to write is essential.

You possess leadership skills and can confidently present ideas and marketing recommendations in front of clients articulately. You have a knack for quickly understanding client needs and enjoy developing strategies and solutions to meet them.

You have the ability to problem solve, multi-task, think critically, and are extremely organized and detail-oriented. In addition, you have experience both selling and working on campaigns that include elements of Branding, Website Development, SEO, PPC, Social Media, Public Relations, and Traditional Advertising. You are just as comfortable writing a proposal or press release as you are making a sales pitch.

This position offers the opportunity to showcase your sales, account management, consulting, and creative skills, while making immediate contributions to our growing agency. You will be selling, managing, and creating web-centric marketing solutions including online marketing, web development, branding, PR, SEO, PPC and more.

We need our next great account executive to help us keep up with, and continue our growth!

REQUIRED SKILLS:

Experience in sales and/or account management in a marketing or advertising capacity.
Must be able to write copy (presentations, proposals, marketing and ad copy).
Demonstrated experience working with online/interactive marketing initiatives (web development, SEO, PPC, online branding).
Web savvy, understanding of the Internet, search, and website usability.
Strong presentation skills.
Self-motivated, resourceful and able to work independently with little supervision.
Superior organizational and time management skills with a strong attention to detail.
Strategic thinker with ability to take the lead on projects.
Solid understanding of the creative process.
Established relationships with businesses in the B2B and/or industrial marketplace is preferred.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Identify and develop relationships with prospective clients, ultimately driving new business growth.
Grow revenue from existing accounts.
Development and presentation of proposals, pitches, and solutions.
Day-to-day account management and correspondence with clients and prospects.
Defines client advertising and marketing objectives, campaigns, and budgets through marketing plans, consulting, etc.
Develops client advertising and marketing programs by utilizing online marketing, content development, branding, web development, SEO, PPC, social media, media advertising, publicity, and other in-bound and out-bound marketing vehicles.
Manages projects, working with in-house staff and freelance assets.
Hands-on production of content development, press releases, website planning, marketing materials, ad campaigns, etc.
Obtains client acceptance on projects; preparing and presenting proposals, concepts, storyboards, and other copy and print mock-ups.
Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
Maintains thorough understanding of client’s products and/or services.
Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
Contributes to Metter Interactive’s internal marketing, branding, and growth initiatives.
Travel to client locations as needed.

COMPENSATION:

Salary: 65k-85k, uncapped commissions
Benefits: Health, paid vacation and holidays, flexible hours, possibility for telecommuting

Metter Interactive is a web-centric advertising and marketing firm specializing in delivering online solutions blended with traditional ad agency services. We deliver measurable results for clients by developing creative and strategic solutions from branding, campaign management, and design, to search engine marketing, online advertising, and public relations campaigns.

We have experienced steady growth, serving clients in the business-to-business and industrial market places in the Northeast. We offer a casual work environment and opportunities for self-starters to become directly involved with the agency’s growth.

Sound interesting? If the above description sounds like you, give us a sense of why you would be a great fit and how you could help us grow.
--

Assistant Account Manager / Marketing Coordinator

Metter Interactive is seeking a detail-oriented marketing coordinator to work in our Bethlehem, PA office. We are searching for an energetic team player interested in learning the many aspects of our business, while handling many copy writing, reporting, and research duties for our clients. This position allow you to be involved in many different accounts and to work with both the production and management teams.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The ability to write copy and develop content is a must for this position. Your primary responsibilities will be carrying out online marketing initiatives, content develop, and campaign reporting for a number of clients. You will be responsible for assisting in the development and execution of creative projects, website content, email marketing, public relations, search engine optimization, and online advertising.

You will need to demonstrate the ability to write copy, think strategically, quickly learn client’s key products and services, and should be familiar with SEO, PPC, email marketing, PR, and web analytics. You’ll need to juggle multiple priorities and be comfortable in a team environment, that sometimes calls for you to work independently.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

Must be able to write copy
Experience with online campaigns such as SEO, PPC, e-mail, search, etc.
Web savvy, understanding of the Internet, search, and website usability
Strong written communication skills
Self-motivated, resourceful and able to work independently with little supervision as needed
Superior organizational and time management skills with a strong attention to detail
Demonstrated strategic thinker with ability to problem solve
Ability to understand technical/detailed products and services (most of our clients are B2B and industrial)
Solid understanding of the creative process
Proficient in MS Office
Knowledge of Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and HTML is a plus

COMPENSATION:

Salary: DOE, this is an entry-level position
Benefits: Health, paid vacation and holidays, flexible hours

Metter Interactive is a web-centric advertising and marketing firm specializing in delivering online solutions blended with traditional ad agency services. We have experienced steady growth, serving clients in the business-to-business and industrial market places in the Northeast. Our relaxed office provides a casual, creative environment that rewards hard work and innovation. If you meet most of the requirements above we’d like to hear from you!

Daily Briefing, 11/22/11

2011-11-22T06:19:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The Valley has been awarded a $3.4 million grant from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The City of Bethlehem is receiving an additional $475,400 in revenue from the Sands casino. Home sales in the Valley increased compared to the same time last October, but the average price dropped. U.S. Senator Bob Casey visited St. Luke's new Anderson Campus.

In state-wide news, former FBI Director Robert Freeh will head an independent panel that will investigate what happened at Penn State. In national news, as expected, the debt super committee formally announced yesterday that it had failed to reach an agreement.

We have one Chamber event today: a pre-game pep rally for the Phillipsburg & Easton High School football games.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

Super Committee...not so much

2011-11-21T13:19:00.001-05:00

It appears all but certain that the Congressional Super Committee charged with finding an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit spending cuts will fail. With the deadline less than 48 hours away, no one has said anything positive about the ability of the Super Committee to actually come to any sort of agreement.

What does this mean? Theoretically, sequestration will kick in, per the agreement to raise the deficit ceiling of this summer. This means that automatic cuts will occur to defense and non-defense spending, $600 billion each, exempting Social Security and Medicaid.

But, here's the kicker: the cuts don't go into place until 2013. Despite being ratified by Congressional passage last year, it appears almost certain that Congress will try to find a way around these cuts. Congressional Republicans, for example, are already looking to try and block the automatic defense cuts.

All that's left, for now, is for the Super Committee to formally announce that it has failed, and we'll be waiting that announcement.

Sources:

If the super committee fails, then what?

Daily Briefing, 11/21/2011

2011-11-21T05:57:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone, and welcome back to work after the weekend. Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The big news today is national. The Congressional Supercommittee has failed and will likely release a statement today admitting as such. In New Hampshire, Mitt Romney picked up two big endorsements: Senator Kelly Ayotte and Congressman Charlie Bass. In New York, a lone-wolf bomber, Jose Pimentel, was arrested after planning to build bombs and blow them up around the city.

Business Matters airs tonight at 8pm on WFMZ, featuring an interview with Mayor John Callahan of Bethlehem.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

What is the Stop Online Piracy Act?

2011-11-17T12:21:00.001-05:00

A particular piece of federal legislation has been making waves lately, and it seemed to be a perfect time to review it and discuss its potential impacts.

What it is: The Stop Internet Piracy Act is an effort to stop internet piracy. It would do so by allowing the government to shut down websites that it believed were hosting pirated content and allow the government to require that search engines remove the affected sites.

Arguments for: According to proponents, the US loses $135 billion to internet piracy every year. Proponents argue that this costs jobs and acts as a deterrent to investment. Those lobbying for the bills passage include trial lawyers, record producers and movie studios.

Arguments against: Opponents argue that this bill will grant the government too much power and cause too many innocent websites to be censored. Opponents include major internet giants (Facebook, Google, Twitter and more) as well as civil libertarians.

Current status in Congress: The legislation has already cleared the House of Representatives. In the Senate, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has placed a hold on the bill because of his concerns that it would limit free speech.

Sources:

Daily Briefing, 11/17/2011

2011-11-17T05:52:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The Easton Area School District has settled a racial bias lawsuit. In Whitehall, Township Commissioners are considering raising property taxes and income taxes. In Upper Nazareth, township officials have proposed an 83% tax hike. In the latest news at Penn State, contrary to coach Mike McQueary's claims, a police report was never filed by McQueary after he allegedly witnessed former coach Sandusky raping a ten year old boy. In national news, a new survey shows that Americans are expecting to work longer before retirement.

We have two Chamber events today: a Young Professional Council event on goal setting and an Easton Area Chamber of Commerce Sam's Club mixer.

And that's it for now. See you later today!

The Economic Impact of the Penn State Scandal

2011-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have been watching, likely with horror, as the Penn State scandal continues to blossom and accelerate. The charges against former coach Jerry Sandusky are, of course, of the most appalling nature, and the scandal has already taken down four high-level Penn State staffers, including former President Graham Spainer and legendary coach Joe Paterno.

A CNNMoney article reviews a facet of the scandal that hasn't received quite as much attention - the potential economic impact of the scandal, which is extremely large and potentially long-lasting. Penn State generated $72.7 million in revenue as a result of its football program, one of the highest levels in the nation, and that revenue is now very much at risk. The school will even be undergoing a bond review by Moody's in the wake of the scandal, as there is a potential for major lawsuits and legal costs.

What the article doesn't touch on too much is the potential affect on those outside of the school, and it also leaves out some potential scholastic impacts. How many students will not apply, or attend, Penn State, as a result of the scandal? Will this affect Penn State's many satellite campuses? The school's image has been tarnished, and the answer to that question remains to be seen.

Of course, this crisis could also impact merchandisers of Penn State memorabilia and clothing, of which there are many. Is Penn State merchandise now less likely to sell? The answer is certainly yes - at least in the short-term. It's the long-term impacts that are really questionable, and how Penn State handles the issue from here on in will have a big impact on the answer to these questions.

Daily Briefing, 11/16/2011

2011-11-16T05:58:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Northampton County, Gracedale remains in serious financial trouble, with County Council members set to vote on a $2.7 million payment to keep the facility from going into debt. ArtsQuest is fighting a $122,000 property tax bill for SteelStacks, saying the property should be tax exempt.

In state-wide news, Penn State coach Mike McQueary claims that he did stop an alleged shower rape of a ten-year old boy by former coach Jerry Sandusky. He also says he went to the police after the incident. Lawmakers have proposed a variety of measures in the wake of the Penn State scandal, including bills dealing with mandatory reporting laws and statutes of limitations.

In national news, a judge has upheld the eviction of Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti park, saying that New York could ban protesters from sleeping in the park and from bringing tents and sleeping bags. The post office has reported a loss of $5 billion.

We have two Chamber events today: an East Penn/Western Lehigh lunch on Act 32 and a Hispanic Chamber/Ambassador joint Speed Networking event.

That's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll be back later.

The Chamber: On Every Main Street

2011-11-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

If you were at our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, than you probably caught this video (which, incidentally, has been getting rave reviews): The Chamber, On Every Main Street. It was produced by our friends at Rocky Urich Productions. If you haven't seen it yet, check it our below.

Small Business Council Event

2011-11-15T06:54:00.001-05:00

Our Small Business Council has a great event coming up this Friday, and a particularly relevant one. The event is on Customer Engagement - specifically, how employees can better engage with your customers. It features national speaker & author Sybil Stershic. For more details, see the flier below.

November 2011 Email Blast

Daily Briefing, 11/15/2011

2011-11-15T05:45:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In a court ruling issued yesterday, Judge Michelle Varricchio ruled that Macungie Mayor Rick Hoffman can continue to have access to police records.

In state-wide news, in an interview on NBC yesterday, former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky claimed innocence in the child molestation charges brought up against him. Governor Corbett signed into law legislation that is designed to prevent students who may have a concussion from playing again until they receive medical clearance

In national news, the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday announced that it would hear a challenge to President Obama's health care reform law. In New York, police have cleared out Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park to clean it; officials say protesters will be allowed back in once the park has been cleaned. Oil prices have jumped 20% in the past six weeks.

We have one Chamber event today: a Grand Opening of a new ESSA Bank branch in Bethlehem.

And that's it for now! Have a good one and we'll be back later.

Daily Briefing, 11/14/2011

2011-11-14T06:16:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

Palmer Township is considering allowing digital billboards. An Express-Times article reviews the huge amount of upcoming Christmas-related events in Bethlehem, including some run by The Chamber's own Downtown Bethlehem Association.

In national news, hopes are dwindling for the debt Super Committee to come to an agreement. Gloria Cain, Herman Cain's wife, came to his defense in an interview yesterday. Mario Monti has been nominated to replace Silvio Berlusconi as Italy's Prime Minister.

Business Matters airs today, featuring a debate on the incoming arena in Allentown.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later.

Goal setting

2011-11-11T10:14:00.001-05:00

Anyone in business knows that you have to set goals and plan in order to be successful at anything. As part of the Chamber's new Young Professional Council, we are holding an event on Goal Setting, lead by our own Connie Challingsworth of Positive Life Decisions.

This event will be focused on bridging the gap between personal and professional fitness. Connie will give tips on how to integrate the important skill of goal setting into all aspects of life to improve your results every time!

This is actually the first of three events that we are having on "Business Fitness." The second one will be held on January 19 and is on Fitness & Stress relief, while the third event will be held in March on Nutrition. If you register for all three programs, you pay only $30 (a single program pricing of $15 per member or $30 per future member). To register, E-mail Melody at melodyg@lehighvalleychamber.org.

Hope to see you there!

Thank you to our Sponsors!

2011-11-11T10:02:00.001-05:00

If you were at our Annual Meeting, you probably caught this there, but we did want to say thank you to our Sponsors that day. They are:

Presenting Sponsor: Capital BlueCross

Titanium Sponsor: AT&T

Platinum Sponsors: 69-WFMZ-TV & wfmz.com, Adams Outdoor Advertising, Air Products, Caruso Benefits Group, Constellation Energy, HaydenFilms Institute , Lehigh Valley Easy Pages, Lehigh Valley International Airport, Lehigh Valley Magazine, Morning Call, PenTeleData, Rocky Urich Productions, Service Master by Round the Clock Cleaning, SmileKrafters, Sovereign Bank, St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network, and Viamedia

Gold Sponsors:, Lehigh University, Accuweather Channel, Bennett Automotive, Brookside Country Club, Coca-Cola Bottling of the Lehigh Valley, Crystal Signatures, Embassy Bank, First Niagara, Frederick Group, Liberty Property Trust, Lutron Electronics, Nacci Printing, Sacred Heart Hospital, West Side Hammer Electric

Silver Sponsors: Alvin H. Butz, American Bank, B. Braun Medical Inc., Brown Daub Dealerships, Concannon, Miller & Company, Easton Hospital, East Coast Touring Company, EWMI / Rapid Response, Express-Times/lehighvalleylive.com, First Generation, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, Good Shepherd, Highmark Blue Shield, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of the Lehigh Valley, Ironton Telephone, John Yurconic Agency, KNBT, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, LANta, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board, M&T Bank, Mack Trucks, Penn Cap Properties, Penn National Insurance, Pepsi Beverages, QNB, Samuel Adams Pennsylvania Brewery, Spotless Services Inc., Stotz & Fatzinger Office Supply, Tallman, Hudders & Sorrentino, TD Bank, UGI, Valleywide Property Management, Verizon Wireless, and Wells Fargo

Bronze Sponsors: Martin's Chips, AFC First, Arbor Insurance Group, AvPORTS, Central Penn College, Comfort Suites Bethlehem, Crayola, Discover Lehigh Valley, Easton Coach, Emerson, Reid & Company, Lafayette Ambassador Bank, Lehigh Valley Industrial Parks, MKSD Architects, Northampton Community College, PNC Bank, Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, UnitedHealthcare, and Zator Law.

And special thanks to TechniCom Audio & Visual!

Daily Briefing, 11/11/11

2011-11-11T06:04:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The median home price in the Valley dropped 7% to $155,000. In Lehigh County, Commissioners are considering the approval of a new union contract that would require employees to pay more while lowering pay raises. In Bethlehem, Mayor Callahan will cut ten positions from the 2012 budget. Charlie Dent has a new challenger: Attorney Jackson Eaton IV. Lehigh Valley Health Network has been honored for their efforts to eliminate hospital infections.

Here's the latest at Penn State: Mike McQueary, who allegedly witnesssed former coach Sandusky rape a child (yet did not intervene directly or call police), will not coach this Saturday against Nebraska. Senators Toomey and Casey have rescinded their support to give Joe Paterno a Presidential Medal of Freedom. In other news, former Senator Vince Fumo was sentenced yesterday to 61 months in prison after being convicted of misusing state funds.

That's it for now! Have a great day and we'll see you later.

Presidential debates - the best and the worst

2011-11-10T11:43:00.000-05:00

Presidential debates are now essentially common-place in elections. They have featured some amazing moments that have both positively and negatively affected the participants. In light of Rick Perry's stumble yesterday, we thought this would be a good time to share some of the best - and worst - moments of Presidential debates.

Best

There you go again, Ronald Reagan: The quip, directed at Jimmy Carter, was the perfect line at the perfect moment. Ronald Reagan used it against Jimmy Carter to disarm Carter's attack on Reagan's Medicare record. Delivered with classic Reagan style and charm, it was a moment most viewers would remember.

Senator, You're No Kennedy: Vice Presidential debates are rarely as memorable as this one. In the deabte, Lloyd Bensen (Michael Dukakis' running mate) destroyed Dan Quayle's attempt to compare himself to JFK:

Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Again, back to Reagan-Carter. Reagan used the rhetorical question to ask if voters thought Carter should be elected to another four years. The line is still used today:

Worst

Don't look at your watch, George W. Bush: In a 1992 debate featuring questions from regular Americans, George H.W. Bush twice looked at his watch, giving the impression that he'd rather be elsewhere.

Al, stop sighing, Al Gore: Apparently bored or too good for the responses of George W. Bush, Al Gore signed, many times, during his debate against George W. Bush. The signs made Gore look arrogant and helped promote the idea that he was not like the average American.

Really? No Soviet domination?: In a debate against Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford asserted that there was no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. Apparently, Ford wasn't living in the same world as the rest of us, because indeed there was. Ford even had a chance to correct himself, but instead doubled down on the line.

I have no emotions, Michael Dukakis: When running for President against George H.W. Bush in 1988, Dukakis coldly told an audience that he wouldn't favor the death penalty for someone who killed his wife. Appearing to have no emotions, blood, heart, whatever, the comments and calculated way in which they were delivered pushed the image of Dukakis as someone who had no emotions.

Job Openings

2011-11-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

We have one Job Opening today, courtesy of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. If you are a Chamber Member and have a job opening to share, please E-mail it to me at mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org.

Easton Area Outreach and Engagement Associate

The Easton Area Outreach and Engagement Associate is responsible for engagement with the Easton Jewish community as the representative of the Jewish Federation and will serve as staff liaison to the Easton Leadership Council of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. The program’s goals include the identification, recruitment, education, training and motivation of individuals to build connections among Jews in the Easton area, as well as build bridges to the greater Lehigh Valley Jewish community.

Responsibilities include supporting current Easton Leadership Council initiatives and working to develop new social, cultural, and educational activities appealing to different age groups. Additional responsibility for implementing the management information systems necessary to track and promote volunteer involvement in community based activities. He/she will also engage the Easton Area community with the activities of the Jewish Federation and its annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. The Easton Area Outreach and Engagement Associate will be based in the Easton area.

We seek a highly motivated self starter with the following preferred skills/experience:

1. 2-3 years successful sales / fundraising experience

2. Friend-raising /constituency development/volunteer recruitment

3. Familiar with Easton and/or Lehigh Valley Jewish community

4. Excellent organizational and time management skills

5. Creative thinker who can design, implement and complete projects

6. Strong oral and written communication skills, including public speaking

7. Comfortable working with all ages/ generations

8. E-mail, Word, Excel and Power Point computer skills

9. Must be able to travel within the region

10. College degree preferred

This new “pilot” position is part-time at 20+ hours per week. The Easton Area Outreach and Engagement Associate will report to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley’s Assistant Executive Director.

Duration: part-time

Salary Range: Not Posted

Other Benefits:

Preferred Experience: 2 Years Experience

Preferred Degree: Bachelors

Job posted on: 2011-11-09

This job has been viewed: 56 times

Job is posted for: 60 days

Job Location: Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

702 N. 22nd Street

Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104

Daily Briefing, 11/10/2011

2011-11-10T06:18:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In local news, arbitration began yesterday for firefighters in Allentown. In Easton, the school district will turn a profit of $4 million out of a Tax Increment Financing deal for a interchange on Route 33.

In state-wide news, the big story is the scandal at Penn State: effective immediately, Joe Paterno has been fired and Penn State President Graham Spainer has resigned. Students rioted in reaction to the news. In other news, Governor Corbett signed a law that bans texting while driving, making it a primary offense.

In national news, oil prices jumped to nearly $100 a barrel. Republican Presidential candidates debated yesterday in Michigan.

We have three Chamber events today: the Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce is holding a breakfast meeting with Mayor Callahan and there are two grand openings: one at Honeycomb Salon and one at Valley Implants and Periodontics.

That's it for now! Have a good one and we'll see you later.

The Chamber's Annual Meeting

2011-11-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

We hope you enjoyed the Annual Meeting as much as we did!! It was a great event, attended by over 1,000 people. If you didn't make it and would like a recap, here are some notes on the event.

First, make sure to check out the news coverage in the Morning Call and Express-Times. Both focused on the remarks of John McGlade, CEO of Air Products, who was the featured speaker at the event.

For a "live" read of how the event went, you can check out the Twitter feed #ChamberAM. This will show you our live tweets of the event, as well as others who were tweeting about it and using the hashtag. Having a centralized hashtag for live-tweeting makes life a lot easier to track an event, even if you aren't there.

Also, if you get a chance, check out Coca-Cola of the Lehigh Valley's Facebook page. We had worked with them to help set up their Facebook page, and then at Annual had it's world premier. Coca-Cola gave away two tickets two the San Diego Zoo (to see the Polar Bears, of course) for whoever answered the following question correctly: Of the 286 Iron Pigs Games, how many were sell-outs? To answer the question, you had to write on Coca-Cola's wall. Ten got the answer right (229), so we held a drawing and Jane Stone was the winner.

On a personal level, I will say that the event was a blast and an overwhelming success. It is such a joy to be able to work for an organization that can bring together over 1,000 of the best and brightest of the Lehigh Valley, and trite as this may sound, it's a real privilege to be able to serve the Valley in this way.

We hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did!

Daily Briefing, 11/9/11

2011-11-09T06:30:00.002-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is your post-Election Day Daily Briefing.

Let's review Election Day. In Northampton County, in two upsets, Republican incumbents Ron Angle and Mike Dowd lost to Democratic Challengers Scott Parsons and Bob Werner. Republicans now control Northampton County Council by a 5-4 vote. Controller Steve Barron defeated challenger Stephen Salvensen. In Lehigh County, Republicans swept all four County Commissioner races. Glenn Eckhert defeated Tom Sloanker to become the new Lehigh County Controller, while Sheriff Ron Rossi held off a challenge from Andy Roman. District Attorney Jim Martin won a landslide reelection victory. In Allentown and Bethlehem, Democrats swept City Council races. In Easton, Mayor Sal Panto defeated challenger Mike Krill by a 4-1 margin. In Whitehall, voters approved a new tax to fund their library.

In national news, Republican candidates for President will be in Michigan today for the next Presidential debate.

We have two Chamber events today: a Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce event on Apps and a mixer at Stofanak Custom Cabinetry.

That's it for now! Have a good one and we'll be back later today.

Daily Briefing, 11/8/2011

2011-11-08T05:51:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Welcome to this Election Day Daily Briefing!

In Bethlehem, Mayor Callahan says he has not yet decided whether or not to close the Dewberry firehouse. In Nazareth, Borough Council yesterday approved a budget that holds a 14% tax increase.

In national news, a fourth person has accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment. Cain will hold a press conference to address the allegations later today. President Obama's Chief of Staff, Bill Daley, has relinquished some of his day-to-day responsibilities to Pete Rouse, another Obama aide.

We have one Chamber event today, and it's a big one - actually, the biggest one of the year - the Chamber's Annual Meeting. Make sure to follow all the action live on Twitter at our Twitter account and by using the hashtag #ChamberAM

Also, do not forget that today is election day!! If you are unsure of where to vote, check out this link.

Have a great day!

11-9-11 - Learn about Apps!

2011-11-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Apps are one of the hottest topics in Social Media today. In the Apple App Store alone, over 500,000 apps are available and have been downloaded more than 18,000,000 times. To that end, the Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce is having a great event on Apps. Visit the event page or check out the flier below to learn more!

11 9 11 App Eventl

Daily Briefing, 11/7/2011

2011-11-07T05:47:00.001-05:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In state-wide news, two Penn State administrations have stepped down in the wake of accusations that former Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky sexually abused boys over a fifteen year period.

In national news, the unemployment unemployment rate dropped from 9.1% to 9% in October. In international news, the Prime Minister of Greece, Karolos Papoulias, has announced his resignation, pending the approval of a controversial 130 billion euro bailout.

Business Matters airs today, featuring a discussion in the recent controversy at the Amazon warehouse. The show will air tonight at 8pm on WFMZ.

And that's it for now! Have a good one, and we'll see you later.

Daily Briefing, 11/4/2011

2011-11-04T06:27:00.001-04:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In power-related issues, 6,100 people remain without power in the Valley as a result of last weeks storm. The Morning Call reviews the upcoming elections for Supervisor in Williams Township. At Northampton County Council's last meeting, Gracedale again became a topic of conversation, particularly revolving around the extra money needed to keep the facility going.

New unemployment numbers will be released later today; the current forecast holds that the unemployment rate will remain at 9.1%. The Federal Reserve lowered its forecast of growth for 2012, now projecting growth will be between 2.5% - 2.9%, instead of 3.3-3.7%.

That's it for now and likely for today. Have a great day, and we'll be back later!

Five things you shouldn't do on Social Media

2011-11-03T11:40:00.001-04:00

We recently held a Social Media training class, and this question came up and was discussed pretty strenuously: what SHOULDN'T you do on Social Media? Interestingly enough, this question was related to what you shouldn't do on your personal page, not your business one. Many people have work friends on their personal Social Media platforms, so there are moments for awkward interactions. Here's some things you should absolutely avoid:

1. Whining: Seriously, don't whine about how hard your life is and don't complain about others. Especially don't make passive aggressive comments that are clearly directed at someone specific but that you don't actually say to their face. Facebook is not a platform to become twelve again, and complaining about people gives off a really awful impression.

2. Politics & religion: If you are active in the business world, try to steer clear of political conversations on Social Media. You never know who you are going to offend, and remember, once you put something in the digital world, it is out there for the whole world to see.

3. Self-aggrandizing...too much: Everyone self-promotes a little, but if you do it too often, you turn people off. Make sure you are walking that fine line of letting your network know about your accomplishments and stroking your own ego.

4. Violate your company's Social Media policy: Make sure that, however you use Social Media, your use conforms with your company's Social Media policy. Not doing so can put you in a position where you can get disciplined or fired. Don't know your employee's policy? Find out what it is.

5. Overextend: Have a Facebook, Twitter/YouTube, Blog, LinkedIn, Quora, etc? Great! But can you actively manage them all? No? Then cut it down. Don't let a profile lie fallow...your network will not be pleased.

Job Openings

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone - one job opening to share today. As always, if you are a Chamber member, please do not hesitate to E-mail me (mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org) any job openings that you may have.
--

Bieber Transportation Group Driver Opportunities:

Bieber Transportation Group is seeking qualified Drivers/Chauffeurs for Bieber’s Limousine/Black Car Service Division. Must be familiar with NYC, Philadelphia and the major Northeast metropolitan areas as well as PHL, EWR and JFK Airports. Contact Bieber Limousine – 610-683-0430

Daily Briefing, 11/3/11

2011-11-03T06:13:00.002-04:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, the Mayor introduced the city's budget that hikes water, sewer & garbage fees, but leaves taxes flat. At a meeting with local business & community leaders, Senator Toomey was urged to not cut funding for Head Start.

In national news, New Hampshire has set its primary for January 10, thus setting the first five primaries and caucuses in the nation. A third worker has come forward and said that Herman Cain sexually harassed her while Cain was in charge of the National Restaurant Association in the 90s.

We have one Chamber event today: a grand opening at Servpro on the East Side of Allentown.

And that's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll see you later!

An important message from our friends at PPL

2011-11-02T10:33:00.001-04:00

We have been asked to pass along this very important note from PPL. As many of you are painfully aware, the wild weekend weather resulted in blackouts to hundreds of thousands of Lehigh Valley properties. PPL asked us to pass along how they are addressing the crisis, and we were more than happy to do so:

--

Many of us had electric service affected by the devastating weekend snowstorm.

More than 350,000 PPL Electric Utilities’ customers were affected, many of them right here in the Lehigh Valley. This was an extremely destructive storm and ranks among the five worst storms of the past 20 years for PPL Electric Utilities in terms of the number of customer outages.

More than 136,000 Lehigh Valley PPL Electric Utilities customers have had power restored since Saturday afternoon. As of 10 a.m. today (11/2), there were about 18,000 customers without power. Currently dispatched jobs will restore about 9,200 customers. A relatively small number of jobs will continue into Thursday (11/3).

Here’s an informative snapshot of what’s happening to bring all the power back:

• Ten major transmission lines in the Lehigh Valley area were damaged, and most were returned to service Monday. PPL Electric Utilities got the remaining line, a 69-kilovolt line that serves Lehigh University and south Bethlehem, back in service this morning. Transmission lines are the backbone of the electric delivery network, so getting those lines back into service was key.

• We apologize for the frustration some of you experienced trying to reach our customer contact center and in getting accurate power restoration time estimates. At the time of the storm, we were already working on making improvements and are committed to completing that effort to better serve you.

• More than 500 work crews of all types are in the field as part of the round-the-clock effort to restore power.

• As work is finished in less hard-hit areas, resources are being shifted to other areas, including the Lehigh Valley.

• Crews from as far away as Michigan, Indiana, North Carolina and Tennessee have joined the restoration effort.

• In addition to field crews, PPL Electric Utilities has hundreds of additional employees such as customer service reps, system dispatchers and operators, materials handlers and analysts supporting the storm response.

• Free water and ice are available from vendors in hard-hit areas. A list of vendors is posted online at PPL Electric Utilities’ Outage Center at pplelectric.com/outage.

• If you have not already reported your outage, you’re encouraged to do so online at pplelectric.com/outage. You also can call 1-800-342-5775.

Lastly, remember safety as restoration efforts continue. Avoid downed power lines. Remember to run generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas and use flashlights instead of candles to reduce fire risk.

Daily Briefing, 11/2/2011

2011-11-02T06:03:00.002-04:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

In Allentown, Mayor Pawlowski has made public a much closer look at the incoming Arena. The first outlet stores have opened at the Sands. The Call has also run a list of rescheduled Halloween events. In state-wide news, Pennsylvania will join many states throughout the nation in making texting while driving illegal. In national news, Bank of America has dropped its plans for a $5 fee for debit card use.

Believe it or not, that's it for now - slow news day, I guess! Anyway, have a good one, and we'll see you later.

How to show your screen

2011-11-01T13:27:00.002-04:00

Last week, I ran a presentation in which I recorded my screen in order to show you the new Facebook Timelines. This brought a lot of questions, namely: how did you do that?

Below are four great (and free!) tools that you can use to record your screen and make a presentation:

1. Screenr: Screenr is what I actually used for the presentation. It's greatness is in its simplicity - barely any clicks and you can be recording a presentation. A couple more and you can upload a presentation to YouTube or share it on Facebook/Twitter.

2. Webinar software: Using a webinar client like GoToMeeting or WebEx can allow you to show your screen and present it, live, to a group of people who are attending your presentation. Whereas Screenr is great for its simplicity, this software is ideal for its complexity--you can use pointers, highlighters, etc. to really focus on whatever you choose. The one downside: you have to pay, and sometimes the price can be expensive.

3. Skype: Skype can be used to share your screen, to one person, for free. To show your screen to more than one person, however, requires payment.

4. Livestream: Like Skype, you can use Livestream to show your screen to whoever is attending your presentation. The difference here is that you can show the screen to a group of people.

What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!

Daily Briefing, 11/1/2011

2011-11-01T05:58:00.004-04:00

Good morning everyone! We hope you have electricity where you live (as opposed to reading this on a mobile device or at work), but we'll get there shortly. Anyway, here is today's Daily Briefing.

Lehigh Valley unemployment fell to 8.9% from 9.2% in September. In election news, the Express-Times reviews the four races for Northampton County Council. The power may be out to parts of the Valley until Thursday. As a result of the power outage, Subway & PPL will be offering free coffee at selected locations this morning. In Northampton County, County Executive John Stoffa has named Tom Harp as the new Director of Administration for the County.

In a 3-2 vote yesterday, the Pennsylvania Legislative Redistricting Committee voted to approve preliminary maps for State House & Senate districts. Locally, the end result of redistricting is the gain of a Latino-majority seat in Allentown.

In national news, Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain is battling accusations that he sexually harassed two women during his time as the head of the National Restaurants Association in the 90s.

We have two Chamber events today: a Grand Opening at Nurture Nature and a look at Social Media by the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce.

That's it for now! Stay warm out there, and we'll see you later.

Daily Briefing, 10/28/2011

2011-10-28T06:21:00.003-04:00

Good morning everyone! Here is today's Daily Briefing.

The Morning Call takes a look at the race for Lehigh County District Attorney and Northampton County Council. Believe it or not, some parts of the Valley may get 4-6 inches of SNOW this weekend.

In national news, a Judge yesterday ruled against a motion by John Edwards' lawyers to dismiss charges against him regarding campaign finance violations. A new report shows that Netflix is taking up an astounding 32.7% of all internet bandwidth.

We have two Chamber events today: a President's Roundtable on the Employee Free Choice Act and the Southside Masquerade Ball.

That's it for now! Have a great day, and we'll be back later.