DECEMBER 2022
From the Desk of the Executive Director
Keep our dollars local, Think Big and Shop Small!
“Local businesses are more likely to utilize other local businesses such as banks, service providers, and farms. For every $100 you spend at local businesses, $68 will stay in the community. Independent retailers return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales to the community in which they operate than chain competitors. Independent restaurants return more than two times as much money per dollar of sales than national restaurant chains. And Small businesses employ 77 million Americans and accounted for 65% of all new jobs over the past 17 years.”
— US Small Business Association and US Department of Labor
With the holidays upon us, I cannot stress enough the importance of shopping local. When you shop online $0 dollars stay in our community! With that said, I had a blast celebrating Small Business Saturday on November 26th. I was able to travel all over Sheboygan County visiting Chamber member businesses (more than 38 locations), surprising local shoppers with free Chamber Cash and providing treats and goodies to businesses along the way. Of course, it is fun to surprise local folks with free money, but I also know that 100% of the value of that Chamber Cash will be spent in one of our Chamber member businesses, so everyone wins. If you are not sure what to purchase your loved ones, stop into the Chamber office and purchase some Chamber Cash today!
As the end of the year approaches, I want to personally thank all members for your continued support of the Chamber. To celebrate another successful year of doing business in Sheboygan County, I invite you to join us on December 15th for a vibe@5 right here at the Chamber office. We are busy transforming our space into a holiday extravaganza and ordering tasty treats and libations to share with you all. There is no fee to attend, but we do ask that you register online HERE and dress to impress in your favorite holiday fare.
NEWS FROM THE Executive Director (continued)
We are also finalizing 2023 programming and need your help. Please take a few minutes to complete the Economic Outlook Survey. This helps us to better provide tools and resources of value to our members. The results of the survey will be made available on Thursday, January 19th at our Annual Meeting & Economic Outlook Breakfast, so be sure to save the date.
Looking for local swag? Get your Sheboygan County pride attire, by clicking HERE
We want you to Think BIG (betterment, improvement, growth), Influence Local! The Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce is committed to providing expertise for fostering dynamic organizations throughout Sheboygan County. We are truly Better Together!
Kierra brooks - special events coordinator
Seasons Greetings!
What a wonderful, yet busy time of year! There’s always so much going on this time of year especially for gathering and enjoying each other’s company. Speaking of gathering, I hope to see you all at our Chamber Holiday vibe@5! It is December 15th from 5-7pm. There will be food, drinks, and games for your enjoyment! Let’s not forget your holiday spirit! Dress the part and bring along a donation of NEW hats and gloves for those in need.
Speaking of busy, we’re in the midst of planning next quarter’s events for our Young Professionals! We are taking your advice from the responses we got at our Brews & Brainstorming event and bringing them to life. So, prepare yourselves for next quarter’s events.
It was nice seeing some of your new faces again at our Packer Tailgating Party. The weather was not what we expected so thank you to those that still made it out and I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Also, our Executive Series event with Justin Webb was last week and we had a wonderful turn out there as well. It’s nice to get some background stories and advice from our leaders here in Sheboygan County. It can be a great tool to learn and grow in your own careers.
As always, if you are new to town or just new to Coastal Young Professionals, feel free to reach out to me (kierra@sheboygan.org) to help answer any questions you may have or if you just want to know someone before attending an event.
Remember there are no membership fees & no commitments to join Young Professionals! If you have not already, text SHEBCOYP to 57838 to stay up to date on current events or scan our QR Code at the bottom of this page to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
Also click HERE to view our new Young Professionals video! It’ll tell you what we’re all about!
That is all I have for you today. Remember to stay connected! Until next time Sheboygan!
NEWS FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Welcome to December & Merry Christmas!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and got some great Black Friday Deals because by the time you read this you’ll have less than 23 days to get those gifts, so giddy-up!
Right around the corner is Explore Your Future at Lakeshore Technical College. Over two days (January 11 and 12, 2023), three workshops will be conducted by business and educational volunteers. We’ll have (1,200) 7th and 8th graders learning more about their personalities and how their personality will ultimately play a role in their future career choice(s). This will be an incredible opportunity for students to ask questions and learn more from our county business leaders.
For more information please call me at 920-395-8705 or email me at scott@sheboygan.org to get involved and have some fun, while educating our next generation of leaders.
Don’t forget, you can post events, introduce new employees, and many other topics via Member News.
Member news is part of your membership, so at no additional cost you may post every day, every week, etc., whatever makes sense for your business and staff. Please reach out to me if you’ve never posted before and we can walk through this process, or you can send me what you’d like to post. It’s quick, easy and it’s a great way to let everyone in Sheboygan County know who you are, what your business does or if you’ve got an event coming up!
Some other things to think about as we move into the end of 2022:
• Deep Dive opportunities are a great way to meet new Chamber members and their respective businesses and gain referrals in the process. Every member is from a different business sector, so no two members are alike in any one group! Who do you want to do business with? People you know and trust of course. Join a Deep Dive today! Check out a short video by clicking HERE to learn more about Deep Dives.
• Roundtables are a terrific way to meet others within your business sector. Whether it’s Human Resources, Sales & Marketing, Not for Profit, and others, you’re sure to learn something from your peers. These peer-to-peer networking groups can help any one of your employees, or yourself, accelerate your learning curve, and minimize potential setbacks within your organization. Our own John Rogers does an outstanding job keeping each group on task, and always shares his own wealth of knowledge. Contact john@sheboygan.org and join a Roundtable today!
• Our Young Professionals network goal is to attract, engage and retain young, diverse talent to Sheboygan County by providing opportunities for young professionals to design their social culture, serve as civic innovators and community stewards, and develop into the next generation of leaders for Sheboygan County. If you are interested in joining the YP network, please contact Kierra Brooks at kierra@sheboygan.org
Have a very safe and Happy Holiday season and make sure to spend plenty of time with friends, family and loved ones because we’re all #BETTERTOGETHER!
christy jacobs - director of events
How can it be that 2022 is coming to an end? Time does move faster as one gets older. Over the last few months, I have gotten my feet wet in the world of Chamber events and can’t wait for 2023. We have gotten some great feedback on the events that have occurred during the last part of the year and are using that information to move forward into 2023. The calendar is filling up quickly with vibe@5’s, Out for Breakfast/Lunch with Deidre, Executive Series, and a new look and feel for First Friday Forums. I am very excited for what will happen in the next year. But this year is not done…..oh no! We have a Ribbon Cutting at Ansay & Associates in Sheboygan December 6th, a Focal Point featuring Kristina George from Next Step Insurance on December 7th, groundbreaking at SouthPointe Business Park on December 8th, and of course the Holiday vibe@5 on December 15th. We hope to see you at one or all four of these wonderful events that help support the Chamber and our members. Check the calendar and register today!
Last but not least, mark February 16th on your calendar. Our annual Gala will be taking place at the beautiful Osthoff Resort. Planning is well underway! Nominations are open. This is the perfect time to make your voice heard when it comes to supporting and celebrating your local leaders, stars, and top performers of Sheboygan County. “We do not remember days; we remember moments.”
— Cesare Pavese
november in Review
november in Review (Continued)
Sheboygan
County Chamber Newsletter sponsorship opportunities now available! Please contact Scott Kuehn at 920-918-1315 or scott@sheboygan.org for more information.
