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» New Chamber Event Planned; Volunteers Needed
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New Chamber Event Planned; Volunteers Needed
Mark your calendars now: In February the Chamber launches a town-wide talent search with Twinkle, Twinkle, Fairfield Star. It's not just a beer and wine tasting event, it's a karaoke competition too -- a night where you get to be the entertainment.
We'll have a silent auction, door prizes, food and Tim Russell too. You won't want to miss this one.
To make the evening a success, we'll need some volunteers to handle the following:
- Food
- Cleanup
- Decorating
- Silent Auction
You can sign up for a committee when you register for the event -- watch your mailbox for the sign-up form (online registration coming soon) -- or just give us a call at 255-1011 to offer a helping hand.
In the meantime, start practicing now. Find a partner (or two, or three) or come as a solo act, we don't care.
Just get ready for a blast of an evening, and remember the words of William James, the pioneering 19th-century psychologist and karaoke theorist: "I don't sing because I'm happy; I'm happy because I sing."
Online Businesss Outlook Survey
In conjunction with the Fairfield chamber and other area business organizations, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association is conducting a survey of Connecticut business owners to get their opinions on the current business climate; transportation, trade and energy issues; workforce conditions; and the overall economic outlook for 2005-2006.
Follow this link to begin the survey, which should only take a few minutes. If you have no opinion on an issue or it simply doesn't apply to your business, you may leave the question blank.
survey.euro.confirmit.com/wix/p11890549.aspx
Our Room is Your Room
Now that the new Chamber conference room has been taken for a test drive by the Executive and Marketing committees, we're proud to announce that the room is available for use by our members, free! Chalk it up as yet another benefit of Chamber membership.
The conference room is suitable for small (10 people or less) business meetings, seminars, client presentations or anything else you can squeeze in there -- but please, no wild parties or marching bands.
A telephone with speakerphone and high-speed internet access can be provided if you need them, but please call ahead at least one week in advance for details and availability.
The room is open during regular business hours only, 9 am to 5 pm. Reservations are required, so contact our office at 255-1011 to sign up.
An Interactive and (Mostly) Healthy Business After Hours
Regina Madwed's Capitol Photo.Interactive played host to 70 assorted members and guests for a Business After Hours that offered more than the usual health benefits.
Sue Cadwell of Health in a Hurry laid out a vast spread of healthy vegetarian fare out on the patio -- everything from tofu salads and beet & goat cheese rollups to guilt-free cookies and muffins. And the hot, muggy September evening offered a chance to sweat off any number of calories.
The sweat-averse preferred to congregate in the Capitol Photo studio, but inside or out there was much conversation to be had at this latest Chamber networking event. (And a few of Regina's neighbors smuggled in some not-so-healthy carrot cake and pies for those who were prepared to pay the price afterward at the gym.)
There were red and white wines, soft drinks and bottled water to quench every thirst, and floral arrangements from Sue Cadwell's own garden complemented the lush landscaping around the patio. All in all, it was a good exercise in networking and (mostly) healthy living.
We look forward to less exercise and more calories as Bravo Restaurant hosts our next Business After Hours on October 12. Hope to see you there.
More photos from the September Business After Hours
All photos courtesy of Capitol Photo.Interactive
Everything and the Kitchen Sink
The Chamber's extreme makeover is still a work in progress. (At least we have proper door knobs now.) But a big piece of the puzzle is falling into place, thanks to the astounding generosity of our members.
S.J. Pappas, designers and craftsmen of the finest custom kitchens, baths and interiors (visit their web site at www.sjpappas.com), is going to donate a fully furnished kitchen/storage room as their contribution to our new digs. We're floored by the offer.
General Electric will finish the room with a set of appliances -- a microwave and a full-size refrigerator, woo-hoo! -- as if giving us free run of their warehouse to pick out a conference table and set of chairs wasn't generous enough already. (We still can't get over how well those chairs match the décor. And any rumor you may have heard about the Chamber webmaster "borrowing" one of those oh-so-very comfortable chairs for his workstation should be treated with all the skepticism it deserves.)
Stay tuned for the completed office facelift (more pictures, too!) and watch for the grand opening celebration.
Small Business is Big Business
Did you know?
- Two-thirds of the Fairfield Chamber membership is made up of small businesses.
- Small businesses account for 99.7% percent of all businesses. That's pretty big.
- Small businesses employ half of the nation's work force.
- Small businesses produce 52% percent of the private sector's output.
- Small businesses provide significant ownership opportunities for women, minorities, and immigrants.
If you run a small business, welcome to the Fairfield Chamber. We look forward to helping you grow into a big business.
Energy, Trade, and Transportation Bills Become Law
According to the September issue of U.S. Chamber news, Congress recently approved three major pieces of legislation that will eventually help small businesses reduce their gasoline and energy bills, open new markets and relieve congestion on the highways.
ENERGY The energy bill will spur domestic energy production, increase efficiency, modernize our electricity grid, and invest in workable energy solutions that should lead to less reliance on foreign and unstable energy-rich nations.
DR-CAFTA Congress approved the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement which should help eliminate 80% of tariffs on U.S. goods imported to the region, giving American businesses, workers and farmers greater access to Central American consumers.
TRANSPORTATION Congress authorized $286.5 billion for highway and mass transit investments over the next six years. Hopefully, Connecticut will see more of these dollars invested in the Fairfield County area which routinely deals with gridlock.
How You Can Help the Victims of Katrina
For those looking to help the devastated survivors of Hurricane Katrina, we encourage you to donate to the American Red Cross: 1-800-Help Now (1-800-435-7669) or www.redcross.org.
Not only is the American Red Cross well positioned to provide relief in disaster areas, but they're also a Fairfield Chamber member, supporting our community in good times and bad.
A Big 'Thank You' from the Chamber
As we settle into our "new" digs (you wouldn't believe the difference that a new coat of paint can make), we'd like to thank the many members who've contributed to the Capital and Technology Improvement funds years. Those voluntary contributions went a long way toward making these renovations possible, and we are deeply grateful.
We'd also like to thank General Electric for donating our new conference table -- and ten chairs to go with it. The chairs are a perfect match for the carpeting and the walls. We couldn't have done it better if we'd planned it that way all along.
We would also be greatly remiss if we failed to recognize the heroic efforts of Chuck Sussman of Town Planner Calendar, who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time to help us carry that very heavy table up the stairs. Give our regards to your chiropractor.
And to everyone else, you really need to stop by sometime to see what we've done with the place. Some work remains to be done -- like the kitchen, eek! -- but we're really enjoying how unfamiliar this oh-so-very familiar office has become.
Don't forget to read our exclusive five-part series -- with pictures! -- about the Chamber's extreme makeover. You'll only find it here in ChamberWorks.