Have you ever recognized you are generally so busy working “in” your business that you’re unable to work “on” your business? So why you should you join your local chamber of commerce when the chamber might mean more time away from the office? I’d like to share with you six reasons chamber participation is not a fruitless burden on time but rather a true benefit to your business and your life.

1. Relationships

This isn’t about networking — this is about gaining friends, associates and even advocates. The people you get to know may or may not do business with you, but the social and emotional return in building meaningful, lasting relationships can be more meaningful than the financial return you seek. As you attend events, serve on committees and interact with people outside your normal routines, you will have the opportunity to interact with all types of people. This in turn will create better relationship building skills that can crossover to improve non-business aspects of your life as well.

2. Visibility

The age-old adage applies here — “out of sight, out of mind.” While many companies are looking to be seen in the cyber world and are doing a very good job of it, nothing sells your business better than being in front of people face to face. Business is so much more than simple transactions of money for goods/services with its root in relationships.

You are the business; the business is you. The client is more likely to buy when they know you are the brains behind the operation and have seen you regularly participating in non-transaction based functions. Chambers provide so many opportunities to spend time with potential friends (read: potential clients) in non-transaction based functions that you will be top of mind when they or someone they know is looking for your product/service.

3. Promotion

The Chamber offers a wide-range of advertising options and sponsorship packages. A business can sponsor entire programs or events through the chamber. Beyond the paid advertising options, chambers also have ways to provide additional business promotion for free through monthly and annual awards, social media, regular newsletters and even printed materials. Amazingly, even some member businesses do not take advantage of the free marketing opportunities provided through chambers of commerce.

4. Community connection

Some business leaders in large companies have expressed the feeling they’re too big or not local enough to need local chambers of commerce. One flaw in that thinking is they and their employees are very much a part of the local economy, regardless of the number of franchise locations they have in other states.

Chambers are not-for-profit organizations desired with a mission to lift the economy. The Chamber works very closely with governments to provide a representative business voice when needed. Participating in the chamber provides business with an avenue to express their legislative policy questions directly to the legislatures. Sometimes being a good “corporate citizen” means being the community partner that all the “little guys” expect you to be. If a major player in the local economy isn’t involved in discussions about the local economy, then the conversations (and potentially decisions) are missing a key point of view.

5. Programs and events

Membership in the chamber of commerce provides access to all of the programs and events. Chamber events include business training, networking events, awards events, city celebration events and many others. All of these events are designed to build your business in some fashion, whether through training, promotion, networking or community service.

Research shows that a major part of small business typically comes from business-to-business services, so participating in the local chamber of commerce as a small is an easy way to increase local visibility, build credibility, and expand your contacts.

It’s importance to participate. Joining a chamber is great. A business receives many benefits visibly and behind the scenes. However, joining only gets you so far. Participating is the true key to receiving the benefits of chamber membership. Only through attending events, talking to members you’ve never met before, serving on committees, and taking advantage of the advertising opportunities presented will your membership become a partnership.

 

Redlands Henry Bush, plumbing service technicians are the absolute best in plumbing service and repair. All are licensed, trained and certified with the superior pipe technologies and are associated with the leading plumbing industry associations such as the PHCC (Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors).

Henry Fisher founded Redlands plumbing in 1898, went into business installing, maintaining, and fixing the relatively new luxury known as indoor plumbing. By the 1930’s, Henry sold his company to a Harry Higdon, and by the 1950, the family owned business began providing heating service. Harry then taught his son, Don the trade and Don later purchased the business from his family in 1961. Don took his son Rick in as his partner in 1978. The Higdons owned Redlands Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning until January of 2008, when  they  sold  it  to its current owner, Tyler Miner. Today, through his hard work and dedication, he remains the owner and president of the company and has built a team ready to serve your service needs.

After more than 115 years the world has become a much different place but the one thing that has remained the same since 1898 is the dedication of the Henry Bush team to provide customers with professionalism, honesty, and quality service.

Redlands Henry Bush Heating and Air Conditioning Technicians are trained regularly and certified to repair all makes and models! They are trained with the leading industry technologies and our technicians are certified through NATE (North American Technician Excellence) as well as IHACI (Institute of Heating and Air Conditioning Industries) associations.

Redlands Henry Bush now has a bigger parts counter to better serve your plumbing, heating and air conditioning needs. They have in stock, everything you might need to finish that weekend project. Counter man Marvin is the go to person for any type of parts questions, ask and he will have a solution for you.

To answer your plumbing heating or air conditioning needs visit Redlands Henry Bush Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning at www.plumbingandair.com, or stop by the showroom at 1670 Sessums Dr. or just call at 1-800-257-5862.

 

BENCHMARK YOUNG ADULT SCHOOL, INC
Jayne Selby-Longnecker
1971 Essex Court
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 888-999-3983

BETHEL ESTATE SALE OUTLET
Teresa Craig
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 499-0708

BON APPETIT UNIVERSITY CLUB & CATERING
Simona Mitroi
1259 E. Colton Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 748-8910

BORTON PETRINI, LLP
Joe Richardson
1461 Ford Street, Suite 201
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 381-0527

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Ricci Dula
1230 Indiana Court
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-2463

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
P.T. McEwen
1251 Clay Street
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 798-4599

CHURCHWEST INSURANCE SERVICES
Jack Lucas
201 Cajon Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 307-8500

GOODWIN INSURANCE AGENCY, INC
Glenn Goodwin
P. O. Box 7369
Redlands, CA 92375
Phone: 793-8118

HARR TRAVEL
Danny Genung
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 266-0117

HIGH 5 INDOOR PLAYGROUND
Benny Phan
811 Tri City Center
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 798-2828

INLAND CORE COMMERCIAL
J. Jeffry Dill
18 E. State Street, Suite 205
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 809-8181

INLAND EMPIRE RONALD McDONALD HOUSE
Karen Hooper
11365 Anderson
Loma Linda, CA 02354
Phone: 747-1260

INLAND LEADERS FOUNDATION
Dr. Jason Jimenez
12375 California Street
Yucaipa, CA 92399
Phone: 446-1100 ext. 700

LEONARD REALTY
Jack Leonard
6 Eighth Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-2436

KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
Teresa Carter
1473 Ford Street, Suite 200
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-2100

LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Garret Caldwell
11215 Mountain View #165
Loma Linda, CA 92354
Phone: 558-7000

MIRACLE EAR
Marline Barrows
1408 Industrial Park Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 247-1120

RAYNE|ERICKSON
ATTORNEY AT LAW
300 E. State Street, Suite 690
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 793-6800

REDLANDS ART ASSOCIATION
Liz Coviello
215 E. State Street
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-8435

REDLANDS FOOTLIGHTERS
Lori Kuntz
1810 Barton Road
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 798-8824

REDLANDS LODGE 300 FREE & ACCP’T MASONS
Bill Keel
131 Cajon Street, #14
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-1656

RITA SHAW BROKER & ASSOCIATES
Rita Shaw
1107 Orange Street
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 798-1000

STOW-A-WAY SELF STORAGE
Brendan Barker
1519 W. Lugonia Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-7807

SUPER 8
Jay Patel
1160 Arizona Street
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 335-1612

TEAM REFERRAL NETWORK
Craig Rice
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 951-776-7984

TELEDYNE BATTERY PRODUCTS
Rob Dunn
840 W. Brockton Avenue
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 793-3131

THE REDLANDSMILL
John Mills
301 9^th Street, Suite 100
Redlands, CA 92374
Phone: 792-9453

THE TARTAN OF REDLANDS
Jeff Salamon
24 E. Redlands Blvd
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-9919

TRI-CITY ACOUSTICS, INC
Ronald Jeffrey
465 Iowa Avenue
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-2260

UCR GROUP
CIRCA 2020
Stephanie Wilson
P. O. Box 9836
Redlands, CA 92375
Phone: 888-851-2584

VILLAGE GREEN APARTMENTS
Desirae Ramirez
1125 Pine Avenue
Redlands, CA 92373
Phone: 792-2096

 

An Overview New 2018 Laws Effecting California Employers

Courtesy of the CalChamber

In 2017 California enacted new employment laws that may affect your business’s day to day operations.

Employers must be aware of significant changes in key areas, such as a small business parental leave law and new hiring restrictions.

Unless specified the new laws take effect January 1, 2018.

Parental Leave for Small Employers

An important new law requires that small employers provide new parents with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. A small business is defined by 20 or more employees. The law required unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a new child, within one year of the child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement. The employer must maintain and pay for coverage under a group health plan at the same level and conditions that coverage would have been provided if the employee had continued working. Before the leave starts and employer must provide the employee with a guarantee of reinstatement to the same or comparable position.

Hiring Practices and Enforcement

• AB 1008 prohibits employers with five or more employees from asking about criminal history information on job applications and from inquiring about or considering criminal history at any time before a conditional offer of employment has been made. There are certain positions where a criminal background check is required by federal, state or local law.
• Once an employer has made a condition offer of employment it may seek certain criminal history information. However before denying employment because of a criminal conviction, these specific steps much be followed.
• The employer much first conduct an individual assessment to determine whether the conviction has a direct and adverse relationship with the job’s specific duties that justifies denying employment.
• Any preliminary decision not to hire because of a conviction history requires written notice to the applicant, who must be given the opportunity to respond. Specific, timeline and process for this step must be followed.
• Any final decision to deny employment because of the criminal conviction requires another specific written notice to the applicant.

No more Salary History Questions

AB 168 bans employers from asking about a job applicants prior salary, compensation or benefits.

In addition employers cannot rely on salary history information as a factor in determining whether to hire the applicant or how much to pay the applicant. An employer may consider salary information that is voluntarily disclosed. Employers must provide a job applicant, upon reasonable request with the pay scale for the position.

Work Immigration Enforcement and Protections

The immigration Worker Protection Act provides workers with protection from immigration enforcement while on the job and imposes varying fines from $2000 to $10,000.00 for violating provisions.

Employers cannot give immigration enforcement agents access to non-public areas of a business without judicial warrant.

Prohibition does not apply to Form I-9 or other documents for which a Notice of Inspection was provided to the employer.

This Bill also makes it unlawful for employers to re-verify the employment eligibility of current employees in a time or manner not allowed by federal employment eligibility verification laws.

Alcohol Servers

AB 1221 requires that businesses licensed to serve alcohol make sure each alcohol server receives mandatory training on alcohol responsibility and obtains an alcohol server certification.

Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Protections

Several new laws expand employee protections for 2018. Many of these laws focus on gender equality and gender identity/gender expression protections.

California employers with 50 or more employees must provide supervisors with two hours of sexual harassment prevention training every two years.

Employers will have to make sure that any mandatory training course they use also discusses harassment based on gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.

Employers must display a poster on transgender rights that the Department of Fair Employment and Housing will develop.

SB 179 will allow California resident to choose from three equally recognized gender options, female, male or non-binary –on state-issued identification cards, birth certificates and driver’s licenses. For changes to birth certificates, the law is effective on September1, 2018. For changes to driver’s licenses the effective date is January 1 2018.

AB 1556 revises California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act by deleting gender-specific personal pronouns in California’s anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, pregnancy disability and family medical leave laws by changing “he” or “she” for example to “the person” or “the employee”.

Human Trafficking

AB 260 extends the list of businesses that must post a human trafficking information notice to include hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns.

AB 1102 increases the maximum fine for a violation of whistleblower protections in healthcare facilities from $20,000 to $75,000.

Workplace Safety and Worker’s Compensation

Sb 258 relates to the safety of designated cleaning products including general cleaning, air care, automotive, or polish or floor maintenance products used primarily for janitorial, industrial or domestic cleaning purposes.

AB 44 requires employers to provide a nurse case manager to advocate for employees injured during the course of employment by an act of domestic terrorism, but only when the governor has declared a state of emergency.

 

Arthur’s Commercial Press serving Redlands with value and integrity since 1890

Arthur Commercial Press is a mid-sized commercial printing company established in 1890. They take pride in delivering quality products with speed and accuracy at the best prices possible.

You need business cards, Arthurs has an everyday special, 1 sided, 4 color, 500 or 1000 as inexpensive as what you can order on line but with personal customer service.

You can make black and white copies for pennies and color copies for under twenty cents.

The friendly folks at Arthur’s Commercial Press offer; Four Color Process (Offset & Digital) • Graphic Design & Typesetting • Large Paper Selection • Catalogs • Newsletters • Presentation Folders • Labels • Laser Checks • Snap Out Forms & Continuous Forms • Banners & Yard Signs • Duplication Services • Postcards • Flyers • Corporate Stationery • Brochures • Note Pads • Mailing Services / In-house Bindery • Perfect Bound Books • Foil Stamp & Embossing • T-shirts • Bill Boards • Packaging • Specialty Advertising (pens, pencils, mugs,etc.)

If you need it printed Arthur’s Commercial Press can do it, deliver is available.

Located at 601 W. State Street you can call at 792-2498 or log on to their website at www. Arthurcommercialpress.com.

Arthur’s Commercial Press is small enough to care and large enough to perform.”