Henderson County Chamber Blog

Welcome to Henderson County’s New Teachers

Bob Williford — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:55:12 +0000

The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce would like to welcome the over 100 new teachers to Henderson County. We appreciate and support your choice to pick Henderson County as the place to practice your profession. We would also like to invite you to a New Teacher’s Reception to be held on Tuesday, September 21st from 3:30 – 4:30 pm at the Chamber headquarters, 204 Kanuga Road (corner of Kanuga and Church Street). There will be refreshments, goodie bags and door prizes. If you would like to attend, give us a call – 692.1413. We hope to see you on the 21st.

Affinity Programs

Bob Williford — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:00:52 +0000

   One of the many benefits of Chamber membership is the opportunity to participate in the Chamber’s Affinity Program.
   The Chamber’s Affinity Program was developed to provide our members with member-only discounts and benefits identified by our members as most valuable.
   If you are a Chamber member, save time and add dollars to your bottom line by taking advantage of discounts from one or all of our benefit partners.
~ BlueRidgeNow.com and Monster: The Times-News offers a 20% discount to all Chamber members to place employment ads on their website which will also appear on Monster.com. To speak to a sales expert call 828-694-7898.
~ First Benefits Insurance: Designed specifically for small employers, First Benefits focuses on the needs of employers and employees who may have a hard time with large out-of-state insurance carriers. For more information call 888-393-2667.
~ Hoyle Office Solutions: Serving WNC since 1945, Hoyle Office Solutions offers personalized service, knowledgeable personnel, free next day delivery, plus they have just opened a new & pre-owned office furniture showroom. Contact them at 828.681.8797.
~ Windstream: Windstream’s mission is to deliver superior broadband communications services to meet voice, data, networking and security requirements. Contact them by calling 800.672.1450.
For more information on the Affinity Program, call the Chamber – 828.692.1413.

Chamber’s Benefits to the Community

Mitsy Jones — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:00:21 +0000

Many people wonder what exactly the Chamber does for our community. We get a lot of calls about events such as the Apple Festival, the Antique Show, the Garden Jubilee, and other events, but those are actually organized by other entities such as the Travel & Tourism Office or Downtown Hendersonville, Inc.
The Chamber’s main goal is to help you and your business thrive in Henderson County. From networking opportunities and business referrals, to efforts that improve the overall strength of the community, the Chamber strives to be of benefit to the community. Following is an overview of what we do.
• The Chamber answers the community’s “mail” and in today’s society we answer e-mail, website, fax and phone requests as well. The Chamber responds to over 35,000 contacts per year from people wanting information about our community.

• The Chamber is an instrumental partner in our community’s workforce development efforts. These include acting as liaison between the business community and educational institutions as well as coordinating services for displaced workers during major downsizing or plant closure situations.

• The Chamber consistently encourages citizens to “Shop and Dine Henderson County” in an effort to support local businesses (which provide local jobs) and to keep sales tax dollars in Henderson County. The Chamber along with Henderson County and other non-profit groups has a history of joining forces to develop specific campaigns to reinforce these efforts.

• The Chamber provides numerous programs and activities designed to assist small business owners and operators. Through seminars, networking opportunities, knowledge sharing and other activities the Chamber supports existing and new small businesses as they work to survive and thrive in an ever changing business environment.

• The Chamber makes available Affinity Programs to its members that offer beneficial prices for telecommunications services, office supplies, package delivery, Employee Assistance Programs and more.

• The Chamber’s website provides information to potential newcomers and visitors to
Henderson County. The website also acts as a gateway to other community sites – including Travel & Tourism and the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development.

• The Chamber has long believed that building a strong business community includes building a strong community. Our efforts to improve business conditions in Henderson County have proven successful in the past and will continue to have a positive impact on all of Henderson County.

• The Chamber works with the Henderson County Public School System and Blue Ridge Community College to ensure that the workforce, and citizens entering the workforce, have the skills (or opportunities to gain the skills) to meet the employment needs in Henderson County. This partnership is designed to improve the skill sets of students graduating or otherwise leaving the K-12 system and entering the workforce, improve training/educational opportunities for the current workforce and un/underemployed that improve opportunities for advancement, support school administrators, teachers, students and parents who are involved in the educational process and determine higher educational needs in Henderson County and support increasing higher ed capacity.

All Types of Ways to Keep Up with Happenings at the Chamber

Mitsy Jones — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:30:20 +0000

There are all kinds of ways to keep up with the many events we have going on at the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce. The most important one is from the website that you are currently reading this blog. There is a calendar of events on the home page in the top right hand corner that is updated regularly to include all the networking opportunities, committee meetings and other events that Chamber membership has to offer. Also, if you click back to the home page, in the upper left hand corner are links to the Chamber’s Facebook page, Twitter page, RS Feed and Flickr page. I encourage you to check these all out. Become a fan of the Chamber on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and keep an eye out on those flickr photos…you never know when you might get captured by my camera : )

Don’t Miss the 2010 Chamber Business EXPO

Bob Williford — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:15:25 +0000

The 2nd Annual Chamber Business EXPO presented by The Henderson County Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Thursday, October 21 from noon – 6 pm at the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Center in Flat Rock.
The Chamber Business EXPO is sponsored by Mountain 1st Bank & Trust, the Small Business Center at Blue Ridge Community College and the Times-news. Open to the public, it is the area’s largest business-to-business, business-to-consumer trade show and is designed to help businesses market their company to their peers in the Chamber and the community at large. The EXPO will be promoted through the newspaper, radio, flyers at participating businesses and Chamber distribution.
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to promote your product or service to fellow businesses and the community – register now for a booth at the 2nd Annual Chamber Business EXPO. Cost to participate in the EXPO begins at $225. Electricity and additional booth space are available for an additional charge. Click to download an application . For more information, please contact Mitsy Jones at the Chamber – 828.692.1413 or mitsy@hendersoncountychamber.org.

Total Resource Campaign

Bob Williford — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:36:09 +0000

Every year around late summer/early fall, the Chamber of Commerce begins our Total Resource Campaign. The purpose of this committee is to recruit new members into the Chamber and solicit investment in Chamber programs and activities.
Click on the Member Center link shown at the top of this page. There, you can download a booklet full of all the sponsorship opportunities that the Chamber has to offer. If you are looking for a new and unique opportunity to market your business consider hosting a Business After Hours or an AM Power Hour. If you want to reach people looking to relocate to our area, advertise on the Chamber website. If you need to make business contacts consider hosting a Power Networking event or SurPrize Patrol. We have numerous ways to market your business to the 1000+ members of the Chamber. Give us a call – 692.1413 – and we will be happy to go over some of these great opportunities with you.

Thank you to the following individuals for their commitment to the Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign:

Vikki Bailey, Asheville Savings Bank

Nicola Barksdale, First Citizens Bank

Ruth Birge, United Way of Henderson County

Marybeth Burns, Summit Marketing Group

Graham Fields, Park Ridge Health

Mandy Forbes, Carolina First

Kendra Joiner, The Cupcake Place

Mike Morgan, Mountain 1st Bank & Trust

Paul Parker, Carolina Information Technology Resource Corporation

Lynn Pearson, Toland CPA Group, PA

Todd Sharpe, Macon Bank

Garry Sherrill, Cummings Cove Golf & Country Club

Dollie Smith Feldmeth, Dixon Hughes Wealth Advisors LLC

Fair Waggoner, United Community Bank

Sandy Worley, SunTrust

New Member Reception/Chamber 101

Mitsy Jones — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:24:48 +0000

Save the date – October 6th, 4pm and join us at the Chamber headquarters, 204 Kanuga Road. This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow new members, but also a chance to learn everything the Chamber has to offer. If you want to take full advantage of your membership, you need to attend this reception.
By the way, it isn’t open to just new members. If you have been a member for 1 year or 50 years you are invited to come and learn about the Chamber.
RSVP to 692-1413 or chamber@hendersoncountychamber.org

All Types of Information is Available at the Chamber

Mitsy Jones — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:04:23 +0000

Did you know that the Chamber is loaded with information for newcomers and residents? We carry brochures on most of our members and a lot of local publications. But did you know that the Chamber publishes several informative publications ourselves?
We have an Industrial Directory listing information on the 130+ industries in Henderson County. Cost is $10 for members, $15 for non-members.
We offer a Demographics Book that gives all kinds of statistics from age ranges to income levels to economic indicators. The Demographics book is $4 for members, $5 for non-members.
We also publish a Newcomer’s Handbook loaded with information on the history of our area, education, employment, healthcare, real estate and more. This publication is offered at no charge.
We just updated our “10 Steps to Success: A Small Business Guide to Henderson County”. It has information on what steps you need to take to start your own business. It is also offered at no charge.
And finally, this year, the Chamber published our first magazine. 4,000 copies of the first edition of Leading Edge printed in February. It includes articles highlighting local business success stories, quality of life features, full color photography and more. It is distributed to Chamber members, newcomers, visitors, advertisers and is used as a recruiting tool for business and industry. It is offered at no charge.
So stop by our office today – 204 Kanuga Road – for any information you may need about Henderson County.
P.S. We are also “phone book” central. So come see us if you need a new phone book.

Southern Hospitality

Bob Williford — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:32:48 +0000

A local resident came to our office today to participate in the Shop & Dine Henderson County Campaign promotion and recounted to some of our staff her recent trip to Chicago. She told us that the most memorable aspect of her visit was the courtesy shown to her and her husband by everyone they interacted with in Chicago – the cab drivers, hotel workers, restaurant workers, etc. They were so pleased they plan to go back soon!
Hospitality in nothing new to our own community. Henderson County’s Tourism/Service Industry has always displayed our brand of “Southern Hospitality” to guests who visit our community, but if major urban areas like Chicago are stepping up their game, maybe we should too.
Be sure to thank those who patronize your business, both visitors and local residents. Word-of-mouth advertising is important to every business and a happy customer could steer others your way.