Be The Change!

July 29th, 2010

What you can do now to “be the change you what to see in the world” (Mahatma Gandhi)

Today more than ever the words of Gandhi inspire us to be all that we can be. To reach out and Motivate others to be the best they can be.  To be Empowered to change the world for the better.  And to Activate that leadership spark to step up and make a difference.

On Friday, Aug. 13, you have a special opportunity to Motivate, Empower and Activate your passion for your business, your career, your life at the first ever Illinois Women’s Leadership Symposium! (Click here for Special Pricing)

This full day multi-faceted event led by powerful women leaders in keynote and hands-on workshop presentations includes interactive networking and an Expo/Marketplace for more than 250 women from across Illinois.

Limited Offer Pricing: $129 per person when you reserve your seat by July 30 (a $30 savings). Now IS the time to register!

Click Here To Add This Event To Your Calendar!

You will enjoy a specially prepared continental breakfast, a plated lunch, fun snacks, interactive networking, and shopping at the Marketplace.

Motivate.  Empower.  Activate.

Special guest facilitators!!!

Seattle Sutton, RN, BSN, Founder and President of Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating (SSHE).

SSHE, a family-owned, Illinois-based healthy meal replacement company that offers a no-gimmick approach to convenient, healthy eating. SSHE prepares thousands of fresh meals weekly and its innovative approach has helped thousands of people achieve and maintain weight loss without the planning, shopping or cooking for themselves.

Diana Martinez, Chief Operating and Marketing Officer for Second City International.

Second City is the world’s premier comedy theatre and school of improvisation – specializing in sketch comedy and improvisation in Chicago, Toronto, and Hollywood. Ms. Martinez’s awards include the “Influential Women in Business” Award in 2002, and “The Award for Business Excellence” in 2003, she was named “Today’s Young Executive in 2003″ by the Business Ledger, and awarded “The Hispanic Hero Award” in 2002 by the Chicago Fire.

Lourdes Duarte, co-anchor WGN Evening News and host of “Adelante Chicago”

Ms. Duarte has won several awards including an Emmy Award for her work on “Hoy en Dia” and Society of Professional Journalists Awards for Minority Issues Reporting. Most recently, she won an Emmy Award for her story titled “Unlicensed and Serving.”

Cheryle R. Jackson, Vice President, Government Affairs and Corporate Development for AAR CORP.

A leading provider of products and services to the commercial aerospace and defense industries. Ms. Jackson was appointed the first female president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League. In that capacity, she led one of the most transformational periods of growth at the venerable civil rights organization, shifting its focus from social services to economic development.

Darlene M. Ziebell, President and Founder of Center for Women Business Owners

A mentoring firm providing forward thinking women business owners with ideas, real life experiences, and training to make their business dream a reality. Ms. Ziebell is a Business Management Consultant with over 30 years of practical business experience. In various executive roles and entrepreneurial endeavors, she has personally managed all levels of business from start-up to corporate maturity.

Limited Offer Pricing: $129 per person when you reserve your seat by July 31 (a $30 savings). Now IS the time to register!

Click Here And Add This Event To Your Calendar!

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Trade Means Jobs & Opportunities for Illinois

July 2nd, 2010

In 2008, Illinois exported $53.4 billion in manufactured goods, which supported more than 409,000 manufacturing jobs. That year, Illinois exported $7.5 billion in agricultural products which supported more than 86,800 agricultural jobs. In one year, Illinois exports more than $16 billion in services. Foreign companies employ more than 243,000 workers in our state.

And, smaller businesses in Illinois benefit from trade. Nearly 90% of the 15,607 Illinois companies that exported goods in 2007 were small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees.

Illinois’ top export markets in 2008 were Canada ($14.9 B), Mexico ($4.2 B), China ($2.5 B), Australia ($2.4 B) and Japan ($2.4 B). Opportunities for small business are available.

The Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce is interested in assisting our business members interested in international trade. We want to hear from you. If you would like to share your business’s trade experiences, please click this link to take the survey: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2ygpw5ngb57a7u8/start

Thank you!

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Downtown Aurora Putt Putt Progressive on July 8, 2010

June 29th, 2010

Our nine hosts are excited and pulling out all the stops for the inaugural Putt Putt Progressive through downtown Aurora, Ill., on Thursday, July 8. If you can’t participate in the progressive, plan to join us for the afterhours event at Ballydoyle Irish Pub. Prizes, appetizers and more will encourage networking and a celebration of the summer in our community.

4:30 PM: Putt Putt Begins at Aurora Chamber Offices

Register today online and join us for the Putt Putt portion of the event. Beginning at the Aurora Chamber offices, all players registered in advance will receive a score card and welcome bag. Players then progress through the downtown with eight additional stops to participate in the event. You will even help determine the “Most Creative” and “Most Challenging” holes of the event from our nine hole locations, including:

  • Aurora Regional Chamber
  • Old Second National Bank
  • Business Solutions International
  • Aurora Public Library & Foundation
  • Waubonsee Community College
  • Paramount Theatre
  • Aurora City Hall
  • Aurora Regional Fire Museum
  • Ballydoyle Irish Pub

Along the way, enjoy refreshments, site seeing, and networking.

Space is limited for the Putt-Putt portion of the Progressive party. When you register for the Putt Putt you will automatically be register for the afterhours at Ballydoyle Irish Pub where prizes will be awarded.

Cost for the Putt Putt and afterhours is $20 and includes the putting experience and one (1) beverage ticket (for beer, house wine or soda) and appetizers at Ballydoyle.

6:30 PM: Join Us for Afterhours at Ballydoyle

If you can’t join us for the Putt Putt Progressive, join us for Afterhours at Ballydoyle. With your $10 registration for the afterhours-only event, you receive one (1) beverage ticket (for beer, house wine or soda) and appetizers.

This is a great opportunity to network with fellow Chamber members and enjoy the scenery of our historic downtown. What a great way to spend a summer evening.

To register, visit AuroraChamber.com at http://www.chambermaster.com/directory/jsp/events/EventPage.jsp?ccid=20&eventid=1516

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State of the City Address

February 24th, 2010

Thursday, March 18, at 11:30 a.m.

Piper’s Banquets, 1295 Butterfield Road, Aurora

The Honorable Thomas J. Weisner, Mayor, City of Aurora, will present his state of the city to business members and the community. Topics of interest to our business community would include budgets, taxes, economic development and quality of life improvements. Join us to get Mayor Weisner’s perspective. Member downtown businesses will be on hand to showcase downtown Aurora’s recent developments.

Presented in collaboration with Aurora Economic Development Commission and Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Sponsored in part by

  • Chef Amaury
  • Comfort Zone
  • Fox Valley United Way
  • Hollywood Casino
  • Paramount Theatre
  • Waubonsee Community College

Lunch registrations are $25 (members) before March 11 and $35 after; non-members are $40 for the event.

Click here to register.

Posted in Uncategorized, economic development, legislative affairs, membership, stimulus | No Comments »

Congratulations! Dreyer Medical Clinic Receives AAAHC Accreditation

February 22nd, 2010

Dreyer Medical Clinic has achieved accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC/Accreditation Association).  Accreditation distinguishes Dreyer from many other outpatient facilities for providing a safe work environment and the highest quality of care to patients.

Outpatient health care organizations seeking accreditation by the AAAHC undergo an extensive self-assessment and on-site survey by the Accreditation Association’s expert surveyors – volunteer physicians, nurses, and administrators who are actively involved in outpatient health care.  The survey is consultative and educational, presenting best practices to help an organization improve its care and services.

Status as an accredited organization means Dreyer has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care.  More than 4,500 ambulatory health care organizations across the United States are accredited by AAAHC.  Not all ambulatory health care organizations seek accreditation, and not all undergoing the on-site survey are granted accreditation.

Additionally, Dreyer is the first organization in the country to be accredited as a AAAHC Medical Home for managed care patients.  A Medical Home is a place where a patient’s health care and overall wellness is proactively maintained.  Taking a wholistic approach and caring for a person’s medical and wellness needs gives them the best possible opportunity to live a healthy life.  A Medical Home provides accessible, comprehensive, proactive care, combined with a coordinated team of health care providers.

“Our patients deserve the best,” said Donna S. Cooper, CPA, MHA, president of Dreyer Medical Clinic.  “Accreditation demonstrates our long-standing commitment to providing the highest quality health care for the individuals, families, and communities we serve.  Dreyer has been accredited continuously since the process was first introduced in 1972.”

“Going through this process continually challenges us to find better ways to serve our patients.   Our first and most important responsibility is to our patients and the quality of care we provide,” said Cooper.

Established by physicians in 1922, Dreyer Medical Clinic is one of Illinois’ premier multispecialty medical groups.  The 150 physicians represent nearly 30 different medical specialties.  Dreyer offers a full range of ancillary services within its facilities and the support of over 40 allied health professionals.  The 800,000+ residents of the greater Fox Valley area are served by Dreyer at 11 convenient sites located in Aurora, Batavia, Hinckley, Oswego, Plainfield, and Yorkville.  Detailed information about Dreyer’s health care providers, service locations, and accepted insurances is available on the Clinic website, www.dreyermed.com.

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Building a Referral Machine

February 15th, 2010

Join us Friday, March 5, 9-11 a.m. for the first of a three-part program to expand your referral generation and move beyond “networking.” Brian Marshall, Alliance for Strategic Advantage, will lead the way.

Referrals are the key to success in building any business. That’s why people invest so much time, energy, and resources in various forms of networking activities. However, meeting your immediate growth goals solely through networking activities is not easy. That’s why networking is called a “farming” activity, and not a “hunting” activity. You plant enough seeds over a long enough time, you can build a robust, totally referral based business, but how long will that take in your business? Five years? Ten years? Fifteen years?

You will learn how:

  • You can systematically revitalize your current connections and have them become active ambassadors for you in the marketplace
  • You can systematically break down the barriers to referrals and get others motivated to help you and how to get them to understand how best to help you
  • An understanding of network dynamics will help you to quickly build a far more powerful and productive network
  • How to get 10 times the referrals without even asking

The process will take you through five stages of development from understanding how to re-think your business and messages through the eyes of a “connector”, to, ultimately, becoming a “connector” that others want to be associated with, regardless of your profession. In addition to understanding key guiding principles of networks and the psychology of referring, you will receive the processes, methods, behaviors, tools, and templates that will ensure your success.

Three-part program (for one low price of $20) includes:

  • March 5 program from 9-11 a.m. at Chamber offices
  • March 16 Coffee & Connections at 8:30 a.m. at Painter’s District Council 30
  • March 19 webinar at 9:00 a.m. for follow-up and questions

Presented in partnership with Imprint Enterprises and Fox Valley Networking Professionals.

To register, click here.

Posted in AuroraChamber.com, catalyst, economic development, membership, networking opportunities | No Comments »

Busch to Speak on 2010 Economic Forecast

January 7th, 2010

Aurora Regional Chamber Offers 2010 Economic Forecast

Expert to Address Lunch on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 11:00 a.m.

Andrew B. Busch, Director of BMO Capital Markets and a Global Currency and Public Policy Strategist in Chicago will provide insight into the 2010 economy. Busch has been heard on WBBM radio and numerous cable and local financial programs.

Busch is a senior fellow on economic issues for the Illinois Policy Institute and consults with the staffs from the US Treasury, Congress, and the White House on economic and financial market issues. He was an adviser on the economy and the financial markets to US Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

He met recently with all the most senior staff at the US Treasury and has advised the last three US Treasury secretaries, including Tim Geithner.

Busch joined BMO Financial Group in 1990 in the foreign exchange trading room of Harris Trust and Savings Bank, which merged with Bank of Montreal’s room in 1995.

In his blog today, Busch writes:

As a reformed currency trader, I often can asked why I spend my time following what happens in politics. Does the resignation of Sen. Dodd really matter? Why should we care if Congress fights over health care or regulatory reform? What difference does it make if there’s an estate tax or not? These are all questions that seem to have very little on the surface to do with currencies and the value of the dollar.

The best answer to all of this is that it all matters. Since the 1930s and the seismic shift of US governmental intervention into the private sector, the economy has been buffeted by the use of the very tools that were supposed to reduce variation in unemployment and growth. Namely, monetary and fiscal policy. As we are focused on politics, we’ll look at the fiscal side of the equation which includes tax and spending policies.

For more information about Andrew Busch, visit his site.

The program, sponsored in part by Harris, NA, will be at Gaslite Manor, 2485 Church Road, Aurora, on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 11:00 a.m. Reservations are required: $25 Members; $35 Non-Members. The Chamber’s 72-hour cancellation policy applies. For information, visit http://www.aurorachamber.com/forecast.asp or call (630) 897-9214.

Posted in Federal legislation, Uncategorized, catalyst, economic development, healthcare reform, membership, networking opportunities, stimulus | No Comments »

ExpoPalooza 2010: Your Opportunity to Meet New Consumers

January 4th, 2010

The Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce will host ExpoPalooza 2010 at Westfield Fox Valley, Aurora, on Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13. If your 2010 business strategy includes meeting and engaging new customers to increase your success, then ExpoPalooza is for you. Visit the Aurora Chamber website at http://www.aurorachamber.com/expopalooza.asp for information and applications. Early bird discounts are available if you sign on before January 29. Don’t delay. Let’s make 2010 a profitable one for all of our members.

Posted in AuroraChamber.com, catalyst, economic development, membership, networking opportunities | No Comments »

Comparison of Healthcare Reform Bills

December 9th, 2009

by Pam Bellm, director of legislative affairs

The U.S. Chamber has put together a very interesting comparison between the House and Senate Healthcare reform bills currently being debated. The Senate bill (SB 3590) would cover 94% of legal residents; the House bill (HR 3962) would cover 96% of legal residents. Both bills include government subsidies. The Senate bill mandates almost everyone have health insurance or face fines which begin at $95; the House bill makes it mandatory for everyone to have health insurance or face a penalty of 2.5% of income. Both plans allow waivers for economic hardships.

Follow this link to access the entire comparison. There is a lot of good information put together in an easy read format.

Posted in AuroraChamber.com, Federal legislation, healthcare reform, legislative affairs | No Comments »

20 Ways to Make the Most of Your Holiday Business

December 2nd, 2009

by Mary Kurek, Visibility Consulting
1. Boost Customer Service (Have employees wear holiday attire and special holiday nametags. Train them to offer to hold items at the counter. Have them learn to “pay compliments” and jot personal thank you notes on receipts.)

2. Attach your business to a charity during the holidays. Co-promote and give a % back to the charity.

3. Offer holiday refreshments on high traffic weekends.

4. Offer gift wrapping.

5. Offer in-house babysitting or children’s entertainment corner.

6. Create a special rest or seating area of spouses of shoppers.

7. Offer free delivery.

8. Offer shipping.

9. Create a frequent shopper strategy – progressive percentage off or a special gift that graduates in value with each $50 purchase.

10. Hold an open house with specially packaged items and Santa with a “helper elf” to assist younger shoppers.

11. Hold a holiday sweepstakes, raffle, scavenger hunt, guessing game, or contest.

12. Bombard customer senses with visuals, aromas, music, and interactive displays.

13. Show the savings a customer receives at purchase (pointing out dollars saved is a winning idea used by many big department stores).

14. Institute a “check-out strategy” that could include a coupon on the receipt, pre-wrapped stocking stuffers at the register, buy 2/get 3rd free, or pick an ornament for a mystery % off. (Collect names/e-mail addresses)

15. Cross promote – create collaborations with complimentary businesses to include fliers in bags and in-store posters.

16. Have holiday candies at the register to draw attention.

17. Send out special customer Christmas cards with hand-written notes and offer a % off.

18. Send out a holiday newsletter with recipes, stress reduction tips, and local events.

19. Produce your own gift giving guide/catalog.

20. Hold a special customer/employee dinner or brunch where everyone contributes. Great bonding.

Aurora Regional Chamber Note:

Do you have more ideas or suggestions? Let us know. Share them with your fellow Chamber business members.

On behalf of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce team and Board of Directors, we wish all of you a happy, healthy and profitable holiday season… and may 2010 be a wonderful year for our community.

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