Chamber Matters

Your invited to attend the Clovis Hall of Fame 2011 - June 18th

2011-06-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Clovis Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend the Clovis Hall of Fame and Community Awards Gala, hosted by the Clovis Exchange Club on June 18th.

For more information visit: http://clovishalloffame.org

The Clovis Hall of Fame and Community Awards Gala is an important evening in the annual Clovis calendar. First hosted by the Clovis Independent in 1975, this event was began to honor the history and spirit of Clovis. From the early 90's to 2009 the Clovis Chamber of Commerce acted as host and in 2010 the Clovis Exchange Club became the sponsoring organization for this valued event.

The Hall of Fame honors the "leadership" history of Clovis. It recognizes those who had the courage, commitment and leadership ability to make the things happen that have shaped Clovis into the community it is today. Each year at this event additional, worthy members of the Community are inducted into the Hall of Fame. We are also excited to honor those with current achievements with our Community Awards. The evening honored Clovis' finest for their contributions to the community.

The Clovis Hall of Fame Council is proud to present the

Clovis Hall of Fame 2011

"Remembering the 1890's in Clovis"

June 18th, 2011

Held at the

Clovis Veterans' Memorial Building

808 4th Street, Clovis

Reception, 6:30 p.m. - Dinner, 7:15 p.m.

___________________________________________________

For Tickets and Information call (559) 325-1118

Tables for 8 Available / Individual tickets: $45.00

___________________________________________________

6:30 - No host reception with listening music offered by:

Clovis Chamber Orchestra's - String Quartet

7:15 - Dinner with entertainment provided by the cast of:

CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre's July Production -

"Hello Dolly"

___________________________________________________

2011 Hall of Fame Inductees

The Clovis Masonic Lodge - Organization

Betsy Sandoval - Citizen of Distinction

The Reyburn Family - Founders

The Sharer Family - Founders

2011 Community Awards

Jason Meyers - National Recognition

2010 World Champion Outlaw Sprint Car Series

Chuck Parnell - Service to Veterans

Joe and Marilyn Ogas - Friend of Youth

Ed Flores - Spirit of Clovis

Ribbon Cutting - Xtreme Health & Wellness Inc.

2010-03-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

Tina M. Perez has opened Xtreme Health & Wellness, a 24 hour, keycard access workout facility that includes state of the art machines, a sauna, men's & women's showers, massage therapy and a tanning bed. Membership fees are very reasonable and no contract is required.

Located at 7075 N. Chestnut Ave. #103 in Fresno. From Herndon, turn north on Chestnut, take the first left and go straight back.

Phone: 322-7740

Clovis Advantage Trade Show Free Ticket

2010-02-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

Feel free to print, share, email, tweet, post, or blog about this free admission ticket to the Clovis Advantage Trade Show on March 4th at the Clovis Veteran's Memorial Building from 4 to 7 p.m.

Enjoy great food sampling while you visit booths of some of Clovis and Fresno's finest businesses. Great networking, smart businesses people and good food... all for free!

Click Here to learn more about the show.

Would you like to get this adorable little Clovis Chamber mascot horse? Just tweet, blog, post, Digg or otherwise promote the show on social media. You must either email a link (to info@clovischamber.com) showing your promotion of the show (which must include a link back here) or if you're on Twitter, make sure to include @ClovisChamber in the tweet. Come to the show, tell us who you are and where you promoted (we'll have a list) and this adorable little guy could be yours.

Qdoba Mexican Grill Central Valley

2010-01-13T15:12:00.001-08:00

Valley Animal Center No-Kill Shelter for Dogs and Cats

2010-01-13T14:46:00.001-08:00

We love the Valley Animal Center at the Clovis Chamber. Many thanks to Brittnee Maxfield of the Valley Animal Center for coming on the show with her little dog!

Weed Man lawn care

2010-01-13T14:13:00.001-08:00

Many thanks to Jeff Kollenkark of Weed Man Lawn Care for coming on to Clovis Chamber News and Views.

You can reach Jeff by calling (559) 266-1624
www.fresno.weedmanusa.com

Fresno Women's Network

2010-01-12T14:29:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Fresno Women's Network for coming on the show!

Ribbon Cutting 12-10-2009 Encourage Tomorrow

2009-12-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

Encourage Tomorrow
2491 W. Shaw Ave. Suite 101
Fresno, Ca. 93711
559-233-2880

Shaw/Van Ness Off of Shaw. If driving toward the west, take the 2nd left turn pocket after Van Ness. The office will be on your left, facing the culdesac.

Ribbon Cutting - Hi Tech Home, May 1, 2009

2009-12-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Tech Home
2525 Alluvial Ave. #241
Clovis, Ca. 93611
559-521-1400

They are on the northwest corner of Temperance and Alluvial.

Chamber Member and Community Businessman Dave Virk

2009-12-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Clovis Chamber is very saddened to learn that Davinder (Dave) Virk, 47, passed away November 29th, 8 pm, at St. Agnes Hospital due to a heart attack.

Visitation will be held from 12:00 pm until 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 11 am, at Tinkler Funeral Home, 475 N. Broadway, Fresno, CA 93701.

Mr. Virk was born in India and immigrated to the US in 1988 with limited resources and funds. From this he made his legacy and aspired to achieve the “American Dream.” He was a honored developer and entrepreneur in Clovis and began expanding to Fresno this fall. Before Mr. Virk could fulfill his “Dream,” he left us all with great memories to remember him by.

He was an active member of the Sikh Community and enjoyed reading, listening to music, traveling and most of all business itself. He has been a member of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce since 2005 when he opened the Comfort Suites. And again joined the chamber with the Fairfield Inn and Suites, which hosted a tremendously successful mixer this past summer.

His friends and family saw him as a successful influence. He touched the hearts of everyone he met or spoke to. He was a role model to some, a hero to others and loving to all, while his bright smiles and sense of humor cheered up anyone's day. He was successful at what he did, turning a thought into a plan, then turning the plan into a reality. In addition to being a downright Earthly person, his presence left a lasting impression in everyone's’ life and his departure continues to do so, as well.

He will be missed dearly.

Mr. Virk, is survived by wife, Pritpal (Pinky) Kaur; sons, Udey (Jay) Virk & Harman Virk; Mother and Father, Sukhminder Kaur Virk & Brijinder Virk; Sister, Avinash Brar.

Notes of condolence may be sent to Fairfield Inn & Suites, c/o Jay Virk, 50 N Clovis Ave., Clovis, CA 93612

Chamber Events Produce Big Time Dollars

2009-11-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

Every year the Clovis Chamber presents Big Hat Days and ClovisFest that we advertise as the largest 2 day events in the Central Valley. That was just ratified by the Clovis City Council on November 16 when a staff report quantified the monetary impact of those events.

And the Clovis Chamber came out on top. Between the 2 events, we bring over 200,000 people to Old Town Clovis and generate $4.6 million in tourist revenues. That’s based on the ripple effect of income – the waitress at the local café receives a larger tip, she spends the tip, and so on.

Proceeds from the events go back into Chamber programs. During the events we help non-profits by offering discounts on booths and giving them opportunities to sell Pepsi products. We hire a local Cub Scout group that spends the two days picking up trash.

Most importantly we help local businesses. Several Old Town merchants have their largest days during Big Hat Days and ClovisFest and other city businesses see an uptick. Hotel rooms are booked, gas stations pump more gas and restaurants feed more people.

Chamber events promote the city by advertising and through the internet. Participating vendors come from across the country and post a link to our event on their web sites. Links are also posted on community calendars and through social media.

The Clovis Chamber has always worked closely with the city of Clovis to provide adequate security and protection for our visitors. The Chamber appreciates the city’s partnership and recent decision to absorb the costs of police and fire for our events.

Networking Skills for Members of Alpha Zeta and Graduating College Students

2009-11-13T11:15:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, November 14, Clovis Chamber Membership Director Beth Bridges will be a presenter at the Alpha Zeta Development Summit at Fresno State. Beth's topic: Networking. She'll use her experience as a Fresno State Ag Department Graduate to provide helpful information. Here's a summary of topics and links referred to in the presentation.

Beth will reveal her four secrets to success in life:

Sustained effort
Developing systems
Good habits
... and not blowing up at people when you are annoyed with them.

The presentation will also cover the top benefits that college students get out of networking, the four steps in networking, and five places in Fresno and Clovis to network.

Here are links referred to in the presentation:

Social skills are your most important asset on the job: http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/07/18/social-skills-matter-more-than-ever-so-heres-how-to-get-them/
Find the hidden job market: http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/09/news/economy/hidden_jobs/index.htm
Research potential employers: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/companyresearch/Company_Research.htm

Conduct an informational interview campaign:

Ribbon Cutting, Nov 5 - Christopher J. Bundros, CPA

2009-11-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

November 5

Christopher J. Bundros, C.P.A.
205 W. Bullard Ave. STE 4.
Clovis, CA 93612

(559) 765-0313

www.bundroscpa.com

Located in the buildings on the NW corner of Villa and Bullard.

Chris' business is new, but he isn't new to the business. He is a full service accounting firm. Visit his website for tax tips.

Ribbon Cutting, Nov. 3, 2009 - Dr. David Freeman DDS

2009-11-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Ribbon Cutting, November 3

David C. Freeman, D.D.S., M.S., Inc.
2127 Herndon Ave., Suite 101
Clovis, CA 93611

Phone:
(559) 299-7363
2127 Herndon Ave, #101 NW corner of Herndon and Armstrong.

Dr. Freeman is in a beautiful new office. You can watch traffic go by while you get your teeth cleaned. And there is an XBox console in the waiting room for the younger crowd.

Seminar Series: Using Facebook to Promote Your Business

2009-11-06T10:08:00.001-08:00

This past Thursday, I conducted our monthly Seminar Series event at ITT Tech. The topic was Facebook. The turnout was tremendous. Obviously, this is an important tool for our members and they want to learn more about it.

If you attended the event, you probably have your handout, but I've posted it here as well. If you didn't have a chance to attend, we will be repeating the topic on Thursday, December 3, 12 to 1 p.m. at ITT Tech. This event is FREE to members and $35 for non-members.

Face it: You Need Facebook to Promote Your Business
Clovis Chamber of Commerce Seminar Series, November 5, 2009
by Beth Bridges, Membership Director, Clovis Chamber of Commerce
Do you have a group, workplace or organization that would like to see this presentation? Contact me at 299-7363 or beth@clovischamber.com

Social Media
• “Electronic and Internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other human beings”

Social Networking
• Online communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others

Why Facebook?

• It is continuing to explode, growing by 276% in 35-54 year old users, with 1 in 4 of all page views on the internet.

• Despite the twittering over Twitter, Facebook is (by far) the fastest growing search term and it is the third most visited site on the internet, only behind Google and Yahoo.

• Users are getting older. (Median age is now 33, women over 55 is the fastest growing demographic.)

• Therefore, your clients and potential customers are on Facebook (or will be soon).

• The price is right: a business page is free.

Know What You are Going to Accomplish on Facebook

• Check everything that you are going to focus on. Now circle your #1 goal:
□ Get referrals
□ Make sales
□ Build awareness
□ Website traffic
□ Educate/inform
□ Newsletter sign ups
□ Event attendance
□ Reputation/brand development
□ Reputation/brand monitoring
□ Blog traffic
□ Establish leadership
□ Find volunteers
□ Other: _____________________________________________________

How to Make Money on Social Media
(Thank you to Peter Lang for putting this so well)

“In order to monetize, you must move people.”

Your strategy needs to include the places (i.e. website, events) you want them to go to, the actions (click, give, sign up) you want them to take, and the information you want them to have.

It also does not hurt to entertain people, once in a while!

It Will NOT Work If …

You do not invest at least 3 to 5 sessions per week (10 to 20 minutes will do).

What Will Success Look Like to You?
(and more importantly, to the boss)

• How will you track results:
□ # of referrals
□ # of sales
□ increased awareness
□ increased website traffic
□ amount of information provided
□ # of newsletter sign ups
□ increase in event attendance
□ awareness of your brand development
□ knowing of positive or negative brand comments (Google Alerts)
□ increased blog traffic (Google Analytics)
□ recognition of leadership
□ # of new volunteers
□ Other: _____________________________________________________

What Do You Post?

• Industry information
• Information about your customers area of interest
• Special offers
• Links to your website, blog, newsletter BUT with a purpose (info, offer, etc)
• Promote your business partners, community, promoters (people who promote YOU)
• Enough “personal” information to build relationships between your people/staff and your customers.

This presentation is available for your business, social, or personal groups. Contact me at beth@clovischamber.com. Feel free to connect with the Clovis Chamber on www.Twitter.com/ClovisChamber and on our Facebook fan page.

Chamber Lauds State Lawmakers

2009-11-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

November 4, 2009

The Clovis Chamber of Commerce lauds the State Legislature for passing a comprehensive water package for California. It urges Governor Schwarzenegger to sign the bill into law.

The results of ignoring the water problem in California has come to fruition in the Central Valley as the area has been starved of water resources from the Delta that has created unnecessary unemployment and hardships.

The water bill will address increased storage that will make our water source more reliable year-to-year, improve local water conveyance to reduce water shortages, restore the Delta ecosystem to allow California to take control of its own water systems and will collect data on groundwater.

Of course, residents and businesses must continue to do their part by conserving our water supply and taking care of our valuable resources.

The Clovis Chamber of Commerce appreciates the hard work extended by our lawmakers and the governor to solve this critical issue.

Mark Blackney
President, CEO
CLOVIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Networking Skills & Strategies for College Students

2009-09-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

Membership Director, Beth Bridges, was the guest speaker on September 30 for 60 members of the Delta Sigma Pi international, co-educational professional business fraternity at CSU Fresno.

Here are the resources mentioned in the presentation:

Social skills are your most important asset on the job: http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2006/07/18/social-skills-matter-more-than-ever-so-heres-how-to-get-them/
Find the hidden job market: http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/09/news/economy/hidden_jobs/index.htm
Research potential employers: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/companyresearch/Company_Research.htm

Conduct an informational interview campaign:

Clovis Advantage Trade Show - A Free Ticket and A Membership Bonus

2009-09-29T15:19:00.001-07:00

Get ready for the Clovis Advantage Trade Show on Thursday, October 8 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Admission, parking, food sampling and door prize drawings are free.

Click on the blue ticket to the right to print your free e-ticket. Want to win friends and influence people? Email this invitation to your contacts. They'll thank you later.

The Clovis Advantage is our regional trade show where up to 70 companies will display their products and information. Here's your chance to network with local businesses from banks to hotels and even a winery.

Want to learn how to make the most of your trade show networking opportunity? Check out these helpful articles:

Thinking of Joining the Clovis Chamber?

We offer a special advertising bonus worth $100 to any business that joins at the show. Click here to download an application. Bring it and your payment (cash, check, Visa or MC) to the Clovis Chamber booth at the show and you'll receive a certificate good for a free newsletter flyer insert, normally $100.

Cash flow a little thin? We now have an automatic monthly payment option. Click here to download the monthly payment form.

Questions? Contact Rachel@ClovisChamber.com if you want a booth. And Beth@ClovisChamber.com if you have membership questions.

Presenting Social Networking Training to the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women, Central California

2009-09-01T10:59:00.001-07:00

Thank you to Sue Mettee of Mission Hills Mortgage for inviting me to be the speaker for the NAPMW today, Sept. 1. Thank you to Matthew Perry of Reunion Mortgage. And thank you as always to ITT Tech for their wonderful community support in letting us use their classroom space.

The topic is Social Networking - A Key to Business.

We'll cover 9 reasons to get involved in social networking. And the four in-person networking skills you must have to be successful on line.

And then we'll cover the big three: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Here are some resources that I will be suggesting to the participants:

HubSpot has an excellent (and free) step-by-step ebook
called Facebook for Business.
Guy Kawasaki has an eternal and iconic post on
10 ways to use LinkedIn
The TwiTip Blog seems to be one of the authorities on Twitter.
Start with this post specifically for small business owners.

At the Clovis Chamber, we are using every tool at our disposal to promote the Chamber, support our members, and build the business community in Clovis and Fresno. The social networking tools of Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook have been very beneficial to our business.

Do you have a company, group, or organization that would like a presentation on using these promotion and networking tools? Contact me, Beth Bridges, Membership Director and Chief Networking Officer for the Clovis Chamber, at 559-299-7636 or by email at beth@clovischamber.com

Speed Networking is Back! Thursday, September 3

2009-08-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

After a brief break for the summer, Speed Networking is back! This very popular Clovis Chamber networking event has been helping members make connections since our first Speed Networking in February of 2005.

The idea is based in part on the pink slip parties which began to grow in popularity after the dot com bubble of the 90's and from "speed dating" events. In 2004, I searched the internet for an example of Chambers of Commerce running Speed Networking, but found very few. The Fort Collins Chamber did one every month and their membership person was kind enough to share their layout and instructions. After a few tweaks (they were doing three rounds), Rachel Greaves and I found a way for every person to be guaranteed to meet everyone else in just two rounds.

24 people could be introduced to each other in less than 2 hours. Our mixers are great, but you have to work very hard to meet that many people in that short of a time. Plus, you're guaranteed to meet everyone at a Speed Networking event. No chance of missing that one contact you really needed!

During the event, you are seated across from each other. Every two minutes, a bell rings. One person gets up, moves, and now has another short, two-minute conversation with the person they are sitting across from. This continues around the room until everyone has met all the participants.

Two minutes is just enough time for a quick introduction, an exchange of cards, and a question or two. You're not going to be able to make a presentation! This is enough time to learn a little bit about each other and decide if either or both of you need to know more about the other person.

Why is this event so popular?

Members meet people they might not otherwise have met at a mixer
It's an easy way for new or introverted members to meet more people: no small talk needed!
Leads are generated and business gets done. I hear from at least 2 or 3 people who made sales and gained new clients after every events.
It creates new relationships and helps participants build their networks.
It's very efficient and cost effective.
Everyone has fun!

The next event is Thursday, September 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Clovis Chamber office at 325 Pollasky. You must register in advance. Walk-ins are not likely to be accommodated due to the popularity of the event.

Cost is $14 for Clovis Chamber members, $26 for non-members.

Sign up on line here.

Or call Susana at the Chamber office at 299-7363 to pay over the phone with a credit card.

Or you can get the .pdf form online here.

Seminar Series Presentation on Twitter at ITT Tech

2009-08-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

On the first Thursday of each month, from 12 to 1 p.m., the Clovis Chamber presents the Seminar Series for Members Only. The seminars rotate between three topics: sales training (presented by Dale Bierce of Sandler Training), in-person networking, and social media networking.

Today, the topic is "Tweet, Tweet: How to Make Twitter Work for Your Business." Members of the Clovis Chamber will be able to sit at a computer terminal and be guided live, on-line to create their first Twitter account, find their first followers, and follow people who are relevant to them.

This blog post is serving two purposes:

To provide information to our members who couldn't attend and to those who we sometimes call "not yet members."
To serve as a "handout" for those attending the seminar.

Online Resources on Using Twitter

There are hundreds, if not thousands of resources for using twitter. Here are just a few to help you get started:

Mashable (a blog) wrote a guide on Twitter, which can be found HERE on SlideShare or here is the full pdf version.
Chris Brogan has written many good things about Twitter including this etiquette guide.
Twitter itself has a guide specifically for businesses.
If you want to learn about this online tool using something called a "book" that is printed on paper, you can get The Twitter Book on Amazon starting at $10.

User Names

On Twitter, everyone has a user name. When you use their name in a "tweet," you put the @ symbol in front of it. This allows others to link directly to their profile and helps you search for them on Twitter. The @ doesn't automatically work that way in other applications, but I'll use it here to make sure you know that I'm giving you someone's user name. You can also go directly to their profile page by using the URL of www.Twitter.com/TheirUserName (minus the @ symbol).

I'm @BethBridges on Twitter. Fortunately, I thought of using Twitter before the Clovis Chamber in New Mexico thought of it and we got @ClovisChamber (there are no spaces allowed in your user name).

The Twitter Experts

There is a site called Twitter Grader where you can search for their rankings of top Twitter users. You can also search by location to see how you stack up in your town. But the most followed and most prolific "tweeters" are not necessarily the experts in using the site. Here are a few of the people that I recommend following because of their expertise in the use of social media:

mashable (Pete Cashmore)
guykawasaki (Guy Kawasaki)
chrisbrogan (Chris Brogan)
techCrunch (Michael Arrington)
scobleizer (Robert Scoble)

There are many more, but this will give you a great place to start.

Clovis Chamber Members on Twitter

Obviously I'll have to add to this list after today's seminar. And I'm probably missing people so I'll keep updating this list. We'll probably have a permanent page on the website or this blog with a list of members on Twitter.

RoastedStone Roasted Stone Memorials, Dan Halbe
craigkohlrussCraig Kohlruss, photographer
GManSupplies Gary Evans from Clovis Stationery & Office Supplies
TonyTheAgent Tony Arguelles who works for Century 21 M&M
c21mm Century 21 M&M real estate office run by Leslie Noll
ClovisCaHampton Clovis Hampton Inn, the new one on Clovis & Gettysburg
KimDRichardson Kim Richardson of Local Ad Promos
AamcoClovis Rory Lane of AAMCO
LoriReilly Lori Renee Reilly, travel specialist at AAA
tlynn84 Tracy Leach of Providence Strategic Consulting
michelinegolden Micheline Golden representing Children's Hospital
UC_Merced_SBDC UC Merced Small Business Development Center
YosemiteBeyond Tour Yosemite & Beyond, Jerry Bacarisse & Mike Long
GOClovis Grocery Outlet, NW corner of Clovis & Shaw Ave.
VillageProfile Village Profile, they produce our directory and map
FresnoWomensNet The Fresno Women's Network
GrandOccasions Grand Occasions Catering
enochjr Enoch Mulford home repairs and handyman work
CVpartybus Central Valley Party Bus
TBJFresno The Business Journal
4GQdoba Qdoba Mexican Grill (at Herdon & Fowler)
GinaEstrada Gina Estrada of EspressoBrain.com
ProsperityForum The blogsite of EspressoBrain's Little Miracles Book
FresnoPhil Fresno Philharmonic
rencarter Ren Marie Carter of Valley Public Radio
RobJohnson_FT Rob Johnson of Fitness Together
Sierravistamall Sierra Vista Mall
HireTheGeeks Jay Petersen
Briggsiam Mike Briggs of Central Valley Talk
CargoBay Cargo Bay business incubator & executive suites
GinnyOustad Ginny Oustad of G & G Resource Services
kamacoz97 Carolyn Sun Cozzi of Institute of Technology
Handsoncentral HandsOn of Central California volunteer agency
clovisrobeks Robeks Juice at Sierra Vista Mall
CBS47 Channel 47
Relocater Hannah DeGroot of Realty Concepts
jenmshepherd Jennifer Shepherd of NuSkin
2cm Nancy Talley, Trail of Two Cities Marathon
FresnoMaderaARC Fresno-Madera American Red Cross
KVPR Valley Public Radio
workplacemassag Lisa Anderson, Workplace Massages
FresnoGrizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies
wattleweb Suzanne Moles, web designer
CVBI Central Valley Business Incubator
RachelGreaves Corporate Events Director for the Clovis Chamber
drboydston Robert Boydston, Chiropractor
ckovalsk Carolyn Kovalski of Heald College and Facelogic
DonWatnick Owner of Sir Speedy in Clovis
SisTers4Women Cindy Garret of Sis-Ters for Women

2009 Clovis Hall of Fame & Community Awards Gala

2009-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

On June 19th the Clovis Chamber had the distinct pleasure of hosting the Clovis Hall of Fame Gala. The evening honored Clovis' finest for their contributions to the community. Below are a list of this years honorees and pictures from the event. It was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with many old friends, including former Clovis Chamber CEO Jim Ware who was honored for community leadership. Congratulations again to all the honorees!

2009 Recipients

Community Awards:
Taytum Rose Popp & Dustyn Wolfson

Clovis Hall of Fame:
2008 CUSD Governing Board—Education
Center Stage Productions—Organization
Jim and Carole Linenbach—Service to Community
Maj. Gen. Ronald H. Markarian—Service to Country
Jim Ware—Community Leadership

Citizens of the Year:
2009 Amgen Tour of California Clovis Stage 4 Finish—Local Organizing Committee

WalMart's Getting Closer

2009-07-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

The controversial Clovis Crossings Shopping Center is getting closer to fruition after a key vote was made by the Clovis City Council on June 29th. Kudos to Bob Whalen, Nathan Magsig and Jose Flores who once again voted to approve the center. They are looking out for the future good of the city of Clovis.

The Stockton law firm hired by a Fresno couple that has opposed the center has virtually run out of steam. They will continue their frivolous lawsuit over urban decay but the EIR voted on by the Council is pretty final.

The meeting on the 29th was rather contentious as supporters and opponents squared off in comments to the Council. There was nothing new said from prior meetings but the passions were more inflamed.

Supporters spoke about increased economic activity for the city and the advantages of having additional retail. Of special concern is the construction of 2 Fresno centers adjacent to Clovis on the west and south sides. Getting our own center built is a priority.

Opponents complained about the quality of WalMart customers, traffic and the ruination of the Clovis Way of Life. They have this concept that Clovis is a quaint little town that a modern center would hurt. They are ignoring the extra income this center would create especially from people outside of Clovis.

The Clovis Chamber Board of Directors has supported the Clovis Crossing Shopping Center from day one and will continue to support the center after its opening.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Water in the Valley

2009-06-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, if you took a drive through the western part of the Central Valley you'd often find yourself stuck behind a double trailered truck hauling melons or tomatoes. You'd have to slow down and occasionally avoid wayward fruit that bounced off into the road.

If you took that same trip today, the drive would be truck free because there are no tomatoes or melons being grown. One of the country's largest agricultural centers has become a dried up dust bowl. Farmlands are vacant and owners and workers alike are unemployed. It is a disaster both for the area and anyone who eats food.

And what created this catastrophe? The usual culprits - the environmentalists who decided that the Delta smelt, a small bait fish, is being harmed. The fish is not even on the endangered species list.

And, of course, the federal government has caved into their wishes and decided to close the pumps that supply our valley with water. As our farms dry up, the little smelt are thriving up in Sacramento.

Our local Congressman Devin Nunes has been a hero in the fight for rational thought with this situation. Unfortunately, we can't say the same for our two senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer as well as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. All three have blocked efforts to get the water flowing.

It's interesting that all three are hard core liberals who live in the Bay Area. The Bay Area is sitting pretty with their water coming from the Hetch Hetchy water system - they have no worries. Meanwhile, the area of the state that provides those people with much of their produce is drying up. They're going to have to be happy with imported fruit from Mexico and China.

Valley farmers and water supporters are not sitting by quietly. One group, the California Latino Water Coalition has been in the forefront fighting for water rights. The Clovis Chamber Board of Directors has voted to join the Coalition and support its efforts.

On Wednesday, July 1, a large rally is planned at the Fresno City Hall in Downtown Fresno. Up to 10,000 people are expected to attend. It starts at 12 noon. The Clovis Chamber will be present. We invite you to join us also.

Thanks to the hard work of comedian/farmer Paul Rodriguez, this issue is getting national attention. People in other states, especially those with farmland, are watching our situation closely knowing that at the whim of an environmentalist, they could lose their livelihood also.

We all have to make a lot of noise to get the government to listen.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Clovis Chamber News and Views

2009-06-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

Many of you are familiar with the Chamber's well attended mixers, productive networking events, informative business seminars and the large events, craft fairs and Car shows, but did you know we also have a TV show?

That's right! The Clovis Chamber has a weekly production that airs live every Thursday from 6-7 p.m. on both CentralValleyTalk.com and local channels 43.3 and 33 (33.3 after the digital switch). We've been hard at work increasing the quality of our weekly show and have been privileged to interview several of our outstanding chamber members. How do I get on this show to promote my business you might ask? It's easy! Simply attend our monthly mixer. Each month we draw several names from our mixer attendees and invite them to come on the show. Still have questions?

Check out file footage from our broadcast:

Clovis Chamber's YouTube Channel - updated ASAP

Selected Footage on ClovisChamber.com -updated every couple weeks

This month's mixer:
The Get Smart Mixer
Hosted by Kaplan College (44 Shaw Ave., on the SE corner of Shaw & Minnewawa)
Wed. June 17th, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

Explore their terrific campus building full of educational classrooms, labs, and training rooms while you network with your wonderful existing contacts and meet great new people. Clovis Chamber mixers draw 80 to 120 people, so bring plenty of business cards.

Free to members. Bring a potential member as a guest. Not a member, but interested in attending? Call Beth (559) 299-7363 for more details.

Rachel Greaves
Corporate Events Director
Webmaster

Wal Mart Should be Approved for Clovis

2009-05-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Clovis Chamber Board of Directors supports the proposed Wal Mart Shopping Center that wants to be built in Clovis. The project will benefit both the city of Clovis and outlying residents.

The City Council voted in 2007 to approve the project but a lawsuit was filed by a Fresno couple using a Stockton law firm to challenge the EIR. On May 18th, another council meeting was held to hopefully vote on the EIR but the council decided to postpone the vote again until June 29th.

Objections to the project are based on the argument that there will be urban decay created by the project and that there are too many vacancies in Clovis already.

Yes there are current vacancies but whose to say they will ever be filled? Retailers are not interested in the existing buildings. If they were, the vacant Mervyn's would be filled by now. Instead, we have a new center with guaranteed occupancy on Herndon Avenue. Wouldn't it be better to have a sure thing rather than keep our fingers crossed that other vacancies will be filled?

We maintain that with the construction of the new center, other retail will follow because Clovis will be seen as receptive to economic improvement. The population is here - they just shop in Fresno now.

Time is of the essence for this decision as Clovis is being surrounded by new retail in Fresno. You have the Campus Pointe project at Fresno State and Fancher Creek being built down Clovis Avenue. If we don't start building our new center, residents will continue to shop in Fresno as they are being forced to now.

Opponents to the center want Clovis to stay "the little, small town it's known to be." The problem is that little, small towns don't produce enough revenue to cover the government services that people want.

Opponents are worried about air pollution from new visitors to Clovis. Well, they don't seem to care about the air pollution created from Clovis shoppers having to venture into Fresno to buy goods. Furthermore, more visitors to Clovis would help other retailers be exposed to additional customers. More people would come to our Old Town and see its charm.

The Clovis Chamber urges the City Council to support the economic benefits of the Wal Mart Center. Let's keep Clovis moving forward, not stagnating.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

ClovisPAC Opposes Propositions

2009-04-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

ClovisPAC, the political action committee of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, recently voted to oppose all six propositions on the May 19th ballot. The spectre of an additional two years of huge tax hikes was enough for them to vote NO.

The propositions come out of the recent, prolonged budget fight in the state of California. For months, the democrats and republicans met and argued over how to close the huge deficit. Eventually a compromise was reached where the democrats gave in on some business regulations and the republicans gave in on tax hikes.

The tax hikes are in four areas: a 1% sales tax increase, a .25% income tax increase, doubling of the vehicle license fee and removing the $200 per child tax credit. It is estimated that the new taxes will cost an average family about $1200 a year. That's a lot.

The taxes are temporary and are supposed to last for 2 years. By voting in Proposition 1A, the tax hikes will last for another 2 years. Even with the promise of a "rainy day" fund and a cap on spending, ClovisPAC cannot rationalize the tax hikes.

California has been living in la la land for so long it has no sense of reality. As the money flowed in during the great economic times of the nineties, Sacramento went on a spending spree that created new programs with no end in sight. Well, guess what happened. The economy soured and the funds for those programs have gone south. And the spending continued creating the deficit hole.

And now they're coming to us to bail them out.

What is the solution? I don't know. But what I do know is several things. 1. Sacramento has been enslaved to the public unions for way too long. This has created the untenable huge contracts for pensions and health care that can't be continued. 2. When times were good, rather than spending like a drunken sailor, they should have saved the money for a rainy day. But, they expected the sun to always shine. 3. People have had it and are fed up with working harder for less. Between the recession with huge layoffs making life miserable for those laid off and those remaining, people just don't have the funds to pay more taxes. So they will spend even less, buy fewer cars and the economy will sink even lower.

Sacramento and Washington need to leave businesses and individuals alone to succeed or fail on their own but more importantly to create income for themselves.

To Sacramento and Washington - keep your hands out of our wallets. To the voters of California, vote NO on May 19th.

Fran Blackney
ClovisPAC

BIG Hat Days - a BIG Success

2009-04-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, the BIG weekend is over and we are all BIG time tired. But what a great weekend it was.

For the second straight year, we had BIG crowds that spent BIG money at food and beverage booths, the carnival and kids' games and vendor booths. It was next to impossible to work your way through the food court at mid day on both Saturday and Sunday. The further you made your way down the street, the more choices were available. And hundreds were waiting to get into the Budweiser Beer Garden.

Out on Pollasky, merchants were busy selling everything from jewelry to photography and clothing. Non-profits were doing fund raisers or distributing information while Dr. Wayne drove his Royal Express train and told wild stories.

In the Chamber booth, we spoke to hundreds of people and distributed close to 1000 of our directories that include all our Chamber members, some with colorful ads.

Besides the Chamber and visiting vendors doing well, surrounding merchants had some of their best business. Local restaurants, clothing and gift shops were filled with customers. When we are setting up our booths, we are careful to leave room for visitors to get to Old Town merchant stores.

And, as visitors left our festival, they drove through Clovis, stopping at gas stations, stores and other restaurants, so it was a win-win situation for all.

Getting Ready for BIG Hat Days

2009-03-31T16:16:00.001-07:00

The hours are flying by fast in preparation of BIG Hat Days. The phones are ringing off the hook as vendors beg for booths at the last minute. As usual, we are sold out with booth space.

Others are calling with questions. It's funny, the ad on TV will say "BIG Hat Days is on April 4 and 5". Right after, we get calls from people asking, "When is BIG Hat Days?" Oh well, keeps us busy.

Today, Fran delivered media packets to all the TV stations as they are calling wanting to do promo spots. We want as much promotion as possible and make sure all the media outlets are aware about our event this weekend. The 5 local stations are really good about coming to the event and doing shots of the crowds for the evening news. It's free advertising for our events!

Tammi who handles all the craft merchants, has to input about 200 into the database tomorrow. She has been working with these people since last year as she very carefully juries the entries and makes sure there are no duplications of merchandise. She'll get about 800 applications for 400 spots.

On Thursday and Friday, Tammi, Rachel and Beth will be out marking the streets for the booths. At times, it's a cat and mouse game with the traffic. When they have to chalk on a curb, they crawl around car bumpers to mark the spots. They've learned to use water proof chalk because we've learned our lesson from too many street markings being ruined by the rain.

As the day gets closer, we start dreading the hours. We get here between 4 and 5 a.m. and don't go home until at least 8 p.m. By Sunday night, we're dragging. Needless to say, our favorite morning is Monday after BIG Hat Days. We can wake up and say, "It's done!"

Hope you can come out this weekend and see our hard work.

BIG Hat Days Coming Soon

2009-03-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

We here at the Chamber have been working non-stop to get this year's BIG Hat Days into shape. And it's working. We have a complete sell out in food booths and are reaching our max on craft and commercial booths. BIG Hat Days runs on April 4th and 5th.

Last year's was the largest we have ever had and we're expecting this year's to be just as big. This is the first event of the season, so we're hoping that people will come over to Old Town for some free, family fun. Of course, we also want them to buy food and drinks and use the carnival rides.

BIG Hat Days has been around for 70 years in Clovis. It started out as a small, gathering to celebrate the rodeo. Beard growing contests and competitions for the biggest and best hats were the attractions. Soon it grew to include merchandise booths and food. In 1992 it became a 2 day event that has grown to fill 14 city blocks and is considered one of the top festivals in the country.

The Chamber staff of only 6 people puts on BIG Hat Days that will attract over 140,000 visitors to Old Town. We have a loyal crew of volunteers that helps with the set up on Saturday morning and runs the Budweiser Beer Garden during the event. Needless to say, we are all exhausted during the following week.

But it's all worth it when you consider the impact the festival has on the city coffers and the Chamber's. And it helps the local merchants increase their sales.

Definitely a win-win situation for all.

Hope to see you on the 4th and 5th at BIG Hat Days.

Villines Explains Budget

2009-03-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today the Chamber took part in the Clovis Town Hall meeting hosted by Assembly Leader Mike Villines (R-Clovis). He was there to talk to the crowd of over 200 about the negotiations and compromises that went into the budget decision. Villines was one of 6 Republicans to give the vote a 2/3 majority to pass.

The budget consists of major budget cuts as well as numerous tax increases. Many Republicans are angry at the 6 who voted for the budget because of the taxes. Villines explained that the original plan would have targeted certain industries for tax hikes that would never sunset. The compromise budget affects everyone with a 1% sales tax hike, an increase in income tax and an increase in the vehicle registration fees. The hurt is evenly distributed across all economic groups. Everyone will feel the pain.

At the town hall meeting, the Chamber talked about the business tax and regulation incentives that were added to the budget. There's a new hire tax credit of $3000, a flexible work week condition and a $10,000 tax credit for those buying new homes. These will all help the economy. Already interest in new homes has escalated.

The Chamber supports Mike Villines and his noble efforts to help out business and face reality. Mike has been a consistent pro-business representative who is willing to make the hard decisions. There are some who want to castigate him for voting for new taxes. But more reasonable people recognize the difficult job he has working in Sacramento with so many tax and spend anti-business legislators.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Perception Hurts Clovis Business

2009-03-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

In today's Fresno Bee, a W. Boyd writes that he and his wife avoid shopping in Clovis because the sales tax is higher than in Fresno. What's upsetting about his letter is not the fact that he's wrong - the sales tax in Clovis has been the same as in Fresno since October - it's that he is echoing much of what we heard during the Measure A campaign.

To refresh your memory, Measure A was a 1% sales tax hike requested by the city and voted down by 68% of the residents on March 3. Vigorous campaigning was done on both sides for about 4 months.

What amazed many of the No Way On A folks was the number of people, mostly from out of town, who said what Mr. Boyd did. They are under the impression that Clovis still has the higher sales tax. "I won't go near Clovis. It's too expensive", "When we come to the Valley, we go into Fresno to shop. We're not paying your high sales tax", and "I go into Fresno from Clovis for expensive items. It's worth the trip."

Managers of big box stores said the same thing - that their customers would look at an item in Clovis, then drive to Fresno.

When we'd bring this up to the sales tax proponents, they'd say it's not true. "People won't drive into Fresno to save money", they'd say with rolled eyes. Well, something has happened to the Clovis sales tax revenues over the years that goes beyond the economic slump. They have declined drastically.

And, the future doesn't look good for better tax revenues. With the demise of Mervyn's, the uncertainty of Gottschalk's future and the delay of the WalMart Center that would include a Kohl's, Old Navy and Bed Bath & Beyond, spell doomsday for more tax income.

Thank heavens Measure A didn't pass or more people would avoid Clovis stores. Now we have to convince the others that we are not more expensive than Fresno.

I hear an ad campaign coming up.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

We Defeated Measure A

2009-03-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

On March 3, Clovis voters went to the polls and soundly defeated Measure A, the 1% sales tax initiative. This was put on the ballot by the city in order to restore and enhance city services. The tax had no sunset and would continue forever.

A coalition made up of the Chamber, the Fresno County Republicans and the Lincoln Club all opposed the measure. A committee was formed called No Way On A that distributed signs, sent mailings and did phone calls.

What's amazing about the defeat, or victory for us, is that this was a true David vs Goliath story. The opposition spent close to $200,000 that included "informational" mailings and surveys funded by the city. We spent only $13,000 and yet the vote was 68% oppose, 32% support.

The Chamber thanks the members of the above mentioned coalition but also two other prominent politicians. Appreciation goes to President Barack Obama for proposing absurd spending and tax hikes and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who signed a budget with huge tax hikes for Californians. We couldn't have achieved our success without their help.

People are mad and exhausted from the current cacophony of negative news coming at us from all directions. They feel they have no control over their finances. Being able to vote the Clovis tax hike down, gave them control and they took it.

Now the hard part begins as the city has to cut the budget further, do layoffs and probably more salary cuts - just like the private side.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Arnold Sells the New Election

2009-02-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

Today, CEO Mark Blackney along with other county leaders met with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to discuss the upcoming special election on May 19. It will include several propositions that will "complete" the budget process by letting the voters have their say about how some of the money will be spent.

According to Schwarzenegger, this is a do or die situation. If the propositions do not pass, the budget will be busted once again.

The most interesting conundrum is Proposition 1A that states that a rainy day fund will be established and spending caps would be enforced. But, for that to occur, the "temporary" tax hikes passed by the legislature would be extended for another 3 years. So, what do we do as a Chamber? The spending cap and rainy day funds are important, but do we want to push extra taxes on our businesses for another 3 years?

And who's to say that after those 3 extra years the funds are adequate? Are we looking at tax hikes indefinitely?

California now has the highest income, sales and capital gains taxes in the nation. We have to ask when is it enough?

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Chamber Trade Show - March 12th, 4-7pm

2009-02-26T17:45:00.000-08:00

We are very excited about our upcoming trade show! The response to our mixers and other networking events has been incredible. We are always excited to see new faces and meet new people, not to mention seeing all of our Chamber members. :) Last nights mixer was amazing. Beth did the count this morning to discover that 140 people were in attendance last night at the Holiday Inn Express Mixer.

The Clovis Advantage Business Trade Show is fast approaching and takes place on March 12th, from 4-7 at the Veteran's Memorial Building (453 Hughes Ave.) in Clovis. This event is always a lot of fun and with 60-80 vendors and 300 in attendance it is also a perfect opportunity to network! Come to network, enjoy the food and door prizes, and mingle with our amazing vendors. Best of all this event is free to the public, that's right we said FREE. :)

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to attend and invite your friends and business associates. Click here now for a copy of our free promo ticket or click and print the image above. We encourage you to print it as many times as you like. Prefer a hard copy? Drop by the Clovis Chamber 8-5 Monday through Friday to get more promotional tickets from the staff upstairs.

See you there!

Rachel Greaves
Events Director / Webmaster

"California - There They Go"

2009-02-20T15:08:00.000-08:00

In case you don't get it, the title of this blog is the opposite of the popular old song, "California Here I Come". With the passage of the state budget yesterday, my title is appropriate.

As California raises its sales and income taxes, it cements its standing as the most expensive state in the country. Add on the doubling of the vehicle fees and we're sitting not so pretty at the very top.

And what does this increase in funding get us? Not much. A good portion will fill the hole made by the golden pensions of the public unions. True there were some concessions in the budget but the impact of the increase is a one way ticket to nowhere.

As taxes and the cost of business go up, people are getting smart and leaving the state. Everyone from millionaires to businesses and retirees are wising up and realizing they don't get much bang for their buck in good old California.

Other states are noticing. Frank Kenny of the North Mason Chamber of Commerce in Olympia, Washington wrote in his blog, "California's dysfunctional and huge economy creates a great opportunity for Washington State to attract its best and the brightest." Ooops, I guess he's insinuating that only the worst and dull will stay behind. Ouch.

Not only are people leaving the state in droves, the educated "producers" are not coming here. Our son graduated from medical school in St. Louis. He asked his classmates if any were coming to California to practice. After much derisive laughter, only one said she was and that's because her family lives here. Others, including our son whose family lives here also, said, "No way. I'm not stupid."

The condition of the California economy has been eroding for a long time as the legislators in Sacramento continue their spending spree and create more regulations for business. Now the people of California have to bail them out. This is the horrible result of turning a blind eye to reality for too long.

The winners in this battle are the other states that have received our "best and brightest". For those of us left behind, it's a bitter pill to swallow.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

New State Budget Hurts Everyone

2009-02-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

Well, the legislators up in Sacramento are up to it again. First, they get us into a financial mess with their free wheeling spending and caving to the public unions. Now, after 8 months of haggling, they expect us taxpayers to fix it.

Have you seen the numbers? There's $15.8 billion in cuts, $14.3 in tax increases and $10.9 in borrowing. We all know what will happen. The tax increases will go through forever but they'll keep the cuts for just a few years before they creep back up again and we'll be in it all again.

The tax hikes are the scariest of all and will hurt everyone. There's a 1% sales tax hike, a 12 cents per gallon gas hike, a surcharge on your income taxes and your car registration will almost double. To make matters worst, they're talking about reducing the dependent tax credit from $300 per child down to $99. For a family with three kids, that's a $600 tax hike right there.

These increases will hurt taxpayers doubly hard. Our income will be reduced but businesses with trucks for deliveries or service will have to pay the higher costs and will raise their prices also. Or, they'll absorb the cost increases and lay off workers. Either way, we all lose.

Evidently, the bill is still being hashed out. Maybe our representatives will listen to us and back off some of these increases. Or maybe not.

These tax increases will make one of the most expensive states in the country even more unlivable. The number of people leaving the state for mere survival will increase and the rest of us schlumps will be left to pick up the pieces.

What a mess.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

The Amgen Bike Tour is coming to Clovis

2009-02-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, February 18, the Fourth Annual Amgen Bike Tour will come through Clovis. Actually, leg 4 of the tour will end right here in Old Town at Fifth and Pollasky. Tour de France's Lance Armstrong is the main attraction that will bring tens of thousands to the streets of Clovis. A festival, food vendors and wine tasting will entertain the crowd.

The Clovis Chamber is proud to be a co-sponsor of this leg of the race.

The Chamber Hall is located right on the route near the finish line and is offering Clovis Chamber members the opportunity to watch the race from the Chamber lawn. We'll have food and drinks and camaraderie for our members.

Contact rachel@clovischamber.com for more information.

Clovis Advantage Business Trade Show

2009-02-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

As we all know, networking is the way to go in a down economy. Getting your name out there to new contacts and customers is the only way to make your business grow.

On March 12, the Clovis Chamber has a venue for you to do just that. Take part in the Clovis Advantage Business Trade Show at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building. Join the 70 other vendors that will showcase the best the Valley has to offer in products and services.

About 500 people attend from other businesses and the public. With free admission, free food and door prizes, it attracts a good crowd.

Main sponsors are Vicki Dobbs of London Properties and Heald College while the co-sponsors are Business Street and Call Yellow.

E-mail rachel@clovischamber.com for applications.

Annual Meeting looks at 2009

2009-01-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

Today we enjoyed the Annual Meeting luncheon here in Clovis. This is when we all gather to thank our outgoing Chairman, Ed Prince and welcome incoming Chairman, Paul Hinkle. The new slate of directors was also sworn in.

Awards were presented to Carol DeBellis for Director of the Year, Bev Stoccketti for Ambassador of the Year and Cindy Garret for Membership Development. All three worked hard during the year to enhance the Chamber programs and membership.

Beth Bridges, Membership Director talked about the Chamber's use of social networking to communicate with both Chamber members and non-members. Every day traffic increases on these networks and our web site.

Fran Blackney, Business Advocate, spoke about the Chamber's opposition to the 1% sales tax increase presented by the city in the March 3rd election. Although being sold as a public safety tax, the revenues will only go into the general fund that can be used for anything. Plus it doesn't sunset.

Rachel Greaves, Events Director, reminded everyone about our upcoming events starting with Big Hat Days on April 4 and 5. Sign ups are coming in briskly from vendors from across the country. She went on to describe our other events including the Clovis Motorsports Jamboree in May.

The Annual Meeting is another great networking event provided by the Clovis Chamber to its members. To become a member, contact beth@clovischamber.com.

ClovisPAC Endorses Magsig and Foster

2009-01-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

ClovisPAC, the political action committee of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Nathan Magsig and Douglas Foster for the Clovis City Council. The election will be held on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Nathan Magsig has been a councilman since 2000 and served as the Clovis mayor from 2005 to 2006. He runs the non-profit CURE that builds low income housing. Nathan has been a strong advocate for business and is quick to return calls from his constituents. He has also been a strong supporter of the Clovis Chamber.

Nathan is supporting Measure A, the 1% sales tax hike, but is willing to revisit the tax if it passes and eventually harms the local economy.

Douglas Foster, a local attorney, is the only non-incumbant running. He has a strong, Republican, fiscal conservative background and is opposing Measure A. During his interview with the Chamber, he stated that government should stay out of the way of business, a viewpoint wholeheartedly supported by the Chamber.

The Clovis Chamber urges Clovis residents to complete their absentee ballots or go to the polls to vote for Nathan Magsig, Douglas Foster and No on Measure A.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Measure A - Points to Ponder

2009-01-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

As you know, our Board of Directors is opposing the March 3rd initiative, Measure A, that would add a full 1% to the city of Clovis Sales Tax making Clovis the second highest in the state and one of the highest in the nation.

Several points to ponder:

The revenue from the sales tax is not earmarked exclusively for public safety - it goes into the general fund where it can be spent on a myriad of things. It will be up to the city council to decide its disposition.

This tax is forever - there is no sunset. Oh sure, it's going down to 3/4% in 10 years but by then the economy will have recovered. Even the tax and spend fiends in Sacramento are planning a temporary sales tax for the state budget. But not Clovis. This will give them a boost in income that will grow as the economy grows. It will never go away.

The state is planning a 1.5% sales tax hike that, when added to the new 1% tax, will make Clovis have a tax rate higher than 10%. And, over the weekend, President Obama's team reveals that he will let the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010 - another hit to our wallets. That one and the state we can't control. The local tax we can.

The NoWayOnA citizens committee is fighting this sales tax. It's up to the citizens to vote it down.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Clovis Chamber Mixer Brought People Together

2009-01-23T16:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Archie Stringfield, General Manager, Hannah Johnson, Sales Manager, and all the great staff at the Courtyard by Marriott Fresno Airport for their wonderful hospitality in hosting the January Chamber mixer. The room was packed with a lot of energetic people making new connections.

Did you miss it? Too bad, but get out your calendar right now and write in these dates for the next few mixers:

Wed, February 25, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express on Shaw and Peach.
Wed, March 18, 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sierra Vista Mall Community Room. It's the Big Hat Mixer
April 15, May 20, and June 17: These dates are fixed, with location to be determined soon.

Thank you to our great Clovis Chamber Ambassadors who helped make this mixer a success. Look for these fine people at future mixer. They have great connections and will be happy to introduce you:

Gary Evans, Bob Lim, Chris Jue, Shari DeLeon, Cindy Garrett, Tamar Fagin, Sally Dove, Shawna Laycock, Deanna May, Ellie Huston, Bev Stoccketti, Jay Petersen and Doug Bloomer.

Welcome, Mr. President

2009-01-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

This is truly an historic day in America when an African-American is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Only in America do the past presidents all come together to symbolize the passing of the torch to the new leader. And, only in America can over a million people peacefully gather in one place to celebrate the event.

The Clovis Chamber congratulates the new president and hopes for the best. More importantly, the Chamber hopes that President Obama will take care of our small businesses by keeping their taxes and regulation burdens low. Please don’t load them up with mandated health care, higher minimum wage requirements or more employee entitlements.

Our small business owners are the backbone of the economy and hire most of the employees. By keeping government away instead of in their way, they will succeed and so will the economy, helping everyone.

The Chamber will be staying on top of decisions and legislation proposed in both Washington and Sacramento and keep you all informed of what they have in store for you.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

The Local Stimulus Package

2009-01-16T17:13:00.000-08:00

Recently, the city of Clovis unveiled its Local Economic Stimulus and Revitalization Strategy that will be used as incentives to bring more businesses and customers to the city. The Chamber lauds these actions that are a response to the depressed economy.

In December of 2008, the Chamber participated in a round table discussion with local businesses to discuss the business climate in the city. Dismal reports came from all. However, what also came were possible solutions and ways to amend the situation.

The discussion led to the new strategy adopted by the city.

Top among the suggestions was expanding marketing efforts. This would include educating businesses about the new enterprise zone designations, more special events and promotions such as the successful “Clovis Wins Day” and taking advantage of the City-wide “rewards” program.

The city also added adjustments to the business license and building permit fees, redevelopment incentives and customized assistance based on the needs of business.

All these enticements are needed especially in Clovis where the city budget is in disrepair. Clovis fees are higher than other cities’ and should be adjusted. And, the city is trying to pass a 1% hike in the sales tax that the Chamber feels will be counter productive.

The Chamber philosophy is to add more tax generators rather than raise the tax rates. At least the city is getting it half right.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Board Opposes Measure "A" Tax Increase

2009-01-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

The Clovis Chamber Board of Directors has voted to oppose Measure "A" on the March 3rd ballot. This initiative will increase the Clovis sales tax by a full 1% to help pay for city services.

The Chamber Board of Directors appreciates the city’s efforts at cutting the budget but it feels that a tax increase is more harmful than helpful to city businesses and its citizens.

This will increase costs to customers at a time when they are spending less. It especially hurts low and fixed income households. Consumers will travel to Fresno or buy online to avoid paying the higher taxes.

This hike will give Clovis the second highest tax rate in the state. And, if Governor Schwarzenegger and his cohorts in Sacramento get their way, the state will raise the tax another 1.5% putting Clovis over 10%.

Respected economists all agree that raising taxes during a downturn is fiscally irresponsible. It could actually lead to lower tax income as consumers adjust their spending.

The Chamber and ClovisPAC are fighting the increase. We are asking for your help both time wise and financially. We need people to man the phones and walk precincts in order to stop Measure A.Financial help will pay for signs and mailers.

If you can help, please contact fran@clovischamber.com.

Let’s face it, higher taxes hurt everyone and help no one.

by Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Digital Clovis Magazine Now Available!

2009-01-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

Clovis, CA is a great place to live. Uniquely situated in the center of California, Clovis boasts award winning schools, safe neighborhoods, stunning mountain views, and access to a wide variety of resources and amenities throughout Clovis and neighboring Fresno.

The Clovis Chamber is pleased to announce the digital copy of our 2009 Clovis Magazine. Created by Village Profile, our user friendly e-Community Guide provides answers about all facets of Clovis life. Like the hard copy, this full color Village Profile publication provides comprehensive coverage of the Clovis/Fresno Area on all topics ranging from housing and events to government. This tremendous resource for information can be found at www.ClovisChamber.com, by visiting the Community Guide Tab.

Rachel Greaves

Events Director
Webmaster

Clovis Chamber Blog Recognized Internationally

2009-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

The Clovis Chamber blog was mentioned with only three other Chamber blogs in a recent article published in the January W.A.C.E. Insider Newsletter (page 4). Curt Moss, Director of Communications for WebLink International, wrote a guest article on blogging for Chambers of Commerce. Our blog was mentioned with the "big leagues" of Chambers: Greater Boston and Maryland.

His five reasons for Chambers to blog will apply to any company, including yours. Curt's points are bolded and our comments follow on how/why you should blog, too.

Communication that engages your customers: blogs allow for commentary and dialog
Positioning you as an expert: your customer pay for the best, here's how you prove it
More immediate delivery of information: most business don't have newsletters, here's how you tell people what's new
Your customers are blogging, you should too: you can reciprocate with links and help them grow their client base
Focus on customer benefits: a blog is an opportunity to remind them why they do business with you.

Your business needs to take advantage of every possible means of exposure. The Clovis Chamber has chosen to blog to meet the needs of our Chamber members and to make sure that the Chamber stays competitive in this economy. If you are a Chamber member with a blog, let Beth Bridges know via email. And bookmark this page. You'll get insider information, you'll learn more about your Chamber benefits, and you'll know more about your community.

Study Says: Consistent Networking Pays Off

2009-01-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

The results of a study paid for by Upwardly Mobile Inc. and conducted by the Graziadio School of Business Management at Pepperdine University was just announced today on CentralValleyBusinessTimes.com

The conclusion? Professionals who consistently network, as opposed to those who network only when they need something, earn much more and are better protected from economic turmoil.

The need for consistent networking is one of the reasons that the Clovis Chamber offers so many options for networkers. If an organization has only one networking event per month - a mixer for example - then people who miss that event will have gone two months, or more, between chances to network.

We know that not everyone will attend all the events. In fact, most people will only make a small portion of the more than 20+ opportunities each month offered by the Clovis Chamber. We have created a regular, consistent stream of high quality, networking-focused activities, so that you have as many chances as possible to get to something.

Here is a rundown of the monthly networking activities we offer:

Every Monday, 12 to 1 p.m.: Toastmasters
Every Friday, 12 to 1 p.m.: Lunch Bunch (join us at Picante, SE corner Shaw & Peach this Friday)
1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 12 to 1 p.m.: WIN Leads Club
2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 12 to 1 p.m.: MAP Leads Club
3rd Wednesdays, 5 to 7 p.m.: Mixer
1st Thursdays, 12 to 1 p.m.: Free Business Information Seminar
1st week of the month: Speed Networking or Virtual Networking
Last week of the month: New and Interested Member Orientation
Ribbon Cuttings: 2 to 6 per month

Does this give you enough opportunities and variety? If you'd like to get involved with any of these activities, contact Beth Bridges at beth@clovischamber.com

Feeling Fine about 2009

2008-12-31T11:44:00.000-08:00

As we say good-bye, and good riddance, to 2008, we can only look forward to a better New Year. The going has been rough for everyone and can only get better.

In 2009, the Clovis Chamber plans to focus like a laser beam on its members to help them create and grow their businesses. Our well known networking events are going to expand and be better than ever.

Look for exciting Mixers, Speed Networking, Clovis Advantage Business Trade Shows and Virtual Networking.

Our government advocacy program will continue to protect our businesses against legislative actions. Look for us to come out big against the city sales tax in increase in January.

Our city wide events, Big Hat Days, Clovis Motorsports Jamboree and ClovisFest are looking to outpace their records last year. Vendors from across the country will be coming to Clovis next year.

If you're already a member of the Clovis Chamber, we're here to help. If you aren't yet a member, signing up is easy - just visit our web site at www.clovischamber.com

Happy New Years to everyone.

Website Events Calendar

2008-12-30T14:27:00.000-08:00

Throughout 2008 the Clovis Chamber staff has been hard at work updating the chamber's new website. This coming year we are excited to introduce many of the new powerful tools and benefits now available to members through the website. The integrated events calendar is among the most convenient.

Chamber Events Calendar
Now, all in one place, discover what the chamber is doing for you. From our community events to our networking activities, all chamber events are clearly listed. To access the events calendar visit the tab labeled Events on the left side of our main page. Once within this area, on the right side of the page, there are a number of links each with different functions to serve you best. Calendar lists all of the events taking place within the chamber. Excited about getting your business involved? Visit the Networking Events link for those events that only focus on networking and member-to-member interaction. You'll even be able to set an automatic email reminder for any event.

Post Your Event
Have an open house or fundraiser approaching? The events submission page enables members to directly add their event to our calendar. We strongly encourage members to submit their community/business events to maximize the value of their membership. After a short review period the events will be posted to the community calendar. To do this visit the events section and choose the community calendar. At the top of the page there is a highlighted link labeled 'add a community event', which will take you to the events submission form.

This will be a powerful resource as you take advantage of the many benefits the Chamber has to offer.

Rachel Greaves
Webmaster
Events Director

Citizens Rate Clovis

2008-12-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

In today's Fresno Bee, reporter Marc Benjamin writes about the high approval ratings for the city of Clovis. (see story) He reports that police and fire ratings are in the high 90's while the city council receives high 80's. It is a rarity for cities to be so well liked by its citizenry.

These high ratings are also reflected in the motto of the Clovis Way of Life - an attitude that permeates the city's psyche. The Way of Life is defined as "A vibrant community spirit of pride, service and tradition built upon a safe and secure family environment with unparalleled educational opportunities."

The survey results show that residents of Clovis are generally happy with the way things are and believe in the Clovis Way of Life. This and high quality schools also attract newcomers who hopefully will continue that attitude. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But as Benjamin's article states, there is a downside to contentment. People lose their passion and become complacent. This shows in the lack of candidates both at the city and school board levels. Perhaps it's good that people feel safe and aren't worried. On the other hand, will they lose their sense of oversight and staying in touch with what's going on?

This will be become apparent by the turnout in the March 3rd election where incumbents Nathan Magsig and Lynne Ashbeck are running for re-election to the city council against one newcomer, Douglas Foster. Also, Measure A, the 1% sales tax increase, will be decided.

The off year elections traditionally have low voter turnout, around 30%. Will the future funding of the city of Clovis and the negative impact on our local businesses bring out the voters? If so, how will they vote? More taxes for city services?

We'll just have to wait and see.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Christmas Greetings from the Clovis Chamber

2008-12-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

The staff at the Clovis Chamber of Commerce wants to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays.

At this time of year, we reflect on our good fortune, good health and joy of loved ones and family. And, we must remember and care for those who are struggling.

But our strongest passions must be directed toward our many citizens who are serving our country and their families who are sacrificing while they are away, especially those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones who gave their lives so others can be fee. Our sincere thanks go to all of them.

We at the Clovis Chamber are looking forward to a New Year of prosperity, health and happiness and wish the same for you.

Ribbon Cutting for Valley Animal Center

2008-12-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

The Clovis Chamber was there for the Grand Opening of the new dog and cat adoption areas at the Valley Animal Center. Staff, well-wishers, community members, and VAC volunteers were on hand to share information, raise funds, and ooh and ah at the adorable fuzzy little animals who are at the no-kill shelter to find a "forever home." Learn more on their website at www.valleyanimal.org

Government Gives then Takes Away

2008-12-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, the Chamber took part in a celebration of the inclusion of Clovis in some new Enterprise Zones. These give local businesses generous tax breaks and incentives. The premise is that they will help businesses prosper. Of course, the Chamber supports this new element for our local economy. It can only help.

It's ironic, however, that on the same day we celebrated tax incentives, legislators in Sacramento were passing massive tax and "fee" increases to help balance the budget. Fortunately, the governor is going to veto the bill.

So here's the dichotomy. The government thinks that raising taxes will create more income for the general fund. Of course, that is ridiculous. But on the other hand, they want glory for offering tax breaks to help stimulate businesses which they say will increase income to the general fund. Say what? You can't have it both ways.

The same premise applies to the recent "stimulus" checks we taxpayers, and non taxpayers, received from the federal government. By giving us our own money back, or in the case of non taxpayers a gift, the government is saying that the extra money will help the economy. So why take the money in the first place? Lower our tax rates and let us keep all of it to start with.

The government wants it both ways. It takes away our money with higher taxes and fees, then dangles "stimulus" packages and enterprise zones in front of our noses expecting thanks for being so generous.

If they would just leave us all alone and take less money from us, the game would end and we all would be better off.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Clovis Chamber Virtual Networking

2008-12-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

Last night, December 17, the Clovis Chamber hosted their second of two test sessions for Virtual Networking using a service created by BlitzTime.com.

Virtual Networking is like Speed Networking. You will have a series of short one-on-one conversations with the other participants. Unlike Speed Networking, this is all done over the phone, not in person, so you can participate from home or your office. You can even kick off your shoes and no one will know! There is no typing involved, although you do need to log in to the BlitzTime website first, so you can see the countdown timer on your screen and see the profile of the person you are talking to.

Feedback was unanimous. Everyone said the experience was worth their time, they made good connections and the service was easy to use.

Cori Revheim, Sales Manager for the Holiday Inn Fresno Airport, commented that "It is easy to make contact with people." For the rest of her comments, click the play button on the widget below.

Brittnee Maxfield of the Valley Animal Center emphasized that it would be an easy way to network for people who might be shy. For the rest of her comments, click the play button on the widget below.

Do you want to be able to meet people, develop relationships, and build connections from the comfort of your home or office? Of course you do, so the Clovis Chamber will continue to provide Virtual Networking events throughout 2009. Watch for announcements in the Chamber newsletter mailing. You can also check our website calendar for dates.

Clovis - The Event City of the Valley

2008-12-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we reviewed the upcoming calendar of events for the city of Clovis and it looks like 2009 is going to be quite - eventful. Old favorites are returning with an exciting new addition.

Clovis Chamber events will continue to be the big draw based on the number of participants and visitors. Between Big Hat Days on April 4th and 5th and ClovisFest on September 19th and 20th, almost a quarter of a million people will come to Old Town Clovis.

The Chamber is also excited about its Second Annual Clovis Motorsports Jamboree in May. Cruise Night on May 1st is returning followed by a large car show on May 2nd. Attendance is expected to double over last year.

Of course, Clovis is known nationally for its Rodeo on April 25th after the huge Rodeo Parade.

The Clovis Farmers' Market starts up May 9th and will continue on Fridays through September 11th. Look for the Pole Vault Championships in August

On May 3rd you'll find the Third Annual Cinco de Mayo presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Make-A-Wish Foundation will again host the Rumble to the Summit. In October, Quest Church will hold its Trunk or Treat event.

And the year will close out with the Annual Children's Electric Christmas Parade sponsored by the Sierra Vista Mall.

This year Clovis is especially proud to host a leg of the Amgen Bike Race that will come through Old Town on February 18th. With Lance Armstrong scheduled to compete, we expect tens of thousands of spectators.

These events serve many purposes for the area. They not only provide funds for the presenting organizations, they also add funds to the city's coffers. The city of Clovis recognizes the importance of these events and is a huge supporter.

With this "eventful" year coming up, we hope to see you in Clovis.

Clovis Wins Big on Big Wins Day

2008-12-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 10 was declared "Big Wins Day" and what a day it was. The city of Clovis along with the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, the Sierra Vista Mall and local merchants all helped to make the event a rousing success.

The premise was simple. For every $10 spent in a Clovis location, customers received 1 ticket towards the evening's drawing. I worked the mid morning shift and the redemption was pretty steady. Some people earned up to 100 tickets for the drawings - that means they spent $1000 in merchandise.

By the afternoon, it was crazy, The line was 40 people deep and the amount of tickets redeemed was huge. Several people maxed out at the limit of 200 tickets - purchases of more than $2000.

One gentleman decided to go ahead and purchase his appliances at Sears - his 200 tickets netted him 3 of the prizes.

The city is estimating that 100,000 tickets were in the drawing that means $1 million in sales. That doesn't count the people who couldn't redeem the tickets since they couldn't be present for the drawing.

Over 600 people showed up that evening and the air was filled with excitement as the several dozen prizes were given away.

It was a great day for the city and its merchants. And, it was a great day for customers shopping in Clovis.

Fran Blackney
Communications Director

Clovis Area Brokers and Ambassadors

2008-12-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today was a busy day for the Clovis Chamber.

This morning was the Traditional Christmas Breakfast for the Clovis Area Brokers, the Real Estate Committee of the Clovis Chamber. During the rest of the year, CAB meets on the third Thursday of the month, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Cost is just $1 and includes coffee, a light breakfast, and an always-informative speaker.

The December event is special. All attendees are encouraged to bring a holiday centerpiece. Then tickets are sold and the centerpieces are raffled off. Proceeds go directly to the Boys and Girls Club of Clovis. This year, 100+ of your area real estate agents, mortgage lenders, and title companies raised $1,200 for the club.

You can see the pile of centerpieces at the front of the room.

Lunchtime was the Annual Christmas Luncheon for Ambassadors. This is a special event where the Chamber shows their great appreciation to our Ambassadors for their hard work all year. As the Membership Committee, Ambassadors leverage the Membership Department's time, helping find new members for the Chamber. They are also the friendliest faces you'll see at any Chamber event, helping new members and visitors meet more people and get acquainted. Ambassadors also volunteer at Clovis Advantage, Big Hat Days, and other chamber events.

As this picture shows, it is a fine group of wonderful individuals who make your community better.

Clovis Big Wins Day

2008-12-08T14:21:00.001-08:00

The city of Clovis along with the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, the Business Organization of Old Town and local merchants is presenting Clovis Big Wins Day on Wednesday, December 10.

For every $10 spent in a Clovis retail store on December 10 from 12 a.m. to 7 p.m., the customer will receive one ticket towards a drawing to take place that evening at 7:30. Prizes include a flat screen TV, free gas, movie tickets and more. Prizes are still being added.

The purpose of the Clovis Big Wins Day is to inject an extra $1 million in revenue into the local economy during a 24 hour period.

City of Clovis and Chamber members will be available from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Sierra Vista Mall Center Court to hand out the tickets. Merely show your receipts. The drawing will take place in front of the movie theater at 7:30 p.m. You must be present to win.

This is a win-win for Clovis. Customers will have the chance to win great prizes and you Chamber members will have increased business.

We hope you can all participate.

Chamber joins Mike Villines in Supporting our Troops

2008-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

The Clovis Chamber is proud to team up with Assemblyman Mike Villines in Operation Christmas Cards for our Troops. Started by Yellow Ribbon America, the goal is to send holiday cheer to California men and women serving overseas.

From now until December 21st, we will be collecting Christmas cards for our troops that will be delivered by December 25th.

We encourage families, schools, church groups and non-profit organizations to participate.

Simply buy or make a card, enclose a message, do NOT seal the envelope and bring it to the Chamber for collection.

What a great way to say "Thank you" to our service men and women for protecting our freedoms.

December Seminar Series Event

2008-12-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

This year's last Seminar Series event brought 18 members together to learn more about using Social Networking to promote their businesses.

Beth Bridges, Membership Director of the Clovis Chamber presented these key points about making Social Networking beneficial for your company:

It is a "people" thing, and not a "computer" thing.
All the rules of good networking apply: Create visibility through consitent participation, develop relationships based on what you have in-common, and give first.
Focus your time and efforts on a few key Social Networking sites.
Manage your time: keep your eye on your ROI or you'll waste time.
Don't sign up and abandon your profile after one day, apply regular effort to see results.

The ways to apply Social Networking include:

Visibility: for you and your company
Search Engine Results: Google likes LinkedIn
Targeting: key contacts within companies you want to reach
Selling: product and services
Finding: lost friends and customers
Relating: to current customers

The Clovis Chamber recommends starting with www.LinkedIn.com because of the well-developed Fresno community, and www.FaceBook.com, especially using the Groups and Fan pages to promote your business.

The next Seminar Series event will be February 5, 2009 at 12 p.m. at ITT Tech at Clovis and Herndon Ave. The speaker will be Julie Sinor of California Bank and Trust. "What Your Banker Wishes You Knew"

Congratulations to this Year's Leadership Grads!

2008-12-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

Michael Crandell of California's Valued Trust pictured above with Alan Christensen of the Empowerment Team. Christensen received the Founders Award at the November 13th Leadership Clovis Day Event.

Alan Christensen and Ed Flores, of Ed Flores Real Estate pictured. Ed Flores was the recipient of the Leadership Clovis Alumni of the Year Award. This year Flores joined the Empowerment Team and will teach the Leadership Clovis Program with Dr. Gary Grossman.

Leadership Clovis Class 8 - 2008 Graduation

Leadership Clovis Class 9 - 2008 Certification

Congratulations to this year's award recipients and graduates!

Governance in Action

2008-12-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Once an election is over, especially long and messy ones like the recent presidential race, and people have voted, they heave a sigh of relief and think their civil duty is over. They watch from the sidelines as the elected official does or doesn't do what they supported. Contacting your representative and actually getting an answer can be a complicated and many times an unrewarding experience.

There is one exception, however, and that's at the local level where access to our officials is much easier. In fact, you can see them in action at the weekly city council meetings.

They cover a wide range of topics from presentations and ordinances to the mundane of rezoning property. The easy banter among the council members shows how comfortable they are with each other.

Recently, the hot topic has been the proposed 1 cent sales tax increase. Four council members support it while one, Mayor Whalen, opposes it. Over the past few weeks we have heard from the various city departments, seen survey results and witnessed heavy debates among the council. They each are passionate about Clovis but differ on the financial way to take care of the deficit.

On December 1st, they voted to put the proposition on the March 3rd ballot for the voters to decide the financial fate of the city.

If you're looking for something to do on a Monday evening or if you have something on your mind about the city, come to the city council meeting. It starts at 7 p.m. at the council chambers on Fifth Street.

If you want to see the agenda and council reports in advance, go to cityofclovis.ca.us and click on government. That will take you to the public documents.

Be a part of your city government and let your voice be heard at the city council. They're ready to listen.

Ribbon Cutting for HandsOn Central California

2008-11-26T11:42:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to HandsOn Central California, formerly the Volunteer Center, for their wonderful new location at 732 N. Van Ness in Fresno. The Clovis Chamber was priviledged to be there to conduct their formal Ribbon Cutting last night.

Leadership Clovis Day

2008-11-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

On November 13th, 2008 I had the privilege of gaining my Leadership Clovis certification at the annual Leadership Clovis Day Celebration. This date marked the end of my first year as a member of Class Nine and the 10th anniversary of the Leadership Clovis Program. My class and I now enter the second and more challenging phase of our training as leaders where we will work together to execute a project to benefit the community.

Having finished the first year I can now attest to the value of this program. The first year taught us the techniques employed by successful leaders as outlined by Steven R. Covey in Principle Centered Leadership. The training I received during my first year demonstrated how certain life-principles can positively change the way you interact with those around you. I would highly recommend this program to those looking to improve their performance as a leader in any capacity.

Our friends over at Business Street covered Leadership Clovis Day and have detailed footage of the event posted at their site. The occasion marked the end of the involvement of two Leadership Clovis program founders, Jim Ware and Allan Christensen. We were glad to have Business Street in attendance to document the event.

Rachel Greaves
Events Director

What an Enchanted Evening

2008-11-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

I drove through Old Town Clovis on the evening of the 20th and saw a beautiful sight. All the shops were decorated inside and out with bright lights for the holidays. I realized it was the annual Some Enchanted Evening presented by the Business Organization of Old Town (B.O.O.T.)

The evening was just starting and already there were shoppers pushing strollers or holding hands going from shop to shop. It was such a pleasant scene to see during these roiling times.

According to Old Town Chamber members, it was a huge success.

Bill Weatherby of Weatherby Antiques said, "There were so many people there, we couldn't get out of the store. We did much better than anticipated."

Ellen McCarthy of All of Me reported, "It was well attended and well received. I haven't seen a nicer group of happy people in a long time. The Christmas season is alive and well in Old Town."

Scott Fox of Corner Cafe said,"It was the best one we have ever had. The weather was great. We were packed from the time we opened the doors until closing."

Congratulations to Old Town for such a successful event. Let's hope this good business continues through the holidays and beyond.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Taxes: Part Deux

2008-11-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

If you didn't make it to our monthly lunch with the city council, you missed a great discussion on the upcoming tax increase proposal for the March 3rd ballot. Several chamber members including directors talked with councilmember Lynne Ashbeck.

Lynne was very frank about the state of the city's deficit and the need for a new tax. However, she also emphasized that it was up to the voters to decide whether they wanted to raise the city sales tax.

The greatest concern of the chamber members was the impact on an already faltering retail sector in the area. Will raising the price bring in the needed additional revenues? One suggestion was an assessment on Clovis residents while others agreed that a sales tax is actually the fairest tax (now That's an oxymoron!)

The greatest concern was over the disparity between the Clovis and Fresno sales tax. 1% is a huge amount when talking about large purchases.

It was apparent that Lynne loves the city of Clovis and wants what is best for it. Business leaders also love the city as well as their own businesses and are genuinely concerned about a new sales tax.

It'll be up to the residents to decide.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

Plan Now to Host a 2009 Mixer

2008-11-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, Clovis Chamber members and their guests enjoyed a great variety of delicious food at the Piccadilly Inn University. General Manager Paula Flores showcased the best the Piccadilly has to offer. We appreciate her and her staff's efforts.

The next mixer will be at Sam's Club on December 10, a week earlier than usual because of Christmas.

I am now planning our 2009 mixer schedule. If your business is interested in hosting a mixer and having 60-80 business people spend time at your location, email me at beth@clovischamber.com

What is involved?

You provide the location, food, beverages, and at least one door prize.
The Chamber promotes the mixer in our newsletter, via email, and in our blog.

What are we looking for?

Enough room for 60 - 80 people, plus enough parking.
A location that is easy to get to.
Fresno businesses are fine, although location will be even more important: think proximity to freeways if you are not centrally located.

What are we not looking for?

Entertainment: We want people to concentrate on business.
Excessive adult beverages: We're not against adult beverages! but prefer a moderate approach. Again, the focus is on businesses.
Food: You are not feeding people a full dinner. Think reception. Food is an enhancement, but not the point.

In the current economy, the Clovis Chamber is looking to help members gain every competitive edge they can. A mixer showcases your business, your employees, and your services. Your location may or may not work within our schedule and our requirements, but call me and we'll talk about your amenities to see if a mixer would benefit you and the rest of the members.

To Tax or Not to Tax - That is the Question

2008-11-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

For the past 18 months, the city of Clovis has been considering the need for a tax hike. With diminishing revenues from sales and property taxes, it is facing a budget deficit in the millions.

The city has been aggressive in cutting back expenses. Kudos also go to the police and fire personnel for taking cuts in salary and benefits. Despite these efforts, a deficit still looms.

A citizens advisory committee met in late 2007 and decided on a 1/4% tax hike based on the information given by the different city departments.

However, after a citywide poll, the council is now looking at a full 1% sales tax hike.

There are merits to a sales tax - everybody participates including visitors, it seems like a small amount and the collection mechanism is already in place.

However, in this down economy, is it smart to raise taxes at all? People aren't shopping so why make merchandise even more expensive? And, we'd be a whole percentage higher than our neighbor Fresno.

The Chamber has been involved with this issue since the citizens' advisory committee and is still investigating the right way to go to solve the budget deficit. We will be making our opinion known soon.

Stay tuned.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate

November 19 2008 Mixer at Piccadilly Inn University

2008-11-18T18:04:00.001-08:00

Clovis Chamber members are business-like and dedicated, but still fun. It's what makes our Mixers so friendly and yet productive. But there's something even more special about our year-end events.

Our host for November 19, the Piccadilly Inn, loves to put on parties. They provide amazing food and a great atmosphere.

In December, our great friends at Sam's Club will once again try to overwhelm us with the variety of samples for us at the December mixer on the 10th.

Besides the great food, there's another reason to make the extra effort to attend holiday-time events.

People are more relaxed and open to talking about their family, their plans for the year-end and their hopes for the next year. It's easier to get to know someone, have a meaningful conversation, and find out what you have in common with them. This is so important because networking is not selling! Networking is developing mutually beneficial relationships.

Take time to stop at one or both of these events, for however long you can and start a relationship that will benefit you both for the new year.

Beth Bridges
Membership Director

Learn How to Make Social Networking Pay Off

2008-11-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

Social Networking might seem like an intangible means of promoting your business; but focus on the "networking" and it becomes an important marketing tool. I attended an online seminar today at www.BlitzTime.com where participants from around the country shared their social networking techniques. I gathered some very important concepts from these conversations:

Social networking requires consistent effort over time but doesn't require large blocks of time.
Most of the top social networking sites are free. That's great for your Return on Investment.
Social networks are spidered (or scanned) by Google. You can improve your Google rankings by putting your business on social networking websites.

All the staff members for the Clovis Chamber are on www.LinkedIn.com Sign up for a free profile on the site. Search out any one of our Chamber staff members and ask to connect. You can then join the Clovis Chamber Group.

Want to learn more about Social Networking? Join us for the Business Seminar Series, sponsored by Vertex Legal, on Thursday, December 4 at 12 p.m. at the ITT Tech at Clovis and Herndon Ave. for a one hour presentation. Free to Clovis Chamber members.

For more information or to RSVP visit the events calendar on the Chamber website at http://cloviscacoc.weblinkconnect.com/cwt/External/WCPages/WCEvents/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=30

Beth Bridges
Membership Director

Virtual Networking

2008-11-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

We understand that it can be difficult to get out of the office sometimes. The Clovis Chamber, in partnership with BlitzTime.com, has created a virtual networking event.

Make new contacts from the comfort of your own office or home. You just need a computer and a phone line to get in touch with other business people from throughout the area.

The event is Tuesday, November 25 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. It is FREE to Clovis Chamber members, and $12 for non-members.

You must register in advance at www.tinyurl.com/virtualnetworking

Watch this short video for more information or contact Beth at the Chamber office at 299-7363 or beth@clovischamber.com

November Seminar Series: Marketing

2008-11-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

Today's Seminar Series presentation (sponsored by Vertex Legal) featured Robert Mano of Mano Y Mano Consulting. Robert presented a concise, but clear overview of marketing for small businesses.

Robert simplified the definition of marketing for small businesses:

Marketing is every impression you make on a customer or prospect.

This means every piece of promotional material, how you answer the phone, what your product looks like, and even how you network.

Robert pointed out several more key elements to an effective and efficient marketing program:

Speak with one compelling voice in all your marketing efforts
Make it clear and easy to read
Stimulate emotions with your marketing
Be consistent and persistent
Pursue the right audience for your product or service
Market at the right time to that audience

The Clovis Chamber thanks Robert Mano for sharing his time with us and other members, Vertex Legal for their sponsorship, and ITT Technical Institute for the use of their classroom.

The Business Seminar Series is a free benefit of membership from the Clovis Chamber. The next seminar is Thursday, December 4 at 12 p.m. at the ITT Technical Institute at Clovis and Herndon. The topic will be "What Your Banker Wants You to Know About Today's Economy."

The Chamber Takes a Stand

2008-10-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

The upcoming election is one of the most profound in our lifetime as decisions made at the ballot box will decide the future of our economy and country for generations to come. The Clovis Chamber of Commerce recognizes this importance and has made recommendations on candidates and various issues through its Board of Directors and ClovisPAC, the political action committee of the Chamber.

For President, the Board supports John McCain and Sarah Palin as the most business friendly slate.

ClovisPAC wants Congressman Devin Nunes in the 21st District and Assemblyman Mike Villines in the 29th District to continue their strong leadership roles.

California has several propositions that will change policies. Please note these stands:

Prop 1A -High Speed Rail - Support
Prop 2 - Farm Animals - Oppose
Prop 3 - Children's Hospital - Support
Prop 5 - Offender Rehabilitation - Oppose
Prop 7 - Clean Energy Act - Oppose
Prop 10 -Alternative Fuels Act - Oppose
Prop 11 -Redistricting - Support
Prop 12 -Veterans' Bond Act- Support

These recommendations were made after much discussion and research. ClovisPAC and the Chamber believe these stands will support business.

Don't forget to vote on November 4th or make sure your absentee ballot reaches the elections office by that date. They can also be left at any polling place.

Vote - It's YOUR Business.

Fran Blackney
Business Advocate