Attention Small Businesses!

Small Business Seminar Series
80% of our Chamber members are small businesses with 50 or less employees. In honor of them, the Chamber has developed its Small Business Series, a once-a-month series of interactive seminars to educate member businesses.

This program will focus on a different topic each month and attendees will have an opportunity to hear from an expert speaker. Then they will share best practices with one another. The programs will be held the second Tuesday of each month.

We will kick off the series THIS Wednesday, April 8th from 8-9:30am. Professor Janice Cerveny from the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University will speak on the "Psychological Effects of Today's Economy". The seminar will be held at PGA Credit Union and is sponsored by Jason Flannery of Water Pointe Realty Group. Click here to register.

Small Business of the Year Award
The Chamber is also accepting Small Business of the Year Award Applications to be honored at the Leadership Awards Dinner on June 4th.

Criteria for Eligibility
Business must:

CLICK HERE for the application.

*Applications are due no later than April 17, 2009.

Writing Your Elected Officials

Below are some tips when writing your elected officials. Letters are an extremely effective way of communicating with your elected officials. Many legislators believe that a letter represents not only the position of the writer but also many other constituents who did not take the time to write.

• Address your letter correctly. CLICK HERE to view appropriate forms of address.

• Keep it brief: Letters should never be longer than one page, and should be limited to one issue. Legislative aides read many letters on many issues in a day, so your letter should be as concise as possible.

• State who you are and what you want up front: In the first paragraph, tell your legislators that you are a constituent and identify the issue about which you are writing. If your letters pertains to a specific piece of legislation, it helps to identify it by its bill number (e.g. H.R. ____ or S. _____).

• Hit your three most important points: Choose the three strongest points that will be most effective in persuading legislators to support your position and flesh them out.

• Personalize your letter: Tell your elected official why this legislation matters in his community or state. If you have one, include a personal story that shows how this issue affects you and your family. A constituent's personal stories can be the very persuasive as your legislator shapes his or her position.

• Personalize your relationship: Have you ever voted for this elected official? Have you ever contributed time or money to his or her campaign? Are you familiar with her through any business or personal relationship? If so, tell your elected official or his staff person. The closer your legislator feels to you, the more powerful your argument is likely to be.

• You are the expert: Remember that your legislator's job is to represent you. You should be courteous and to the point, but don't be afraid to take a firm position. Remember that often your elected official may know no more about a given issue than you do.

Information gathered from the American Civil Liberties Union and University of Mary Washington.

2009 Community Leader of the Year

The Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will honor an individual as the 2009 Community Leader of the Year on Thursday, June 4th at the Annual Leadership Awards Dinner.

The recipient for this award must meet or exceed the following criteria:

• Demonstrates leadership that benefits the North County community by creating or contributing significantly to the success of one or more local organizations
• Demonstrates a commitment to the North County community by inspiring community-wide support
• Exemplifies the highest standards of business and community leadership
• Has had an impact on the growth of the North County community

Nominations will be taken by Chamber staff and placed before the Board of Directors for approval. The final award will be determined by the Board of Directors and announced by May 1st. Current staff are not eligible for this award. CLICK HERE to nominate someone to Suzanne Neve.

SPARC Donations Now Tax Deductible

Become a SPARC (Sponsors Providing Additional Resources to Classrooms) to support our Life Science Education Program, a project of our Life Science and Education Committee. Donations are now tax deductible, and may be made payable to The Northern Palm Beach County Chamber Foundation Inc., which is a 501(c)(3). Individuals and businesses are able to sponsor a school participating in our Life Science Education Program for as little as $500 to use towards supplemental science materials.